12 Common Cruise Terms For Newbies

12 Common Cruise Terms For Newbies

For your first cruise, you might want to brush up on the lingo. It isnt necessary but sometimes it just makes you feel a little better when you know what everyone is talking about aboard the ship. From aft to windward, weve got you covered.

1. Bow This term refers to the very front of a ship. Think of the famous Titanic scene where Leonardo DiCaprio shouts, Im the king of the world!
2. Stern This is the back of the boat or ship.
3. Aft Heres where it can get confusing. Aft means towards the back or towards the stern. So, the stern is the place (noun) and aft is a description or a direction. The sailor is at the stern. The sailor was told to stow the luggage aft.
4. Gangway This is the bridge that passengers walk on to get onto the ship when they first arrive. In the movies, pirates were often depicted as having a shorter version and demanding people walk the gangplank.
5. Bridge Why didnt they just call the gangway a bridge, you ask? Simple. The bridge is the name for the captains area. Its the place where he and his crew take care of all the navigational aspects of the cruise ship.

   

   For your first cruise, you might want to brush up on the lingo.
   CC image courtesy of Number Six (bill lapp)

   His (or her) cockpit, if you will.

6. Embark/Disembark Chances are you will get on and off the ship many times throughout the duration of your cruise. The proper terminology is to embark (get on) or to disembark (to get off).
7. Fluke Usually a fluke is known as chance happening or something good that happens by accident. On a cruise ship, however, a fluke means something much different; it is the point of an anchor that catches the ground when the anchor is deployed, particularly the pointy tips on each arm.
8. Port This means the left side of the ship as you face forward (towards the bow see #1). It also can be a stop along the cruise as in, We docked at the port in Mexico.
9. Starboard The opposite of port, this means the right side of the ship as you face forward.
10. Leeward Heres where it gets confusing to land-lubbers again. Leeward is the side of the ship that is facing away from the wind. It could be port or starboard.
11. Windward Take a guess Thats right. Windward means the side of the ship where the wind is blowing.
12. Knots This is not referring to the knots on a rope but rather the speed at which your cruise ship is traveling. The proper mathematical definition is how many nautical miles a ship can travel in an hour. A nautical mile is just over 6,000 feet or 1,800 meters. If you dont want to remember all that just remember not to ask the captain about mph over dinner.

Study this list. Learn the lingo. If you do your homework, you wont feel like such a newbie. In fact, you might be able to teach a seasoned cruiser a thing or two.

Birthday Party Ideas In A Nutshell For Around $100

Birthday Party Ideas In A Nutshell For Around $100

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a birthday party. You’ve got the invitations, the decorations, the cake and ice cream, the games and activities, and the goodie bags. This can add up to a lot of money if you are not properly prepared.

With a quick rundown of the easiest ways to save big money on your child’s birthday party, you won’t have to sacrifice any of the fun to have a frugal party.

Theme Parties

These ‘character’ or ‘theme’ parties can be the most expensive of all. To cut corners, mix and match accessories and decorations with plain things such as tablecloths, napkins, plates, and such. If you are choosing to go with a theme such as a Disney movie or TV show character, find printable characters online or draw freehand if you can and use them for hanging banners, or even the design for a homemade cake.

Old Fashioned Picnic Parties

Taking all the kids for a big picnic in a park can be a great way to save money. The kids can use the playground and a simple $3 pack of balloons filled with water can provide a whole day of fun playing water balloon games.

You can even bring a couple cartons of eggs at only a few dollars a carton, along with spoons, and play games like racing to the finish line without dropping the egg. If the situation is right, you may also like to get an organized game going, like softball, volleyball, or soccer.

The Great Outdoors

An outdoor party where you camp-out in the backyard, or even just cook-out in the backyard, can be a wonderful time. Roast marshmallows and hotdogs, and make Smores on a barbeque or fire pit. Set up tents for sleepovers, or just gather around the campfire to tell spooky ghost stories until it’s time to go home. The cost is minimal for a big bag or two of marshmallows, some hot dogs and buns, a box of graham crackers, and some bars of chocolate. For goodie bags, little flashlights and glow in the dark stickers are a great way to have fun outdoors.

Wild Winter Parties

If your birthday party falls during the winter months, and you have snow to play in, this could provide you with a built-in party. Rent or borrow sleds and you’re on your way to a great party. You will want cold-weather food including thermoses filled with hot chocolate and a supply of marshmallows to add in each mug. Don’t forget the blankets and lawn chairs for whoever wants to sit and watch the fun. Bring a big pot of chili and a box of cupcakes, and you have an easy party with easy-to-serve food, and very little money involved.

There is no doubt about the fact that $100 is a tight budget to plan a birthday party for a group of kids. But, you can stretch that budget far and wide, making use of many of the fun things in life that cost little to nothing at all!

Drugs Used To Advance Labor

Drugs Used To Advance Labor

Labor, the process leading up to delivery, is a necessary part of childbirth. If we could skip the long labor and proceed straight to the delivery, that would be easier, wouldn’t it? But labor, especially those contractions, are what sets the stage for delivery.

What happens during labor? The baby turns and makes itself ready for departure. This process takes time, and the contractions are what prepares the body for delivery.

Contractions signal that the baby is beginning its journey. The cervix begins to dilate so that the baby can pass through. Once the cervix dilates to a certain size, the mucus plug will be discharged and some bleeding may occur. The cervix continues to dilate and efface (thin), preparing itself to pass the baby through.

For some women, the contractions during labor can be prolonged for various, uncontrollable reasons. In this case, drug treatments may be used to help the process along.

Common Drugs Used

So, how will the doctor help? There are drugs that can be administered intravenously to speed up your contractions. As contractions increase in intensity and duration, the cervix responds by dilating.

Know that increasing contractions means increasing the pain.

Your doctor will only suggest this method when it is absolutely necessary. The following are considered the most common drugs your doctor would use to increase contractions.

Pitocin This is the drug of choice to augment, speed up and improve, your labor. When the strength of the contractions is no longer effective, this drug may be given. It will increase the force of the contractions to wake up the cervix and move along the dilation process. Pitocin is a synthesized form of oxytocin which is a natural hormone in the body that causes muscular contractions in the uterus.

Cervical Gel The common name is Cervidil. Sometimes the cervix is not thinning and ripening like it should when preparing for birth. This gel acts like prostaglandins in the body. They are responsible, during labor, for dilation and smoothing out the cervix. It can be administered directly on the cervix. Keep in mind that a common side effect to this drug may be nausea or vomiting.

There is no way to really tell when your baby is ready for delivery; each delivery is different. But, you and your doctor will know when the normal process of contractions and dilation is slowed or halted. This is when drugs can be useful to ensure your baby has a safe passage into this world, and mother and baby finally get to meet!