A
Above Board
Cabins above the waterline.
Accommodation
A Cabin or a Suite.
Add On
A supplementary charge added to the cruise fare, usually applied to correlated air fare and/or post cruise land tours.
Aft
Near, toward, or in the rear (stern) of the vessel.
Air/Sea
A package consisting of the two forms of travel, i.e., air to and from the port of embarkation as well as the cruise itself.
Alleyway
Any passageway on the vessel.
Return to Top
B
Baggage Allowance
That amount of baggage, generally consisting of the passenger's personal effects, carried by the cruise line free of charge.
Bar Department
Handles the operations of wine & spirits where required in the respective departments.
Basis Two
The cabins PER PERSON applicable to a cabin capable of accommodating at least two persons. Also referred to as double occupancy.
Beam
Cabins above the waterline.
Bearing
Ship's compass direction.
Beauty Salon Department
Responsible for the hair care needs and beauty aspects of passenger and crew when requested and as directed.
Below
Lower decks.
Berth
Dock or pier.
Bilge
Lowest part of the ship's hull.
Boat
Carried on the ship such as the lifeboat.
Booking
A telephone request to a line's reservations department to secure an option on a cabin.
Bow
Forward or front part of ship.
Bridge
Navigation and command center of the vessel.
Bulkhead
Upright partition (walls) used to divide various sections of the ship into rooms.
Bunkering
Re-fueling the vessel.
Return to Top
C
Cabin
Room. Officer and/or crew quarters (see also Stateroom).
Cardinal Points
North, South, East, West.
Cargo
Ship supplies.
Casino Department
Responsible for the gambling operations on board.
Category
A price gradient of similar cabins from the most expensive to the least expensive, or vice versa.
Class
Extinct on most cruises. On some trans-ocean voyages, denotes an overall level of ambiance and cost, such as "First Class," "Tourist Class" or "Transatlantic Class." Cruises are generally termed "One-class service"
Clergy
Members of the clergy who conducts on board religious activities and ceremonies.
Coaming
Raised partition at base of doorways to keep water from entering.
Colors
National flag or ensignia flown from mast or sternpost.
Companion Way
Interior stairway.
Concessionaire
Outside company or vendor that provides management and/or employees for a department on board the vessel.
Conductor's Ticket
A free cruise ticket usually associated with groups of passengers traveling together, the entitlement to which is governed by each line's policy.
Course
Direction the ship is heading.
Crew Area
Crew access only./p>
Cruise Fare
The actual cost of the cruise excluding all extras such as taxes, port charges, airfare, gratuities, and the like.
Customs
Government officials responsible for regulating goods, services and supplies into a country.
Return to Top
D
Debarkation
Exiting from the ship.
Deck Chair
Open deck chaise lounge which is generally provided on a complimentary basis.
Deck Plan
An overhead diagram illustrating cabin and public room locations in relation to each other.
Deck
Floor.
Deposit
A part payment of the cruise fare required at the time of booking to secure the cabin being reserved.
Disembark/Debark
Leave the vessel.
Dock
The structure such as a pier in which the vessel ties up when in port.
Draft
Measurement in feet from waterline to lowest point of ship's keel.
Dry Dock
Vessel is completed removed from the water to institute repairs to the keel.
Return to Top
E
Embarkation/Embark
To go aboard the ship.
Return to Top
F
Fantail
Rear or aft overhang of vessel.
Fathom
Measurement of distance equal to 6 feet.
Fender
Cushion between side of vessel and dock.
Final Payment
Payment of the full cruise fare plus any necessary or agreed extras, such as taxes, air add on, preparatory to issuance of correlated travel documents.
First Sitting
The earlier of two meal times in the ship's dining room.
Flag of Convenience
Registry of the vessel is foreign to that of the country in which the company that owns the ship is located.
Fly-Cruise
See "Air-Sea."
Fore and Aft
Front and back of the vessel, refers to the entire vessel.
Forward
Toward the fore or bow (front) of the ship.
Free Port
A port free of customs duty and most customs regulations.
Return to Top
G
GRT
Gross registered tonnage, i.e., a measurement of 100 cubic feet of enclosed revenue-eaming space within a ship.
Galley
Vessel's kitchen.
Gangway
Platform or ramp for embarkation and disembarkation to a dock or tender used for convenience and security.
Gratuities
The passenger's personal expression of thanks (tips) to the ship's service personnel for services received.
Guarantee Share Fare
Acceptance by some lines of a single booking at the cost-saving double occupancy rate, with the understanding that the client is willing to share use of the cabin with a stranger of the same sex.
Guarantee
The cruise line's promise that the passenger will sail on a stated voyage in a specified price category or type of cabin, at an agreed rate no higher than would ordinarily apply for that voyage, which MAY result in an improvement of accommodation at no additional cost.
Guest Lecturers
An individual who will present a discussion format specializing in a particular hobby, skill or activity (financial, sports, et.).
Gunwale
The removable section of the vessel's side below the deck level.
Return to Top
H
Head
Toilet facilities.
Helm
Vessel's steering wheel.
Hold
Interior lower compartments of the vessel where cargo is stored.
Return to Top
I
Immigration
Government officials responsible for granting citizens permission to or restricting entry to a country.
Inside
A cabin having no windows or portholes to offer a view of the sea or of the river.
Instructors
An individual who teaches and instructs a particular hobby, skill or activity in which active participation is encouraged.
Return to Top
K
Keel
The bottom portion of the vessel submerged in water.
Knot
One nautical mile per hour (6,080 ft) as compared to land mile of 5,280 ft.
Return to Top
L
Latitude
Angular distance measured in degrees north or south of the equator.
League
A measure of distance approximately 3.45 nautical miles.
Leeward
Side of the vessel or island that is protected from the wind.
Lifeboat
Small boat carried on the vessel and used in case of emergency.
Log
Daily record of a ship's speed and progress.
Longitude
Angular distance measured in degrees east or west of the prime meridian of Greenwich, England.
Lower Bed
sA single bed placed at the conventional height from the floor.d
Return to Top
M
Manifest
A list of invoice of passengers, crew and cargo.
Mess
Dining room facilities and kitchen for crew separate from the passenger dining room and kitchen.
Midships
In or toward the middle of the ship; the longitudinal center portion of the ship.
Muster
To assemble passengers and/or crew.
Return to Top
N
Newbuild
New vessel from bow to stern
Return to Top
O
Officer's Mess
Dining room facilities for officers separate from the crew and passenger dining room.
Offshore
Not on land.
Open Sitting
Free access to unoccupied tables in the ship's dining room, as opposed to specific table assignments.
Option
The cruise line's offering of a specific cabin (or guarantee) for a specified period of time during which the passenger decides whether or not to accept. Acceptance is confirmed either by a deposit or final payment.
Outside
A cabin having window(s) or porthole(s) offering a view of the sea or of the river.
Return to Top
P
Passage Contract
Detailed terms of responsibility and accountability found in the cruise ticket.
Pets
Any ordinary domesticated bird or animal. None are carried aboard cruise voyages.
Pooped
Hit by a wave over the stern.
Port Charge
An assessment which also includes port taxes, collected by the line and paid to a local government authority.
Port Talk
Lecture given discussing the details of a port-of-call the vessel visits.
Port Tax
A charge levied by local government authority to be paid by the passenger. In some air/sea packages, port taxes are included in the final price.
Port Tax
Tax levied on each passenger by port-of-call authorities.
Port-of-Call
Country, island or territory the vessel visits.
Port
The left side of the ship when facing forward.
Portholes
Circular "windows" in the side of the ship's hull or superstructure.
Purser's Office
The central administrative office on board for passengers as well as crew members.
Return to Top
Q
Quad Rate
An economical per person rate available to individuals for quadruple occupancy on a guarantee share basis.
Return to Top
R
Rebuild
Adding length to a vessel by dissecting and inserting a new section within the vessel's hull.
Registry
The country in which the vessel is registered.
Repositioning
Vessel moves to a new area for a new season (i.e. Alaska in the Summer to the Caribbean in the Winter).
Review Dates
A periodic evaluation of the progress of the sale and promotion of a group combined with attendant cabin utilization.<./p>
Roll
Sway of the ship from side to side.
Return to Top
S
Sailing Time
The actual hour at which the ship is scheduled to clear the dock and sail.
Second Sitting
The later of two meal times in the ship's dining room.
Share Basis
See "Guarantee Share Fare."
Ship's Company
All those employed to work on board a vessel.
Shore Excursions
Off-the-ship tours at ports of call for which an extra charge is usually applied.
Single Occupancy
Sole occupancy of a cabin which is designed to accommodate two or more passengers, in which instance a premium is ordinarily charged.
Space Ratio
A measurement of cubic space per passenger. Gross Registered Tonnage divided by number of passengers (double occupancy) equals Space Ratio (rounded to nearest whole number).
Stabilizers
Wing-like retractable devices extending form the sides of the vessel to produce smoother sailing.
Starboard
The right side of the ship facing forward.
Stateroom
Passenger quarters.
Stem
Extreme bow of the vessel.
Stern
Rear of the vessel.
Stopover
Leaving the ship at a port of call and rejoining it at a subsequent port of call or upon the ship's return to the earlier port of call.
Stowaway
Illegal passenger.
Return to Top
T
TBA
To be assigned.
Tender
A smaller vessel, sometimes the ship's lifeboat, used to move passengers to and from the ship and shore when the ship is at anchor.
Topside
Upper decks.
Transfers
Conveyances between the ship and other modes, such as airports, hotels, or departure points for shore excursions.
Triple Rate
An economical per person rate available to individuals for triple occupancy on a guarantee share fare basis.
Type
See "Category."
Return to Top
U
USPH
United Stated Public Health. Sets the standard for public health and quality food control on board vessels entering United States territory.
Under Way
Anchor is up, lines are let go and ready to move.
Upper Bed
A single size bed higher from the floor than usual (similar to a bunk bed) often recessed into the ceiling or wall by day.
Return to Top
W
Wait List
Not a guarantee, but the cruise line's endeavor to obtain accommodation for passengers on a first-come-first-served basis when all cabins are presently either sold, under deposit, or under option.
Wake
Agitated water left by the propellers of a passing ship.
Wardroom
Officer's recreation area.
Weigh Anchor
To raise anchor in preparation for departure.
Wet Dock
Repairs made without removing the vessel from the water.
Windward
Facing into or the direction towards the wind.
Return to Top
