The passenger lists include long-haul voyages to destinations outside Britain and Europe. While countries such as Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa and USA feature strongly, all continents are covered and you will find passengers on ships sailing to all parts of Asia, the Caribbean, South America and West Africa, even to remotest oceanic islands such as South Georgia Island.

These voyages often called en route at additional ports, including those in Europe, and any passengers disembarking at these stops are included. Voyages from all British (English, Welsh and Scottish) ports, and from all Irish ports before partition in 1921 and all Northern Irish ports after partition, are covered.

Destination countries

Passenger lists usually give details of the overseas port to which the passenger is sailing, while remaining silent on the country in which the port is situated. In many cases, the country is self-evident: i.e. Boston is of course in USA, Melbourne in Australia and so on. However, in other instances, the port in question can be small and obscure, or now known by a different name, or not have a unique name.

Destination ports

Passenger lists are not always clear or precise as to their exact routes and any ports of call on their way to their final destination. It is important to note that wherever a voyage has one or more ports of call prior to its final destination, there may be a difference between where the ship is going and where a passenger on board is going: for instance, the ship may be sailing to Sydney, Australia but passengers may disembark at, for example, Bombay in India if that is one of the ports of call en route.

Wherever possible, given destination ports are those of the passenger not of the ship. However, where this is unclear or not stated, the destination of the ship is given for the passenger instead.