A call is a vessel's visit to a port to load or discharge cargo, take on bunkers, or embark passengers. The itinerary of a merchant ship is built around its port calls. Shipping lines measure route efficiency by calculating the time and fees associated with each port call against the freight revenue generated there.
Heard on the job
We've a scheduled port call in Rotterdam to offload three hundred containers before heading to Hamburg.
Also heard as
- port call