Maritime passenger terminal
A port facility where passengers board and leave ships. It combines passenger processing with spaces and services for embarkation and disembarkation.
Passenger boarding bridge: An enclosed, adjustable walkway connecting a terminal building to a ship. It provides a sheltered route between the terminal and a berthed passenger ship.
Port: A coastal or inland-water facility where vessels load and unload people or cargo. The terminal is a passenger-focused facility within a larger port.
Cruise terminal: A port terminal designed to process passengers and support cruise ships. Cruise terminals handle large groups, baggage, and ship calls organized around itineraries.
Airport terminal: A building or complex where air passengers are processed before or after flights. Both process passengers, but airport terminals connect them to aircraft rather than ships.
Passenger embarkation: The process of boarding a vessel for a voyage. Terminal access, checks, and boarding procedures organize this movement onto ships.
Berth (moorings): A designated place where a vessel is secured alongside a quay or pier. The berth fixes where ships meet terminal access and service infrastructure.
Ferry terminal: A facility where passengers, and often vehicles, board and leave ferries. Ferry terminals serve frequent crossings and may combine passenger and vehicle flows.
Railway station: A facility where passengers board and leave trains. Like a maritime terminal, it organizes boarding, arrivals, and transfers, but serves rail.
Passenger disembarkation: The process of leaving a vessel at the end of a voyage or port call. Terminals route arriving passengers from ships through arrival facilities and onward transport.
Quay: A structure built along a shore where vessels can load and unload. Quayside access links the terminal’s land-based spaces to ships.