[Dhill]

Originally Posted by Paul Motter

I am starting to compile a cruising glossary. if you have ideas for terms you would like to add please post in replies.




Cruising Glossary:

Aft: in the direction of the back (stern) of the ship.

Berth: a bed on the floor (used to determine a ship’s “official� capacity).

Bow: the front, leading edge of the ship. The “pointy end.�

Bridge: the room where the navigational staff (captain) steers the ship.

Capacity: the number of berths on a ship, not including pull-down and rollaway beds. Therefore, a ship can carry several hundred more passengers than its registered capacity. This is why cruise lines regularly report their quarterly capacity at well over 100%

Disembark: “to leave,� as when a passengers leaves a ship.

Embark: to come aboard a ship.

Forward: in the direction of the front (bow) of the ship.

Galley: the “kitchen� area where the food is stored and prepared.

Gross Tonnage: a common way to convey the total internal volume of a ship.

Homeport: the main port where the ship begins and ends its cruise.

Keel: a heavy steel shaft along the bottom of the ship that keeps it upright

Pitch: up and down motion of ship usually as it sails perpendicular to the ocean swells.

Port: A facility for a ship to interface with land; or the left side of the ship when facing forward

Purser: officer in charge of financial accounting on a ship, works at the passenger service’s desk, or “front desk.� Watches your onboard spending and tallies your final bill.

Repositioning Cruise: Fall and Spring journeys from one seasonal cruising region to another; known for many days at sea while you cross the world’s major oceans. Good value cruises.

Room Steward: The person who cleans your stateroom, delivers towels, etc.

Rocking: side to side motion of the ship, usually as a ship sails parallel to the ocean swells.

Sail & Sign Card: a magnetic stripe “credit card� that works as your room key, boarding pass, identification card and onboard charge card during the cruise.

Shorex: short for “shore excursion,� the staff who offers and manages land tours.

Starboard: the right-hand side of the ship when facing forward.

Stern: the rounded, back end of the ship.

Swell: an ocean wave when out at sea; the up and down motion of the surface of the sea.

Tender: a small boat used to get passengers ashore when a ship is at anchor instead of alongside a dock. Tenders are used regularly in islands with no dock facilities.

Thruster: small perpendicularly mounted propellers in the keel that move the ship sideways.

Sometimes bow thrusters use pumps and water to manuver the bow of the ship