RMS Titanic was a ship.
RMS Titanic ( [ taɪˈtænɪk ] ) was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early morning of 15 April 1912 , after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City . On 14 April , four days into the crossing and about 375 mi south of Newfoundland , she hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. ship 's time . Royal Mail Ship ( sometimes Steam-ship or Steamer ) is usually seen in its abbreviated form RMS , a designation which dates back to 1840 . It is the ship prefix used for seagoing vessels that carry mail under contract to the British Royal Mail .