Cruise Basics, Part 3: What Did They Mean By That?
Now that we know who to talk to about what, it will be helpful to make some sense out of those nautical terms. Here are the meanings of a few of them.
ABEAM: At right angle to the keel . . . that is, to the length of the ship.
ABOARD: On board.
AFT: Toward the stern (the rear) of the ship.
AMIDSHIPS: Toward the middle of the ship, halfway between the front and back (bow and stern).
ASTERN: Toward the ship’s stern (rear).
Cruising Basics, Part 1: Taking the Mystery Out of Ships’ Prefixes
If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you’ve already seen the alphabet-soup on the ship right before its name. And you’ve heard people referred to as pursers and helmsmen and first or second officer. And you’ve had the opportunity to be confused by nautical terms such as leeward, prow, and yaw. If you HAVEN’T been on a cruise yet, now you will learn what to expect!
A thrifty traveler isn’t just someone who wants to get the most out of every travel dollar. The thrifty traveler is also an intelligent and well-informed traveler – even if that means having to learn another language. Therefore, here is an introductory 3-part course in “cruising language.”
We’ll begin by taking the mystery out of ships’ prefixes. Ships have “titles” before their names, just like people do (e.g., Mr., Ms., Captain). These are referred to as the ship’s designation.
- H.M.S. = Her/His Majesty’s Ship (British)
- M.S. = Motor Ship
- M.T.S. = Motor Turbine Ship
- M.V. = Motor Vessel
- N.S. = Nuclear Ship
- R.H.M.S. = Royal Hellenic Mail Ship
- R.M.S. = Royal Mail Ship
- S.S. = Steamship
- STR = Steamer
- T.S. = Twin Screw
- T.S.S. = Turbine Steamship
- U.S.S. = United States Ship (U.S. Navy)
Have you seen other prefixes? If so, let me know and I’ll find out what it stands for!
Tomorrow we’ll discuss “Who is in Charge of What?”
Related Articles: Cruising Basics, Part 2: Who is in Charge of What? and Cruise Basics, Part 3: What Did They Mean By That?
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Ginger Can Prevent Motion Sickness
Are you tired of wearing a “patch” when you take a cruise? Do you wish there were some way to prevent motion sickness without taking drugs which makes you sleepy (and which don’t even work if you fail to take them in advance of feeling queasy)?
One solution is GINGER. The herb? Yes. And not only does it really work; but even if you unexpectedly start to get seasick (or airsick; or carsick), ginger will STILL help. Powdered ginger root capsules are available at health food stores.
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