Nautical cruise ship terms

Something first time cruisers very rarely prepare themselves for is the unique vocabulary they often encounter on their first cruise.  Not that this would cause them too many problems but it might mean they miss a few things, such as when the voice over tells them there is something worth seeing on the port side of the ship and not everyone on their first cruise knows that this refers to the left side of the ship.

To avoid such a thing happening, it is worth knowing at least some of the vocabulary you wouldn't necessarily encounter in your everyday life on land.

And remember - your vessel is never referred to as a boat.  It's a ship!  And a ship is always "she" - never "he" or  "it"!

A few other nautical terms are:

aft – refers to the rear or the back of the ship
berth – just to confuse you, this could refer to your bed on a boat, or the location in a port where a ship can be moored
bow – the front of the ship
bridge – the place where the captain and his officers steer the ship
brig – ship’s jail
draft – the depth of water (from the waterline to the bottom of the ship) needed to float a ship
fathom – a measure of six feet, usually of water depth
fore – towards the front of the ship
leeside – the side of the ship away from the wind;
midships – the middle of the ship
port – refers to the left side of the ship.
purser's desk – the cruise ship equivalent of the land lubbers Front Desk or Information Desk
starboard – refers to the right side of the ship.
stateroom – a cruise ship name for a cabin or room in which you sleep
stern – the rear of the ship
tender – a vessel that transports passengers between the ship and shore when the ship is at anchor in a port.
And last but not least, important measurement terms are:
1 nautical mile = about 6078 feet/1.15 statute miles
1 league = 3 nautical miles
1 knot (a measurement of speed) = 1 nautical mile/hour

For more helpful tips about taking a cruise, visit the Cruise Advice section of Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine

Princess Cruises Ships Begin Plugging into Shore Power in San Francisco

Princess Cruises recently helped to inaugurate the Port of San Francisco’s new shore power facility by “plugging in” to electric power from shore.

The new shore power technology at the Port of San Francisco cruise ship terminal enables Princess Cruises’ ships, and other equipped vessels, to use power from the city’s grid instead of the engines to power the ship’s onboard services--reducing emissions when docked in San Francisco.

The port becomes the fourth in the world where Princess Cruises’ ships can take advantage of this innovative technology. The new shore power installation in San Francisco is a cooperative effort by the Port of San Francisco, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Environmental Protection Agency, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

Princess’ shore power program made history when it debuted in Juneau, Alaska in 2001. It expanded to Seattle in 2005, and then to Vancouver in 2009. Shore power connections are planned to roll out in other ports that have made commitments to the technology, including Los Angeles and San Diego. Currently nine of the line’s ships are outfitted with the capability to “plug in” to a shoreside power source, representing an investment for Princess of nearly $7 million in equipment alone.

To create this unique power system, also known as “cold ironing,” Princess has outfitted its ships with custom-built connection cabinets that join the ship’s electrical network to the local electric system ashore. The electric power is transmitted from a landside transformer to the vessel via four 3½-inch diameter flexible cables. The actual cable connection on a vessel is a traditional, though quite large, plug and socket. The length of time needed to connect a ship to shore power and shut down the vessel’s diesel generators is approximately 40 minutes. Once connected, the ship’s engines are powered down and, simultaneously, the necessary amount of power is delivered to run the ship’s services while in port.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com

For information about over 40 ports of call around the world, visit the ports profiles at Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine.