The Oasis of the Seas cruise ship is the largest in the world. It is almost as long as four football fields, has 16 decks and can carry more than 8,000 people. By contrast the powerful ships of the ancient world, Greek, Chinese and Norse were tiny. But without the whalers, schooners and frigates of the past there would be no history of international trade and travel. Ships today carry on the transport of people and goods from continent to continent.
Tankers move liquids and gaseous substances. They transport the oil, petroleum products and chemicals that fuel the modern world. They may also carry edible oils, juices and other food. Tankers carry cargo in bulk, usually in large vats or tanks.
These ships are important for moving non-liquid raw materials in bulk. You will find mined ores and coal in the cargo hold of bulk carriers. These large ships also transport much of the world's grain and fertilizer.
Container ships carry boxed cargo packed in equal-sized crates made of metal. These ships carry 90 percent of the world's non-bulk cargo, according to British Shipping.org. The containers on these ships may be dry goods crates or refrigerated units for food.
Cruise ships offer vacations to every sea in the world. The ships of today do more than the 20th century steamers that mainly ferried passengers. Today's traveler can live in luxury aboard ships that are like small cities with amenities from nightclubs to health clubs.
Military ships do a lot of heavy lifting for the armed forces. Aircraft carriers, hospital ships and submarines are all part of the naval fleet. Some ships, built to engage in battles at sea, primarily wage air combat using the ship as a base.
