Cruising abbreviations

[sunbaker]

Hi everyone.

We are cruising for the first time in 27 days time on Pacific Dawn to the Pacific Islands. I've been reading these forums lots to help learn as much as I can so I can be really prepared.

I have come across lots of abbreviations you all seem to use and thought I would like you all to put the full versions here for new comers like me.

eg. What are 'aft' rooms?

I get DIL is daughter in Law and SIL is son in Law . But what is DD etc?

Am also unsure about what the Port and the Stern is?? (dumb aren't I??)

So....anybody care to share???

Thanks,

[patseacruiser]

DD - darling daughter, DW - darling wife, etc.

 

aft cabin - that row of cabins across the back of the ship with extended balconies

 

port - the left side of the ship facing forward

 

stern- the right side

[Keith1010]

Aft refers to the back of the ship and the Stern also refers to the rear area as well. The stern also refers to the location of the steering apparatus

 

Port side refers to the left side of the ship and Starboard to the right side of the ship.

 

DD equals Darling Daughter.

 

Keith

[sunbaker]

thanks guys,

So does Port Side mean that side of the ship will always be alongside the wharf at the port??

(sorry if this is a silly question!!)

[Keith1010]

thanks guys,

So does Port Side mean that side of the ship will always be alongside the wharf at the port??

(sorry if this is a silly question!!)

 

No this is not a silly question. The majority of times the port side of the ship will face the port, but not all the time and it is not always the same in the same port. There are other factors such as the positions of each of the berths, etc.

 

Keith

[BillB48]

With all the abbreviations, you have to see how they are used. For example TA, on this board it can trans-Atlantic or travel agent. One way to remember porT is lefT.

 

If you get turned around inside the ship there are diagrams or icons of the ship to orient yourself toward the bow or stern.

 

You should be talking like a sailor soon..... :eek: that may not be a good thing!;)

 

go here and scroll down to #9, should be more than you'll ever need!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=547968

[uppitycats]

Hi everyone.

We are cruising for the first time in 27 days time on Pacific Dawn to the Pacific Islands. I've been reading these forums lots to help learn as much as I can so I can be really prepared.

I have come across lots of abbreviations you all seem to use and thought I would like you all to put the full versions here for new comers like me.

eg. What are 'aft' rooms?

I get DIL is daughter in Law and SIL is son in Law . But what is DD etc?

Am also unsure about what the Port and the Stern is?? (dumb aren't I??)

So....anybody care to share???

Thanks,

 

Some of these are "cruising abbreviations", some of these are internet abbreviations, not specific to cruising and used elsewhere on the net.

 

Port refers to the left side of the ship as the ship is facing forward. And no, it doesn't necessarily mean that the port or left side of the ship will always be the side facing the port, or land, where the ship comes in. How the ship docks depends on how the docks are built, assigned, which other vessels are in, and so on. Sometimes the ship even comes in face first! :)

Port is easy to remember: port has 4 letters; left has 4 letters; port = left.

 

Somebody said that "stern" is the right side. That's wrong. STARBOARD is the right side.

 

Aft and stern refer to the same area of the ship -- the back. Aft cabins are usually the ones facing the back of the ship, if you've seen this reference when looking at deck plans. Or sometimes the area at the cabins both port and starboard -- left and right -- near the back end of the ship. "Forward" refers to the front of the ship.

 

DD -- dear daughter; DH = dear (or sometimes "darling") husband; DS = dear son, etc.

 

 

Don't hesitate to ask if there are others, and have a great cruise!

[Aandark]

These are very good questions, they are the reason that Navy bootcamp is a lot of classroom time. I know that your questions have been answered but I'm going to elaborate a bit. The Bow is the pointy part on the front. The Stern is the flat part in the back. Aft is a direction not a location...so no matter where you are on the ship, if you head towards the back you are heading aft. Likewise no matter where you are...if you head towards the pointy part (Bow) you are heading forward. The Beam (if you ever hear anybody mention that term) runs accross the ship at it's mid-point. When you look at ships at sea in the dark, the red lights are on the Port side and the Green lights are on the Starboard side (so if you see a ship on the horizon you can tell which way it's heading by what color lights are showing.) Hope this helped.

[paul929207]

Under some (most?) circumstances, the "D" in DH can mean DUMB.

[ab0si]

DD: dear daughter

DS: dear son

DCS: dear complete stranger (ok, I haven't seen that one..YET)

 

port: left as you face forward (both left and port have four letters)

starboard: right as you face forward

stern: aft, back of ship

 

 

MDR: main dining room

APR: annual percentage rate (for your credit card as you try to pay off the cruise)

[sunbaker]

Gosh I am so glad I asked because you have been extremely helpful!!

MDR is one I had forgotten but have seen alot and not known so an pleased to now know it is Main Dining Room!

How interesting about the red and green lights for Port and Starboard.

Thanks alot! (any more??)

[patseacruiser]

OOOOOPS. I just saw the S after port and in my mind saw the word starboard. Feel like an idiot. See what happens when you just skim over stuff.

[travelntreats]

I refer to the abbreviations that have become so common as a PITA or a lazy way to type.....

[sunbaker]

what is an OV cabin?

[cruzeluver]

what is an OV cabin?

 

ocean view

[uppitycats]

what is an OV cabin?

 

Ocean View -- the window doesn't open, and it may be only a porthole. Depends on the specific cabin location as to whether it's a traditional square (or rectangular) window, or porthole.

[UtterCaro]

SIL is son in Law

 

It's also sister-in-law (who can be either your spouse's sister or your brother's wife). TA also does double duty, for travel agent or transatlantic. With that much ambiguity, context helps a lot.

 

If you like plenty of abbreviations, check out the Cruise Air board. It's alphabet soup over there. (But the regulars tend to be very helpful and nice.)

 

Caro

[MedicKen]

Ok here it comes from, what my family calls, Mr. PIA Encylopedia. Starboard is derived from the Viking Steer-board which was the large external rudder attached to the right, as you look forward, side of the ship, thus the left side was the only side that sould be tied up to the port.

 

Another way to remember which-is-which, all the long words go together, Right-Green-Starboard and the short ones do too, Left-Red-Port

 

By the way, we cruise on Ships not Boats. A ship is basically, self-sustaining where a boat hangs on a ship to service it or act as a lifesaving craft. I'm sure there is an official Navy definition loaded with acronyms and specifications, but this is how I was taught.

 

CC (Cruise Critic) is a great place to avoid work and kill time, Enjoy.

[navybankerteacher]

We sail on ships, and sometimes go out on boats - generally not too far from shore. As a rule, boats can be carried by ships; the one exception being submarines. In the early 20th century, as submarines were being introduced, traditionalist battleship admirals refused to call them ships, so they wound up being called boats even though they could not be carried on board ships.

[travelntreats]

Ocean View -- the window doesn't open, and it may be only a porthole. Depends on the specific cabin location as to whether it's a traditional square (or rectangular) window, or porthole.

And to add...on the older RCL ships and some newer ones, a Round (porthole) window is very common even mid ship and the port holes also vary in size.

[Aandark]

We sail on ships, and sometimes go out on boats - generally not too far from shore. As a rule, boats can be carried by ships; the one exception being submarines. In the early 20th century, as submarines were being introduced, traditionalist battleship admirals refused to call them ships, so they wound up being called boats even though they could not be carried on board ships.

 

 

So true. I was waiting for a jab at the Coast Guard in there too. Something along the lines of Coast Guard crewmen being taller than 6 feet so they can just walk to shore if their boats sink. J/K I have respect for all branches of the Service even though my heart lies with the Navy.

[mykel67]

Just today I've read a few posts from people who have booked cabins "on the bump". What the heck does that mean??? :confused:

[uppitycats]

Just today I've read a few posts from people who have booked cabins "on the bump". What the heck does that mean??? :confused:

 

If you look at the deck plans of the ship in question, you'll find several cabins on each side of the ship which extend out further than the cabins above/below and on either side of them -- they "bump out". I think they're actually the same size as other cabins in the same category, but because there is a "swell" in the public area inside, the cabins extend out, and so "bump out" the side of the ship. Presumably the view is better from the balconies of these cabins.

[ILoveScotland]

The bump is also called the hump. And hump cabins are great, especially on the Radiance class of RCCL ships because they have bigger balconies.

 

As for all the abbreviations sometimes you have to read the context when they're used since several like SIL can be son or sister in law, etc.

[sunbaker]

thanks alot.

Is RCL a ship brand (like P and O) and RCCL?? or a type of ship??