A passenger liner, spaceliner or starliner was a civilian craft used for transporting people between planets—and usually between different star systems.
Technically, all passenger liners required life support, escape pods, a qualified crew and a valid license, supported by the appropriate insurance and government dues. In practice, the term denoted any ship that could carry passengers besides its flight crew. The two main types of passenger liner were the small passenger ship (SSP, for "small starship, passenger"), denoting ships under 100 meters long with less than 500 passengers, and the luxury liner, over 100 meters and with more than 250 passengers. Implicitly, ships in the two size brackets with passenger complements outside these ranges probably had different designations, but such ships were probably much less widespread.
Passenger liners have occasionally been used in military operations. Most notably, the Alliance to Restore the Republic converted a number of passenger liners into warships, including some Mon Calamari Star Cruisers and the Sullustan design that became the Dauntless-class heavy cruiser. Also, Palpatine's personal luxury liner, the Excalibur, saw battle in a coup attempt by Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, and the SSP designation extended to many freighters and shuttles that were capable of basic combat.
Appearances
Sources
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe (as space liner)
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game
- The Star Wars Sourcebook
- Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back
- Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters
- Planets of the Galaxy, Volume One (as cruiserliner)
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition (as cruise liner)
- Wanted by Cracken
- Galaxy Guide 7: Mos Eisley
- Star Wars Gamemaster Handbook (as cruise liner)
- The Movie Trilogy Sourcebook
- Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook
- "Smuggler's Log" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 1
- Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters
- Star Wars Sourcebook, Second Edition
- The Star Wars Planets Collection
- Classic Campaigns
- "Zirtran's Anchor" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 5
- Platt's Starport Guide
- Flashpoint! Brak Sector
- "Into the Core Worlds" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 7 (as starliner)
- Heroes & Rogues (as starliner)
- The Jedi Academy Sourcebook (as spaceliner)
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, Second Edition
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- Shadows of the Empire Planets Guide
- Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- "Message to Spacers 9" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Suns of Fortune
- Strongholds of Resistance