"Cruiser" is an old term, and it originally referred to the mission rather than to the ship. Cruisers were usually smaller ships such as frigates or sloops, bec

"Cruiser" is an old term, and it originally referred to the mission rather than to the ship. Cruisers were usually smaller ships such as frigates or sloops, because bigger ships were too expensive to use in that role. Battleships were the last descendants of the ship of line, which basically meant a ship big enough and heavily armed enough to not be a weak link in the line of battle.