Add-on: A supplementary charge added to the cruise fare, usually applied to correlated airfare and/or postcruise land tours.
Aft: Near, toward, or in the rear (stern) of the ship.
Air/sea: A package consisting of the two forms of travel, that is, air to and from the port of embarkation, transfers to and from the port, as well as the cruise itself.
Astern: Beyond the ship’s stern.
Batten down: To secure all open hatches or equipment for seaworthiness while the ship is under way.
Beam: Width of the ship (amidships) between its two sides at its widest point.
Berth Dock, pier, or quay (pronounced “key”); also, the bed in the passenger cabins.
Bow: Front or forward portion of the ship.
Bridge: Navigational and command control center of the ship.
Bulkhead: Upright partition (wall) dividing the ship into cabins or compartments.
Category: The price level of a cabin, based on location on the ship, dimensions, and amenities.
Colors: A national flag or ensign flown from the mast or stern post.
Course: Direction in which the ship is headed, usually expressed in compass degrees.
Crow’s nest: Partially enclosed platform at the top of the mast, used as a lookout.
Deck plan: An overhead deck-by-deck diagram illustrating cabin and public room locations in relation to each other.
Disembark: Depart from the ship.
Dock: Berth, pier, or quay (pronounced “key”).
Draft: Measurement in feet from waterline to lowest point of ship’s keel.
Even keel: The ship in a true vertical position with respect to its vertical axis.
Fathom: Measurement of distance equal to six feet.
First seating: The earlier of several meal times in the ship’s main dining rooms.
Fore: The forward mast or the front (bow) of the ship. Forward Toward the fore or bow of the ship.
Funnel: The smokestack or “chimney” of the ship.
Galley: The ship’s kitchen.
Cruise Lingo
Gangway :The opening through the ship’s bulwarks (or through the ship’s side) and the ramp by which passengers embark and disembark.
Gross registered ton: A measurement of 100 cubic feet of enclosed revenueearning space within a ship (see “Space ratio”).
Hatch: The covering over an opening in a ship’s deck, leading to a hold.
Helm: Commonly the ship’s steering wheel, but more correctly the entire steering apparatus consisting of the wheel, the rudder, and their connecting cables or hydraulic systems.
Hold Interior: space(s) below the main deck for storage of cargo.
House flag: The flag denoting the company to which the ship belongs.
Hull: The frame and body (shell) of the ship exclusive of masts, superstructure, or rigging.
Knot: A unit of speed equal to 1 nautical mile per hour (6,080.2 feet), as compared with a land mile of 5,280 feet.
League: A measure of distance approximating 3.45 nautical miles.
Leeward: In the direction of that side of the ship opposite from which the wind blows.
Manifest: A list or invoice of a ship’s passengers, crew, and cargo.
Midship: In or toward the middle of the ship; the longitudinal center portion of the ship.
Nautical mile: 6,080.2 feet, as compared with a land mile of 5,280 feet.
Open seating: Seating in the main dining room(s) is not assigned. You eat where and with whom you wish.
Paddlewheel: A wheel with boards around its circumference, and, commonly, the source of propulsion for traditional American riverboats.
Pitch: The rocking back and forth (bow to stern) motion of a ship that may be felt in heavy seas when the ship is under way.
Port: The left side of the ship when facing toward the bow.
Port charge: Port taxes, collected by the line and paid to a local government authority; it may include other miscellaneous charges, such as gasoline surcharge and fees, as well as fees to dock in a particular port.
Port tax: A charge levied by the local government authority to be paid by the passenger.
Prow: The bow or the stem (the front) of the ship.
SUNBURNS
YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS against the sun when you are on a Caribbean, Mexican, Antarctic, southern European, or southeast Asian cruise. The sun in these regions is much, much stronger than the sun to which most people are accustomed. Always use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, preferably 30 and above, and do not stay in the direct sun for long stretches at a time. Nothing can spoil a vacation faster than a sunburn.
LEARNING THE LINGO
CRUISE SHIPS HAVE A LANGUAGE all their own. Although it is not necessary to enroll in a Berlitz course to learn it, becoming familiar with a few terms will be worthwhile so you won’t feel lost at sea, if you will forgive the pun.
Passengers don’t reserve rooms on a ship, they book cabins, which cruise lines sometimes call by a fancier name, staterooms. The price level of a cabin is known as its category.
Purser: A senior management position on board ship. In most cases, the purser is like the general manager of a hotel, but in some cases, he or she is more the financial or administration officer.
Quay: (pronounced “key”) A dock, berth, or pier.
Registry: The country under whose flag the ship is registered and with whose laws the ship and its owners must comply, in addition to compliance with the laws of the countries at which the ship calls and/or embarks/disembarks passengers/cargo.
Rigging: The ropes, chains, and cables that support a sailing ship’s masts, spars, kingposts, cranes, and the like.
Roll: The alternate sway of a ship from side to side.
Running lights: Three lights (green on the starboard side, red on the port side, and white at the top of the mast) required by international law to be lighted when the ship is in motion between the times of sunset and sunrise. Second, third, or fourth seating The later meal times in the ship’s dining room(s).
Space ratio: A measurement of cubic space per passenger. Gross registered ton divided by the number of passengers (basis two) equals space ratio.
Stabilizer: A gyroscopically operated finlike device extending from both sides of the ship below the waterline to steady the ship and reduce its roll.
Stack: The funnel or chimney from which the ship’s gases of combustion are released into the atmosphere.
Cruise Lingo (continued)
When you reach your ship, you will board or embark; when it’s time to leave the ship, passengers disembark. If the ship arrives at a port where it cannot pull into the dock, the ship will anchor and passengers are taken ashore in a tender, one of the small ancillary vessels or lifeboats that travel on board the ship.
Several terms will assist you in finding your way around the ship. The bow is the front of the ship, the aft is the rear, and the center portion is midship.
Heading forward, toward the bow, the right side of the ship is known as the starboard side; the left side of the ship is called the port side. Ships have decks, never floors. Decks are named after such things as precious stones (Emerald Deck), activities (Sports Deck), places (Monte Carlo Deck), and planets (Venus Deck).
If you’ve built up an appetite from all this exploring, you can go to the main seating (or sitting) and eat early, or the second seating and dine late. Both times are assigned by the line. Some lines also offer two early and two late seatings. Some ships have single seating, which
Starboard: The right side of the ship when facing toward the bow. Stateroom Cabin or suite.
Steward: Personnel on board ship.
Stem: The extreme bow or prow of the ship.
Stern: The extreme rear of the ship.
Suite: Upscale accommodations with more space, more in-room amenities, a bigger balcony and, at times, more rooms than standard or balcony cabins.
Superstructure: The structure of the ship above the main deck or waterline.
Tender: A small vessel, sometimes the ship’s lifeboat, used to move passengers to and from the shore when the ship is at anchor.
Transfers: A bus or van ride between the ship and other locations, such as airports, hotels, or departure points for shore excursions.
Upper berth: A single-size bed higher from the floor than usual (similar to a bunk bed), usually folded or recessed into the wall or ceiling by day.
Wake: The track of agitated water behind a ship in motion.
Waterline: The line at the side of the ship’s hull that corresponds to the surface of the water.
Weigh: To raise; for example, to weigh the anchor. Windward Toward the wind, to the direction from which the wind blows. means that all passengers eat at the same time for all three meals.
Some ships also have open seating, in which case you may sit anywhere— at any unoccupied table or join others. By invitation, you may even find yourself at the captain’s table.
On board, there are people to help you decode ship lingo. The purser’s office is the information center, similar to a check-in desk at a hotel. The hotel manager is in charge of all passenger-related shipboard services, such as dining, housekeeping, and so on. The chief steward is responsible for cabin services, and cabin stewards or stewardesses take care of cabins; the dining steward is your waiter.
The cruise director functions as the emcee, and the cruise staff, who are his assistants, run all activities and entertainment and make sure you are having a good time. Finally, there’s the captain, who is in charge of everything. Cruise lingo is part of the fun, so don’t take it too seriously.
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