▁such ▁as ▁the ▁steam ▁engine ▁and ▁steel ▁h ull ▁allowed ▁larger ▁and ▁faster ▁lin ers ▁to ▁be ▁built , ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁competition ▁between ▁world ▁powers ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁especially ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁Germany . ▁Once ▁the ▁dominant ▁form ▁of ▁travel ▁between ▁contin ents , ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁were ▁rendered ▁largely ▁ob sole te ▁by ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁long - distance ▁aircraft ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Adv ances ▁in ▁autom obile ▁and ▁railway ▁technology ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁role . ▁After ▁ ▁was ▁retired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁only ▁ship ▁still ▁in ▁service ▁as ▁an ▁ocean ▁l iner ▁is ▁the ▁. ▁Of ▁the ▁many ▁ships ▁constructed ▁over ▁the ▁dec ades , ▁only ▁nine ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁made ▁before ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁surv ive . ▁ ▁Over view ▁ ▁Ocean ▁lin ers ▁were ▁the ▁primary ▁mode ▁of ▁inter cont inental ▁travel ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁century , ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century ▁until ▁they ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁supp l anted ▁by ▁air lin ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁passengers , ▁lin ers ▁carried ▁mail ▁and ▁cargo . ▁Sh ips ▁contract ed ▁to ▁carry ▁British ▁Royal ▁Mail ▁used ▁the ▁design ation ▁R MS . ▁Lin ers ▁were ▁also ▁the ▁preferred ▁way ▁to ▁move ▁gold ▁and ▁other ▁high - value ▁cargo es . ▁ ▁The ▁bus iest ▁route ▁for ▁lin ers ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁North ▁Atlantic ▁with ▁ships ▁trav elling ▁between ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁America