Guide to Cruise Lingo

First-time cruisers are often confused by Cruise Lingo. These are words which you will hear on a Cruise Ship but are never heard on land. Whilst you don’t know what they mean all the other passengers seem to know & are talking in this strange Nautical Dialect. Our Guide to Cruise Lingo includes all the most common phrases you will hear on a Cruise Ship.

You will soon be speaking like the Captain!

Aft – The back of the ship.

Atrium – The centre court area of the ship. Often this is an impressive area made up of several decks.

Butler – The person who looks after you if you have a posh cabin i.e. large suite. I have never had one of these 🙁

Bow – The very front of the ship.

Bridge – The area where the ship is commanded. Off limits to passengers but some lines do offer tours.

Cabin Steward– The person who looks after your room.

Captain – The person who commands the ship & keeps you safe. Also known as the Master.

Cruise Director – Senior officer in charge of onboard entertainment. On most Cruise Ships the Cruise Director also has an important role in reading out safety messages.

Deck – Known as the ground when you are on land.

Forward – The front part of the ship.

Galley – The ship’s kitchen where all your gorgeous food is made.

Gangway – The walkway used to embark and disembark the ship.

Knot The measurement of a ship’s speed. 1 knot = 1.15 mph on land. I am still trying to understand this one but Cruise Ships don’t move quick.

Lido or Pool deck – Where you will find the swimming pool, sunbeds and other outside activities.

Midship – The centre part of the ship which might also be an atrium.

Muster Station – Passengers assemble at a muster station in case of an emergency. The will be a muster drill on the first day of your cruise.

Nautical mile – It’s the unit of measurement navigators use to calculate the distance travelled by the cruise ship. Which is around 1.15 mile on land.

Norovirus – Is the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans, causing vomiting and diarrhoea. Not cruise lingo you want to hear but washing your hands prevents it.

Plank – What naughty cruisers are made to walk off….they are honestly!

Port – The left side of the ship when facing forward.

Porthole – A round window.

Roll – The side-to-side movement of the ship.

Sea Day – A day at sea with no ports scheduled.

Ship – Still not sure I understand what the difference is but it is a ship not a boat.

Staff Captain– 2nd in charge of the ship.

Starboard – The right side of the ship whilst facing forward (bow).

Stern – The very back of the ship. Not to be confused with Aft. Aft actually means towards the stern.

Tender – The boat used to ferry passengers from the ship to land when the ship can’t dock at the shore. On occasions, lifeboats might be used.

Verandah – A posh word for a balcony.

Wake –  Trail of waves at the stern created as the ship moves forward.

Now you know the Cruise Lingo the is nothing to stop you talking with the most experienced of Cruisers. Let me know if there are any phrases we have missed from our Guide to Cruise Lingo.