Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Cruise, Passenger Ship and Ferry Operations glossary

The passenger-ship vocabulary: SOLAS II-2 fire-rated divisions (A-class, A-60), cruise brands and named ships, alternative maritime power for cold ironing, and the muster, evacuation, and hotel-operations terms specific to cruise and ferry trades. Grounds each term in the SOLAS passenger-ship requirement or the operator it belongs to.

228 defined terms.

A

A-60 division: SOLAS II-2 fire-rated bulkhead or deck insulated to limit temperature rise on the unexposed side for 60 minutes in a standard fire test.
A-class division: SOLAS II-2 steel or equivalent bulkhead insulated with non-combustible material, rated A-0, A-15, A-30, or A-60.
AIDA Cruises: German contemporary brand within Carnival Corporation, headquartered in Rostock.
Allure of the Seas: Royal Caribbean Oasis class cruise ship delivered 2010, 225,282 GT.
AMP: Alternative Maritime Power, shoreside electrical supply to berthed vessels.
Anthem of the Seas: Royal Caribbean Quantum class ship delivered 2015.
Aquatheater: Open-air theater venue at the stern of Royal Caribbean Oasis and Icon class ships.
Atrium: Multi-deck central public space on cruise ships, typically the focal lobby.
Attained Subdivision Index (A): Calculated probabilistic damage stability value under SOLAS Ch II-1 Part B-1; must equal or exceed R.

B

B-15 division: SOLAS II-2 non-combustible bulkhead rated to 15 minutes against fire passage.
Baggage tag: Color-coded label assigned per cabin to route luggage to the correct stateroom at embarkation.
Barcelona: Major Mediterranean turnaround cruise port at the Port of Barcelona.
Beam to beam ramp: Bow visor or stern door ramp arrangement on ro-pax for drive-on, drive-off operation.
Berth: Place where a ship is moored; sleeping bunk.
Biometric processing: Facial-recognition embarkation and disembarkation used at many US cruise terminals.
Bow thruster: Transverse-tunnel thruster forward for low-speed maneuvering.
Bridge: Navigation control center of a passenger ship.
Bridge wing: Outdoor extension of the bridge providing visibility along the ship's side.
Brittany Ferries: French ferry operator running the western Channel and Bay of Biscay routes.
Bulkhead Deck: Uppermost deck to which transverse watertight bulkheads extend.
Bunker barge: Tanker delivering fuel oil, MGO, or LNG to a cruise ship at berth or at anchor.

C

Cabin steward: Hotel-department crew member responsible for daily stateroom service.
Caledonian MacBrayne: Scottish state-owned ferry operator on the west coast and Hebrides routes.
Capacity 100 percent each side: SOLAS III lifeboat requirement for passenger ships on international voyages.
Captain: Master of a passenger ship, holding overall command and SOLAS responsibility.
Carnival Corporation and plc: World's largest cruise company, parent of Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Costa, AIDA, P&O Cruises, and Seabourn.
Carnival Cruise Line: Contemporary brand within Carnival Corporation operating from US homeports.
Castaway Cay: Disney Cruise Line private island in the Bahamas.
Catamaran: Twin-hull vessel with high transverse stability.
CDC VSP: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vessel Sanitation Program inspecting cruise ships calling at US ports.
Celebrity Cruises: Premium brand within Royal Caribbean Group.
Celebrity Edge: Lead ship of the Edge class delivered 2018.
Civitavecchia: Cruise port serving Rome.
CLIA: Cruise Lines International Association, the global cruise industry trade body.
Closed-loop scrubber: Exhaust gas cleaning system using a recirculated alkaline wash with onboard residue handling.
Cold Ironing: Onshore power supply enabling ships to shut down engines in port.
Color Line: Norwegian ferry operator between Norway and Germany or Denmark.
Compartment standard: Number of adjacent compartments a passenger ship can flood and still meet damage stability.
Concierge: Cabin-category dedicated guest-services position on premium cruise lines.
Copenhagen: Baltic turnaround cruise port at Ocean Quay and Langelinie.
Costa Concordia: 2012 cruise ship grounding off Giglio, parbuckled and refloated 2013 to 2014.
Costa Cruises: Italian brand within Carnival Corporation based in Genoa.
Cruise contract of carriage: Ticket terms forming the passenger contract under the chosen forum law.
Cruise director: Senior hotel officer responsible for guest entertainment and announcements.
Crystal Cruises: Luxury cruise brand, relaunched 2023 under A&K Travel Group.
Cunard Line: British luxury liner brand within Carnival Corporation, operator of Queen Mary 2.

D

Damage Control Plan: Plan required under SOLAS II-1/19 showing watertight subdivision.
Davit-launched lifeboat: SOLAS III lifeboat lowered by gravity davits on a passenger ship.
Deck plan: Schematic of cabins, public rooms, and safety equipment by deck.
Deck steward: Pool-deck service crew member.
DFDS: Danish ferry and ro-ro operator across the North Sea, Channel, and Baltic.
Diamond Princess: Princess Cruises ship subject to a major COVID-19 outbreak at Yokohama in February 2020.
Disembarkation: Process of guests leaving the ship at the end of a cruise.
Disney Cruise Line: Cruise brand of The Walt Disney Company operating Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy, Wish, Treasure, and Adventure.
Disney Wish: Lead ship of the Disney Wish class, delivered 2022.
Double-deck gangway: Cruise terminal passenger boarding bridge serving two passenger decks simultaneously.
Drill matrix: Schedule of SOLAS-required crew exercises for fire, abandon ship, and security.
Dynamic Positioning: Computer-controlled thruster station keeping for salvage and dive vessels.

E

ECA: Emission Control Area for SOx, NOx, or PM under MARPOL Annex VI.
Edge class: Celebrity Cruises class introduced 2018, around 130,818 GT.
Embarkation: Process of guests boarding for a cruise, normally at the homeport terminal.
Encore: Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway-Plus class ship.
EPIRB: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon required under SOLAS IV/7.
Estonia: Ro-pax ferry that sank in the Baltic on 28 September 1994 with 852 fatalities, prompting the Stockholm Agreement.
ETA: Estimated time of arrival.
Excel class: Carnival Cruise Line LNG-fueled class led by Mardi Gras, 184,089 GT.
Excursion desk: Onboard shore-excursion sales and dispatch office.
Expedition cruise: Small-ship cruising to polar or remote regions, typified by Lindblad, Hurtigruten, Ponant, and Quark.

F

Fast ferry: High-speed craft operating under the IMO HSC Code 2000, MSC.97(73).
FCCA: Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, the cruise industry trade body for the Caribbean basin.
Featured restaurant: Specialty venue, typically reservation- and cover-charge based.
Ferry: Vessel carrying passengers and often vehicles on a scheduled service.
Fire Control Plan: Required under SOLAS II-2/15.
Fire integrity: SOLAS II-2 standard of resistance for divisions between compartments.
Fitness center: Onboard gym facility, typically operated by a third-party concessionaire such as OneSpaWorld.
Free-fall lifeboat: Lifeboat launched by sliding down a stern ramp, common on cargo ships but rare on passenger ships.

G

Galveston: Major US Gulf Coast cruise homeport in Texas.
Gangway: Movable ramp or bridge for boarding.
Gangway ID: Photo and key-card identification check at the gangway for every guest movement.
Garbage Record Book: Required under MARPOL Annex V Regulation 10.
General Emergency Alarm: Seven short and one long blast on the ship's whistle and PA, signaling muster.
Genesis class: Royal Caribbean project name for the original Oasis-class build.
Global Ports Holding: Cruise terminal operator group, owner or manager of numerous Mediterranean and Caribbean terminals.
Grand class: Princess Cruises class introduced 1998 with Grand Princess.
Great Stirrup Cay: Norwegian Cruise Line private island in the Bahamas.
Guest services desk: Front-desk function on cruise ships.

H

Half Moon Cay: Holland America Line private island in the Bahamas.
Hand sanitizer station: Mandatory CDC VSP fixture at every dining and embarkation point.
Harmony of the Seas: Royal Caribbean Oasis class ship delivered 2016.
Herald of Free Enterprise: Townsend Thoresen ro-pax that capsized off Zeebrugge on 6 March 1987 with 193 fatalities.
High-pressure water mist: SOLAS II-2 fixed fire-extinguishing system widely used on passenger ships.
Holland America Line: Premium brand within Carnival Corporation founded 1873.
Homeport: Port at which a cruise itinerary turns around.
Hong Kong: Asian cruise homeport at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and Ocean Terminal.
Hotel director: Senior officer in charge of all hotel operations onboard.
Hovercraft: Air-cushion vehicle once used on cross-Channel ferry services, notably the SR.N4.
HSC Code: International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, MSC.97(73), 2000.
Hurtigruten: Norwegian coastal and expedition cruise operator.

I

Icon class: Royal Caribbean LNG-fueled class led by Icon of the Seas, 248,663 GT.
Icon of the Seas: Royal Caribbean Icon class ship delivered 2024, currently the largest cruise ship in service.
IHR 2005: International Health Regulations adopted by WHO, basis for the Maritime Declaration of Health.
IMO Number: Unique seven-digit ship identifier from IHS Markit on behalf of IMO.
Incat: Australian shipbuilder of wave-piercing aluminum catamaran fast ferries.
International Life-Saving Appliances Code: LSA Code adopted by MSC.48(66), mandatory under SOLAS III.
Irish Ferries: ICG-owned operator on the Irish Sea and France routes.
Isolation cabin: Designated cabin used for guests under medical isolation for communicable disease.
ISPS Code: International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, mandatory under SOLAS XI-2.

J

Jacuzzi deck: Whirlpool spa area, typically on the upper decks.
Jewel class: Norwegian Cruise Line class introduced 2005.

K

Key card: RFID or magnetic-stripe card serving as cabin key, boarding pass, and onboard charge account.
Kiel: German Baltic cruise port.
Kongsberg integrated bridge: Common bridge automation suite on modern cruise newbuilds.

L

Lanai cabin: Holland America stateroom with direct access to the Lower Promenade Deck.
Lido buffet: Casual self-service dining venue, typically on the lido deck.
Lido deck: Pool deck on cruise ships.
Lifeboat: Boat carried for emergency abandonment.
Lifeboat drill: SOLAS Chapter III drill at intervals not exceeding one month.
Liferaft: Inflatable survival craft, on passenger ships supplied with SOLAS A or B pack as applicable.
Lindblad Expeditions: US expedition cruise operator allied with National Geographic.
LNG ferry: Ro-pax fueled by liquefied natural gas, examples include Color Hybrid and Honfleur projects.
LSA Code: International Life-Saving Appliance Code, mandatory under SOLAS III/34.

M

Main vertical zone: SOLAS II-2 fire zone bounded by A-60 divisions, normally not exceeding 48 m in length.
Mardi Gras: Carnival Excel class lead ship, delivered 2020, 184,089 GT.
Marella Cruises: TUI Group UK cruise brand, formerly Thomson Cruises.
Marine evacuation system: SOLAS III chute or slide system delivering passengers to liferafts.
Maritime Declaration of Health: WHO IHR 2005 form completed by the master before arrival.
MARPOL Annex IV: Prevention of pollution by sewage.
MARPOL Annex V: Prevention of pollution by garbage.
MARPOL Annex VI: Air pollution and energy-efficiency annex.
Master: Captain of the vessel.
MDR: Main Dining Room on cruise ships, typically open seating or fixed seating.
MES: Mobile Earth Station; in Inmarsat terminology, a shipborne satellite terminal.
Miami: Largest cruise port in the world by passenger throughput, PortMiami.
MSC Cruises: Swiss-based, Italian-flagged cruise brand within MSC Group.
MSC Ocean Cay: MSC Cruises private island in the Bahamas.
MSC World Europa: Lead ship of the MSC World class, LNG-fueled, delivered 2022.
MSC.216(82): 2006 amendments to SOLAS introducing probabilistic damage stability and SRtP, in force 1 January 2009.
Muster Station: Marked under SOLAS III/9.

N

NCL: Norwegian Cruise Line, contemporary brand within Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
Norman Atlantic: Anek Lines ro-pax that suffered a fatal fire in the Adriatic on 28 December 2014.
Norovirus: Most common cause of cruise ship gastroenteritis outbreaks, reportable under CDC VSP.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Parent of NCL, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

O

Oasis class: Royal Caribbean class introduced 2009, lead ship 226,838 GT.
Oasis of the Seas: Lead ship of the Oasis class, delivered 2009.
Ocean Cay: MSC Cruises private island and marine reserve in the Bahamas.
Oceania Cruises: Upper-premium brand within NCLH.
Open loop scrubber: Exhaust gas cleaning system using once through sea water under MEPC.340(77).
Overboard discharge: Release of treated or exchanged ballast water through dedicated discharge line.

P

P&O Cruises: UK cruise brand within Carnival Corporation, headquartered in Southampton.
P&O Ferries: UK ferry operator on the Dover-Calais and North Sea routes.
Partially enclosed lifeboat: SOLAS III lifeboat type commonly fitted on passenger ships.
Passenger ship: SOLAS-defined ship carrying more than 12 passengers.
Perfect Day at CocoCay: Royal Caribbean private destination in the Bahamas.
Pinnacle class: Holland America class introduced 2016 with Koningsdam, around 99,500 GT.
Piraeus: Greek port serving Athens, major eastern Mediterranean cruise hub.
Polar Code Part I-A: Mandatory safety provisions for ships operating in polar waters under SOLAS XIV.
Polar Code Part II-A: Mandatory pollution prevention provisions under MARPOL.
Ponant: French luxury and expedition cruise operator.
Port Canaveral: Florida cruise homeport on the Space Coast.
Port Everglades: Fort Lauderdale cruise homeport.
Princess Cruises: Premium brand within Carnival Corporation.
Probabilistic Damage Stability: SOLAS Ch II-1 Part B-1 framework using R and A indices.
Promenade deck: Passenger deck for walking.
Purser: Senior officer responsible for guest accounts and immigration paperwork.

Q

Quantum class: Royal Caribbean class introduced 2014, around 168,666 GT.
Queen Mary 2: Cunard ocean liner, delivered 2004, transatlantic flagship.
Quiet hours: Onboard policy restricting noise in stateroom corridors at night.

R

Radio Survey: GMDSS equipment survey under SOLAS Chapter IV.
Refit: Drydock or wet-dock period for cruise ship overhaul and revenue-area upgrades.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Luxury brand within NCLH.
Required Subdivision Index (R): Minimum probabilistic damage stability index under SOLAS Ch II-1/6.
Roll on roll off: RoRo loading and discharging.
Room service: Cabin food and beverage delivery, typically 24-hour on cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean Group: Parent of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.
Royal Caribbean International: Contemporary brand within Royal Caribbean Group.
Royal class: Princess Cruises class introduced 2013 with Royal Princess.
Ruby Princess: Princess Cruises ship at the center of a major COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney in March 2020.

S

Safe return to port: SOLAS II-2 regulation 21 requirement under MSC.216(82) for passenger ships of 120 m or more or three or more MVZs built on or after 1 July 2010.
Sanitation inspection score: CDC VSP score from 0 to 100, with 85 the passing threshold.
Sea day: Itinerary day spent entirely at sea between ports.
Seabourn: Luxury brand within Carnival Corporation.
Seapass card: Royal Caribbean brand name for the onboard key card.
Sewol: South Korean ro-pax that capsized off Jindo on 16 April 2014 with 304 fatalities.
Shore excursion: Optional ticketed tour at a port of call.
Shore power: OPS or cold ironing infrastructure, IEC/IEEE 80005 series.
Silversea Cruises: Luxury brand within Royal Caribbean Group.
Sky class: Suite category on Royal Caribbean Oasis and Quantum class ships.
SOLAS Chapter II-1: Construction, subdivision, and stability, machinery and electrical installations.
SOLAS Chapter II-2: Fire protection, fire detection, and fire extinction.
SOLAS Chapter III: Life-saving appliances and arrangements.
SOLAS Chapter IV: Radiocommunications, including GMDSS requirements.
SOLAS Chapter V: Safety of Navigation.
Southampton: Major UK cruise homeport on the Solent.
Specialty restaurant: Reservation-based dining venue with a cover charge.
Sprinkler system: SOLAS II-2 automatic fixed fire-extinguishing system fitted throughout passenger accommodation.
SRtP: Safe Return to Port.
Stateroom: Cruise industry term for passenger cabin.
Stena Line: Swedish ferry operator across Northern Europe.
Stockholm Agreement: Damage stability requirement for Ro-Pax ferries.
Subdivision load line: SOLAS II-1 load line corresponding to assigned subdivision draft.
Suez Canal: Opened 1869, reshaping global shipping routes between Europe and Asia.
Sun deck: Top open deck typically with pools and sunbathing areas.

T

Tallink: Estonian ferry and cruise-ferry operator on the Baltic.
Tender: Small boat ferrying guests between ship and shore at anchor ports.
Tender pier: Floating or fixed pier for tender disembarkation.
Terminal X-ray: Hand and checked baggage screening at cruise terminals.
Theater: Main show lounge on cruise ships, typically 1,000 to 1,400 seats.
TUI Cruises: Joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Group serving the German market with Mein Schiff brand.
Turnaround day: Day on which one cruise disembarks and the next embarks at a homeport.

U

Unrestricted service: Operational notation without ocean-area restriction.
Upper deck: Highest continuous deck.

V

Vessel Sanitation Program: US CDC inspection program for cruise ships in US ports.
Viking Cinderella: Viking Line cruise ferry operating Stockholm overnight cruises.
Viking Cruises: Cruise brand operating river and ocean ships.
Viking Line: Finnish ferry operator on the northern Baltic, owner of Viking Cinderella.
Viking Sky: Viking Ocean Cruises ship that lost propulsion off Hustadvika, Norway on 23 March 2019 and was airlifted.
Virgin Voyages: Adult-only cruise brand of Virgin Group launched 2021 with Scarlet Lady.

W

Water mist: High-pressure fixed fire-suppression system common on passenger ships.
Watertight Door: Type A or B per SOLAS II-1/13.
WB Yeats: Irish Ferries cruise ferry delivered 2018 for Dublin-Cherbourg and Dublin-Holyhead.
Wightlink: UK ferry operator on the Solent serving the Isle of Wight.
Wonder class: Informal designation for the Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas variant of Oasis class.
Wonder of the Seas: Royal Caribbean Oasis class ship delivered 2022, 236,857 GT.
World class: MSC Cruises LNG-fueled class led by MSC World Europa.

X

X-ray screening: Mandatory ISPS baggage screening at cruise terminal entry.

Y

Yacht Club: Membership organization for recreational sailors.

Z

Zone fire integrity: SOLAS II-2 standard of A-class divisions bounding main vertical zones.
Zuiderdam: Holland America Vista class ship delivered 2002.