Cruise climb or (cruse!!! climb) from an ATC point of view in NZ means go forward fast at the cost of climbing. Generally used from an ATC point to keep a climbing aircraft ahead of another aircraft or from a pilots point (so I gather although they rarely ask for it and just do it) running behind schedule!! and their climb performance is not that expected for the aircraft type, which, at times, we base seperations on (hence why it is subject to a request and clearance for said procedure!). Also used (on our sector alot) is cruise descent by ATC which is generally used to push an aircraft down from a specific altitude with the expectation that the aircraft will not descend at the vertical speed normally expected for that aircraft type - used for speeding the aircraft up to maintain or increase distance from a following aircraft and allowing the pax and their coffees to be finished in style.
Does that make sense??