Nautical Terms

ABEAM - Situated off the side of the ship

ADD ON - A supplementary charge added to the price of the cruise, usually to cover airfare or other expenses that ere not included in the price of the cruise

AFFINITY GROUP - A group traveling together from an organization formed for another purpose such as a church, civic group, or club

AFT - Toward the rear of the ship

AGENCY DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - The network of travel agencies that sells the majority of cruises, tours, and airline seats

AGENT BYPASS - A business strategy where a supplier sells directly to the public, bypassing travel agencies

AHEAD - Situated in front of the bow

AIR/SEA - A package that includes the cost of both the air and the cruise as well as transfers between the airport and the port

ALONGSIDE - Said of the ship when is is beside another vessel or pier

AMIDSHIPS - In or toward the middle of the ship (also «Midship»)

ASTERN - Situated behind the ship

ASHORE - On land

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE - The amount of baggage carried by the cruise line at no charge

BASIS TWO -Double occupancy. Cruise prices are quoted basis two, which means on the basis of two persons sharing a cabin

BEAM - Widest part of the ship

BEARING - The compass direction toward a point to which the ship is headed, usually expressed in degrees of the compass

BELOW - Said of anything beneath the main deck; to go "below" is to go to a lower deck

BERTH - A space to anchor or moor (tie-up) the ship; to dock the ship; a built in bunk for sleeping

BILGE - The lowermost spaces inside the ship

BLAST - The sound of the ship's horn

BON VOYAGE - A French phrase meaning "Have a good trip"

BOOKING - A telephone or automated request to a cruise line requesting a reservation for a passenger

BOW - The front of the ship

BRIDGE - Area where the ship is steered and controlled. Only captain and officers are allowed to enter.

BULKHEAD - Any wall abroad the ship that divide the ship into compartments

BUOY - A floating marker, moored to the bottom of the sea or tied to an anchor

CABIN - The rooms where passengers and crew sleep. Also known as staterooms or bedrooms

CAST OFF - To let go of the lines that moor the ship to the pier

CATEGORY - A price gradient of similar cabins from the most expensive to the least expensive , or vice versa

CHART - A nautical map to guide the ship

COME ABOUT - To turn the ship around

COMPANIONWAY - Interior stairway

COMPASS - Instrument used to determine the course of the shop

COURSE - Direction toward which the ship sails

CRUISE FARE - The actual cost of the cruise, not including port charges, tips, air fare, etc..

CRUISE LINES INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION (CLIA) - A trade promotion association consisting of cruise lines and travel agencies

DAVIT - Device used for raising and lowering lifeboats and tenders

DEBARK - To leave the ship

DECK - The floor of the ship

DECK PLAN - An overhead diagram that illustrates the location of cabins, public rooms and other spaces on a deck

DEPOSIT - A partial payment of the cruise fare required at the time of the booking

DISEMBARK - Same as "debark"

DOCK - The wharf or pier; to bring ship next to the pier

DRILL - A safety test ordered by the captain

DRAFT - Distance between the water surface and the keel

DUTY FREE - Refers to items that are sold free of import (duty) taxes

EMBARK - To go on board the ship

FANTAIL - The overhang at the rear of the ship

FAM - Familiarization trip, offered travel agents to visit cruise ships, hotels and destinations

FIRST SITTING - The earlier of two meal times on a ship

FLAG STATE - The flag of the country in which a ship is registered

FORE - Toward the front of the ship

GALLEY - The ship's kitchen

GANGWAY - The ramp, bridge or stairway used to get abroad and disembark the ship

GRATUITIES - Also known as tips. Waiters, busboys and room stewards receive a majority of their compensation from gratuities on board most cruises. Different companies provide guidelines, but passengers are free to tip whatever they feel the service warrants.

GROSS REGISTERED TONS (GRT) - the way the size of ship is computed. One

GRT equals 100 cubic feet of enclosed revenue -earning space (volume) on a vessel.

HEAVY SEAS - Rough water

HELM - Wheel controlling the rudder

HOLD - Storage area below guest decks in which ship carries its cargo

HULL - The frame and body of the ship not including the superstructure

INSIDE CABIN - A cabin that does not look out on to the ocean

KEEL - The bottom of the ship

KNOT - One nautical mile per hour, equals about 1.15 land miles per hour

LATITUDE - The distance north or south from equator expressed in degrees. One degree equals 60 nautical miles.

LEEWARD - Direction toward which the wind is blowing

LINES - The ropes that tie a ship to the dock. Largest of these are known as hawsers.

LONGITUDE - The distance east or west from the prime meridian az Greenwich, England, expressed in degrees. At the equator 1 degree equals 60 miles, but on the poles it equals zero,

MAL DE MER - French for seasickness

MANIFEST - List of the names of the ship's passengers,crew and cargo

MASTER - The captain

MIDSHIP - Toward the middle of the ship

MUSTER - to assemble the passengers,crew or both

M. V. - Motor vessel

NAUTICAL MILE - 6,080.2 feet

OPEN SITTING - Seating anywhere in the dining room as opposed to an assigned table

OUTSIDE CABIN - A cabin with a view of the ocean

PIER - Area where ship docks

PITCH - Rise and fall motion of the ship on the heavy seas

PORT - The left side of the ship when facing the bow (front)

ROLL - The side to side motion on the heavy seas

SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA (SOLAS) - A set of rules of the International Maritime Organization to prevent and control hazards at sea such as fire.

SECOND SITTING - The later of two meal times

SHORE EXCURSIONS - Tours and activities that are offered to passengers (usually at a charge) when ship is in port

SINGLE OCCUPANCY - When one person occupies a cabin instead of two

SPACE RATIO - A measurement of how spacious a ship is calculated in cubic space per passenger. Gross registered tonnage divided by the number of passengers a ship carries (double occupancy) equals the space ratio

STABILIZERS - Retractable "wings" that extent from the sides of a ship underwater to reduce motion

STAFF CAPTAIN - Second in command on board

STARBOARD - The right side of the ship as you face toward the bow (front)

STERN - The rear (back) part of the ship

STRIPES - The designation on a ship's officer's uniform of his or her rank

SUPERSTRUCTURE - The part of the ship located above the main deck

SWELL - Large wave which rises without breaking

TENDER - The small boat used to transport people from ship to a shore when ship is not able to dock

WAKE - Waves created by movement of the ship trough the water

WINDWARD - Direction from which the wind is blowing