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Ocean Lingo: Glossary of Cruise Ship Terms

By Carnival Cruise Line

If you’re a newbie to cruising culture, take a few minutes to learn the cruise ship lingo. Knowing the language both on board and on shore will make you feel more at ease on your very first cruise . We’ve compiled a list of the most essential terms for you to be familiar with before you step on board.

From knowing the ins and outs of stateroom design to understanding cruise ship nautical terms, you’ll be ready to hit the waves with confidence.

Planning Your Cruise

• Crossing: A voyage across the water – in other words, a cruise is a crossing. For example, if you take a cruise to Europe , you can depart from New York and cross to ports of call, including Northern Ireland .
• Departure port/embarkation port: Both of these terms refer to the port or location where your cruise begins and ends . Carnival has many departure ports in the United States. For example, you can cruise to the Western Caribbean from the departure port of Mobile, Alabama .
• Disembarkation: This is when you leave the ship at the end of your trip.
• Embarkation: It’s when you board your cruise ship at the beginning of your trip.
• Port of call: A port of call is a destination on your cruise and where you’ll likely be able to enjoy shore excursions. For example, if you take a cruise to Mexico , you can depart from one of three ports in California and visit multiple ports of call in one trip, including Cozumel , Costa Maya and Mahogany Bay .
• Shore excursion: A shore excursion is an activity off the ship at a port of call that you can purchase as part of your itinerary. For example, if you cruise to The Bahamas , you can take a shore excursion in Half Moon Cay. You may want to book the educational Stingray Adventure shore excursion there that allows you to interact with the sea creatures.
• Tender: Also called a lifeboat, a tender is a small boat that takes you from the ship to shore when the cruise ship anchors in a harbor.

Stateroom Speak

Even before booking your cruise , you’ll want to know the types of staterooms that are available to ensure a comfortable trip. Whether you’re cruising solo or with a group, this list helps you choose the right stateroom for your needs.

• Balcony stateroom: This room has a small, personal, outdoor balcony. A balcony stateroom is recommended when taking a cruise to Alaska , for example, so you don’t miss any unexpected wildlife or glacier sightings.
• Interior stateroom: Located in less active spots on the ship, interior staterooms are comfortable for sleepers who prefer a quiet place to curl up after a day of fun and activities.
• Ocean view stateroom: An ocean view stateroom with a porthole or window lets you gaze out at ocean vistas and ports of calls.
• Specialty stateroom: This has a thematic setting that caters to families, couples or solo guests. Specialty staterooms include Cloud 9 Spa staterooms located next to the Cloud 9 Spa Family Harbor staterooms are next to the Family Harbor Lounge, a great escape when traveling with kids .
• Suite stateroom: Larger rooms that are ideal for family cruises . These suites give everyone in your group ample room to stretch out.

Cruise Ship Terminology

It pays to understand cruise ship terms and definitions so you don’t wander around too much during your vacation. Although, while on board, you’ll never be truly lost. You can find a deck plan of each vessel so you can get to know it before your trip in the comfort of your home. Until then, here’s a crash course in ship architecture.

• Bow: The bow is the front of the ship.
• Bridge: The bridge is the location from which the captain steers the ship.
• Galley: A galley is a ship’s kitchen. On a cruise ship, there are many galleys.
• Gangway: The gangway is the ramp or staircase that you’ll use to embark or disembark the ship.
• Helm: The helm is the area of the bridge on which the steering wheel is located and used by the crew only .
• Hull: The hull is the outside of the ship.
• Keel: The keel is the ship’s bottom center.
• Leeward: The side of the ship where you’ll feel most sheltered from wind is leeward.
• Lido: Lido is an often-used term because it’s the deck where you’ll find the outdoor pools .
• Midship: This is the middle of the ship.
• Port: The left side of the ship as it’s facing forward is called port. If you have a hard time remembering that, just keep in mind that “left” and “port” both have four letters.
• Starboard: The right side of the ship is starboard.
• Stern/aft: This is the rear part of a ship closest to the casual dining
• Upper deck: The upper deck is typically the area closest to the entertainment , fun and outdoor deck areas.

Dining Discussions

• Cruise casual: This is what you can wear most nights at dinner. For men, that includes slacks, khakis, jeans, dress shorts and collared sport shirts. Women wear casual dresses and skirts, pants, capri pants, dressy shorts and dressy jeans.
• Cruise elegant: This is the one or two nights on a cruise where it’s suggested you wear evening wear to dinner in the main dining room and some other restaurants. For men, that means dress slacks, dress shirts and sport coats (optional). For women, it’s cocktail dresses, fancier pant suits or skirts. In restaurants, such as the Steakhouse , you will be required to wear tasteful attire.
• Formal night: There are two formal, or elegant, nights on longer cruises. Elegant nights mean formal suits and ties or tuxedos for men and evening gowns for women. It’s not required to dress formally, yet formal attire is welcome.
• Main seating/late seating: This means there’s an assigned schedule and seating for passengers in the main dining rooms.
• Open seating: There’s no fixed schedule and no seating arrangements for dining with open seating.

Crew Member Chatter

Who wouldn’t want to be a crew member on a cruise to Hawaii ? Here are some of the cheerful faces you’ll meet on board:

• Cabin steward: Crew member responsible for the housekeeping of your stateroom.
• Captain: Crew member in charge of the cruise ship, responsible for the crew and passenger safety.
• Cruise director: Crew member who organizes for the ship’s activities and entertainment and is often the emcee for onboard events.
• Maître d’: Crew member responsible for the dining room.
• Porter: Crew member on land to help you with your luggage curbside before you embark the ship.
• Purser: Crew member in charge of onboard billing and monetary transactions.

Nautical Lingo

Knowing nautical terms in the cruise ship world is important when you’re underway (which means moving through the ocean). You may hear the captain discussing knots with another crew member.

• Knot: A unit of speed at which ships travel, which is one nautical mile per hour.
• Mooring: A place where a ship is tied, such as the dock when in port.
• Wake: The trail of water created at the back (stern) of the ship as it moves forward in the water.

It’s perfectly fine if you forget your cruise-speak and just say “meet me at the room,” instead of stateroom, or “where’s customer service?” instead of asking to see the purser. On a Carnival cruise, you can just be yourself and learn at your leisure. Once you have your first cruise under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a seasoned cruiser with insider tips of your own.

Note: Onboard activities, shore excursions, and dining options may vary by ship and destination.

Related articles

What to expect.

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-ships.aspx

The Ultimate Cruise Lingo Glossary – 85 Terms You Need to Know

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Cruise vocabulary, jargon or lingo – if you’re going on a cruise, you’ll want to be familiar with the cruise terminology

Are you getting ready for your first cruise? Through the planning process, you may have noticed that there’s a whole world of cruise vocabulary, nautical terms or “cruise lingo”.

This handy glossary of cruise terminology includes some of the new terms and acronyms used in the cruise industry today. These are some of the most common cruise phrases and words you’ll be hearing as you plan your cruise, as well as when you board your cruise ship.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click and buy that I may make a commission, at no cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

A Cruise Lingo Tip You Must Know

Before we get started, here’s the most important piece of advice I can give you, when it comes to talking like a cruise pro.

Don’t call a cruise ship a boat.

Cruisers might have different opinions about which cruise lines are the best, cruise line dress codes , and the do’s and don’ts of cruise gratuities , but there’s one thing all cruisers agree on…

Don’t call a cruise ship a boat. Trust me on this 😉

About Cruise Lingo and Cruise Lifestyle

Cruising is a lifestyle unto it’s own, and cruisers really do have their own lingo and cruise terminology. Nautical terms are often used, and cruisers love it!

New cruisers can be left scratching their heads.

Words and acronyms such as Aft, Muster drill, Starboard, OBC and MDR, may seem like a mysterious cruise language. However, in this cruise lingo glossary, I’ll go over all the cruise jargon need to know.

You’ll be chatting like a seasoned cruiser in no time!

Cruise ship vocabulary

You’re on a ship, not a boat. A boat fits inside a ship, and not the other way around. Fellow cruisers won’t hesitate to correct you sternly if you get this wrong.

Try and get used to this one quickly,  just trust me on this…

Below you can hear Celebrity Cruises Captain Kate , explaining this point in her navigational report.

Your room is called a cabin. While hotels have rooms, ships have cabins.

3. Stateroom

Sometimes a cruise cabin will be referred to as a stateroom.

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

5. The bridge

The bridge is the navigational hub of the ship.

The person in command of the ship.

7. Cruise Director

Think Julie McCoy :-). Your cruise director, among other duties, will act as Emcee, heading up most major entertainment events on the ship. On larger ships you’ll see assistant cruise directors and other activities staff also leading main activities.

8. Itinerary

Your cruise itinerary refers to each destination/cruise port of call you’ll be visiting.

9. Port of departure

This is the port from which your cruise will depart (ie. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Vancouver, Barcelona etc.)

10. 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.

Recommended:   11 Cruise Boarding Tips You Need to Know

11. Ports of call

You probably remember this one from “The Love Boat”. I know I do! This is individual destination where you will stop at for the day. Examples of cruise ports or ports of call on a Caribbean cruise include Cozumel , St. Thomas , Grand Cayman and so on.

12. Shore excursion

This is an organized activity you may choose to do when in a port. You can book a shore excursion through your cruise line or on your own with a private vendor or tour company. Examples include a snorkeling or sightseeing excursion.

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

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.

As an example, Grand Cayman is a tender port at this time, but it looks like a new dock will be built in a couple years.

15. Stabilizers

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

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.

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.

18. Dry dock

When a cruise ship goes into dry dock, it’can be to receive routine maintenance, or to be refurbished. the ship can be out of service for weeks or longer.

19. Charter

Groups will sometimes charter a cruise ship, to host a special event.

Cruise Ship Terminology – understanding common areas of the cruise ship

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.

21. 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

22. Starboard side

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

23. Forward

The front section of the ship.

The back section of the ship is called the aft. The aft or wake view is a favorite for many cruisers.

25. Purser’s desk

These days, the purser’s desk is often referred to as guest or passenger services. However many avid cruisers enjoy the nautical language and will continue to use the term “purser’s desk”. Usually this is located in the atrium.

26. 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 an advantage of having more stability in general.

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Cruise Cabin Terminology

When booking a cruise, you’ll notice that there are several different stateroom options. Below are the most common cabin options.

27. Interior staterooms

Inside or interior cabins are staterooms which include all the basics, however do not have a window.

Related:  15 Best Tips for Cruising in an Inside Cabin: cabin organization and more

28. Oceanview Cabins

Cabins with a window or porthole are ocean view cabins.

29. Balcony cabins

Balcony cabins , sometimes referred to as Veranda cabins, include a private outdoor space outside your cabin.

Related:   7 Best Reasons to Book a Balcony Cabin

30. Guarantee cabin (GTY)

This refers to an unassigned cabin any type of cabin (inside, ocean view, balcony) . The cruise line will assign the cabin at any point before the cruise.

Often, guarantee cabins will be priced lower, so this can be a great value if you’re not picky about the location of your cabin.

31. Pullman bed

If you have more than 2 passengers in your cabin, you may have pullman beds for 3rd and 4th passengers. They are like bunk beds that come out of the wall or ceiling. They will be tucked back into the ceiling or wall during the day if you like.

32. Double occupancy

The cruise fare will be based on double occupancy as a standard, and this is what you will see as an advertised price.

33. Single occupancy

When cruising solo, most of the time you’ll be paying a single occupancy rate, which can be almost the cost of 2 people in a cabin (you won’t pay taxes twice).

34. Solo cabins – Studio cabins

If you’re cruising solo, look for cruise ships that have studio cabins intended for solo travelers.

35. Triple and Quad Cabins

Some cabins can accomodate 3, 4 or more passengers in one cabin, referred to as triple or quad cabins. These are most popular with young families cruising together .

Read next:   Worst Cruise Ship Cabins to Avoid

Back to the Cruise Ship

36. Deck plan

A map of all the cruise ship decks.

37. 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.

38. Gangway

The gangway is elevated walkway you will use to board your ship, usually covered, but not always.

The very front of the ship.

The very back of the ship.

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. Please let me know in the comments if this is your favorite as well – if not, where is?

Cruise Lingo you need to know for the first day of your cruise and beyond

42.   Embarkation day

The first day of your cruise and the best day in a cruiser’s life 😉

Recommended reading to prepare for your cruise embarkation day – 25 Cruise Embarkation Day Tips Straight from the Pros

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. Daily planner

Different cruise lines use different terms for their daily newsletter of information scheduled activities (Cruise Compass, Princess Patters, Today, Freestyle Daily). Many cruise lines now have this information available on their app.

46. 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.

47. Sailaway 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.

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. Ocean Medallion

Ocean Medallion is a relatively new cruise ship technology available on Princess Cruises . Instead of a cruise card, the medallion serves like a cruise card, but also does much more.

You can read about our recent Ocean Medallion experience here .

51. Room steward or 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.

52. Dress code

Cruise lines have suggested dress codes , ranging from very casual to more formal.

53. Formal night 

A tradition on many cruise ships, the formal night is a night to dress up. Check your cruise line’s dress codes for suggestions. Some cruise lines have relaxed the dress codes a bit, including Celebrity Cruises which now has Evening Chic , rather than formal.

54. Early dining and late dining

Early and late dining are basically a first and second seating, which some cruise lines with an option of assigned dining will have. This is for a main dining room and not a buffet.

55. Open dining

Open dining is offered on many cruise ships. In some cases, a cruise line will offer both open and set dining. It can go by different terminology including Anytime Dining on Princess , My Time Dining on Royal Caribbean, Select Dining on Celebrity .

To note, some cruise lines offer only open dining, such as Norwegian Cruise Line which is Freestyle dining.

56. Specialty restaurants

This usually refers to the dining in an alternative restaurant that is not included in your cruise fare and is often a more intimate or higher culinary experience. An example of this would be Celebrity Cruises Tuscan Grille .

57. 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.

All joking aside, there are people at cruise ports every year – and you don’t want it to be you.

58. Towel animals

You just may find towel animals in your cruise cabin. These are the super cute towel creations made by your room steward, available on some cruise lines (usually family orientated ones).

We’ve had many years of enjoyment when our kids were young, even miss them a little bit these days.

59. Pier runners: This is an unofficial name given to those (who may have had too many libations) who can be seen running in the last few minutes hoping not to miss the ship’s departure. It is quite entertaining!

60. Roll call

A roll call may be set up for your cruise by yourself or other cruise passengers. Basically, this is a group of people who chat online before a cruise, and may have some gatherings set up once on board.

Read more:   5 Reasons Why You Should Join a Cruise Roll Call

61. Disembarkation

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

Wondering about how disembarkation day really works?   21 Cruise Disembarkation Tips You Need to Know

62. Onboard booking

Booking your next cruise on board can give you some awesome benefits and is one of the best kept secrets for saving money while booking a cruise . For those that book with travel agents, don’t worry, the future cruise consultant will transfer it to the agency (request if they don’t offer).

Tip: Check to make sure about the terms and conditions and find out if future cruise deposits are refundable if that’s important to you.

Booking a cruise – terms to know

63. Cruise fare

This is the base cost of the cruise, per person

64. Deposit and Final Payment

When you book a cruise, if you’ve booked early you’ll be making a deposit which will secure your booking. As you get closer to sailing (usually about 70-90 days pre cruise), your final payment will be due.

Terms and conditions may be different on various cruise lines, however the details will be on your own reservation.

65. Cruise contract

When booking a cruise, you’ll be agreeing to a cruise contract. The cruise contract includes the terms and conditions that cruise passengers agree to.

66. Online check-in

Before your cruise, passengers are asked to complete an online check in and print out cruise documents to sail.

67. Gratuities

Gratuities or tipping is customary on a cruise. A per person service fee or gratuity will be charged daily to your cabin, on most major cruise lines.

Recommended:   Cruise Tipping Guidelines and Etiquette

68. Prepaid gratuities

When booking your cruise, you can prepay your gratuities , and avoid thinking about additional expenses on a cruise .

69. Lanyard

A lanyard might be used by cruisers to hang a cruise card around the next for convenience. This is one of the most popular cruise accessories in our list of travel essentials .

70. Rum Runners

A type of container used to conceal alcohol brought on a cruise, that isn’t allowed. For more on other items that are prohibited, read this next:  33 Banned Items You Can’t Bring on a Cruise 

Recommended:   10 Things NOT to pack for a cruise

Cruise Start Up Terms

Along with some major changes on cruise ships, we have seen new cruise line policies the have resulted in more cruise lingo – more words and explanations we just don’t know.

71. Cruise with Confidence

The major cruise lines introduced a flexible cruise cancellation policy, during this time, should people decide to cancel a cruise up to 48 hours pre-cruise. When cancelling, in most cases passengers will receive a credit which can be used towards a future cruise.

There are some terms and conditions to be aware of, so always read the fine print.

72. Muster 2.0

A new technology that would allow muster drills to be done using a new app, rather than in a large gathering. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises came out with this new technology as cruises resume. Several cruise lines are using a form of emuster as well.

The Cruise Line International Association is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. It represents the major cruise lines, which have suspended cruises leaving from the United States until the end of October .

74. No Sail Order

A no sail order was put into effect by the CDC in March 2020. For cruises to resume, it was imperative that the CDC lift the no sail order . This is lifted and cruisers have resumed with strict guidelines for safety and health.

75. Warm lay up and cold lay up

As cruises are suspended, we hear the terms “warm and cold lay up” of cruise ships.

Warm lay up refers to when a cruise ship has reduced levels of crew onboard, and costs for fuel and other items are reduced. However, the cruise ship is kept in a condition as to be able to be brought back to service relatively quickly.

A cold lay up is a prolonged period of time when the cruise ship is shut down as much as possible to reduce cost. It takes longer for ships to be brought back to service and is a more complicated process.

76. NEW Safety and health protocols

The cruise lines have adopted new safety and health protocols to ensure safe cruising for passengers and crew.

Cruise Lingo Acronyms

It’s quite common to hear people who cruise a lot speak using these acronyms. You may even see these abbreviations in cruise facebook groups and pages, or on cruise forums .

Here is an explanation of the most common cruise acronyms, so you’ll be fluent in cruise lingo of all sorts.

Main Dining Room

On board credit – extra cash credit on your cruise account that you can use on the ship for most purchases. Sometimes this is added as a promotion by the cruise line or your travel agent.

This refers to a back to back cruise, meaning one cruise and then another cruise one after the other. Some cruisers may even do a B2B2B (3 cruises in a row)

The abbreviation for a guarantee cabin (see above in cruise lingo glossary)

Future Cruise Credit – when booking a future cruise onboard

A TA is short for travel agent

Avid Cruiser Lingo

83. Cruisebug

After a first cruiser, it’s not uncommon for a new cruiser to love it so much that they feel an immediate calling to book again and cruise more often. Often, this is referred to as catching the cruisebug.

84. Cruise addict

It’s said that cruising is the healthiest addiction and a vice many are happy to have! If you’ve cruised and now you’re constantly on the lookout for all the cruise info you can find and really just want to book cruises, congrats! You are now a cruise addict!

85. Cruiseaholic

Another word for someone who is addicted to cruising!

Recommended:   30 Best Gifts for Cruisers (that are unique too!)

86. Thallosphile (n)

A lover of the sea , someone who loves the sea, ocean.

87. Post-cruise blues

So, the post-cruise blues is real! One possible remedy is booking another cruise when onboard, but it’s still tough to leave that amazing cruise ship life!

Do you suffer from Post-Cruise Depression?

How To Know if You Have Post-Cruise Depression (a fun read)

*Ultimate Cruise Travel Planner*

Over the last year, I put together a 47 page cruise travel planner that has everything you need as you plan and get ready for your cruise.

If you could use cruise packing lists, to-do checklists, shore excursion forms and more, you’ll love the Life Well Cruised Ultimate Cruise Planner .

Plus, for a limited time, it’s $10 off. Hope you enjoy!

See details here: Ultimate Cruise Planner -What’s Included

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What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise

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Recap: Cruise Lingo Glossary – 85 Cruise Terms You Need to Know

In this post, we went over 85 cruise terms that are important to know when you’re booking a cruise, as well as when you’re on a cruise ship. This list of “cruise lingo” should help to navigate the world of cruise language.

If you’re a new cruiser I hope the information has been helpful. If you’re a seasoned cruiser, I hope it was a fun read!

Is there a cruise term that you think should be added? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Happy cruising!

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this, please don’t keep it to yourself ;-)! Please share it with a friend, on Facebook or save for later on Pinterest. Thanks so much!

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20 Comments

You missed out Rum Runners. Those cheapskates that think its clever to smuggle on alcohol rather than buy on board in various containers. This may be a Carnival thing but its creeping on the better lines.

You’re right – I completely forgot that one and it’s now totally in the cruise lexicon, right? For better or for worse, lol!

I’ll add it in. Thanks for taking the time to comment :-)!!

by the way what happens to the “Rum Runners” when caught?

Hmmmm,good question. I actually have heard that any alcohol will simply be confiscated, but I’ve never used them so I can’t say for sure.

I love the drinks on board, so I just drink those 🙂

Thanks for taking the time to comment Lebo.

I really like your blog/page. The information in it is very good. I am a member of the Princess Cruise forum and what I have done is when I have come across something interesting or information I didn’t know I take notes on it. That’s how I’ve learned many of the items here. I would add TA – which is travel agent may seem too simple But I see TA all the time. I liked your comment about if you don’t know something ask a fellow cruise passenger or staff person on board. Since I am a solo travelor that really helped me. I would also add to tips for new cruisers is to be respectful of their fellow travelors and also all staff they encounter onboard (which includes room stewards, wait staff and everyone else they encounter).

Hi Charles,

Great points! TA is one I overlooked and you are so right. I agree completely with respect for passengers and crew – I hope most are.

I really appreciate you reading my blog and taking the time to leave a comment!

All the best,

This is great, but I would have liked a short, printable list, as well.

Glad the list was helpful. Thanks for your suggestion as well. This may be something that I’ll work on doing in the future.

I love your cruise blog. I have the cruise bug bad. PCD is bad in me on disembarkation day. I have only cruised with NCL and when onboard I buy as many CruiseNext Deals as I can. Many times you buy one and get on free, and on balcony and higher you can use two. To me free money off my cruise. NCL has past guest deals and when on bourd I book it. Thus even getting a better deal. I will triple dip looking for a past guest and a Latitudes Reward program. Earn point for every cruise night, Point for Suite, point booking 9 mounts in advance, and point for a Latitudes insider offer. Next cruise I will earn many points per day. That gives you free laundry, free dinners, free bottles of wine at dinner, and hopefully one day a free cruise… I would like to do a B2B2B. Do you have to get off the ship? Only word I would add is RESPECT. Respect yourself not making a scene if something not right. For you are the lesser for it. Hopefully one day we will meet up on a cruise ship. Your friend Russell

Thanks Russell for your kind words and your great tips! I have the same sentiments on disembarkation day – it’s the worst :-(.

For a B2B, you do have to get off the ship (although I hear sometimes not if customs come on), but it’s a pretty good process as passengers are grouped together and passed through quickly.

Would be great to meet you on a cruise one day!

Yes a printable list of the terms would be very helpful. Tyvm for your time to help fellow cruisers!!

Thanks Deborah for your comment. I’ll definitely look into creating one, especially since it’s been suggested a couple of times.

Best to you,

We too had a stressful private tour in Turkey, going to Ephesus. We made it back by the skin of our teeth, but the traffic on he way back through Izmir was heavy and slow. All your tips about not being a pier runner are very apt! Thank you. Jim and Norita Nickerson

Hi Jim & Norita,

Wow I would have been stressed as well. We loved Ephesus but did a morning tour only so were back early. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Not only do I find your newsletters fun AND helpful but ditto your You Tube videos. I have been addicted to cruising since 1959. Wish I could afford to feed my addiction more frequently. Going on an 11 day Caribbean cruise on Rotterdam VII in December.

Thanks so much Jim! I’m so glad that you enjoy my emails and videos & appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Don’t we all just wish we could cruise a little more? Your Caribbean cruise sounds absolutely amazing – enjoy every minute!

I enjoy your work … 2 more often overlooked terms: bunkering and along-side … bunkering of course is the re-fueling process … along-side is the captain’s term for bringing a ship to a full stop at a future pier (“we’re expected to be along-side at 7 am in Fort Lauderdale”) …

Thanks for sharing these!

Hey, Ilana! I love your blog and your YouTube videos. Post cruise depression is real. I got sad today because I used the last bit of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash that I brought home from a Viking cruise in October/November of 2023. I have several cruises coming up and always looking up itineraries to see what is out there. 🙂

I hear you! It definitely helps to have future cruises on the horizon!

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Tom Cruise runs. But is he any good at it?

IN 2018 , TOM CRUISE finally joined Instagram, and fans sure felt the need for speed: He picked up 550,000 followers in less than an hour. Now he's up to 6.5 million followers, and they're greeted by the actor's self-assessment of his own career in his bio. He could have gone with "Three-time Oscar nominee," or "Sold $10 billion worth of movie tickets."

But instead, he picked: "Actor, producer, running in movies since 1981."

It's a winking, self-aware nod to this much-memed chapter of his Hollywood career. He always gets the rogue bad guy with the rogue nuclear codes from the rogue country, and he does it in a sprint. By one running blog's count , he's run in 44 of his 52 movies, and that includes two running scenes in his newest movie, "Top Gun: Maverick," which opens this week nationwide. A quick reminder: Tom Cruise is 59 years old, the same age as Wilford Brimley when he was chasing Mitch McDeere in "The Firm."

But that raises the question... Is Tom Cruise actually a good runner? We convened an elite panel of Olympians, film critics and former coaches and set out on a mission to analyze Cruise's running -- and might have stumbled onto a never-before-told origin story of his first theatrical running moment.

The evolution

The official start of Tom Cruise, the running actor, was in 1981 when he ran in his first movie, "Endless Love."

But perhaps the most formative run of Tom Cruise's life came in 1980, during his senior year at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey. His old wrestling coach, Angelo Corbo, says Cruise -- then going by his legal name, Thomas Cruise Mapother IV -- was a decent 122-pounder.

But Cruise came in one day on crutches right before the 1980 wrestling postseason and said he'd slipped coming down the steps at his house. Since he was done with wrestling, Cruise wondered if it'd be OK to go out for his first play, "Guys and Dolls." Corbo said yes.

A few weeks later, though, Cruise came to Corbo and asked if he could come along to the state tournament to support his teammates. Corbo gladly welcomed him into the team van for the trip, and on the way to states in Princeton that March, they decided to get some lunch at a Mexican restaurant. His ankle had healed up enough to lose the crutches, so he walked in and sat down at the table with his teammates.

Almost immediately, Corbo says an assistant coach pointed at Cruise, then at a jar of hot peppers. "I'll bet you $5 you can't eat one of those peppers without drinking anything," the coach said.

Cruise quickly said yes -- "Tom always accepted any challenge, no matter what," Corbo says -- and chomped into it. Within seconds, everybody at the table thought smoke was going to start pouring out of his ears. Cruise leaped up and ran out of the restaurant with the rest of the team unable to keep up. "He ran real fast that day," Corbo says.

When they caught up to him, his teammates and coaches found him on the ground in the parking lot, face buried in a snowbank, stuffing snow into his mouth to cool it down.

"Well, he didn't technically drink anything in the restaurant," one kid said.

The assistant shrugged his shoulders and pulled a $5 bill out of his pocket. "Here, you win, Tom," he said.

With snow all over his mouth, Cruise gave a wide-eyed, toothy smile, similar to the one that would eventually sell somewhere around $10 billion worth of movie tickets. As Corbo describes the scene, he notes that Cruise had a look on his face of a satisfied performer who just captivated an audience for the first time. If there's a pre-Hollywood moment when Thomas Mapother turned into Tom Cruise, that might have been it.

That messy restaurant run sure sounds a lot like the version we see in Cruise's early movies. In "The Outsiders" and "Taps," Cruise runs quite a bit, and it's a sloppy, under-developed run. It's not until toward the end of "Risky Business" in 1983 when Cruise vaults up his high school's steps and jets through the hallways that the beginnings of a steady, faster form begins to emerge.

Caryl Smith Gilbert, a four-time NCAA champion coach who now leads the Georgia men's and women's programs, watched a reel of every Tom Cruise movie run and did a deep-dive analysis. She says she thinks Cruise steadily got better from 1981 until around the early 2000s, then had a breakthrough. Ever since, she says, you can see a clear desire to keep improving.

"It's right around the time he's in 'Collateral' that I could really see it," she says. "His technique got better, and I was like, 'Hmmm, he has to be getting real coaching.' And I also think you can tell that he must do this in his free time now. Like, he really is trying to get better."

Happy Birthday to @TomCruise , who wrestled at Glen Ridge (NJ) High School @NJSIAA shared that wrestling "helped him fit in after moving to the town from Kentucky. When an injury cut short his senior season, he tried out for the school musical. You know the rest ..." pic.twitter.com/goFrJYIwzn — NWHOF (@NWHOF) July 3, 2021

There is a common misconception that most great sprinters must be tall, and the success of Usain Bolt (6-foot-5) certainly has played a part in pouring concrete around that idea. But the truth is, most great male sprinters are in the 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-3 range, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine.

And breaking news, Tom Cruise is, uh, not tall. He's often listed at 5-foot-7, but it's always felt like the way college football SIDs decide to round up all incoming freshmen by one inch and 20 pounds. Whatever his actual height, let's just say he won't exactly be playing Jack Reacher any time soon. (Checks IMDb, stands corrected.)

But Cruise's size shouldn't -- and doesn't -- matter much. "A lot of powerful runners are 5-foot-6 or below," says three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. "It's all about the turnover of your legs and generating velocity. I don't think his height is a disadvantage."

In "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol," Cruise comes barreling out of a building as a massive sandstorm descends in the background. It's a long, striking visual because of the way Cruise's open hands slice through the air, over and over again, like he's in the middle of a round of Fruit Ninja.

It's one of the most glaring differences between his early film running and what he has done for the past 20 years or so. When Smith Gilbert says she thinks Cruise must have gotten some running coaching, she zeroes in on the major alteration to his hand movement -- he's gone from sporadically balled up, like many untrained amateurs, to remarkably straight in recent years. In many scenes from the past decade, Cruise's parallel flat palms are almost comical, as if a robot learned how to run from watching another robot.

That must be bad then, right? Not necessarily. People often associate running with balled-up fists, but quite a few great sprinters -- Carl Lewis, for example -- look an awful lot like Tom Cruise when they run, with their palms open. Many high-level runners say that the open versus closed hands debate is entirely a personal choice, that there's really no right answer.

In fact, coaches occasionally recommend that some runners consider a Tom Cruise-ish open-handed technique because, as strange as it might sound, great sprinters work hard to be as relaxed as possible. Smith Gilbert says clenching up hands can be the first sign that a runner is pressing, which affects the rhythm of their breath, which drains their speed and endurance.

"You can be open hand or close hand, as long as the shoulders are rather relaxed," she says. "The goal is good form and being as relaxed as possible. Tom Cruise knows what he's doing."

Cruise's technique can appear incredibly stiff at times, with his chest upright as though he's getting buckled into a roller coaster, flat palms churning, chin high with his face tensed up. Both Smith Gilbert and Joyner-Kersee independently flagged Cruise's running as being slightly too upright and recommended a little more forward lean. But only a little -- and neither was sure that that would be how he'd run without the cameras on.

"I bet that's something they make him do because it looks good on film," Joyner-Kersee says. "In real life, I could get his speed up by just angling him a little bit forward."

But they also both applauded Cruise's technical prowess, saying it's easy for a layperson to mistake stiffness for a good, consistent style.

"At the end of the day," Smith Gilbert says, "running is one foot in front of the other, as fast as possible. Running velocity is stride length times stride frequency. And he's pretty good in that regard."

Believe it or not, Tom Cruise might actually be fast. Like, really fast. A few years ago, a Quora user attempted to analyze Cruise's speed in several movies and estimated that Cruise hit about 15.3 mph at times, usually while wearing non-running shoes and full pants, no less. Cruise himself said he's been clocked at 17 mph.

Last year, marathoner Will Blase wrote a story for a running blog, The Harrier, in which he wanted to explore the idea that Cruise might be the fastest actor ever captured on screen. He pitted Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" runs against four other iconic movie sprints -- Tom Hanks from "Forrest Gump," Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky II," Harrison Ford running from a boulder in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and Marcus Henderson's terrifying nighttime sprint toward Daniel Kaluuya in "Get Out."

After poring over footage for days, Blase reached a verdict that surprised even him: Cruise edged out Henderson for the gold medal in his unofficial movie Olympics, with Hanks and Ford at third and fourth, respectively. Stallone finished last. "That dude is a robot," Blase says of Cruise. "It's incredible. He has it boiled down to science."

But would Cruise be better suited for sprints or slightly longer races? Smith Gilbert thinks Cruise would be great at the 800 meters or even the mile because she thinks he could sustain his top-end speed.

But Joyner-Kersee thinks Cruise could be a good 100-meter runner, and she says he looks like he might be in the 12-second range right now. "That's really fast for people who don't train to race," she says.

And what would happen if Cruise did train? Well, first of all, Cruise should know that he has an open invitation to come work with Joyner-Kersee and her husband, former U.S. track coach Bob Kersee. "I believe we could work with him, see what he's got," Joyner-Kersee says. "We could probably get him to 11.5 with ease."

For the record, 11.5 is very fast ... and definitely fast enough to catch up to Robert Duvall on pit row if they ever have a "Days of Thunder" rematch.

Mental toughness

In "Mission: Impossible Fallout," Cruise has a scene where he runs and leaps from one building to another. It's a long jump that the script called for him to not quite make, slamming into the side of the other building and pulling himself up.

Even with cables attached to his back, it was a brutally violent scene. On an early take, Cruise lands exactly where he is supposed to, a few feet short of making it onto the other roof. But Cruise's right foot bends at a gruesome angle -- he'd broken it on impact.

Yet Cruise claws his way onto the roof, climbs to his feet and limps past the camera with a broken ankle. That take is actually in the movie. Cruise took two weeks off but then returned to shooting, even though his ankle wasn't healed.

When he discussed it on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2018 alongside castmates Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill and Simon Pegg, Cruise looks so proud when they roll bonus footage of the gruesome break. Pegg blurts out that he can't watch multiple times, and Norton tells Cruise he's nuts.

But Cruise took it as a challenge -- that word comes up over and over again when people talk about Tom Cruise.

"I knew I broke it instantly," Cruise says. "We have a release date, so we have to keep going."

Cruise has gotten only more aggressive about doing all of his own stunts, including the runs. He once told Men's Journal that he likes to spend as much time as possible training for his stunts -- and likes to oversee training for the rest of the cast, too. "If he wasn't an actor, he'd be a great stunt man," says legendary stunt coordinator Greg Powell, who worked with Cruise on the first "Mission: Impossible."

One aspect of Cruise's running that came up repeatedly with experts was the fact that so many of Cruise's runs are in suits or regular clothes. Sprinters are notoriously fickle about wardrobe, wanting as little as possible, Joyner-Kersee says. She specifically marveled at the amount of running Cruise does in "The Firm" where he has on a suit and a long coat and is carrying a briefcase, and he's soaked in sweat.

"I never even liked running if I got a few drops of rain on me," she says, shaking her head. "To do something over and over again like he does, that's good mental capability. He has the physical stamina, but to not get bored with it, doing it repeatedly and stay in character and still be able to produce what the scene requires. Even with breaks, it's impressive."

She laughs and looks back at a mural on her wall. It shows her running in her last Olympics. "I know toward the end of my career, I could always get up to 100% speed," she says. "But I could only do it once. I'm not sure how Tom Cruise is doing what he does."

Theatricality

There's not much debate about this fact: Cruise is the Meryl Streep of running, and it's virtually unfathomable to imagine anybody ever being able to put together both the body of work and the body to be running into their 60s.

And it's not just that he does a lot of running in movies; it's also that his running does a lot in his movies.

"His running always conveys something important in the movie," says Christy Lemire, a film critic at RogerEbert.com and cohost of the "Breakfast All Day" movie podcast. "He's running toward something and he is going to get there -- whether it's freedom or the truth or his wife is in danger. It's not just running as a crucial part of an action set piece. It is a physical manifestation of his ethos."

When author and film critic Amy Nicholson set out to write her book, "Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor," she felt compelled to dedicate an entire page just to Cruise's running. As she worked her way through all of his movie runs, she picked out a few that stick with her.

For instance, she likes Cruise's transformational running in "Knight and Day," the oft-forgotten rom-com thriller with Cruise and Cameron Diaz. In that movie, Cruise is a covert operative pretending to be a schlub. So some of his runs are a little clunky ... until he needs to be Ethan Hunt-like again later in the movie. "Some of his characters are better runners than others," she says. "Watch that movie, because it's an example of him having a goofy run. He allowed himself to be sloppy."

She also thinks his range of runs in "War of the Worlds" is a key entry in the Tom Cruise running library. Before the movie began shooting, director Steven Spielberg and Cruise huddled about what kind of hero Cruise would be. Spielberg told Cruise that alien invasion movies always feature people who are standing up and fighting.

But he wanted to do something different -- he envisioned Cruise's Ray Ferrier as a scared dad, running away and running to survive, not to defeat the evil aliens. And the style of Ray's actual runs needed to convey that, that he was terrified and just trying to survive the world for once, not save it single-handedly.

"He is charged in that movie to do nothing but run in fear and convince other people to run in fear with him -- even when his own children want to stand up and fight back," Nicholson says.

Lemire is a runner herself and says she can't imagine having to combine the amount of physicality with whatever mood Cruise is trying to portray for audiences.

"He has to do so much with his eyes and his face and his gait," she says. "He's never going for a leisurely jog along the beach and enjoying the scenery. He's trying to convey to us whatever his character is going through in that moment. And we underestimate that skill, that ability to make running a physical and emotional experience."

So ... is Tom Cruise good at running?

When he was Glen Ridge's wrestling coach, Corbo would have his group of 20 or so wrestlers do a circuit around the high school. They'd run past the cafeteria, up the stairs to the second floor, all the way to the end of the school, down the stairs to the first floor, then all the way back to the cafeteria. "The loop," he calls it.

Cruise often got roughed up in the room by more experienced wrestlers -- by Corbo's count, Cruise was 7-12 as a varsity starter. But when it was time to do the loop, he would morph into that kid who couldn't back down from a challenge. He'd run the loop hard, getting competitive with some of the same teammates who'd squash him every day on the mat.

One time, Cruise had been hurtling through the hallways and sheepishly approached Corbo at the end of the run. He wanted his coach to come look at one of the big metal doors in the stairwell.

Corbo went with him and found that the small rectangular sliver of glass in one of the doors was cracked. Cruise had been trying to outsprint a teammate and plowed through the door so hard that he broke it. Corbo said thanks for telling him, and when he was asked later by a school administrator whether he had any idea how one of the thick glass windows had a long crack in it, Corbo covered for Cruise.

"I have no idea," he said. "Those are pretty hard to break."

So Corbo's answer to the billion-dollar question of Tom Cruise's running prowess is yes, he's a good runner.

And the running experts agree.

"I've been to the Olympics," Joyner-Kersee says. "And he has pulled me in: Tom Cruise is good at running."

Before Smith Gilbert will answer that question on a recent Zoom call, she tilts her chin up to the sky.

"I think he is good at running -- for Hollywood," she finally says. "By that, I mean, I think that is him actually running in the scenes. But if he came out to race us at Georgia, we would demolish him."

She drops her chin down and stares right into the camera then, and says, "But I bet he would love to challenge me on that."

Understanding Cruise Words and Lingo To Chat Like a Cruiser

As you start planning your cruise, you’ll quickly realize there’s a world of cruise words to familiarize yourself with. Some cruise ship lingo might be straightforward, but others could have you scratching your head in confusion. Fear not—we’re here to demystify the jargon for you and quiz you for fun.

Soon, you’ll be chatting like a seasoned cruiser, effortlessly tossing around terms like “port” and “starboard,” “aft” and “bow,” along with “gangway” and “lido deck.” You’ll confidently navigate the ship, knowing your “muster station” from your “tender port” with the ease of a seasoned cruiser.

We won’t get into cruise vocabulary you may never need to know or use. We’ll stick to cruise ship terms you’ll find the most useful to understand. For fun, we’ve added a quiz below.

The most important cruise word you should remember is SHIP. It’s a SHIP, NOT a boat.

Table of Contents

Cruise Words and Its Definitions

Fundamental cruise ship lingo you should know from the start.

Let’s start with the basic cruise terms. Familiarize yourself with these keywords to lay the groundwork for your cruise lingo education. You’ll be coming across them frequently as you navigate the planning process.

• Ship: a vessel designed for maritime navigation across oceans and large bodies of water, capable of carrying people and cargo long distances. You can fit boats inside a ship, but not vice versa.
• Bow : The very front of the ship.
• AFT : The rear or back part of the inside of the ship.
• Midship (MID): The middle area of the ship is often used to describe cabin locations.
• Forward (FWD): Refers to the area or direction towards the vessel’s front end.
• Portside : The ship’s left side, facing forward towards the bow.
• Starboard : The right side of the ship when facing forward.
• Port of Call : A port-of-call is a stop a cruise ship makes on its itinerary, where passengers can disembark to explore the destination. Also known as port destination.
• Tender : A small boat transporting passengers from the ship to the shore when the ship cannot dock at the port directly.
• Gangway : The entrance or exit ramp is used by passengers to board or leave the ship.
• Cabin or Stateroom : Your room on the ship can vary from interior rooms without windows to suites with large balconies.
• Sea Day : A day during the cruise when the ship does not dock at a port, allowing guests to enjoy the onboard amenities.
• Shore Excursion : Organized tours or activities in the port cities where the ship docks.
• Deck Plan : A map showing the ship’s layout, including cabins, public areas, and amenities, to help passengers navigate.

• Embarkation : The process of boarding the ship at the beginning of your cruise. You could consider it a happy day because it’s cruise vacation day #1.
• Disembarkation : The saddest day of a cruise vacation. The process of leaving the ship at the end of the cruise.
• Gangway : The entrance or exit ramp passengers use to board or leave the ship, typically when docked at a port.
• Muster Station : Previously defined, this term refers to a designated area where passengers gather during a ship’s emergency drill. Understanding your muster station is crucial for safety.
• Muster Drill : A mandatory exercise for all passengers and crew conducted at the beginning of the voyage to practice emergency procedures.
• Lifeboats : Small boats carried on the ship are used during an emergency evacuation. Knowing how to locate and access lifeboats is essential.
• Life Jackets : Personal flotation devices are provided in each cabin for every passenger. Familiarizing yourself with how to wear it correctly is a key safety measure.
• Cruise Agent : A travel professional or agency specializing in booking cruise vacations.

Other Cruising Terminology and Phrases You’ll Find Yourself Using Rather Quickly

Let’s dive further into some other jargon popular in the cruise world.

• Passenger : That would be you, the cruiser, on a cruise ship.
• Cruiser : Another way to say a passenger on a cruise ship vessel.
• Seasoned Cruiser : Someone with extensive experience taking multiple cruises is familiar with the nuances of cruise travel.
• Cruise Card or Seapass Card: A personalized ID card is given to passengers upon boarding as a room key, onboard payment, and identification for disembarking and reembarking at ports.
• Cabin Category : The classification of staterooms based on size, location, and amenities, from interior cabins to luxury suites.
• Inside Cabin: A windowless cabin on the ship. Usually the most budget-friendly cabin.
• Oceanview (OV): A cabin featuring a window or porthole for ocean views.
• Veranda or Balcony : A private balcony attached to a cabin where you can step outside for ocean views, port views, and fresh salty air.
• Guaranteed Cabin (GTY): Cruise lines offer this booking option for a discounted rate where the passenger secures a cabin within a specific category or type at the time of booking. The exact cabin number is not assigned until closer to the sailing date.
• Freestyle Cruising : A flexible cruising style with no set dining times or seating arrangements and a relaxed dress code. This phrase is synonymous with Norwegian Cruise Line as the originator of freestyle cruising .
• Guest Services or Relations : The ship’s customer service desk is where passengers can inquire about accounts, lost items, and other services.
• Onboard Credit (OBC): Prepaid amount that is sometimes given to passengers by a promotion, agent, or cruise line to use onboard towards their bill.
• Gratuity : A daily tip for cruise staff , often automatically added to your onboard account, acknowledging their service.
• Itinerary : The cruise schedule detailing the ship’s travel plans includes ports-of-call and sea days.
• Sail Away Party : As the cruise sails from port on embarkation day, there is usually a huge celebration on the pool deck.
• Shore Excursion Desk : The place onboard where passengers can book and inquire about guided tours and activities at the upcoming ports of call.
• Towel Animal: The art of folding towels into various animal shapes is a fun and creative touch the cabin attendant may add to your cabin decor during turn-down service. Unfortunately, most cruise lines have stopped making towel animals, but Carnival Cruise Lines continues the tradition.
• Cruise Ducks : A fun tradition among passengers who hide and seek small rubber ducks around the ship for others to find.
• Wave Season : Refers to the time of year (usually January through March) when many people book their cruises, prompted by cold weather in the Northern Hemisphere and the cruise lines offering attractive deals and promotions.
• The Suite Life : The luxury experience of staying in a suite cabin on a cruise ship, offering VIP treatment, personalized service, and exclusive amenities.
• Back-to-Back (B2B) : When you book one cruise after another on the same ship when one cruise ends and the other begins.
• Closed Loop Sailing: When a cruise starts and returns to the same port.
• Obstructed View: When lifeboats or ship structures partially block a view from a cabin, you do not get a full ocean view.

Cruise Deck Terms

• Lido Deck : Often the hub of outdoor activities on the ship, the Lido deck is where you’ll find the main pool area, sun loungers, and sometimes, outdoor bars and buffets.
• Promenade Deck : This deck usually features a wide, outdoor walking area around the ship, perfect for a stroll with ocean views. The promenade might include shops, cafes, and other social spaces.
• Sun Deck : As the name suggests, this is an open deck area designed for sunbathing, offering plenty of loungers and, often, panoramic sea views.
• Pool Deck : Similar to the Lido deck, this area is focused on the ship’s swimming pools and accompanying leisure facilities, including hot tubs and poolside bars.
• Observation Deck : Located at the top of the ship, the observation deck offers the best unobstructed views of the ocean and the ship’s surroundings, making it the perfect spot for sightseeing and photography.
• Sports Deck : Dedicated to physical activities, the sports deck may include jogging tracks, miniature golf courses, basketball courts, and other sports facilities.
• Spa Deck : Typically housing the ship’s spa and fitness center, this deck is about relaxation and rejuvenation, offering treatments, massages, and fitness classes.
• Entertainment Deck : Home to the ship’s theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, and lounges, this deck is the heart of nighttime entertainment.

Cruise Dining Phrases

The dining experience is a large part of cruising. You should know These cruise words when delving into the dining scene on a cruise.

• Main Dining Room (MDR): The ship’s primary dining area, offering seated dining with various menu options, often included in your cruise fare. Sometimes, there is more than one main dining room.
• Buffet : A casual dining option on a cruise ship offering a wide range of options during breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. It’s self-service and usually included in the cruise fare .
• Specialty Dining : Onboard restaurants offering gourmet or special cuisine not covered by the cruise fare often require reservations and cost an additional fee.
• À la Carte : Dining options where each item is priced separately, unlike the set menu prices in the main dining room or inclusive fare at the buffet.
• Anytime Dining : Also known as “Your Time Dining” is an arrangement that allows you to eat your meals at any time during dining hours instead of scheduled seating times.
• Fixed Seating : Assigned dining times and tables for the duration of the cruise, offering a consistent dining schedule and tablemates.
• Room Service : Food and beverages can be ordered and delivered directly to your cabin. Some items and times may be free, while others incur a charge.
• Galley : The ship’s kitchen where all the food preparation happens. Some cruises offer galley tours.
• Chef’s Table : An exclusive dining experience offering a multi-course meal prepared and presented by the ship’s chef. It usually requires a reservation and an additional fee.
• Windjammer : Often the name for the buffet restaurant on Royal Caribbean cruise ships , providing various food options in a casual setting

Cruise Slang Used Regularly Amongst Cruisers

It’s not surprising that cruising has its own slang words. Whether used in a lighthearted manner or with a touch of annoyance, terms like “chair hogs” are part of the cruise community’s lexicon.

• Cruise newbies: They’re what we call first-time beginner cruises.
• Washy-washy : A fun phrase that reminds passengers to wash and disinfect their hands.
• Chair Hog : A person who gets up early to place towels or personal items on poolside loungers to “reserve” them for the entire day, often leaving them unoccupied for long periods.
• Cruise Control : A humorous term referring to the relaxed state passengers enter once they get used to the leisurely pace and routine of life on board.
• Landlubber : A playful term borrowed from old sailor vocabulary, referring to someone not accustomed to life at sea or who prefers to stay on land.
• Pier Runner : A passenger who returns to the ship at the last possible moment before departure, often seen running down the pier to avoid being left behind.
• Sea Legs : The ability to adjust to the ship’s motion and walk steadily onboard. “Finding your sea legs” means you’ve adapted to the movement and no longer feel unsteady.
• Shipfaced : A cheeky term for someone who has enjoyed perhaps a bit too much of the ship’s bar offerings.
• Naughty Room: This is where you’ll find your luggage if prohibited items are packed .
• One Uppers: Cruisers that brag about the many cruises they’ve taken and their loyalty status.
• Shipspotting: Watching and taking photos of cruise ships.

Type of Cruising

These are the most commonly discussed types of cruising within the cruise community .

• Mega Ships : Largest cruise ships worldwide, offering extensive amenities and entertainment options for thousands of passengers. Some of them are like theme parks at sea.
• Expedition Ships : Designed for adventurous travelers, expedition ships are equipped for exploring remote and off-the-beaten-path destinations, such as polar regions and exotic islands.
• River Cruises : Smaller vessels designed for navigating rivers, offering scenic voyages through picturesque landscapes and visits to historic towns and cultural sites along riverbanks.
• Luxury Ships : High-end cruise ships offer unparalleled service, amenities, and accommodations, catering to discerning travelers with refined tastes.
• Theme Cruise Ships : Specialized ships catering to specific interests or themes, such as culinary cruises, music-themed cruises, or wellness retreats, offering tailored experiences for enthusiasts.
• Yacht Cruises : Small, luxurious yachts offering exclusive and customized itineraries to exotic destinations, providing an intimate and upscale sailing experience.

Maritime Jargon and Technical Terms You’ll Most Likely to Hear

Although we may not be on the bridge to use these words, we often hear maritime jargon when the captain speaks and provides a daily update.

• Bridge : The ship’s control center or navigation room, where the captain and crew command the vessel.
• Berth : Refers to a bed on the ship or the ship’s docking location at port.
• Bulkhead : A vertical partition wall within the ship, providing structural support and compartmentalization.
• Stern : The back or aft-most part of the exterior of the ship.
• Gangplank : A movable bridge passengers and crew use to board or disembark from a ship.
• Helm : The ship’s steering apparatus or area from where the ship is navigated.
• Mooring : Securing the ship at a dock or berth with ropes or anchors.
• Nautical Mile : A measure of distance used in maritime navigation, equivalent to 1.1508 miles or 1.852 kilometers.
• Knot : A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour used to measure the speed of a ship.
• Quartermaster : A crew member responsible for steering the ship and assisting with its navigation.
• Windward : The direction from which the wind is coming. Opposite of leeward.
• Logbook : An official record of the bridge, documenting the course of the journey, important events, and operational notes.

Crew Titles on a Cruise Ship

We can’t sail anywhere without the crew that not only keeps everything running and in tip-top shape. They also work hard day and night to ensure we have the best cruise vacation. You will often run into, see, or listen to these key cruise members over the ship’s intercom throughout the cruise. It’s good to add the crew titles to your cruise vocabulary/

• Captain : The highest-ranking officer on the ship, responsible for all operations, including navigation and safety. The captain has the final authority on board. The CEO of the cruise ship.
• First Officer : Also known as the Chief Mate, this individual is second-in-command and assists the captain in ship navigation and operations.
• Staff Captain : Often responsible for safety and security aboard the ship, including overseeing the crew involved in these areas.
• Hotel Director : Oversees all hotel services on the ship, including accommodations, dining, and entertainment, ensuring passengers’ comfort and satisfaction.
• Cruise Director : Responsible for all onboard entertainment and activities. The cruise director plans and coordinates events and announcements, playing a key role in the cruise experience.
• Purser : Handles administrative tasks, including passenger services such as billing and customer inquiries. The Purser’s Desk is the go-to place for guest assistance.
• Chief Engineer : The engineering department maintains and operates the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems.
• Executive Chef : Heads the culinary team and is responsible for all ship food planning, preparation, and presentation.
• Maitre d’Hotel : Oversees the dining room staff, reservations, and seating arrangements, ensuring a high-quality dining experience for passengers.
• Cabin Steward or Stateroom Attendant : Maintains the cleanliness and orderliness of passenger cabins, providing daily housekeeping services.
• Bartender/Bar Staff : Serves drinks and manages the bars on the ship, offering a variety of beverages to passengers.
• Deckhands : Perform various tasks related to the maintenance and operation of the ship, including cleaning and minor repairs.

Download a Glossary of Cruise Vocabulary

We created a simple glossary of all the terms mentioned in this post for easy reference. You can download a copy to print or save it.

Quiz: Test Your Cruise Lingo Knowledge

What is the word for getting on a cruise ship.

The word for getting on a cruise ship is “embarkation.”

What are people on a cruise called?

People on a cruise are commonly referred to as “passengers” or “cruisers.” Virgin Voyages likes to call them “sailors.”

BEFORE YOU SET SAIL, HERE ARE SOME RELATED ARTICLES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:

• Plan a Cruise Trip With These Steps
• A Cruise Cheat Sheet of Tips
• Cruise Jokes and Memes That Will Make You Smile
• Motivating Cruise-Related Quotes

Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.

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New to cruising? Here are all the terms you need to know

If you're new to cruising, you may feel like your fellow passengers are speaking in an insider, secret language, exchanging words and phrases that stump you. Fortunately, TPG can keep you from getting lost in translation with this handy glossary of cruise lingo. Take a peek and you'll know your berth from a beam in no time.

The ship and nautical terms

Aft: The rear (stern) area of the ship. When you select a cabin, you can pick one in that's aft, midship or forward.

Atrium: The splashy main entrance and lobby of the ship. If you sail Norwegian Cruise Line , you may know this spot as the Centrum.

Beam: Refers to the ship's width at its widest point. This is important since it's the measurement that will tell a captain if a vessel can transit tight spaces.

Bow: The very front of the ship.

Bridge: The bridge is usually on a high deck and forward. It's where the captain and officers navigate the ship. It's command central and usually off-limits to passengers with the exception of small cruise lines such as Windstar Cruises and Uncruise Adventures that offer specific times when you can stop by the bridge to ask the officer and his or her team questions.

Bulkhead: Partition walls in strategic places on the ship to prevent the spread of fire or flooding.

Dry dock: When a ship is at a shipyard or other location to be refurbished or have technical upgrades made.

Forward: Toward the front of the ship.

Funnel: The smokestack at the top of the ship. Most cruise lines paint their logo on the side of the funnel.

Galley: The ship's kitchen. Megaships like Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas may have more than one galley.

Related: The ultimate guide to cruising with Royal Caribbean

Gangway: This is the removable ramp or steps that passengers use to board or disembark the ship.

Grand staircase: Many posh ships, such as Oceania's R-class ships, have a grand staircase in the atrium. It's a fabulous spot for photographs -- especially when you're all dressed up. You could use the shot on next year's holiday card!

Helm: The ship's wheel (or remote control navigation) and steering apparatus make up the helm.

Hull: The watertight body of a ship.

Keel: A bow-to-stern structural support that runs along the bottom of the ship. You'll often hear about a ship's keel-laying ceremony , which kicks off a major construction milestone.

Knot: Indicates the speed of a ship in nautical miles.

Lido deck: Old-school cruisers use this term to denote the pool deck.

Lifeboat: Every cruise ship carries smaller boats that can be used by passengers in case of emergency. Most often, these are separate vessels from the ship's tenders (see that term below).

M.S.: Means motor-sail, a type of ship. If you sail Windstar Cruises , you're likely already familiar with the term M.S.Y., which indicates motor-sail-yacht. Wind Surf, Wind Spirit and Wind Star are all motor-sail-yachts.

Midship: The middle section of the ship. If you're worried about getting seasick, book a cabin on a low deck at midship so you're close to the vessel's fulcrum point, where you'll feel less movement.

Mooring: A mooring is a physical structure to which a ship can be secured. Examples include piers, wharves, jetties, quays and anchor buoys.

Muster station: A designated location on the ship where each passenger must report for muster drill, a practice run in case of an actual at-sea emergency. Your muster station is printed on a map on the back of your cabin door and is listed on your cabin key card. The location could be in an interior bar or theater or on an open deck.

Panamax: A ship that's the right width to sail the Panama Canal. Anything larger than a Panamax vessel cannot transit the canal.

Port side: This refers to the left side of the ship as you face forward.

Porthole: An oval or round window. It's sealed shut so water can't get in, but it does provide light and a limited view to the world outside.

Promenade: The open-air walkways that usually span the entire length of both sides of the ship.

S.S.: Stands for "steam ship."

Skiff: These are shallow, flat-bottomed open boats used for expedition exploration. They are favored since you can execute wet landings on beaches and transit shallow bodies of water. They also help travelers get close to glaciers and rock formations. You may also hear people call them Zodiacs, but that's actually a brand name for this style of boat.

Stabilizers: Stabilizers, which sometimes look like wings on the sides of the ship, are retractable tools that can be deployed in rough seas. As the name infers, they stabilize the ship to provide a smoother sail.

Starboard: Refers to the right side of the ship as you face forward.

Stern: The rear end of the ship.

Tender: Small motorized boats that the cruise ship carries. They are deployed on port days and are used to ferry passengers from ship to shore.

Wake: If you've ever taken a cruise, you've probably photographed the ship's wake: It's the turbulence the ship causes in the water that creates a trail, not unlike an airplane's contrail.

Cabin intel

Balcony (veranda): Cruise ship cabins come in all types, including "balcony." It means the stateroom has a private balcony (shocker!) which is sometimes called a veranda.

Category: Ships can have several or many categories of cabins. This can mean inside, porthole, oceanview, balcony and suite varieties. And, one type of cabin can even have multiple categories. For example, inside cabins at the front of the ship, midship and aft can be in different cabin categories.

Related: The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship

Double occupancy: Most cruise fares are priced as double-occupancy, meaning two people sharing a cabin. If you book that cabin by yourself, you will often be charged a single supplement of up to 100% of the cruise fare. Alternatively, you can book a cabin meant for a solo traveler. Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean both offer them, as do a lot of river cruise lines. Or, look for a low or waived "single supplement" fare.

Inside: Inside refers to a cabin that has no porthole, window or balcony.

Junior suite: Not a true suite, but a cabin that has a bit more room than a traditional oceanview or balcony. The bedroom and living space are usually separated by a curtain or other movable partition. (See "suite" for more information.)

Obstructed view: You'll see this note on some deck plans showing cabin locations. Obstructed view means you don't get a full line of sight through your cabin's window. You may be able to see part or all of a ship's tender that's stored outside your window. On Celebrity Edge and Apex, some rooms have views obstructed by part of the mechanism of the Magic Carpet.

Outside: When you book an "outside" cabin, you're getting one that includes a window.

Pullman (Murphy) bed: This type of bed pulls down from the ceiling or wall. It's a space-saving way to add another sleeping area to a cabin.

Spa cabin: Many cruise ships offer incredible spa facilities. To leverage those services, some ships dedicate an entire category of cabins to the spa. These cabins -- often located on the same deck as the spa -- often have upgrades such as rainfall showerheads in the bathroom and select perks packaged in the cruise fare, such as access to the spa's thermal suite.

Suite: A true suite means the bedroom and living area is separated by a permanent wall.

Related: What it takes to get concierge or lounge access on a cruise ship

Upper/lower berths: This can refer to bunk beds with the upper referring to the top bunk and the lower referring to the bottom bunk.

Virtual porthole/balcony: Some inside cabins have a virtual porthole or window, which is a screen that shows a live stream of what's going on outside. You'll find these on certain Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line ships.

Cruise director: This is the person in charge of all the ship's social activities and entertainment. He or she is the MC for most events on board. Many cruise directors are highly trained musicians or entertainers.

Maitre d': This person holds court over an onboard restaurant and supervises the waitstaff and sommeliers. The maitre d' can assist you in making reservations and getting the specific table, waiter or waitress you prefer.

Porter: Shoreside, porters are the people who ferry your luggage from shore to ship, and vice versa.

Purser: The purser is usually found at the reception desk and is in charge of all onboard accounts and guest relations.

Sommelier: The terms sommelier and wine steward are interchangeable. This refers to the trained crewmembers who have an encyclopedic knowledge of wine. He or she can suggest the perfect wine to pair with your meals. Sommeliers also often host wine tastings on board and share their love of winemaking.

Steward: Each cabin is assigned a specific steward that tends to the room and its occupants throughout the cruise. Your steward will make sure your stateroom is set up correctly upon your arrival and will take care of daily cleaning and maintenance.

Dining terms

MDR: Stands for the Main Dining Room. The restaurant usually also has a specific name, such as the Sunrise Dining Room and Sunset Forward Dining Room on Carnival Sunshine.

Main seating/late seating: The Main Dining Room usually offers two sittings at dinnertime: main (also known as first or early seating) and a second, or late, seating.

Captain's or officers' table: Each evening in the Main Dining Room, the captain and other officers host tables. It's an honor to be invited to dine at one of these tables. Members of the cruise line's loyalty program are often invited and the cruise director may also recommend passengers for seating at one of these tables.

Related: A beginner's guide to cruise line loyalty programs

Open seating: Open seating means passengers can select where and when they want to eat, and with whom, instead of sticking to a strict early or late seating.

Specialty restaurant: Also known as alternative dining, specialty restaurants -- such as Cagney's Steakhouse aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships — are smaller dining venues than the MDR. You'll usually pay a per person surcharge or order a la carte off the menu.

Related: 5 reasons you should splurge on cruise ship specialty restaurants

Dress codes

Cruise casual: Most cruise lines have basic dress codes. For daytime, passengers can usually wear casual clothing such as T-shirts, shorts, jeans and sundresses. While you can wear a swimsuit at the pool deck, throw on a cover-up when in other parts of the ship.

Cruise elegant/country club casual: On some cruise lines, they've gotten rid of the formal night but still have a slightly dressier standard for dinner. it's called cruise elegant or country club casual. Women generally wear dresses, blouses and skirts or slacks while men can wear collared shirts and slacks. Suitcoats aren't required but can be worn if desired.

Formal night: Usually once per seven-night cruise or twice on a two-week voyage, it's when the cruise line asks passengers to dress up for dinner. That usually means a black-tie affair, with tuxedos or dark suits for men and gowns or cocktail-style dresses for women.

Onboard events

Captain's cocktail party: Nearly ever cruise itinerary kicks off with a captain's cocktail party and/or dinner. The gathering gives the captain a chance to introduce himself or herself, the officers and pivotal crew members. At the cocktail party, it's customary to receive a free glass of Champagne and appetizers. If the cruise line still has formal night, the event is often paired with the first one of the cruise. So, passengers get dressed up to enjoy the festivities.

Friends of Bill W: A fathering of Alcoholics Anonymous members. Watch the daily cruise planner for meeting times and places.

Friends of Dorothy: A gathering of LGBTQ cruisers. Watch the daily cruise planner for meeting times and places.

Sail-away: Stay topside as the ship departs its embarkation port. The cruise director and band are usually at the pool deck entertaining guests and the drinks start flowing. The sail-away from some home ports, such as Miami and Venice, are particularly beautiful.

Berth: This word is used in two ways in the cruising world: Berth can be the pier at which your ship docks. Or, it can refer to the beds in a cabin. For example, if a cabin sleeps three, it has three berths.

Dock: These structures are built next to the water and provide space for ships to tie-up to load and unload passengers.

Home port: The ports from which a cruise ship embarks and disembarks. For example, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral are all popular home ports in Florida where ships from many cruise lines depart on itineraries on a regular basis.

Pier: A pier is built with pillars or pilings over the water and is the place where ships moor.

Port of call: A ship's itinerary is made up of ports of call: The places the ship will stop so passengers can explore. Most cruises are a mix of sea days and days in port.

Shorex: This is an abbreviation for "shore excursion" and indicates the activities you can take part in on shore. You can purchase shore excursions directly from your cruise line or arrange them on your own.

Tender port: Some ports do not have facilities for cruise ships to dock. In those cases, they are called "tender ports" and that means you'll board the ship's tender (smaller boat) to transfer from ship to shore.

Transfers: Usually motorcoach transportation from the airport to the cruise terminal and vice versa at the beginning and end of your cruise. You can purchase these transfers from your cruise line.

Cruise-specific terms

Air/sea: Cruise lines offer air/sea, or fly/cruise, packages that include both your flights to and from the ship as well as the cruise itinerary itself. Transfers between the airport and cruise ship are also usually included in the price.

All aboard: The time when all passengers need to be on board the ship before it sets sail. Ships don't wait for passengers in most circumstances so don't miss your all aboard time!

Back to back: This refers to two or more cruise itineraries that you book "back to back." It's a way to create a longer cruise vacation and see more ports of call. Most cruise lines offer a discount on the second itinerary in a back-to-back booking.

Charter: Cruise ships are the perfect venues for family reunions and corporate gatherings. You can charter an entire ship or just part of it. Sometimes you'll notice gaps in a cruise ship's schedule. Many times, it's because the ship has been chartered and there are no cabins available for anyone outside of that group.

Crossing: Crossings refer to sailings across oceans. Cunard's transatlantic crossings between Southampton, England, and New York City, are legendary.

Cruise contract: Before you book any voyages, carefully read the fine print in the cruise contract. It lists the various rules and regulations, including what recourse, if any, you have when things go wrong.

Cruise documents: About two weeks to 30 days before boarding your cruise ship, you'll receive your cruise documents. The paperwork includes your cruise ticket, airline tickets and hotel confirmations (if you booked them through the cruise line), pre-cruise and shore excursion information and luggage tags. Be sure to download this information from your online account. In most cases, you cannot board the ship without this paperwork in hand.

Cruisetour: This refers to a cruise and land tour package. Princess Cruises and Holland America Line both offer cruisetour packages to Alaska so you can see the best of the state by sea and land.

Related: The ultimate guide to Princess Cruises

Disembarkation: Departing the ship on the last day of the cruise.

Doc dancing: When your cruise documents arrive via mail, courier or your email inbox, many cruisers do the "doc dance" to show their excitement that their cruise will begin shortly.

Embarkation: Boarding the ship for the first time at check-in.

Godmother: Every ship has a godmother who is installed at a ceremony that coincides with the brand-new ship's inaugural voyage. This person, usually a woman, christens the ship and wishes it a lifetime of good luck and special sailings. Godmothers are usually celebrities, royalty or industry executives.

Inaugural voyage: This is the big celebration every brand-new ship has when it first sets sail. It's not necessarily the ship's very first sailing, but it's the one at which a big deal is made and where the godmother christens the ship.

Lanyard: Many cruisers like to stash their cruise card (key to their cabin and method to charge items to their onboard account) on a lanyard. A strap hangs around your neck with a plastic pouch at the bottom to keep your cruise card easily accessible.

Maiden voyage: This is a "first" for the ship. It can be a brand-new ship's very first voyage or a ship can make a "maiden call" on a port it has never visited before.

Repositioning cruise: Repo, or repositioning cruises, happen at the beginning and end of a regional cruising season. It's when the ship repositions from one home port to another. For example, a ship may spend the winter cruising out of Miami for Caribbean itineraries. In the spring, the ship repositions to Barcelona to sail out of that home port for Mediterranean voyages all summer long.

Sea day: A day at which the ship doesn't stop at a port of call. It stays at sea all day and night.

Segments: Longer voyages, like world cruises, are often broken up into shorter "segments." This makes it possible for cruisers to book just part of a longer itinerary.

Turnaround day: This is the day one cruise itinerary ends and another begins. Turnaround days are tough on the crew since they need to see every passenger off the ship safely, clean and prep the ship for the next batch of passengers, and welcome them on board. It's a very long and busy day for the crew.

Upgrade fairy: The upgrade fairy visits passengers on occasion. This is when the cruise line calls you (or your travel agent) to offer an upgrade. They are usually paid upgrades but the discounts make them very attractive.

Waitlist: Sometimes, an entire cruise itinerary or the cabin category you're interested in will sell out. If you want to be notified when cabins become available, ask to join the waitlist. If someone cancels the trip and a cabin opens up, the cruise line will contact travelers on the waitlist.

World cruise: Many cruise lines offer three- to four-month-long itineraries that span the entire globe.

Pricing and the bill

All-inclusive: You'll see the term "all-inclusive" used often in relation to cruise fares. It means "everything's included." However, read the terms since that's usually not quite true. Mainstream cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line generally include accommodations, all meals in the main dining room and buffet (as well as other free restaurants), nonalcoholic beverages and entertainment. Extras like wine and booze, spa treatments, specialty (for-fee) restaurants and shore excursions still cost extra.

Related: The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line

Future cruise credits (FCC): If you had to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus, you're probably very familiar with future cruise credits. These are vouchers with a dollar value that the cruise line gives out in certain circumstances, such as when an itinerary is canceled. Cruisers who receive an FCC can rebook on another ship and itinerary of their choosing.

Chit: The "chit" is the bill of sale you'll sign onboard cruise ships when you make a purchase. That could mean buying a drink at the bar, paying for a T-shirt in the boutique or signing up for a shore excursion. On truly all-inclusive lines like Regent Seven Seas Cruises or The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Club, you'll never sign a chit since nearly everything is included in your cruise fare.

Related: The ultimate guide to The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

Guarantee (GTY) cabin: You'll sometimes see GTY fares. This means you can book the cabin category but not select the actual cabin number as you normally would. You are guaranteed a cabin in that category but, if it sells out, you will be upgraded to the next available cabin type. Read this for a complete explanation of cruise cabin guarantee fares and when you should -- or shouldn't -- book one.

Onboard (shipboard) account: At check-in, the ship will open an onboard account for you, and you'll provide a credit card. Charges will be added to this account throughout your cruise. At the end of the voyage, you'll receive an itemized bill. If you're fine with it, the total will be charged to the credit card on record.

Onboard credit: Cruisers love onboard credit (OBC), which is also known as shipboard credit. It's basically money that's deposited into your onboard account that you can spend during your cruise on things like alcohol (if drinks aren't included in your cruise fare), shore excursions and specialty restaurant fees. Cruise lines often lure passengers to book cruises with the promise of OBC. Travel agents also often reward clients by giving them a certain amount of onboard credit to thank them for booking a cruise through their agency.

145 Cruise Ship Terms and Meanings

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If you’re new to cruising, you may have noticed there’s a whole world of cruise ship terms and meanings. If it’s your first cruise, it might take a minute to get the hang of the cruise lingo.

We’ve put together a handy glossary of essential cruising vocabulary you need to know before you step on board.

Table of Contents

Cruise Ship Terms

Ship terminology.

Ship: A ship is not a boat. Ships are large vessels intended for ocean or deep water transportation of cargo or passengers.

Cruise Ship: Cruise ships are large passenger vessels whose primary purpose is to transport passengers on leisurely vacations.

Ocean Liner: Their primary purpose is to transport cargo or passengers across seas. For a more in-depth article, visit our cruise ship vs. ocean liner comparison .

Sister Ship: Two or more ships of the same class or nearly identical design. For example, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are sister ships.

Deck: A platform or section on a ship. Where buildings have floors, ships have decks.

The Bridge: The main control center of the ship. From here, the captains and officers have control over the entire operation of the vessel.

Itinerary: A sailing schedule with the route and destinations you will visit. The itinerary is viewable before you book but may change due to unexpected events or weather.

Atrium: The main lobby of the ship. Most cruise ship atriums are three or more decks high, and the location you first step onto a cruise ship. The atrium is the hub of the vessel, where you’ll often find elevators, stairs, photo booths, and the guest information desk.

Purser’s Desk: Often referred to as guest services, this is where guests can inquire about anything related to billing or ship information.

Deck Plan: A map of the cruise ship’s decks. Most ships have deck plans on each floor to help passengers find their way around the boat. Deck plans are incredibly important for navigating your way around the ship, especially for your first few days on board.

Lido Deck: The lido deck refers to the pool deck on a cruise ship. The name comes from the Italian word “lido,” which refers to a public outdoor swimming pool or beach. Accordingly, the cruise ship lido deck is home to one or more swimming pools, hot tubs, bars, and restaurants.

Gangway: A gangway is a narrow walkway used by passengers and crew to get on and off the cruise ship.

Muster Drill: The muster drill is a mandatory safety drill completed before sailing. The drill prepares guests for safe evacuation in the event of an emergency and familiarizes passengers with life vests, escape routes, and lifeboats. By law, the muster drill must be performed within 24 hours of departure.

Muster Station: Muster stations are where guests and crew meet in cases of emergency. The muster station is where you will find life vests and your assigned cruise ship lifeboat .

Daily Planner (cruise compass, bulletin, or newsletter): The daily planner goes by many names. It is where you will find the day’s scheduled activities. Many cruise lines have dedicated apps that allow passengers to see the day’s schedule from their devices.

Sailaway: Sailaway is the period of time that your cruise ship departs the cruise port. Cruise ships often host a Sailaway party to celebrate the cruise’s start.

Sailaway Party: Cruise lines often host a Sailaway party on the first night of the cruise to kick off the vacation. The party is generally located on the main pool deck or atrium with drinks, live music, and dancing.

Sea Day: A sea day is a full day when the ship doesn’t visit a port. Most cruises of a week or longer contain one or more sea days. But, they are by no means boring. On sea days, the cruise line will host plenty of scheduled events. If that’s not for you, you can simply relax by the pool.

Cruise Card: On most cruise ships, you’ll receive a cruise card that provides access to your stateroom and acts as a form of ID and payment around the vessel. The keycard eliminates the need to carry cash or credit cards around the ship.

Ocean Medallion: Ocean Medallion is a smart technology offered by Princess Cruises. Ocean Medallion replaces the traditional keycard with a wearable device. The wearable provides all of the same functions as a cruise card with several additional benefits.

Pier Runners: A name for passengers who are late to the cruise ship. You’ll find these unfortunate passengers running to the gangway as they race to make it onto the boat before the ship departs. Tip: Make sure you get back to the ship before the all-aboard time. The cruise ship will leave you behind if you’re late.

Lanyard: A lanyard is a common accessory used by cruise ship passengers to attach a cruise card. It’s both convenient and an excellent way to minimize the risk of losing your cruise card.

Rum Runners: Rum runners were people who, during the time of prohibition, traveled by sea to other countries to transport alcohol back to America. Today, a rum runner is a term used to describe a container used to sneak alcohol onto a cruise ship.

No Sail Order: In March 2020, the CDC introduced a no sail order that paused all cruise ship travel within the US. The no sail order was a temporary measure enacted to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Cruise with Confidence: When cruising resumed following the Covid-19 pandemic, cruise lines introduced flexible cancelations policies. For most cruises, passengers could cancel up to 48 hours pre-cruise and receive full credit for a future cruise.

Warm Lay Up: During the period of suspended sailing, cruise lines could quickly bring a warm lay-up cruise ship back to service. These ships had reduced crew levels, fuel, food, and other essential items but were ready to return to service with short notice.

Cold Lay Up: A cold layup refers to a cruise ship that is fully shut down. Cruise lines shut down many cruise ships to save on costs during the no sail order. Ships in cold lay-up require more time to be brought back into service.

Funnel (or Stack): The funnel (or stack) refers to the exhaust on a cruise ship. It functions similarly to a chimney on a home and is used to expel engine exhaust. Most cruise ships have several funnels; however, typically, only one or two are functional (the rest are for aesthetics.)

Onboard Credit: An onboard credit is applied to your account and can be used on the ship to make purchases, such as drinks at the shop or souvenirs in the shops. Cruise lines and travel agents often offer onboard credit as an incentive to book, where you’ll receive a set dollar value when you book by a specific date.

Duty-Free: Duty-free refers to items that don’t have taxes. Duty-free purchases often must be declared when you return to the cruise terminal. If you are visiting from another country, you may need to declare duty-free items upon re-entry to your home country.

Godmother (or Godfather) : The Godmother (or Godmother) serves as a spokesperson for a cruise ship. As a tradition, the chosen individual is responsible for christening the ship and bestowing good luck to the new vessel.

Crossing: When a cruise ship sails across a large body of water. Examples include the Atlantic crossing, where a cruise ship may sail from Europe to America.

Double-Dip: When cruise-goers sail on back-to-back cruises. Sometimes one cruise just isn’t enough.

Maiden Voyage (Inaugural Sailing): The first sailing for a new cruise ship, or after a long pause (such as during repairs).

Dress Code: Cruise lines have dress codes that passengers must follow. Luxury cruise lines have strict policies, while most mainstream cruise lines allow casual wear at all times, except for formal nights.

Formal Night: Formal night is a traditional cruise ship experience where passengers dress up for a night of elegance. Some cruise lines have relaxed formal night dress codes , while Norwegian and Virgin don’t have any.

Planning Your Cruise

Embarkation: Embarkation is the process of passengers and crew members getting aboard a ship.

Embarkation Day : The first day of your cruise. It is one of the most exciting times of cruising, and the day you first step foot on the cruise ship.

Port of Departure: The port where your cruise ship will depart.

Disembarkation: The process of exiting the cruise ship. Often the saddest day of the cruise.

Port of Call: A port where your ship will stop.

Shore Excursion: An organized activity or event that passengers can attend in port. You can book shore excursions through the cruise line, a private tour company, or an independent tour operator.

Tender (Water Shuttle): There are some cruise ports where cruise ships can’t directly dock, usually because of a protected coral reef or the ship’s size. At these ports, the cruise ship will anchor a few minutes away from the port and shuttle passengers by tender boat.

Booking Terms

Onboard Booking: You can book your next cruise while on the ship of your current cruise. Cruise lines offer incentives to passengers to encourage onboard bookings. The incentives are one of the best ways to save money booking your next cruise. And, if you booked your current sailing through a travel agent, you can request that your booking is transferred to the agency.

Cruise Fare: This is the basic cost of the cruise. The cruise fare covers the cost of standard meals, accommodations, activities, and more. Many cruise lines offer basic wifi and drink packages bundled with the cruise fare.

Deposit: When you book a cruise, many cruise lines require a deposit to secure the booking. Each cruise line has different refund rules, and you may be unable to recoup the deposit if you cancel.

Final Payment: As the sailing date approaches, you will be required to make the final payment. The final payment is typically due within 70 to 90 days of the sale date. However, as policies vary, it’s always best to check with the cruise line.

Cruise Contract: You will be asked to sign a cruise contract when booking a cruise. The contract includes a set of terms and conditions that apply to passengers and the cruise line. The agreement is where you will find the refund policy, final payment date, and cancellation terms.

Gratuities: Gratuities, or tips, are customary on cruise vacations . Cruise lines charge gratuities on a daily, per-person basis. Most major cruise lines have automatic gratuities split among the hardworking staff, except bartenders and spa staff. If you don’t pay the gratuities in advance, they are charged to your onboard account and paid at the end of the cruise. Bartenders and spa staff receive tips through the gratuities charged on drinks, drink packages, and spa treatments.

Pre-paid Gratuities: Pre-paid gratuities are paid in advance of sailing. Paying in advance makes it easier to budget and plan for a cruise.

Solo Supplement: Most cruise ships charge a fee for solo bookings in regular staterooms. The added fee is known as a solo supplement. When a solo traveler books a cabin, the cruise line misses out on additional revenue from having two people in a stateroom.

All-Inclusive: All-inclusive cruises are great if you prefer to have all your expenses known before sailing. The all-inclusive definition varies by cruise line but typically includes gratuities, wifi, and a basic drink package.

Drink Package: Most cruise lines offer drink packages that entitle guests to order unlimited drinks. Drink packages typically have rules such as price limits and drink restrictions. If you don’t want to purchase the drink package, you can still purchase individual drinks from the bars, lounges, and restaurants.

Online Check-In: Before embarking, cruise ship passengers can complete online check-in and print any required documents.

Cabin Terminology

Cabin: Your room onboard the ship.

Stateroom: Another term for your room on the ship.

Interior Stateroom: This is a cabin located on a ship’s interior. Interior cabins don’t have windows (portholes) or balconies.

Oceanview Cabins: A cabin with a view of the ocean through a porthole or large window.

Balcony Cabins: As the name suggests, this is a stateroom with a balcony.

Suites: The largest and most luxurious cabin category on a cruise ship. Passengers who book suites often receive additional perks such as a butler, private lounge, bonus loyalty points, and free specialty dining.

Guarantee Cabin: This refers to booking a cabin category without choosing a specific room location. These cabins are lower priced, but with the drawback of having the location assigned by the cruise line. If you’re not picky about the location of your stateroom, guarantee cabins on cruise ships are a great way to save money on your cruise vacation.

Obstructed View Stateroom: You may have an ocean view or balcony cabin, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have unobstructed ocean views. Obstructed view staterooms have an object, such as equipment or a lifeboat, in the direct view of your window or balcony. These staterooms cost less than those with unobstructed views.

Veranda: Veranda is another word term used to describe a balcony. The word originates from the Hindi varandā, but it is related to the Spanish baranda, meaning “railing.”

French Balcony: French balconies are located on the interior of an outside-facing stateroom. They are often a result of modifications to older cruise ships or added as a lower category cabin. Though termed a balcony, it’s more of a wall-to-wall open window.

Virtual Balcony: Virtual balconies are wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling screens providing the illusion of a balcony for interior staterooms. They project real-time video of the outside, so your virtual balcony displays precisely what you would see from a real balcony.

Virtual Porthole: Like a virtual balcony, a virtual porthole projects real-time outside video. They provide interior cabins with the feeling of a porthole. Despite sounding tacky, they provide an extraordinarily realistic view.

Pullman Bed: Pullman beds are like little bunk beds where the top bed pulls down from the ceiling or wall above the main bed, accessible by a ladder. If you book with three or four people to a cabin, your cabin may have a Pullman bed.

Double Occupancy: Double occupancy indicates two people booked in a stateroom. The advertised cruise fare is often based on the double occupancy rate. Additionally, cruise lines often use double occupancy as the measurement of passenger capacity, as it is unrealistic that every stateroom would be booked at maximum capacity (e.x. two passengers staying in a cabin that could hold four.)

Single Occupancy: Most cruise lines charge a single occupancy rate to solo cruisers. The single occupancy rate adds a solo supplement. The total cruise fare for single occupancy is often near the cost of booking two people in a cabin.

Solo Cabins or Studio Cabins: Some cruise ships have staterooms dedicated to solo travelers. Solo cabins or studio cabins are comparably smaller than typical cabins, but they are cheaper as they forgo the solo supplement. The best cruise lines for solo cruisers feature solo staterooms.

Triple and Quad Cabins: As the name suggests, triple and quad cabins can accommodate three or four passengers.

Towel Animals: One of my favorite memories from cruising as a child is returning to the cabin and finding a beautiful towel animal on the bed. Room stewards often create cute towel creations to put a smile on your face. You’ll usually find them on family-oriented cruise lines .

Types of Cruises

Charter: People or tour operators may book out an entire ship to host a special event.

Repositioning Cruise: A sailing occurs when a cruise ship transfers to another part of the world. For example, a cruise ship offering Caribbean itineraries may reposition to the Mediterranean for two months. Repositioning cruises are often cheaper than regular itineraries as cruise lines look to fill the vessel to earn revenue from an expensive voyage.

World Cruise: As the name suggests, a world cruise offers an extensive itinerary that sails around the globe and visits several continents. World cruises may last anywhere from two to twelve months.

Canal Cruise: A type of cruise that sails through a canal. Popular canal cruises such as the Panama canal take passengers on a unique voyage through several ship locks.

Barge Cruise: The smallest-sized cruise ship available. They usually consist of six to sixteen people. The cruise acts as a floating hotel able to traverse very shallow and narrow waterways.

Expedition Cruise: Expedition cruises offer sailings to the most remote locations in the world. These cruises emphasize the journey, adventure, and experience with a special focus on adventurous shore excursions.

River Cruise: A river cruise is sailing along inland waterways. In our opinion, river cruising is totally underrated. We love the calmness of river sailing, intimate ships, and uniqueness of itineraries. If you’ve only sailed on ocean cruises, you should definitely take a look at river cruising.

Day Cruise: A cruise that sails for a limited number of hours and does not include an overnight stay. Day cruises are typically limited to media and press tours.

Transatlantic: A cruise that sails across the Atlantic. Before airplanes, transatlantic sailings were the only transportation between Europe and North America. The ocean liner Queen Mary 2 regularly sails traditional transatlantic voyages from South Hampton to New York.

Cruise to Nowhere: A cruise itinerary that consists only of sea days before returning. They are typically only a few days long and don’t call in any ports.

Closed-Loop Cruise: A closed-loop cruise starts and ends in the same port . For example, a voyage that departs and returns to Miami, Florida, is an example of a closed-loop cruise.

Open-Jaw Cruise: An open jaw cruise starts and ends at different ports. Passengers embark at one port and disembark in another. For example, a voyage that departs Seattle, Washington, and arrives in Ketchikan, Alaska, is an open-jaw cruise.

Cruise Ship Dining Terminology

Assigned Seating: Many cruise lines provide assigned tables in the main dining room. The assigned seating is usually dinner-specific.

Early and Late Dining: Some cruise lines with assigned seating split dining times into two seatings. The first and second seating is often referred to as early and late dining.

Open Dining (or Open Seating): Many cruise lines offer open seating, whereby passengers may eat in the main dining room without a specified time for seating. Norwegian Cruise Line only offers open dining, which they call Freestyle dining. Other cruise lines, such are Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, provide passengers with the option of set dining times or open dining. While open dining offers more flexibility, you may need to wait in line for an empty table.

Specialty Restaurants: Specialty restaurants refer to alternative dining choices that aren’t included in the base cruise fare. Specialty restaurants offer an intimate dining experience with a better culinary experience. The ship charges the meal to your onboard account when eating at a specialty restaurant.

Maitre d’Hotel (Maitre d’, for short): The Maitre d’ is in charge of the restaurant on the ship. This person greets customers, supervises the restaurant staff, and ensures that the experience meets the highest quality standards.

Captain’s Table: As the name suggests, the captain’s table is a chance to enjoy dinner with the ship’s captain.

Ship Crew Member and Staff Terms

Captain: The ship’s captain holds the ultimate command and responsibility of the vessel. In addition to steering and navigating the boat, the captain is responsible for the safety of all passengers and crew.

Cruise Director: You’ll often find the cruise director leading activities around the ship. During your sailing, the cruise director acts as the face of the cruise, and it’s their job to be friendly and outgoing.

Cabin Steward or Cabin Attendant: The cabin steward is responsible for cleaning and maintaining your stateroom. These crew members work hard to keep your room tidy and clean for when you return.

Deckhand: The deckhand is responsible for maintaining the exterior of the ship. They are responsible for general cleaning and maintenance of the deck areas and ship gear. They are also the ones responsible for loading and unloading supplies and equipment.

Bosun (Boatswain): A bosun is the highest-ranking, non-officer role in the deck department. Among their responsibilities, a bosun supervises deckhands, coordinates work, coaches staff members, maintains ship appearance, and overseas the mooring and anchoring operations.

Purser: The purser is responsible for handling the ship’s finances. Specifically, the chief purser oversees the staff who manage money, passenger accounts, and guest services.

Porter: The porter is responsible for helping passengers with their luggage. They are employed by the port authority, not the ship.

Passenger-Crew Ratio: The ratio of the number of passengers to the crew. The ratio gives a quick feel for the quality of service on board a cruise ship. In theory, the lower the ratio, the better the service. A ratio of 1:1 (a ratio only seen on luxury ships) means that there is one crew member for every passenger on board the vessel. Ratios of 3:1 are considered good.

Cruise Terminal: The building where you check-in for your cruise and board your ship . Like how airplanes have airports, cruise ships have terminals or cruise ports.

Port: A maritime facility with loading areas for ships to load and unload passengers and cargo.

Home Port: The primary cruise port for a ship. The home port is the port where the cruise ship begins most cruise itineraries.

Cay (Pronounced “kay” ): A small, sandy island with a low elevation on the surface of a coral reef.

Marina: A dock or basin that provides mooring services for small boats and yachts.

Dry Dock: A dock that can be drained of water to allow for construction, maintenance, and repair work on ships.

Shipyard: A facility where ships are built and repaired.

Navigational Terms

Port: When facing towards the front (bow) of the ship, the port is on your left. If you face the back of the boat (aft), the port is on your right.

Starboard: When facing towards the front (bow) of the ship, the starboard is on your right. If you face the back of the boat (aft), the starboard is on your left.

Insider Tip

If you need help remembering port and starboard, check out our article: How to remember port and starboard on a cruise ship .

Bow/Forward: The front of the ship.

Stern: The rearmost part of the exterior of the ship.

Aft: The rearmost part of the interior of the ship.

Prime Meridian: Prime meridian is the earth’s zero of longitude (0º), which passes through Greenwich, England. Together with the anti-meridian, they divide the earth into two hemispheres.

Nautical Twilight (Nautical Dawn): Nautical twilight begins in the morning when the sun’s center is between 6 to 12 degrees below the horizon. During nautical twilight, the stars and horizon are visible, even on moonless nights, allowing sailors to take reliable star readings for navigational purposes.

Celestial Navigation: Navigation by observing the sun, moon, and stars. Before advancements in technology, celestial navigation was the primary method for sailors.

Nautical Terminology

Midship: The middle of a ship or boat.

Overall Length: The length of a ship from bow to stern.

Beam: A measure of the width of a ship or boat.

Gross Tonnage: A measure of a ship’s overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is determined by dividing by 100 the contents, in cubic feet, of the vessel’s enclosed spaces.

Wake: A moving ship generates a tace on the water’s surface. The frothy white water trailing a moving vessel is called the wake. Watching the ship wake as you sail away from the port can be mesmerizing.

Berth: The term berth has a dual meaning. The first is a name for a bed on a ship. The second is a space where a vessel may be moored.

Helm: The helm is the position from which the captain steers the vessel. It also refers to the lever or wheel that controls the rudder on a ship.

Hull: The main body or structure of a vessel. The hull includes the bottom, sides, and deck of the ship. The watertight hull is how cruise ships float .

Porthole: A small exterior window on a ship. Portholes are usually circular.

Mast: On a sailboat, the mast is a pole rising vertically from the hull, which serves to support the sail. There is only one mast on a small sailboat, but larger boats have several.

Mainsail: The largest and most important sail on a boat. On a square-rigged vessel, the mainsail is the lowest and largest sail on the mast.

Boom: The boom is a thick pole that extends at a 90-degree angle from the mast. It anchors the bottom of the sail and provides sailors with greater control and maneuverability.

Rudder: The rudder is an underwater verticle blade positioned at the vessel’s stern. It is controlled at the helm and is the primary method of steering. When the captain turns the wheel, it rotates the rudder. As the rudder rotates, the vessel’s head turns in the same direction.

Mooring: Refers to a permanent structure to which a ship can attach.

Docking: The act of mooring a ship at a dock.

Latitude: A geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position on the earth’s surface. Latitude lines run in parallel lines from east to west. When looking at a globe, latitude lines are horizontal. The latitude angle ranges from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles.

Longitude: A geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position on the earth’s surface. Latitude lines run in parallel lines from north to south. When looking at the planet, longitude lines run vertically.

Equator: The equator is a latitude circle dividing the earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is located exactly halfway between the North and South poles. The equator’s location is at 0 degrees latitude.

Flag Country: The country where the ship is registered. You can quickly identify the ship’s flag country by looking at the ship’s stern, where you’ll usually find a flag and the country’s name.

If you are curious about why cruise ships have a different flag country, check out our article: Why do cruise ships sail under foreign flags?

Knots: Knots are a unit of speed used by ships and are short for nautical miles per hour. One knot is equivalent to 1.15 land miles per hour. Cruise ships have cruising speeds of around 22 knots .

Provisions: Refers to supplies needed on the ship

Lock: A device used to raise and lower ships between stretches of water at different levels.

Zodiacs: Small inflatable boats used for water bases shore excursions. Zodiacs are named after the company that invented them. The inflatable boats were created in the 1930s for the military but are now commonly used in tourism.

Stabilizers: Stabilizers are fin-like devices mounted to the ship’s hull beneath the waterline. They help counter the roll of a vessel due to waves or wind and provide a smoother ride for passengers.

Anchor: A heavy object attached to a rope or chain used to keep a vessel stationary.

Galley: The galley is another name for the kitchen of the ship. Many cruise lines offer tours of the galley, which provide a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world hidden from passengers.

Cruise Industry Acronyms

OBC (Onboard Credit): Onboard credit can be used like cash for purchases on the ship. You might receive onboard credits as an incentive offered by a travel agent or cruise line.

GTY (Guarantee Cabin): An abbreviation for guarantee cabin (see the definition above for guarantee cabins).

FCC (Future Cruise Credit): Future cruise credits work little like store credits. Cruise lines offer FCCs in place of refunds which can be redeemed when booking a new sailing. Always read the fine print as they almost always have expiry dates.

TA: Short for a travel agent.

Cruise Industry Organizations

CLIA: The Cruise Line International Association is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association based on the number of passenger ships operated by CLIA members. Among other responsibilities, the CLIA’s focus is to set standards for cruise lines and represent the interests of the cruise industry. According to their website , “CLIA is the global organization that fosters our members’ success by advocating, educating, and promoting the common interests of the cruise community.”

NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association is part of the US Department of Commerce. Their responsibilities include “daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce.”

Marcello De Lio

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