fourberth

Fourberth refers to a sleeping compartment designed to accommodate four people in a compact space. The term is used in trains, ships, yachts, and other forms of passenger accommodation to describe the occupancy arrangement rather than the size of a bed. In railway practice, a four-berth compartment is a single compartment containing four bunks—typically two lower and two upper berths—arranged to maximize space within a coach or sleeper car. The compartment often includes a small table or seating that can convert to a bed, and bedding or linen is provided by the operator. Privacy is usually achieved with curtains or partition walls; luggage can be stowed beneath the lower berths or in a small wardrobe.

In maritime usage, a fourberth cabin appears on passenger ships, ferries, and small cruising yachts. It usually consists of four single berths arranged to share a single cabin, with common access to a washbasin, and sometimes shared storage and seating that can convert to a berth. Layouts vary; some arrangements put two berths on each side of the cabin, others place bunks one above the other on both sides.

The term is often contrasted with two-berth or multi-berth configurations, and the pricing typically reflects the number of berths rather than the number of occupants. Fourberth accommodations are common in older or budget travel and in vessels designed for family or group use.

See also: berth, sleeper car, bunk bed, cabin, dormitory.