GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Aug 16, 2026

Voyage number

A booking confirmation rarely says just "Berlin Maersk"; it says "Berlin Maersk, Voyage 628W" – and only that voyage number makes the shipment unambiguous.

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Last updated: 16 August 2026

Source: Frachtportal-News «Cosco öffnet Rotes Meer wieder – Maersk und Hapag-Lloyd bauen Suez-Dienste aus» (12.08.2026); Maersk Service Update AE19

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Definition & Explanation

A booking confirmation rarely says just "Berlin Maersk"; it says "Berlin Maersk, Voyage 628W" – and only that voyage number makes the shipment unambiguous. The voyage number is the identifier a carrier assigns to one individual sailing of a vessel within a liner service. It usually combines a running number with a direction code, such as W for westbound or E for eastbound. Together with the vessel name it is the governing reference in the booking, bill of lading, cargo manifest and terminal systems. For forwarders it matters more than the vessel name alone: cut-off times, ETD/ETA and slot allocation attach to the specific voyage, and the same vessel may call at different ports on different voyages. Not to be confused with the booking number or container number, which identify the shipment rather than the sailing.

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Voyage number

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Related Terms

NCTS guarantee number

UID (Swiss business identification number)

Heat Number

VAT number

tracking number

ACN (Air Cargo Number)

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