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.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Hi Mr Motter,
here are some to add to your knowledge if you don't know yet.
ABEAM;off the side of the ship,at a right angle to length of the ship
AMIDSHIP;in or toward the middle of the ship.
COMPANIONWAY;interior stairway.
COURSE;direction in wich the ship headed,usually expressed in compass
degrees.
DAVIT;a device for raising and lowering lifeboats.
FANTAIL;the rear or aft overhang of the ship.
FATHOM;measurement of distance equal to 6 feet.
If you want some more,let me know I will be please todo so. MTL
Sure, I welcome all definitions, although I may not include some that are more nautical than the average cruise enthusiast would ever use in conversation.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Perhaps the staff positions would be helpful to some:
Purser
Ships Engineer
Captain
Seaman
Cruise Director
You get the idea.
__________________
March 2008 Celebrity Infinity South America
Sept 2007 Carnival Holiday Mexico
Nov 2004 Celebrity Century Western Caribbean
Nov. 2002 Carnival Legend Western Caribbean
May 1998 Royal Caribbean Enchantment Mediterranean
Nov. 1996 Carnival Fascination Southern Caribbean
April 1988 American Hawaiian Hawaiian Islands
Nov. 1986 Regency Western Caribbean
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.
Draft: The distance for the water line to the keel (bottom) of the ship. It is the minimum depth of the water that required to float the ship.
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Thank you all, I must say I never heard of atheartships or gweedunk.
By the way - these don't have to be "nauticaL" at all - anything cruise-related like "outside cabin" (not actually outside) or "cabin gurantee" (not meaning some people sleep on the deck) also works. Run of Ship - (no, you don't get to steer).
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Bulbous bow- the lower portion of the bow underwater. Extends further forward to create a false wave thereby reducing resistance. Also serves to help keep the ship IN the water rather than ON the water.
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Dan
Peace through superior firepower.
On board credit (OBC) - credit applied to your on board purchases.
On board account - your bill for purchases made on the ship. Usually delivered to your room the last night. Note: if it will not slide under your door, you're in trouble.
Pilot - a local authority on the waters in a particular port who comes aboard to assist the captain.
Pilot boat - the small boat which brings the pilot to and from the ship
Norwalk Visus - a gastro-intestinal virus causing vomitting and diarrhea that often times plagues cruise ships. To avoid it wash your hands often.
Bar set up - full size bottles of alcohol available for in room consumption.
Key card - see Sign and Sail
Traditional dining - a system in which passengers eat at the same time and place each evening
Freestyle - no assigned dining time or place
Repeaters party - aka past passenger party - a cocktail party hosted for passengers who have sailed the cruise line before.
Past passenger program - a program offered by the cruise line to reward passengers who have sailed with them before. Often times has multi-level benefits.
e-docs - tickets issued via the internet
doc dance - the spontaneous outburst of delight when one finds their docs in the mailbox
double digit midgit - one who is now 99 days or less away from Bon Voyage
cruise -tour - a land trip, usually of 3-5 days added onto either end of a cruise
travel insurance - insurance to cover various aspects of loss during your vacation. aka - what you wish you had when they lose your luggage
Friends of Bill / Bill W. / Dr. Bill / Dr. Bill and Lois - onboard meetings of AA and NA
Friends of Dorothy - onboard gatherings of homosexual cruisers.
Captain's party - a cocktail party hosted by the captain for all cruisers. Usually on the first formal night.
Brigg - the excursion you really don't want, so behave
Self-disembark - a method of disembarking the ship where you carry all your luggage off the ship yourself.
Pre-registration - completing registration forms online rather than at the cruise terminal. Makes the boarding process much quicker.
Tips - money given to the room steward, waiter, waiter's assistant. Usually about $10/person/day. May be automatically added to your on board account or given in cash.
Themed cruise - a cruise geared toward people with a common interest, i.e. NASCAR, zydeco music, etc
Direct booking - booking with the cruise line yourself rather than using a travel agent.
How about "chairhogs"? Inconsiderate passengers that wake up at the crack of dawn to spread their towels and other personal belongings on multiple chairs near the pools but don't return to use those chairs until hours later.
How about "chairhogs"? Inconsiderate passengers that wake up at the crack of dawn to spread their towels and other personal belongings on multiple chairs near the pools but don't return to use those chairs until hours later.
And "Show Hogs"....6 people that trade off squat duties for 15 minutes apiece. One person hoards 6 seats for 15 minutes and then passes the baton to another....and then to another.
Decent passengers lose out while a group gets all the seats with little effort on the part of an individual.
__________________
Dan
Peace through superior firepower.
These are great suggestions. I am trying to keep it within the vernacular of the average cruiser. F'rinstance, "quaterdeck" is a very descriptive word, but I am not sure I have ever heard it in regular usage, and I worked on cruise ships.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
I am just glad you cleared up "gross tonnage," which I envisioned as the huge man in the speedo on the lido deck during every hairy chest contest.
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Been there - done that:
2003 Holiday
2004 Fantasy
2005 Holiday, Sensation, Conquest,
2006 Conquest, Celebration, Holiday,
2007 Freedom Grand Med, Holiday
2008 Fantasy & Sensation,
2009 Fantasy, Holiday & Dream Grand Med
2010 Fantasy and B2B Elation
2011 Monarch of the Seas
2012 Booked - Breeze from Barcelona 12 days
"Aft: in the direction of the back (stern) of the ship"
Yes, but you should also define "After" which is a location as in, perhaps, "the after swimming pool." You walk aft to get to the after pool.
"Keel: a heavy steel shaft along the bottom of the ship that keeps it upright"
No. On a SAILBOAT the keel -- a heavy, fin-like hunk of lead -- balances the force of the wind on the sails, and keeps the boat from tipping over. On a SHIP, the keel is the heavy steel beam along the bottom to which everything else is attached. The design, and loading of the ship keeps it from tipping over.
MTL's definition:
"COURSE;direction in wich the ship headed,usually expressed in compass
degrees."
Not quite. The COURSE is the path over the ocean you would LIKE the ship to follow. The HEADING is the compass direction you point the ship in order to make good your desired COURSE. The tides, the current, and the wind push the ship where they want, and you have to compensate with your HEADING in order to end up travelling along the COURSE you'd like to follow.
MTL again:
"FANTAIL;the rear or aft overhang of the ship."
Should be: "FANTAIL; the rear or AFTER overhang of the ship." Remember, aft is a direction, After is a place.
And "Show Hogs"....6 people that trade off squat duties for 15 minutes apiece. One person hoards 6 seats for 15 minutes and then passes the baton to another....and then to another.
Decent passengers lose out while a group gets all the seats with little effort on the part of an individual.
How about "Rude old curmudgeon"? That is me when meeting a "Show Hog". DW and I simply sit down in two of their seats (hopefully the middle two) and smile and say, "There is a policy on this ship of not reserving seats, you know."
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