A La Carte: Referring to meals, an indication that each dish is priced separately; also that a choice of meals m
Aaa: American automobile association.
Aba: American bus association. A trade association representing inter-city and charter bus companies.
Abc: A reference to the caribbean islands of aruba, bonaire, and curacao, in the netherlands antilles, ju
Add-On: a supplementary charge added to your cruise fare. Typical add-ons are travel insurance, airline fli
Adjoining Rooms: Neighboring hotel rooms that do not have doors connected between them.
Advance Purchase Excursion (Apex): Generally the lowest and most heavily restricted airfare.
Advance Purchase Requirement: An airfare that must be purchased a certain number of days ahead of departure, usually 7, 14, or 21
Aft: Near, toward, or at the rear (stern) of the ship.
Agent Assistance: Travels websites have available staff that will contact a customer by telephone or email when they r
Air City: The city chosen by you to serve as the origination and termination point for your flights to and fro
Air Mile: A distance of approx. 6076 feet.
Air Transportation: The optional, extra-cost air travel portion of your cruise booking.
Air Travel Card: A credit card sponsored by the airlines, for the purchase of air travel only.
Air-Sea: A comprehensive package that combines both the cruise itself and air transportation to and from the
Airline Record Locator Number: A confirmation number issued by an airline company when a reservation is booked.
Airlines Reporting Corp (Arc): The airlines reporting corporation is responsible for supervising payments from travel agencies to a
Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) : Responsible for supervising the tracking of payments to airlines by a travel agency, upon issuance o
Airport access fee : A fee paid to the airport authority by car rental companies for the use of shuttle vehicles. This o
Airport Access Fee: A fee paid by the car rental companies to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehicles, et
Airport Access Fee: Car rental companies are required to pay a fee to the airport authority, for the use of shuttle vehi
Airport Check In Counter: Every air terminal located inside an airport have a location designated for passenger and baggage ch
Airport Code: Three-letter codes used to identify airports.
Airport Transfer: A transport service to/from an airport to hotel, etc, normally prepaid as part of a package tour, bu
All-Inclusive: Should mean a plan that includes all meals, drinks, tips, service charges, accommodations, some wate
Allotment: A certain number of rooms, cabins or other items held by an operator to sell, usually by a certain d
Amenities: Services and extras offered by a travel supplier.
American Plan: A hotel's meal plan that usually includes all three meals each day.
Amidships: Toward the middle of a ship usually the stabilest part of the vessel.
Antebellum: Describes a building and/or period of time prior to the civil war, such as an antebellum mansion on
Anytime Dining: Princess cruises' flexible, evening dining program that allows passengers to select from a variety o
Atrium: An interior, often sky-lit, multi-deck, open area of a ship. Typically, atriums are centrally locate
Atrium Cabin: Something new to the industry (available only on the largest royal caribbean ships and cunard's qm2)
Attraction: General term to include anything a visitor might be interested in seeing.
Autobahn: High-speed equivalent to the us interstate highway system, in germany and a few other european count
Availability: The actual inventory of seats that are really available to be sold at a certain fare. Just because a
B and B: Bed & breakfast; usually a quaint, country-style accommodation with a small number of rooms, that in
Back-To-Back Ticketing: Booking two overlapping round trips with opposite origin and destination points, where both bookings
Baggage Allowance: The amount of baggage, generally consisting of the passenger's personal effects, permitted by the cr
Baggage Check: Official receipt issued by a carrier for luggage.
Baggage Tag: Personal identification that must be attached to luggage checked by an airline.
Balcony: Sometimes called a verandah an outside ' porch ' that is usually private, just outside your ship's c
Balcony Cabin: Any cabin accommodation with a private, exterior balcony. The trend is towards more and more balcony
Barge Cruising: Pleasure cruising along a canal system, such as in upstate new york or in europe, in converted barge
Base Fare: The basic price of an airline ticket, before any taxes, surcharges, airport fees, etc.
Beam: The width of a ship at its widest point. Ships in excess of 110 feet are too wide to transit the pan
Bellman: A person who carries one's luggage to a hotel room.
Below: The lower decks of a ship. Saying, 'let's go below and walk aft down the companionway to the tender
Benelux: Term for the countries of belgium, the netherlands, and luxembourg.
Berth: There are two definitions: the dock or pier where you embark or debark from the ship; the bed in whi
Bl Category: On carnival cruise lines, bl is a 'balcony guarantee' cabin. When you book this category you will be
Blackout Dates: Refers to a date or series of dates on which travel is not available. Can refer to airline, hotel or
Blocked Space: Seats, rooms, and/or cabins held on airlines, in hotels, or aboard ships. Usually held speculatively
Boarding Pass: A document issued on the time of the check-in to a passenger that contain the number and row of the
Bonded: Protected or guaranteed by a bond, usually referring to the protection of passenger's funds.
Booking: A request by a travel or cruise agent to a cruise line's reservations department to reserve a cabin.
Bow: The front part of a ship. The opposite of the bow is the stern.
Bridge: The navigation and command center of the vessel. If your cruise offers a tour of the bridge, take it
Bulk Contract: An airline sells a large quantity of seats at a low charge for a resale by a third party.
Bulk Fare: A fare only available when buying blocks of airline seats; usually lower than published fares.
Bulkhead: Basically, a wall. A bulkhead is an upright partition dividing the ship into compartments or cabins.
Bulwarks: The protective structure, lip, or railing that surrounds open, exposed deck areas of a ship. Scupper
Bumping: The airline practice of denying boarding to confirmed passengers who hold tickets on a specific flig
Business Class: Created for the business traveler and cheaper than first class. It is located between first class an
Cabin: Your room. Call it a cabin, a stateroom, a suite, an accommodation, whatever - it's your personal sp
Cabin Steward: The person responsible for maintaining/cleaning the cabins aboard ship.
Cancellation Fee: A fee charged when a traveler cancels a reservation.
Cancellation penalty : A fee to charged to customers that cancel flights after booking reservations. Fees typically vary b
Capacity Controlled: Limitation on number of airline seats, hotel rooms, or rental cars available under a particular rate
Captains Cocktail Party: Usually, the second night into a cruise, the captain will 'host' a shipboard cocktail party. All gue
Captains Dinner: Usually, the second night into a cruise, the captain will 'host' dinner in the ship's main dining ro
Captains Farewell Dinner: The captain isn't going anywhere - you are - home! So, the second- to-the-last night of longer cruis
Car Class: Size and type of rental car. Classes differ from vendor to vendor, and are stated usually as economy
Car Rental Agreement: Contract between car rental vendor and customer.
Card Mill: A ' business ' that sells potentially fake travel agent id cards, usually in a sort of pyramid schem
Carrier: Any organization that transports passengers or goods.
Carry-On: Currently, there are no uniformly enforced airline restrictions concerning carry-on luggage. Most ca
Cashless Cruising: A term that applies to the system of onboard payment used for most all cruises; the final bill for a
Category: A price gradient of cabins, usually presented from the most expensive to the least expensive. Cabins
Certified Travel Associate (Cta): A travel professional certified by the institute of certified travel agents, who has passed a series
Certified Travel Counselor (Ctc): Designation of professional competence attesting to a travel agent’s successful completion of a st
Change Fee: Added fee charged by an airline when a customer makes changes to a penalty or restricted ticket.
Change Of Equipment: When a flight, with a single flight number, lands and changes the type of airplane used before conti
Change Of Gauge: Same as above.
Charter: Aircraft, motorcoach, or other mode of transportation reserved entirely for use by a group.
Chunnel: Slang for the tunnel beneath the english channel, from england to france, through which the eurostar
Circle Trip: Any trip that involves more than a single destination, but which returns to the initial point of dep
City Pair: The departure and arrival cities on an airline booking.
Class: Cruises today offer one class of travel providing all passengers equal access to just about all ship
Coach: The ' economy ' section of an aircraft, which may have literally scores of different fares for the s
Collateral: Brochures, posters, and other materials used to support tourism promotion.
Collision Damage Waiver (Cdw): Car rental insurance covering any damage to a rental vehicle (cdw); many credit card companies cover
Commission: An amount, which may vary, that a travel agent or tour operator receives from a supplier for marketi
Commission Cap: The limit placed on commissions paid to travel agents for the sale of air tickets, regardless of the
Commuter: Term referring to the small, regional airlines, sometimes called puddle-jumpers.
Commuter Carrier: An air carrier that supports smaller aircraft and provides service to other airports that do not sup
Commuter Carrier: Regional airline operating from small locales to larger cities, often under an affiliate relationshi
Comp Rooms: Complimentary rooms which a lodging facility provides without charge based on total number of sleepi
Companion Fare: Promotional airfare whereby a second ticket may be purchased at a discount, provided two people are
Companionway: An interior stairway. Watch your step! Entrances into shipboard companionways often begin with a ste
Computerized Reservation System (Crs): Interactive electronic system linking individual travel agencies to a central, airline-owned compute
Concession: A private business that operates at a public facility.
Concierge: A hotel employee who provides additional advice, recommendations, and other services to guests, such
Concourse: The area located in a air carriers terminal where the gates can be found.
Confidential Tariff: A schedule of wholesale rates distributed in confidence to travel wholesalers and travel agents.
Confirmation: Reservation, acknowledged orally or in writing, verifying a booking has been accepted. Most confirma
Connecting Flight: Flight on which passenger must change aircraft at some point, referred to as the connecting point.
Consolidator: Business that buys international tickets at deep discounts from airlines seating inventory that is e
Consortium: A group of persons/companies that pool together their resources to obtain benefits such as commissio
Cooperative Advertising: Advertising that promotes and is sponsored by two or more companies or governmental agencies.
Corporate Agency: A travel agency that focuses on the travel of businesses and corporate clients.
Corporate Rate: Discount rate available to traveling business men and women, customarily 10% below rack (standard) r
Couchette: The sleeping compartment of a train, that can contain up to 6 beds.
Coupon: Part of an airline ticket. The flight coupon is surrendered by the passenger at check-in. Coupons co
Courtesy Vehicle: Van or bus which an off-airport vendor uses to pick up customers at the airport.
Crossing The Line: When a ship crosses the equator for the first time during a cruise, there's often a special 'initiat
Cruise Card: The small, credit card-size personal i.d. document, generally given to each adult cruise passenger f
Cruise Director: The cruise director is in charge of all onboard entertainment and social events. Aided by the assist
Cruise Fare: The actual cost of the cruise excluding port charges and government taxes, and excluding insurance o
Cruise Rate: With 7 blue seas, your cruise rate is the cost of your cruise fare plus port charges, but exclusive
Davit: A shipboard device used in lowering and raising the ship's lifeboats or tenders. Stroll out onto you
Day Rate: Special rate for non-overnight use of a hotel room. Usually good only between 6:00am and 5:00pm.
Deadhead: (1) a person traveling on a free pass; more specifically a transportation crew or crew-member in tra
Debark: To exit, or the process of exiting the ship. The term 'disembark' is also used.
Deck: On a ship, the different floors are called 'decks.' passenger decks are either named or numbered (or
Deck Plan: An overhead diagram illustrating cabin and public room locations in relation to each other. Crew and
Denied Boarding Compensation: Compensation (money, free flight, or hotel accommodations) provided to an involuntarily bumped airli
Department Of State: The us government agency that, among other things, issues cautions and warnings concerning travel to
Deposit: A partial payment of the cruise fare required at the time of your booking to secure the cabin being
Destination: (1) the place to which a traveler is going. (2) in the travel industry: any city, area or country wh
Destination Marketing Organization (Dmo): An organization that promotes a destination rather than a specific product such as state tourism off
Dine-Around-Plan: A meal plan, usually prepaid, that allows one to dine at various restaurants in an area.
Diner: The restaurant car of a passenger train.
Direct Access: Refers to a travel agent's ability to get directly into an airlines database to get true last-seat a
Direct Flight: A flight that passengers are not required to change airplanes, however there may be stops that the a
Disclaimer: A legal document that advises clients that a travel agent acts only as a middleman in the sale of tr
Discount Fares: Short-term promotional fares or other discounted fares of varied duration.
Domestic Fare: A fare charged by an airline to a customer for travel within a country.
Domestic Fare: A fare charged for travel within a country.
Domestic Fare: An additional fare added to national flights.
Double: Hotel room with one double bed, or sometimes a room designed to accommodate two people.
Double (Dblb): It refer to a hotel room for occupancy by two people. It may contain a double, queen or king-size be
Double Booking: A not-nice practice of holding reservations to the same destination for the same times/days, on the
Double Occupancy: The way in which almost all cruise fares and tour packages are quoted, that is, based on two people
Double Occupancy: The 'per person' cabin rate applicable to a cabin capable of accommodating at least two persons.
Double Occupancy Rate: Refers to a charge by a hotel for a room shared by two people.
Draft: The measurement in feet from the waterline to the lowest point of a ship's keel. Typically, a cruise
Dress Code: Even the most casual of cruise lines supports an onboard dress code. Although the overall trend is d
Drop-Off Charge: The fee added to a car rental when the vehicle is returned to a city other than where it was origina
Dry Dock: A sealed docking facility from which water is pumped enabling maintenance and repairs to be performe
Duty-Free Port: A port free of customs duty and most customs regulations. But 'duty-free' doesn't always mean a barg
Economy Class: Known as tourist or coach class. Usually the cheapest rate charged by an airline.
Ecotourism: A type of tourism in which vacationers travel to unusual places to observe ecological systems and en
Elbowroom Factor: The relative spaciousness of a ship. We've taken the ratios of ship tonnage and passenger count (oft
Electronic Ticket: A ' paperless ' airline ticket allowing one to check-in and fly with just proper photo id. What may
Embark: To enter, or the process of entering or boarding the ship.
En Suite: In the hotel industry, indicates that a certain feature(s) is directly in the room, or adjacent to t
English Breakfast: Basic meal of cereal, juice, eggs, meats, and other beverages. Common with most hotels in the uk/gre
Escort: (1) a person, usually employed by a tour operator, who accompanies a tour from departure to return a
Escorted Tour: An organized tour led by a professional tour manager.
Estimated Flying Time: The estimated flying time between the city of departure and destination or connecting points.
Eurailpass: A special fare ticket that allows either unlimited train travel, or travel for a certain number of d
European Plan: A rate at a hotel that includes no meals.
Event: An occurrence that attracts tourists.
Exclusive Fare: Discounted airfares offered by travel consolidators.
Excursion: A side trip from a main destination, usually at added cost and optional.
Excursion Fare: Round-trip fare with restrictions such as minimum and maximum stays or advance-purchase requirements
Extended Stay: Generally, a hotel stay of seven or more nights.
Fam Tour: Familiarization tour. A complimentary or reduced-rate travel program for travel professionals design
Family Plan: Offered by most hotels, allow children to stay in the same room as parents, at no additional charge.
Family Stateroom: Specific accommodations vary, but family staterooms usually provide for 4-6 passengers in lower bed
Fantail: The rear overhang of a ship.
Fare Basis: Conditions, including service class and ticketing provisions, that determine a fare. Fare basis is d
Fare Basis (Code): The sometimes confusing code or codes on which the price of an airline ticket is based. Some itinera
Fare Market Value (Fmv): The fare market value, or “fmv,” represents 7 blue seas’ estimated, fair market price (includi
Fare Rules: For the airline to distinguish between fare levels they often assign special purchasing rules and gu
Federal Aviation Administration (Faa): The government agency responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in the united states; functio
Fee-Based Pricing: Compensation to a travel agency by corporate clients from commission revenues generated by the corpo
Final Payment: The last payment of the full cruise fare plus any necessary or agreed extras, such as taxes, air add
First Class: Most aircraft have at least some first class seats up front, which offer much more room and upgraded
First Sitting: The earlier of two meal times in the ship's dining room - often called 'main seating.'
Fit: Foreign independent tour actually used generically now for a travel package put together by a travel
Fjord: A narrow inlet from the ocean, usually bounded by cliffs, and with spectacular scenery. Most are loc
Flat Rate: Specific room rate negotiated by a group and a hotel.
Focus Group Interview: A research interview format in which a trained, objective moderator facilitates respondents’ discu
Folio: Written or electronic record of hotel guest’s account of financial transactions within the propert
Food and Beverage Manager: He or she is responsible for the management of all shipboard restaurants, bars, and galleys; overall
Fore: The front (or bow) of the ship.
Forward: Toward the fore (or bow) of the ship.
Free-Style Cruising: Norwegian cruise lines' term used to describe their onboard program whereby passengers have the free
Frequent Cruiser Program: All major cruise lines have them - membership clubs for their frequent cruisers. In most cases, elig
Frequent Flier Program: A membership program offered directly to the traveler by the air carrier enabling members to accumul
Frequent Flyer Program: Airline club in which members accrue points or miles for trips taken, usually redeemable for free tr
Fuel Charge: Amount charged if car renter does not fill the car’s gas tank.
Fulfillment: Responding to requests from potential visitors.
Full Service Hotel: A hotel with restaurant facilities.
Funnel: The ship's smokestack. Some funnels have a 'winged' upper portion to help send any exhaust particula
Funnel Flight: A flight, such as on a regional or commuter carrier, that ' feeds ' larger planes which continue on
Galley: The ship's kitchen. A mega-ship's galley may serve over 6,000 passenger meals each day. If you have
Gangway: The ramp by which passengers embark or debark a ship.
Gate: Designated area in airport terminal where passengers for a specific flight board or deplane the airc
Gateway: City, airport or area from which a flight or tour departs.
Gateway City: A city that operates as an arrival or departure point for international flights.
Gentleman Host: A cruise-sponsored program whereby well-traveled, mature gentlemen (usually retired bankers, busines
Global Distribution System (Gds): An international computer reservation system that accesses many databases of suppliers, airlines, et
Global Positioning System (Gps): System of satellites that allows miniature radio receivers on earth to pinpoint one's location withi
Gratuities: Basically - tips extended to cabin attendants and dining service personnel. Dining gratuities are of
Greenwich Mean Time (Gmt): Solar based time in greenwich, england, fon which time in all other time zones in the world is based
Gross Registered Tonnage (Grt): A measurement of the enclosed space in a ship. Cruise ships in the 70,000 ton range are considered '
Group Inclusive Tour (Git): A prepaid tour of specified minimum size, components and value.
Guarantee: Pay attention here - a 'guarantee' is the cruise line's promise that the passenger will sail on a st
Guarantee Share Fare: Acceptance of some lines of a single booking at the standard double occupancy rate, with the underst
Guaranteed Reservation: A reservation put on hold for a passenger's late arrival. This type of reservation is usually secure
Guaranteed Share: A cruise term that promises that a companion will be found for a single passenger, at a special rate
Guest Lecturer: An individual, not usually on permanent employment with the cruise line, who speaks on a particular
Half Pension: A hotel rate that includes breakfast and one other meal, usually dinner. Sometimes called modified a
Harbor Pilot: See 'pilot.'
Hard-Copy: A printed version of a document, such as an airline ticket or hotel voucher.
Head Waiter: Supervises all waitstaff in his or her section to monitor service and efficiency. Traditionally, the
Hidden-City Ticketing: Another airline no-no; buying a ticket from a to c with a stop in b. The passenger gets off at b, wh
High Season: The time of year when a destination gets the greatest crowds, and thus can increase hotel and rental
Highway Neighbors: Loose-knit group of communities and businesses situated along the road system.
Homeport: A port of embarkation/debarkation within the continental united states. The current trend is towards
Hospitality Room: Room used for entertaining.
Hostel: An inexpensive accommodation, usually dormitory style, popular with the student crowd thus the term
Hot Weekly Deals: Every week, the staff at 7 blue seas scrutinizes the latest cruise offers and presents onsite the be
Hotel Manager: Most cruise ships employ a hotel manager to oversee the entire hotel operation (food & beverage, ent
Hub: An airport or city in which an airline has a major presence and many flights to other destinations.
Hurricane Season: In the caribbean primarily, and the southeastern us, a period from june through october during which
In Season: Meaning only available at certain times of the year.
In Transit: En route; in the process of traveling.
In-Flight Service: Meals, free drinks, paid drinks, music, movies, and any other type of entertainment available during
Inaugural Sailing: The first 'official' sailing of a ship with passengers, usually directly following the ship's 'namin
Inbound Tourism: Vacation travel to the united states from other countries.
Incentive Travel: (1) a trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agen
Inclusive Tour: A package tour that bundles transportation, accommodations, transfers, sightseeing, possibly some me
Independent Tour: An unescorted tour sold through agents to individuals. For one price, the client receives air travel
Inside Cabin: A cabin having no exterior-facing (sea-view) windows or portholes. (see 'atrium cabins' for a new wr
Inside Passage: The sheltered channels of british columbia and southeastern alaska protected from the pacific ocean
Interline Connection: A flight on one airline that connects to a flight on another carrier these tickets are usually more
International Airlines Travel Agent Network (Iatan): International airlines travel agent network - administers the iatan card, the only widely accepted f
International Date Line: At 180 degrees longitude, the date on one side of this imaginary line, running from the north to the
Interpretation: The process of educating visitors to national parks and other cultural or historical facilities thro
Is Category: On carnival cruise lines, is is an 'inside guarantee' cabin. When you book this category you will be
Itinerary: The travel schedule provided by a travel agent or tour operator for his or her client. A proposed or
Jacobs Ladder: A rope ladder lowered from the deck of a ship while at sea, to facilitate the boarding of crew or em
Jet Lag: A upset of one's biological clock, due to travel across many time zones; not all folks are affected
Joint Fare: Special fare for travel on two or more airlines to a destination.
Jones Act: A law dating back to 1886, that forbids foreign-flagged ships from carrying passengers between us po
Keel: The centerline of a ship running from fore to aft. Think of it as the spine, or backbone of a ship.
Kilometer: A measure of distance used in almost all other countries, at about 5/8 mile.
King Room: A room in a hotel that has a king-size bed.
Knot: A unit of speed reflecting one nautical mile per hour, or 1.15 land miles per hour. (a nautical mile
Land Arrangements: All non-flying reservations upon arrival such as car rental, hotel, and tourist reservations.
Land Operator: A company or individual providing such services as hotel accommodations, sightseeing, transfers and
Land-Only: A rate that does not include airfare; usually includes most other land-based charges such as accommo
Large Ship: A ship of a grt (gross registered tonnage) between 65,000 and 100,000 tons. Carnival legend, celebri
Last-Room Availability: Electronic reservation system that provides users with current information about a hotel’s availab
Last-Seat Availability: The ability of a travel agent to get, literally, the ' last seat ' for you on a particular flight, e
Late Booking Fee: A fee due if travel arrangement are made at the last minute. Normally covers express delivery of doc
Latitude: Imaginary horizontal lines of angular distance, measured in degrees north or south of the equator.
Layover: A period of time spent during a trip, sometimes overnight, while waiting for a transportation connec
Ldw: Loss damage waiver additional insurance pertaining to car rentals, covering theft and vandalism in a
Lead-In Price: The lowest available price for a travel product, often pertaining to cabins on a cruise ship. Usuall
Leeward: The side of a ship or an island that is located opposite from the direction of the prevailing wind -
Leg: On segment of a journey, normally referring to an air itinerary, such as the ' outbound leg ' or the
Leisure Travel: Usually signifies traveling for relaxation, vacation, or to visit friends/family.
Liability Coverage: Insurance protection against injury and damage claims by third parties, available as option for car
Lido Deck: Usually the deck on a cruise ship that surrounds the pool area.
Lifeboat: Small boat carried on the vessel and used in case of emergency. By law, the total capacities of all
Lift: An elevator. Either term - lift or elevator - is acceptable and widely understood by ship staff.
Limited Availability: Limited number of reservations accepted for a certain advertised rate or special offer.
Limited Mileage Allowance: The number of miles included in the car rental rate before additional per mile charges are accessed.
Load Factor: The percent of available space on an aircraft or other form of transportation that has been sold to
Loss Damage Waiver (Ldw): Variation of collision damage waiver employed by some car rental vendors. Renters are advised to buy
Low Season: The period when a destination experiences it's lowest prices and the fewest number of guests.
Lower (Bed): In a cruise stateroom, the bed(s) on the floor as opposed to the higher bunks (uppers), if any. On m
Lowest Available Fare: The lowest available fare at the time of purchase, this fare is subject to change without notice to
Lowest Fare: The lowest published airfare between two cities; may not have seats available at that fare, as the a
Lowest Fare Guarantee: Travel agency’s promise to provide clients the lowest fare available when reservation is confirmed
Lowest Logical Airfare: Lowest airfare found within the parameters of a corporation’s travel policy.
Luxury Class: The most expensive, high-class accommodations or category of fare.
Maiden Voyage: The first sailing of a ship following sea trials. Maiden voyages are not necessarily inaugural saili
Main Seating: The earlier of two meal times in the ship's dining room. Often also called 'first seating.'
Maitre D (Restaurant Manager): The maitre d' is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the restaurants, including the quality
Management Report: Data summary (from travel agencies, travel suppliers, and/or credit-card vendors) documenting usage
Market Segment: A limited portion of the total consumer market.
Marketing: The promotional activities that bring buyers and sellers together.
Maximum Stay: The maximum time you may stay at your destination in order to qualify for a specific airfare. Normal
Meet And Greet: Service that meets and assists clients upon arrival in a city.
Meeting Fare: Negotiated airline discounts, typically for 10 or more persons traveling to the same event.
Midship: In or toward the middle of the ship; the longitudinal center portion of the ship. Midship cabins ten
Mileage Allowance: Number of miles a rented car is driven beyond the mileage allowance.
Mileage Charge: A additional fee charged for each mile of a rental car driven beyond the limited mileage allowance a
Mini-Suite: Typically, a large passenger cabin that offers separate sleeping and sitting areas.
Minibar: Hotel room cabinet containing snacks and refrigerated beverages. Items consumed are charged to hotel
Minimum Connect Time: The shortest time required in order to successfully transfer to a connecting flight. It is recommen
Minimum Stay: A period of time a traveler needs to stay in an individual destination to qualify for a specific air
Modified American Plan ( Map): A meal plan that includes two or more daily meals, usually breakfast and dinner.
Motor Coach: A large highway passenger vehicle used to perform any travel service other than scheduled transporta
Multi-Leg Trip: Traveling from location 1 to location 2, and then from location 2 to location 3, then usually back t
Murphy Bed: A bed that folds or swings into a closet or cabinet when not in use. Where offered in cruise accommo
Muster: To assemble passengers and/or crew, usually to their assembly areas in the event of an emergency at
Muster Drill: A safety demonstration conducted by members of the ship's staff that instructs passengers on the rou
Muster Station: The location where groups of passengers are asked to report in the event of an emergency at sea (or,
Nautical Mile: A distance equal to 6,082.2 feet. A land mile is 5,280 feet.
Net Fare: Price of the fare after the applied commission.
Net Rate: The rate after any commission and fees are applied to the travel fee.
No Penalty: Tickets that are refundable if returned, the refund is applied to the original credit card or by a t
No Show: A passenger who doesn't show for a flight, hotel, or rental car booking shame on you for not canceli
Non-Refundable: A fare that cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an e
Non-Transferable: A ticket that can only be used by the person who was originally scheduled to fly at the time of purc
Nonrefundable Tickets: A no money back purchased ticket. Airlines usually allow customers to 'reuse' the same amount of the
Nonstop: Referring to an air flight that does not stop enroute to it's first destination, that is, a single f
Occupancy Rate: The normal amount of rooms that are expected to be occupied at specific times of the year.
Occupancy Tax: The tax levied by many cities on a hotel stay. In addition to local taxes, there may be a set tax pe
Oceanview Cabin: A cabin aboard a cruise ship with a window, such as a porthole or picture-window, and perhaps a balc
Off-Peak: A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during these periods.
Officers: The deck officers, in order of command, are - captain, staff captain, chief officer, first officer(s
Offline Connection: When a passenger changes air carriers on their route to their destination.
One Way Ticket: A flight that starts from the location a to the location b, without returning.
Open Jaw: A trip in during which there is no travel by air between two cities, such as a flight to washington
Open Return: A air ticket with no return date specified. Rarely done these days, usually quite expensive and not
Open Seating: Access at any time to unoccupied tables in the ship's dining room, as opposed to specific table assi
Open Ticket: Ticket that is valid for transportation between certain points but indicates no specific reservation
Operator: Any company that provides any transportation service. Not just limited to flights, it also includes
Origin: The location where a trip starts.
Os Category: On carnival cruise lines, os is an 'outside guarantee' cabin. When you book this category you will b
Outbound Operator: A company that takes groups from a given city of country to another city or country.
Outfitter: A business providing the equipment necessary for some adventure or activity, such as white-water raf
Outside Cabin: A cabin having window(s) or porthole(s) offering an exterior view.
Outside Salesperson: Job description of an travel agency employee who sells travel but is not based primarily in the agen
Overbooking: The practice of selling more airline seats than are available on a specific flight, to make up for n
Override: Extra commission that travel agents sometimes get, usually for selling a certain amount of a supplie
Override Commission: Extra commission paid by suppliers for quantity or volume sales.
Package: Tickets or services bundled together and sold at single all-inclusive price.
Package Tour: A tour that includes pre-paid transportation, accommodations and/or some combination of other tour e
Packager: Entity that puts together the tour product.
Panamax: The panama canal permits ships no wider than approximately 110 feet - any wider and the ship just wo
Passage Contract: Detailed terms of responsibility and accountability found in the cruise ticket.
Passenger Facility Charge (Pfc): An airport tax that is authorized by the us congress for upgrading and expanding local airport facil
Passenger name record (PNR) : The official name of one's reservation in a computer reservation system (crs).
Passenger Type: Provides the ability to specify fares and fees based on the classification of the passenger.
Passport-Visa Service: A service that will take your passport and hand carry, if necessary, to the appropriate embassy in o
Patch: A transdermal medication that is applied to the skin via an adhesive patch to prevent or reduce the
Penalty: It is a fee charged for a cancelled ticket or changed reservation.
Per Diem: The per person, per day cost of a cruise. There's a huge variation among (and even within) cruise li
Personal Choice Dining: Princess cruise lines' term used to describe their onboard dining program whereby passengers have th
Personal effects coverage : Additional car rental insurance covering loss of personal property from the rented vehicle.
Photo Gallery: A gallery where photographs of passengers taken by the ship's onboard photographers are displayed. P
Pilot: A person licensed to conduct a ship into and out of a port. Pilots (or 'harbor pilots), familiar wit
Pitch: The rise and fall of the ship's bow while at sea. (see 'patch!')
Point-To-Point: Refers to the fares between two cities; the service between two cities without additional segments o
Port: The left side of the ship when facing forward (and also, of course, a harbor or port-of-call).
Port Charges: A charge levied of cruise lines by local government authorities. This charge is passed on to the cru
Port-Of-Call: A country, island or territory, or population center a cruise ship visits.
Porter: A baggage handler, also referred to as a ' skycap '.
Porthole: Circular 'window' in the side of the ship's hull or superstructure. Most cruise cabins today feature
Portside: The left, or port side of the ship.
Positive Space: Space aboard a ship or aircraft that can be confirmed ahead of time.
Preand Post Tours: Optional extension or side-trip package before or after a meeting, gathering or convention.
Preferred Suppliers: A travel agency's list of the products they prefer to sell the most. These suppliers sometimes offer
Preformed Group: A tour group in existence prior to the tour, the members of which share a common bond, interest or o
Prepaid Ticket: Ticketing method in which a person or company purchases an airline ticket in one location for a trav
Prepaid Ticket Advice: A form used when purchasing an air ticket to be picked up and used by someone else at another airpor
Private Fares: A negotiated contract rate between the airline carrier and gateway tourist. These fares are normally
Private Island: An island or beach property leased or owned by a cruise line for the specific use of its cruise pass
Profile: Detailed information about a traveler’s personal preferences kept on file by a travel supplier.
Promenade: Usually the open walkway - almost always covered in teak decking - that runs almost the entire lengt
Proof Of Citizenship: An issued document by a government that establishes the traveler's nationality. Usually an original
Proof Of Identity: An issued document by a government that establishes a traveler's identity. This can be a birth certi
Prop: Referring to propeller-driven aircraft.
Property: In the hospitality industry, any lodging facility, such as a hotel or motel.
Pseudo-Agent: Someone claiming to be a travel agent who really isn't watch out for these types. They often produce
Published Fare: A fare immediately offered for purchase by the airline. This does not include heavily discounted fl
Purser: Aboard ship, the person responsible for providing a wide array of services such as information, maki
Quad: A room suitable for four persons.
Quarters: Officer, crew and staff accommodations onboard a ship. Also, the coins that go into (but seldom come
R1 Category: On norwegian cruise lines, r1 is an 'inside guarantee' cabin. When you book this category you will b
R2 Category: Category: on norwegian cruise lines, r2 is an 'outside guarantee' cabin. When you book this category
Rack Rate: The official tariff as established and posted by a business; however, not usually used by tour opera
Rate Desk: Airline or travel agency department that constructs fares for complicated itineraries, usually inter
Receptive Operator: A tour operator or travel agent who specialized in services for incoming visitors. See inbound tour
Reconfirm: A rechecked confirmation of a flight, hotel room, or car rental.
Record Locator: A specific number assigned to a reservation by an air carrier that is used to locate the passengers
Recreation: The activities that people pursue in their leisure time.
Red-Eye Flight: An overnight flight that usually arrives in the early morning. Because when you first wake up you ar
Referral Agent: An ' agent ' that refers business to a travel agency in return for a commission or fee often as part
Refundable Fare: Fares that are refundable if returned, the refund is applied to the original credit card or by a tra
Regional Carriers: Airlines that focus on specific areas or regions of the country.
Registry: The country in which a vessel is registered. For tax purposes and some regulatory reasons, most crui
Reissue: The generation of a new ticket that is exchanged for another, due to a change of plans, dates, fligh
Repositioning: Typically, when a vessel moves from one seasonal cruise area to another i.e. From alaska in the summ
Restricted Fares: Fares available in a specific period of time. (day, or days of the week).
Restricted Travel Dates: A specified period of time when certain rates, fees, and taxes may apply that are not used during re
Revenue Sharing: Travel agency rebate of commission revenue received on a corporation’s bookings.
Rollaway: A cot or other bedding that can be added to a hotel room to accommodate another guest. There is ofte
Room Tax: State or local tax imposed on hotel room charges.
Round Trip: A trip that starts in a location and goes to a different location and goes back to the starting poin
Routing: Specific city pairs that an airline designates to travel, usually resulting in lower travel rates du
Run-Of-House (Roh): Refers to a hotel room, the type of which is assigned at the discretion of the hotel shortly before
Run-Of-Ship: Cabin is assigned at the last moment, giving the cruise line the ability to shift accommodations as
Sailing Time: The actual hour at which the ship is scheduled to clear the dock and sail.
Saturday Night Stay: The airline requirement that you must stay over a saturday night during a trip in order to obtain th
Scheduled Carrier: An airline that offers regularly scheduled flights between destinations.
Scupper: An opening in the bulwarks of a ship that allow accumulated deck water to flow freely overboard. Cre
Sea Bands: A product resembling a bracelet that is worn on the wrists and operates via accupressure. Wearers cl
Sea Legs: The ability to move around on a ship without losing balance and without sea sickness.
Seasickness: An archaic term that once referred to motion sickness at sea before there were pills, patches, press
Second Sitting: The later of two meal times in the ship's dining room. Often referred to as 'late seating.'
Segment: A ' leg ' or part of a journey, usually in reference to an air itinerary. One take-off and landing d
Self-Drive: A rental car (british term).
Service Fees: These fees are non-refundable and usually are included with any ticket purchase and sometimes appear
Service Non Compris: In french, meaning ' service not included ' (hint: tip is expected.).
Shipboard Account: A day-by-day, itemized account of a passenger's onboard purchase activity. Alcoholic beverages, shor
Shore Excursion: Tours that are purchased as an option when visiting ports of call while on a cruise; can sometimes b
Shore Excursion Manager: His or her primary responsibilities are the promotion, arrangement, and supervision of all shore exc
Shoulder Season: A period of time between high and low seasons, where prices at a destination are between their highe
Single Occupancy: The occupancy by one person of a cabin that is designed to accommodate two or more passengers. A pre
Single Supplement: An additional charge when purchasing a cruise or tour whose pricing is based on double-occupancy. Th
Size Category: Ship sizes range from small (less than 40,000 tons), medium (45,000 - 65,000 tons), large (65,000 -
Sleeper: The sleeping compartment aboard a train.
Small Ship: A ship with a grt (gross registered tonnage) of less than 40,000 tons. Holland america's prinsendam,
Social Host: A member of the ship's staff who assists in the various planned activities and functions onboard. So
Soft Adventure: An outdoor travel experience that is not especially physically demanding, such as a canyon horseback
Soft-Dollar Savings: Savings on travel realized through cost avoidance, such as rate discounts or free upgrades.
Spa: A resort area centered around a mineral springs, hot springs and the like, typically where one can f
Space Ratio: A measurement of cubic space per passenger. The gross registered tonnage divided by the number of pa
Special Fare: Any fare that deviates from normal pricing (typically discounted).
Special Interest Tour: A tour designed to appeal to clients with curiosity or concern about a specific subject. Most such t
Special Services: An airline term that designates a passenger who has special requests, such as requiring assistance b
Split Ticketing: Issuing two one-way tickets instead of a round-trip ticket, usually for purpose of obtaining a lower
St Category: On carnival cruise lines, st is a 'suite guarantee' cabin. When you book this category you will be g
Stabilizer: A device on most all cruise vessels, to reduce pitch and roll when at sea the movement that can caus
Standby: Class of air passengers who hold tickets that do not allow for advanced reservations (standby fares)
Star Service: A critical guide describing in detail many hotel and cruise ship properties. Can be subjective, as i
Starboard: The right side of the ship when facing forward.
Stateroom: Passenger cabin - also referred to as an accommodation.
Stem: The extreme bow or prow of the ship.
Step-On Guide: A freelance guide who comes aboard a coach to give an informed overview of the city or attraction to
Stern: The rearmost part of a ship. Combined with stem, we have the term, 'from stem to stern.'
Stopover: A planned stayover in a city for a day or more, while enroute to another destination. Sometimes adds
Student Visa: Permission to enter a country, issued to a student, normally for the purpose of attending school in
Suite: A hotel room that is ranked nicer than the standard room, these rooms usually have a larger 'living'
Supersaver: Low discount airfare available with heavy restrictions.
Supplier: Those who supply travel trade with product. In the broadest sense, this could also include dmos.
Surcharge: Assessment by vendor or governmental entity in addition to published price or contracted rate.
Surface: Travel over land that does not involve an aircraft.
Tariff: A schedule of prices/fares.
Taxes: Fees that are applied to your bill depending on time of year, location of purchase, and sometimes by
Tender: A smaller vessel used to move passengers to and from the ship and shore when the ship is at anchor.
Thalassotherapy: The use of water jets and marine products (seawater, seaweed, sea mud, and sand), that when applied
Theme Cruise: A cruise devoted to a specific interest, such as big bands, country western, star trek, exercise and
Through passenger : A passenger who remains on the plane at a connecting stop on the way to his/her final destination.
Ticket: An agreement between passenger and an airline. It can be an e-ticket or a paper ticket.
Total Choice Dining: Carnival cruise lines' term that describes their onboard dining program whereby passengers are offer
Tour Basing Fare: A reduced-rate excursion fare available only to those who buy pre-paid tours or packages. Also, any
Tour Conductor: The person who accompanies and is in charge of a tour, often on a motorcoach tour.
TOUR GUIDE : The leader of a guided tour who possesses in-depth knowledge of an area’s attractions.
TOUR LEADER : A person who accompanies a tour group, usually with particular knowledge of the destination.
TOUR MANAGER : A person who supervises an escorted tour to oversee the group and to make sure that everything runs
Tour Operator: A company that creates and/or markets inclusive tours and/or performs tour services and/or subcontra
Tour Shells: Brochures containing artwork, graphics and/or illustrations but bare of copy, which are overprinted
Tour Supplier: Those who supply the travel trade with a specific component, experience, attraction, and activity.
Tour Wholesaler: A company that usually creates and certainly markets inclusive tours and independent tours for sale
Tourism: The business of providing and marketing services and facilities for pleasure travelers.
Tourism North: Joint highway travel marketing program conducted by alaska, yukon, alberta, british columbia and pri
Tourist Card: A card issued to a visitor in lieu of a visa, usually for a short duration visit. Countries such as
Trade Mission: Group tour with a business rather than vacation purpose.
Trade Show: A meeting that features free-standing vendor displays and booths. Also known as trade fair.
Traditional Fixed Seating: Princess cruises' evening dining program that offers passengers the ability to dine at the same time
Trans-Canal: Passing through the panama canal.
Transatlantic: A cruise that crosses the atlantic ocean. However, ships are no longer in a race to cross the ocean.
Transfer: The service of transportation from the modes of transportation (air, rail, bus, ship, boat) terminal
Travel Advisory: A travel warning issued by the us department of state, indicating a special caution should be taken
Travel Agency: Usually a storefront retailer of travel packages but are now being seen online as a main way for pla
Travel Agent: A company or individual engaged in selling transportation and other travel services and products dir
Travel Documents: Those paper documents required in cruise travel. Passage tickets, passports, visas, air travel ticke
Travel Institute: The primary educational and certification arm of the travel industry. Was formerly the 'institute of
Travel Protection: A combination of travel insurance benefits and emergency hotline services, designed to give you prot
Turnaround Time: Time required to clean, disassemble, and/or remove objects from a function/guest room and reset it f
Twenty-Four Hour Clock: Shipboard passenger clocks look just like your clocks at home. Still, you may hear crew members usin
Underway: A ship in motion. Once your ship has left the pier or its anchorage, the ship is considered 'underwa
Unlimited Mileage: No mileage restriction when renting a car. This is the best way to go, as a time-and-mileage rate ca
Unrestricted Fare: An airfare that has no special advance purchase, saturday stay or certain days to travel requirement
Upgrade: If your fare or class permits you may sometimes be able to use points or flyer miles to upgrade your
Value Added Tax (Vat): A tax on goods in europe, which under certain circumstances can be refunded.
Value Season: Similar to shoulder or low season, when pricing is lower.
Verandah: A roofed-porch, such as connected to a cruise ship stateroom.
Very Large Ship: A ship in excess of 100,000 gross registered tons (grt). Very large ships include the carnival conqu
Visa: Usually a stamp in a passport allowing entry into a country for a specific purpose and a finite amou
Visa Service: A service that can expedite the processing of a visa, sometimes even at the last minute. A fee is ch
Voucher: Document to be exchanged for goods or services, substantiating that payment has already been made. A
Wait-List: List established when there are no more ready available spaces; names waiting for cancellations.
Waitlist: List of travelers waiting for people to cancel reservations for a flight that is sold out.
Waiver: A written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something, such as insurance coverage for a
Walk-Up: One who purchases an air ticket at the last moment, usually at the airport ticket counter.
Walked: Term used when a traveler arrives at a hotel with a reservation but no rooms are available, so the h
Wet Bar: The area of a hotel room that has a bar or other counter space with running water, used for the prep
Wholesaler: A company that usually creates and certainly markets inclusive tours and fits for sale through trave
Window Of Convenience: Two hours on either side of ideal departure or arrival time.
Windward: Facing into or the direction from which the wind is coming. (opposite: leeward)
World Travel Guide: A yearly publication that provides detailed information on most every country in the world, with ent
Wtm: World travel market. Largest trade show geared for the united kingdom, held annually in london.
X Category: On royal caribbean and celebrity cruise lines, x is a 'balcony guarantee' cabin. When you book this
Y Category: On royal caribbean and celebrity cruise lines, y is an 'outside guarantee' cabin. When you book this
Z Category: On royal caribbean and celebrity cruise lines, z is an 'inside guarantee' cabin. When you book this