The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word ICEBREAKER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
I
C
E
B
R
E
A
K
E
R
More clues leading to the result ICEBREAKER
- It gets people mixing cocktail ingredient right into tumbler
- New bike career - it relieves tension
- Way of shifting reserve vessel
- I see wave swamping English vessel
- Pick, for example, ship
- Ship rocks — vessel going round river
- Wave following scoop? One deals with embarrassing silence
- Shattered bike racer swallowing tablet – it relieves tension
- Pick, perhaps, specialised ship
- Special ship that cuts through formalities!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "vessel" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case vessel = icebreaker.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ICEBREAKER mean?
ICEBREAKER noun- A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
- A game, activity, humorous anecdote, etc., designed to relax a group of people to help them get to know each other.
- A lively song and dance routine at the start of a musical.