Useful Terms & Phrases

The cruise industry is awash with nautical terms and abbreviations of all kinds. There are excellent glossaries available, including a section of CLIA’s Cruise Manual (and on CLIA’s website, www.cruising.org ). Another excellent source is the “Dictionary of the Cruise Industry” by Giora Israel and Laurence Miller, a Seatrade Cruise Academy publication (email: 100125.543@compuserve.com). Here are some useful terms and phrases that frequently appear in today’s news stories about the cruise business.

Classification societies - Private, third party organizations whose main function is to inspect the ship at regular intervals to ensure its seaworthiness, the ship's structure and machinery, is being maintained as required by classification societies rules. Classification societies may, if authorized by the ship's flag administration, also inspect cruise ships for compliance with international safety regulations including SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea), SCTW (Standards for Training Certification and Watchkeeping), which ensures crew competency and MARPOL (The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships). Major classification societies include the American Bureau of Shipping, based in the U.S.; Lloyd's Register of Shipping, in the United Kingdom; Det Norske Veritas, in Norway; Bureau Veritas, in France; and Registro Italiano Navale Group, in Italy.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) - A marketing, promotion and training organization composed of 19 member cruise lines operating 140 ships throughout the world and nearly 17,000 North American travel agencies. CLIA was formed in 1975 in response to a need for an association to promote the benefits of cruising. CLIA's mission is to educate travel agents and to promote the value, desirability and affordability of the cruise vacation experience. CLIA and the International Council of Cruise Lines established the Cruise Line Coalition in 2001 as an information bureau for the cruise industry.

Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) - A trade organization composed of 13 member lines operating more than 70 vessels in Florida, Caribbean and Mexican waters. Created in 1972, the FCCA’s mandate is to provide a forum for discussion on legislation, tourism development, ports, safety, security and other cruise industry issues.

Graywater and blackwater - Types of waste water produced by ships carrying passengers or crew. “Graywater” is produced by showers, basins and in food preparation. “Blackwater” refers to sewage. On cruise ships, both are treated in accordance with regulatory requirements and beyond that, with industry environmental standards that frequently are more stringent than government regulations.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) - The International Maritime Organization is the specialized agency of the United Nations for the purpose of dealing with maritime affairs and whose main focus is the improvement of safety of life at sea and the prevention of marine pollution. In achieving these objectives, IMO has adopted, since its establishment in 1948, more than 40 conventions and protocols and well over 800 codes of practice and recommendations covering a wide range of subjects. Important IMO conventions include SOLAS (the International Convention for Safety of Life At Sea), MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) and the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention better known as the Safety Management Code or ISM.

International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) - A trade association that represents the interests of 16 passenger cruise lines operating worldwide and more than 70 important cruise industry strategic business partners and suppliers. The mission of ICCL is to participate in the regulatory and policy development process and ensure that all measures adopted provide for a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment. The ICCL advocates industry positions to key domestic and international regulatory organizations, policymakers and other industry partners. The ICCL serves as a non-governmental consultive organization to the IMO. The ICCL, along with Cruise Lines International Association, have formed the Cruise Line Coalition as an industry information bureau.

International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (Safety Management Code) (ISM Code) - Addresses company and shipboard management for the implementation of the mandatory safety and anti-pollution standards adopted by the IMO. The ISM Code mandates a Safety Management System (SMS) aboard all cruise ships that comprehensively addresses operations and procedures to ensure the safe and clean operation of vessels, well established and effective communications procedures both onboard and with shoreside management personnel, maintenance management procedures and responsibilities, reporting requirements in the event of an incident, and other policies. This formalized system also requires both internal and external audit procedures to ensure compliance.

Locally sounding fire alarms - The average cruise ship is equipped with more than 4,000 smoke alarms. In the past, these sounded only in the safety control area on the ship's bridge, which is staffed 24 hours a day by trained officers and seamen. New industry standards applicable to ICCL members' vessels will require ships to have, in addition, alarms that sound in passenger and crew staterooms.

MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) - An acronym formed by the first three letters of "marine" and "pollution," the MARPOL agreement has been ratified by some 90 nations, including the U.S. and most other maritime nations of the world. It governs almost all aspects of potential marine pollution, including oil, chemicals, garbage and sewage and mandates proper disposal and/or discharge. All ships operating in the U.S. must also comply with U.S. regulations, including the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation Recover Act (RCRA), and the Oil Pollution Control Act. The cruise industry works with the U.S. Coast Guard, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, other federal and state regulators as well as maritime groups, such as the Center for Marine Conservation and Ocean Advocates, to implement productive environmental policies.

North West CruiseShip Association (NWCA) - The North West CruiseShip Association works on behalf of nine cruise lines to build positive relationships with communities and government agencies and to develop strong partnerships with business in Canada, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. NWCA provides security and passenger screening at the Vancouver cruise ship terminals, and works closely with ICCL, FCCA and the cruise industry on cruise related issues.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea - 1974 (SOLAS 74) - SOLAS is the primary convention established by IMO, adopted, and ratified by some 152 maritime countries around the world that addresses all aspects of shipboard safety. SOLAS regulations, mandatory for all vessels on an international voyage visiting any signatory country, address important safety items such as: safety inspections and certification; structure, stability, machinery and electrical equipment; fire protection, detection and extinguishing systems; life-safety equipment such as lifeboats, liferafts and lifejackets; and equipment for safe navigation and communications. Unlike the first safety convention (that was adopted by thirteen nations in 1914 after the sinking of the Titanic but was never ratified world wide) and its successors in 1923, 1948, and 1964, SOLAS 74 incorporated important protocols that allow it to be easily updated to incorporate new safety measures and improved technologies. Since its adoption it has been amended over 23 times and thus remains a vibrant, living and effective document.

International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, (1995) (STCW) - Originally adopted in 1978 and comprehensively amended in 1995, the STCW convention addresses the requirements for training and experience needed by seafarers in order to be permitted to qualify for a maritime license as a ship operator or engineer. It also specifies knowledge, understanding and proficiency standards that must be demonstrated and evaluated for competency before an individual receives a maritime license or certificate. STCW also delineates introductory training that every seafarer must have before serving onboard a ship. This introductory or familiarization training includes what to know and do if: a person falls overboard, fire or smoke is detected, the fire or abandon ship alarm is sounded, how to locate and put on a lifejacket, immediate action to take in the event of an accident and how to summon medical help, and how to close and open fire safety and watertight doors. STCW specifies advanced training for firefighters and other persons with important emergency and pollution prevention duties.