AN ACR MLG ACFT WAS ORIGINALLY CLRED TO FL200 WITH THE RESTRICTION TO MAINTAIN VFR TO 17500 FT. ATC TERMINOLOGY WAS SUCH THAT THE CREW THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE CLRED ON UP TO 200 WHEN ATC MEANT THAT THEY SHOULD STOP AT 17500. 3 OF THE 4 MEN IN THE COCKPIT AGREE WITH THIS PREMISE.

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LEAVING ANCHORAGE WE WERE GIVEN; AFTER REQUESTING; A VFR CLB AT OR BELOW 17500 TO MAINTAIN FL200. THE DEP CTLR SENT US OVER TO ANC CTR AND HE ASKED US TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN VFR AT OR BELOW 17500! THE CTR CTLR AT THAT POINT SAID TO MAINTAIN VFR AT OR BELOW 17500. APPARENTLY HE WANTED US TO STOP AT 17500 AND NOT FL200! WE THOUGHT WE WERE STILL CLRED TO FL200! I WILL ADMIT THAT AFTER WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC WE REQUESTED (BECAUSE OF LCL SIGHTSEEING) I WASN'T LISTENING AS CLOSE AS I SHOULD HAVE! THE CTR CTLR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT VFR AT OR BELOW 17500 BECAUSE HE ASKED US ABOUT IT MORE THAN ONCE! WE STARTED OUR CLB OUT OF 11500 (TEMPORARY ALT) AND WENT THROUGH ABOUT 18500 AND TOLD CTR WE WANTED FURTHER CLRNC AND HE TOLD US THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT! WE TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL200 BUT HE SAID IT WAS 17500! OUT OF 4 PEOPLE IN THE COCKPIT 3 OF THE 4 THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO FL200 BUT THE FOURTH SORT OF THOUGHT IT WAS 17500! THE CTLR TOLD US THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND SAID THAT A PHONE CALL WAS NOT NECESSARY! THE CLRNC WAS CONFUSING AND WE FELT THIS COULD BE ENTRAPMENT!