▁ 7 2 ▁hours ▁during ▁the ▁travel . ▁The ▁public ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁technology ▁was ▁not ▁high , ▁as ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁thirty - two ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁book ed ▁a ▁seat ▁on ▁board ▁board ed ▁the ▁ship ▁for ▁that ▁historic ▁voyage . ▁Although ▁Sav ann ah ▁had ▁proven ▁that ▁a ▁steam ship ▁was ▁capable ▁of ▁crossing ▁the ▁ocean , ▁the ▁public ▁was ▁not ▁yet ▁prepared ▁to ▁trust ▁such ▁means ▁of ▁travel ▁on ▁the ▁open ▁sea , ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 0 , ▁the ▁steam ▁engine ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁ship . ▁ ▁Work ▁on ▁this ▁technology ▁continued ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁step ▁was ▁taken ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁Royal ▁Edward ▁managed ▁to ▁cross ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁by ▁using ▁steam ▁power ▁on ▁three - qu arter ▁of ▁the ▁course . ▁The ▁sail ▁was ▁used ▁only ▁when ▁the ▁wall ▁of ▁the ▁bo ilers ▁was ▁clean ed . ▁There ▁were ▁still ▁many ▁ske pt ics , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 6 , ▁scientific ▁writer ▁D ion ys ius ▁L ard ner ▁declared ▁that : ▁As ▁the ▁project ▁of ▁making ▁the ▁voyage ▁directly ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁to ▁Liverpool , ▁it ▁was ▁perfectly ▁ch imer ical , ▁and ▁they ▁might ▁as ▁well ▁talk ▁of ▁making ▁the ▁voyage ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁to ▁the ▁moon . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁step ▁toward ▁long - distance ▁travel ▁using ▁steam ▁power ▁was ▁taken ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁when ▁SS ▁Si ri us ▁left ▁Liverpool ▁on ▁April ▁ 4 ▁and ▁arrived ▁in