Cruise Lingo

It's a Ship!

You’re on a ship, not a boat. A boat fits inside a ship, and not the other way around!

Deck

Your cruise ship will have many decks. While hotels refer to floors, cruise-ships refer to decks.

Captain

The person in command of the ship.

Port of Departure

This is the port from which your cruise will depart (ie. Long Beach, Miami, etc)

Ports of Call

This is an individual destination where you will stop for the day.

Cruise Dock

A cruise ship will usually arrive at a large dock when it arrives at the cruise port.

Sail-away Party

Check your daily planner for information. Generally the Sailaway party will be at the main pool and will include some drinks, a DJ or band playing and some dancing.

Stabilizers

Modern cruise ships have stabilizers to keep motion to a minimum.

Galley

The super large kitchen where literally tons of food is cooked and prepared. You can actually do a galley tour while on your cruise if you’re interested.

Port Side

The left side of the ship, as you face forward, is referred to as port side.  *Tip: An easy way to remember – LEFT has 4 letters and so does PORT

Forward

The front section of the ship.

Deck Plan

map of all the cruise ship decks.

Lido Deck

The Lido Deck is the public pool deck, often on one of the top decks of the cruise ship. There may be more than one pool, hot tub and outdoor seating.

Wake

The beautiful white trail of waves visible at the very back of the ship. My favorite spot on the ship to realx and take it all in.

Muster Station

Your assigned emergency meeting location. You’ll likely meet here for your muster drill, but don’t worry, cruise ship crew will help to guide you.

Sea Day

A day at sea is when your cruise ship is not visiting a port, but sea days aren’t boring! There will be plenty of activities to choose from if you don’t want to simply relax by a pool.

Daily Planner

Different cruise lines use different terms for their daily newsletter of information scheduled activities.Many cruise lines now have this information available on their app.

All Aboard

The ship will leave your ports of call promptly. All aboard time is generally set for 30 minutes before your cruise is scheduled to leave the port of call. Do verify the all aboard time before heading off for an excursion in the cruise port.

Stateroom

Your room is called a cabin or stateroom

the Bridge

The bridge is the navigational hub of the ship.

Cruise Director

Your cruise director, among other duties, will act as Emcee, heading up most major entertainment events on the ship.

Cruise Terminal

Just like airplanes have airports, cruise ships have cruise terminals or cruise ports. There are safety and boarding procedures to be aware of.

Shore Excursion

This is an organized activity you may choose to do when in a port. Examples include a snorkeling or sightseeing excursion.

Tender

There are some cruise ports where cruise ships cannot access the land directly and dock, due to coral reefs and other reasons. In these cases your ship will tender a few minutes away from the port, and shuttle passengers in by tender boats.

Anchor

The ship’s anchor is impressive. Along with the chain, the anchor holds to the sea bed to keep the ship from drifting at sea.

Atrium

The atrium is a large central public area usually spanning 3 or more decks. Often very beautiful, it will be the central hub of the ship’s interior.

Starboard

The right side of the ship as you face forward is the Starboard side.

Mid Ship

Generally said in reference to the preferred cabin location. Most cruise passengers will prefer a mid-ship cabin, rather than one that is forward or aft. This area has the advantage of having more stability in general.

Sailaway

The period of time that your Cruise Ship actually sails away from the shore. Often there will be a Sailaway party on the top deck, however some cruisers enjoy it from their own balcony.

Gangway

The left side of the ship, as you face forward, is referred to as port side.  *Tip: An easy way to remember – LEFT has 4 letters and so does PORT

Stern

The very back of the ship.

Muster Drill

The muster drill is a mandatory safety drill which is done prior to sailing. Note, it’s not “mustard” drill, as you just may hear from other passengers.

Cruise Card

On most cruise ships, you’ll be given a cruise card which will act as your room key, ID and your method of payment when on your cruise.

Room Steward-Cabin Attendant

Sometimes mistakenly called a room “Stuart”, the person who cleans your room twice a day (amazing!) and really takes care of you and your cabin mates is called a room steward or a cabin attendant.

Disembarkation

The saddest day in a cruiser’s life is the day that you need to disembark and the cruise is over.