cruise ship english vocabulary

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.

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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.

Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner

Regular price: $27 now just $17.

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

Related and Popular Posts:

Port Side or Starboard Side on a Cruise: Which Side is Best?

37 Interesting Cruise Ship Facts that Will Surprise You

50 Most Popular Amazon Cruise Essentials

25 Cruise Embarkation Day Tips You Need to Know

75 Genius Cruise Hacks and Tips

23 Essential Things to Pack in Your Cruise Carry-On Bag

What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise

Worst Cabins to Avoid on a Cruise

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!

Let’s connect:

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18 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!

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145 Cruise Ship Terms and Meanings

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive compensation when you purchase via my links at no cost to you. See my disclosure for more information.

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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Cruise Ship Vocabulary

Melissa has a Master's degree in History Education and is a highly experienced freelance writer with online and print publications. She specializes in various topics including health, green living and safety.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

When most people talk about travel, there are no tricky words or unique phrases, but cruise ship vocabulary can be a foreign language to uninitiated travelers. Whether you're trying to find your way around the ship, planning what to do, or just learning about different aspects of cruise travel , it's best to know the appropriate lingo and avoid sounding like a land lubber.

Types of Cruise Ships

Before you set sail, it's important to understand what type of vessel you'll be embarking on - just as all cruise lines have personalities, different types of ships offer vastly different experiences.

• Mainstream Vessel : A mainstream ship is the most common type, a floating resort marketed to the majority of cruise passengers. Most cruise lines fall into this category, including Carnival , Royal Caribbean , Disney , and Norwegian . These ships include casinos, spas, children's areas, restaurants, pools, shopping areas, lounges, and other standard resort features, typically accommodating 850-3,500 passengers per sailing.
• Luxury Vessel : A luxury ship is one that sails primarily luxury cruises , often longer itineraries to more exotic ports. The prices are typically higher on luxury ships, but the cost includes more amenities such as complimentary drinks or services. Luxury ships can be large or small and they usually cater to a more exclusive clientele. Cunard , Seabourn , and Silversea are examples of luxury lines.
• Adventure Vessel : An adventure vessel is one that operates differently from a standard cruise ship - usually sail powered, and it frequently visits out-of-the-way destinations that are inaccessible to larger ships. Because of its unique makeup, adventure ships are far smaller than most vessels, though they may still offer luxury amenities. Windstar is an example of an adventure cruise line.
• Megaship : A new class of ship, a megaship is one that routinely serves more than 3,000 passengers. Most mainstream lines have several megaships, including Carnival's Miracle class ships as well as Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ships and the new Freedom class, currently the largest ships in the world.
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Finding Your Way Around the Ship

Right and left, east and west may be proper directions on land, but for seaworthy navigation, use these terms to find your way around a cruise ship.

• Bow : The front of the ship.
• Stern or Aft : The rear of the ship.
• Port : The left side of the ship when facing the bow.
• Starboard : The right side of the ship when toward the bow.
• Bridge : The control center of the ship, typically in the bow.
• Decks : Floors of the ship.
• Galley : Where food is prepared; the ship's kitchen. Larger vessels may have more than one.
• Muster Station : The designated meeting spot for passengers during emergencies or evacuations. Your muster station will be noted in your cabin.
• Cabin or Stateroom : Your room or sleeping quarters on board.
• Lido : A term meaning resort often used to describe a particular deck, usually where pools are located.
• Gangway : The entrance / exit area of the ship used while docked, typically on a lower deck.

Planning Your Vacation

While you plan your cruise vacation, you may come across assorted terms only heard in the cruise industry, including:

• Cruise Agent : A specialized travel agent who deals primarily with cruises.
• Embarkation Port or Departure Port : The city your cruise begins. Miami is the largest embarkation port in the world, and millions of cruise passengers pass through the city annually.
• Port of Call : A destination you visit during the cruise. Most voyages include 2-5 ports of call depending on the cruise length, and the ship may be docked just a few hours or more than a day.
• Itinerary : The schedule of ports for your specific cruise, including days at sea and the length of time the ship will be docked at each destination.
• Crossing : The term used to denote a transatlantic cruise rather than a localized voyage.
• Tender : A ferry that transports passengers from the cruise ship to the dock when the ship cannot be accommodated at the port facilities.

Activities on a Cruise Ship

While on board, you will experience many new activities , some of which may sound unfamiliar or be used in unfamiliar ways. Even common terms may have new meanings on a cruise vacation, such as:

• Photo Gallery : The location, typically on a centralized deck, where all the professional photographs are displayed and available for purchase.
• Formal Night : The designated evening when passengers are invited to dress formally for dinner. The meal may be more elaborate, and there will be additional photo opportunities.
• Main Seating and Late Seating : Assigned dining times for passengers to use the main dining rooms. Seatings are organized to help the galley prepare thousands of meals in a short period of time.

Crew Members

A typical ship employs thousands of crew members, and while many terms are common (chef, waiter, etc.), some positions are less well known to novice cruisers.

• Steward : The housekeeper responsible for maintaining passenger cabins. Stewards can usually assist with special requests or answer general questions.
• Purser : Individuals trained in customer service and responsible to answer general questions, handle complaints, and generally monitor passenger happiness. Pursers can typically be found in the main lobby at an information desk.
• Maitre D' : The officer in charge of the dining room and its wait staff. Each dining room usually has its own maitre d'.

Putting Your New Terminology to Use

Now that you know where to go, what to do, and whom to ask questions, it's time to make your reservations and set sail for a fabulous cruise vacation!

• Food & Drink
• How to Plan
• Shore Excursions
• Onboard Activities
• What to Expect

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.

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What to expect.

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

Home » Cruise Tips » Cruise Lingo: 65 Common Cruise Terms and What They Mean

Cruise Lingo: 65 Common Cruise Terms and What They Mean

We've put together this list of cruise lingo and what these terms mean to help newbies navigate the cruise world.

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If you’re a first-time cruiser, you might feel overwhelmed by the amount of cruise lingo that seems to be spoken by the crew and seasoned travelers. To help you navigate the cruise world, we’ve put together a list of 65 terms and phrases used on cruise ships and what they mean.

Cruise Ship Lingo

The bridge on a cruise ship is the control center, where the captain and the ship’s officers navigate the vessel. It is usually located on an upper deck at the front of the ship and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding ocean.

A cabin is the private living space for passengers on a cruise ship. Cruise cabins have various layouts and square footage based on the category you choose. Standard cabins come with some basic amenities including a bed, a bathroom with a shower, a closet or storage space, a desk or vanity, and a TV.

3. Stateroom

A stateroom is more common cruise lingo used to refer to a cabin on the ship.

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A cruise ship deck is essentially the same as a level or floor in a hotel or other building. Decks are usually identified by a number or name and are accessible by stairs and/or an elevator.

5. Lido Deck

The Lido Deck is the deck of the cruise ship where the pool and other outdoor activities are located. This is where most of the outdoor fun occurs, from sail away parties, to belly flop contests, and more.

6. Promenade Deck

The Promenade Deck is the deck that encircles the ship, often used for walking or jogging. This deck is usually located closer to sea level and can also be referred to as the Waterfront on some cruise lines.

7. Deck Plans

The ship’s deck plans are a diagram of the ship that shows the layout of each deck, as well as the location of cabins and all the public venues on the ship. The deck plans are great reference points to help you navigate your cruise ship like a pro.

8. Porthole

A porthole is common cruise lingo for a circular window on the ship. Some cabins have portholes, and you may also find these windows on the interior public decks.

The galley is the term used when referring to the kitchen on a cruise ship. Some cruise lines offer behind-the-scenes tours where you can visit this area, though it is usually off-limits to passengers.

10. Muster Drill

A muster drill is a mandatory safety drill that takes place at the beginning of each cruise. All passengers must complete this maritime safety requirement. Many cruise lines now offer “e-muster” drills, where you complete a majority of the drill by watching a video on your cruise line app or cabin television.

11. Muster Station

A muster station on a cruise ship is a designated location where passengers must assemble in case of an emergency. During your muster drill, you will need to check-in at your muster station, so you know where to go in the event of an emergency. These stations are usually located on the passenger decks, and your specific station is clearly marked on your keycard and stateroom door.

An azipod is a type of propulsion system used on modern cruise ships that features a pod with a propeller that can rotate 360 degrees for increased maneuverability. They are more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, as they generate less noise and vibration. They also allow ships to move more quickly and easily in tight spaces and adverse weather conditions.

13. Stabilizers

Stabilizers are devices used to reduce the ship’s movement and increase stability, especially in rough seas. They work by reducing the rolling and pitching motion of the ship, which can help to prevent seasickness and make the cruise more comfortable for passengers. Stabilizers can also improve the safety of the ship by reducing the risk of capsizing.

14. Passenger Manifest

A passenger manifest is a list of all the passengers on the ship. It lists the names, nationalities, and other personal details of all the passengers and crew members onboard the ship. It is essentially a complete record of everyone who is traveling on the ship at any given time. The passenger manifest is also used by immigration and customs officials when the ship arrives at its ports of call.

A ship’s wake is the visible trail of disturbed water that is left behind a moving vessel as it travels through the water. Wake views are some of the most desirable on a cruise ship, often with aft-located bars and lounges to admire the views.

A knot is a unit of speed at which ships travel. It is equal to one nautical mile per hour.

17. Dry Dock

A dry dock is a facility where the ship can be taken out of the water for repairs and maintenance. Cruise ships will routinely go into dry dock for upgrades and enhancements in addition to routine maintenance.

18. Refurbishment

A refurbishment is the process of renovating an existing ship to improve its functionality, aesthetics, and overall performance. A ship undergoing refurbishment is taken out of service for a period of time to enter dry dock for upgrades. Cruise lines can use various terms to designate that a ship has undergone recent renovations, like Royal Caribbean’s “amplification”.

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Directional Cruise Lingo

Aft is a directional term that refers to the back of the ship. This term is referenced frequently, including when picking out stateroom locations on a cruise ship.

20. Forward

The opposite of aft is forward. Forward is the directional cruise lingo for the front of the ship. Again, this term is often referenced when picking out your cruise ship cabin or when giving directions to venues on the ship.

The bow of the ship is located at the very front of the vessel and is the part that cuts through the water as it moves forward.

The opposite of the bow is the stern. The stern is the complete rear of the ship. It is usually flatter and wider in shape than the bow.

23. Midship

As the name implies, midship refers to the middle part of the ship. When reviewing cabin locations, midship cabins are the most desirable especially for those who are prone to seasickness on a cruise. You will usually feel the least motion here.

Port or Portside is the left side of the ship when facing forward. Portside and starboard side are terms that you will hear quite frequently on a cruise. This is especially true when there are wildlife sightings. The Captain or expedition team members will refer to the location with these directions.

25. Starboard

Similarly, Starboard, refers to the right side of the ship when facing forward. This is the opposite side of the ship from Port. Some easy ways to remember these directions is that port and left both have four letters or it’s P.S. (as in a postscript of a letter) when facing forward.

Cruise Staff Terminology

26. cruise director.

The Cruise Director is the person in charge of organizing all the entertainment and activities on the ship. He/She will usually also have an activities staff that will host events during the cruise. The Cruise Director’s main role is to ensure that passengers have a fun and memorable time.

27. Captain

Much like a boat, a cruise ship has a Captain. The Captain is the highest-ranking officer on a cruise ship, responsible for the overall operation and safety of the vessel. Becoming a cruise ship captain typically requires years of experience and training in the maritime industry.

28. Guest Services

Guest Services is the department on the ship responsible for assisting passengers with their needs and inquiries. Most cruise ships have a Guest Services desk located in the atrium area that is easily accessible. Don’t be surprised to find a line of passengers here at any given time during the cruise.

29. Cabin Steward (or Stateroom Attendant)

The Cabin Steward or Stateroom Attendant is the crew member responsible for cleaning and maintaining the passenger cabins. Think of this person like a housekeeper at a hotel. This team member will replenish toiletries, towels, and linens in your room. They will also take care of any requests you may have and complete an evening turndown service on some cruise lines.

A porter is a crucial staff member on embarkation and disembarkation days. A porter will assist guests with their luggage at the cruise terminal. Typically, when you arrive at the ship, you will leave your larger bags with the porter and only take carry-on items onto the ship with you. They will then ensure the bags get delivered to your cabin later in the day.

Cruise Cabin Terminology

31. double occupancy.

Double Occupancy refers to the standard rate of occupancy on a cruise ship. Unlike hotels, cruise ship fares are based on two guests per stateroom. This means that the advertised price for a cabin typically assumes that two guests will be sharing the room.

32. Guaranteed Cabin

A Guaranteed Cabin is a cruise ship cabin typically booked at a lower fare with the understanding that a cabin in the category you chose will be assigned to you by the cruise line closer to the sailing date. This means if you book a guaranteed balcony cabin, you will receive a balcony cabin or better, but you will not be allowed to choose the location or the exact room number.

33. Inside Cabin

Inside Cabins are the most economically priced cruise ship cabins. Unlike a guaranteed cabin or a hotel room, cruisers can choose their exact room at the time of booking. As the name applies, these rooms are located on the interior of the ship and do not offer any view of the exterior. Further, these cruise ship staterooms tend to be the smallest double occupancy rooms on the ship.

34. Oceanview Cabin

An Oceanview Cabin is a cruise cabin with a window or porthole that offers a view of the ocean. However, these windows can not be opened. For the most part, the size and layout of these rooms are similar to inside cabins, just with a view of the outside world.

35. Veranda cabin

A Veranda Cabin is also referred to as a Balcony Cabin. By far, the most popular cruise cabin category on any ship is a balcony cabin. These staterooms feature private access to your own balcony. This outdoor space will usually come equipped with two upright chairs and a small table. 

36. Solo cabins (Studio Cabins)

As mentioned previously, most staterooms are designed for double occupancy. A Solo Cabin, sometimes also referred to as a Studio Cabin, is designed specifically for solo travelers. These rooms are small but can save you a lot of money if you are cruising solo . Otherwise, you will often need to pay a single supplement. This is an additional fee that solo travelers must pay when booking a cabin that is designed for two guests.

37. Ship-Within-a-Ship

The most luxurious cabins on a cruise ship are suites. These rooms are larger and usually come with added perks. Many cruise lines feature special areas of the ship exclusively for these guests, sometimes referred to by the cruise lingo “ship within a ship”. These areas are designed so that guests never have to leave if they don’t want to- including sundecks, restaurants, lounges, bars, and more. NCL’s The Haven and MSC’s Yacht Club are two examples.

38. Pullman Bed

A Pullman Bed is a bed found in cruise ship cabins that offer greater than double occupancy. These beds are typically fold-down beds that are stored in the ceiling or wall when not in use. Your stateroom attendant will assemble this bed for you if there are third or fourth guests sailing in the cabin.

Cruise Lingo Used for Getting on and off the Ship

39. gangway.

A gangway is a ramp or stairway used to allow passengers to board and leave the ship. This moveable bridge connects to the dock and is usually adjustable in height to accommodate different water levels and ship heights.

40. Embarkation

Embarkation is the process of boarding a ship. Thus, Embarkation Day is the day the ship is accepting new cruisers for the next voyage. On your itinerary, embarkation day will be marked as Day 1. Once all cruisers are successfully on the vessel, the ship will set sail for its next destination, or the first port of call.

On embarkation day, it’s important to arrive at the terminal at your designated time and to have all essential items with you including your passport.

41. Disembark

Disembark means to leave the ship. Disembarkation Day is the saddest day of any cruise as it marks the end of vacation and a return to the real world. Disembarkation will begin once the ship has arrived back to its homeport, usually between 6 AM and 9 AM depending on the cruise line.

Guests can choose to complete a self-assist walk off. These guests will be the first off the ship but will need to take all their own luggage with them. Otherwise, guests will be called in a staggered fashion based on the luggage tags given to them the day before.

42. Port of Call

Ports of call are the destinations that the ship visits during the cruise. These ports will be listed on your cruise itinerary. During time in port, guests can disembark the ship to explore on their own or participate in organized shore excursions. The number of ports will vary and the amount of time spent in each port will also vary based on the itinerary.

The berth is the space where the ship is docked or anchored. Ports of call will have designated berths that are designed to accommodate larger cruise ships and allow passengers to disembark in the port.

44. Tender Port

If cruise berths are not available, the port will be designated as a tender port. A tender port is a port where the ship cannot dock and will anchor offshore. Passengers must then be transported to and from the ship via smaller boats.

A tender boat, also known as a tender, is a small vessel used to transport passengers from a cruise ship anchored offshore to a port of call that does not have a dedicated cruise berth or a deep enough harbor to accommodate the larger cruise ship. The ship’s lifeboats are often used as tenders to bring guests ashore. This process does take a little while so it’s important to plan excursions accordingly.

46. Port Charges

When booking a cruise, you might notice an added fee of port charges and taxes on the total fare. Port charges are fees paid to the port by the cruise line for the use of their facilities. The cruise line then passes this surcharge onto passengers. These fees are mandatory and are charged on a per person basis. The cost will vary based on the number of ports and the specific ports on the itinerary.

47. Shore Excursion

A shore excursion is a guided tour or activity that passengers can book while visiting ports of call. These tours can range from walking tours and city highlights, to food tours, to snorkeling, to various adventure activities like ziplining or ATVs. These shore excursions can be booked directly with the cruise line or through local vendors.

48. Ship Time

When going ashore, especially if you are not participating in a cruise-sponsored shore excursion, you will need to know what Ship Time means. This is the time on the ship, which may differ from the local time at the ports of call.

When cruise ships are visiting destinations in multiple time zones, they may not change the time on the ship at every location. Thus, when the cruise line provides a time to be back onboard the ship, it will always be in “ship time” so pay attention.

49. All Aboard Time

The All Aboard Time is the time passengers MUST be back onboard in order for the ship to set sail to its next destination. The All Aboard Time is usually a half hour before the ship’s scheduled departure time. It is extremely important that you adhere, otherwise you might be left behind.

Of note, if you are on a cruise-sponsored excursion that is running late due to traffic, the ship will wait for the tour to return; however, this is not the case if you are exploring on your own.

50. Pier Runners

Now, cue the pier runners. A Pier Runner is the cruise lingo given to passengers who are late arriving back to the ship. In an attempt to not miss the ship and incur expenses for getting to the next port on their own, these passengers run down the pier to catch the ship. Don’t be a pier runner, as you will most definitely be caught on camera and shared across social media!

51. Sea day

Cruise sea days are the days when a cruise ship is at sea, traveling from one port to another without any stops. These days can be an enjoyable part of the cruise experience for many passengers, as they provide a chance to relax and unwind while enjoying the various onboard activities and amenities.

52. Turnaround day

Turnaround Day is the day the ship arrives back at its homeport and prepares for the next group of passengers to embark. This is a stressful day for the staff, especially the stateroom attendants, as they need to clean and change everything over for the next set of passengers in a very short amount of time. So, be courteous and leave your room by the time requested on the morning of disembarkation.

53. B2B Cruiser

If you are a B2B (back-to-back) cruiser, you will still need to participate in an abbreviated version of turnaround day. B2B Cruisers are those sailing on two or more consecutive voyages on the ship. Passengers staying on the ship will still need to clear customs in the terminal, receive a new cruise card, and then re-board the ship. Unlike disembarking passengers, they do not need to take all their luggage with them; staff will take care of moving their belongings to their new stateroom if applicable.

54. Repositioning Cruise

In simple terms, a Repositioning Cruise is a voyage that begins and ends in a different location with the purpose of moving the ship to this new location. Repositioning cruises typically occur when cruise seasons change. For instance, some ships in the Caribbean move to Europe for the summer season. Other ships reposition to Alaska for the summer season.

A transatlantic cruise travels between Europe and North or South America. Obviously, the cruise ship will sail across the Atlantic Ocean. These cruises can be a repositioning cruise; though, some lines sail this route regularly like Cunard.

55. Shoulder Season

When it comes to cruise lingo, the term Shoulder Season is often used when referring to seasonal cruise ports like Alaska . The shoulder season is the beginning or end of the season. In terms of cruising these seasonal destinations, the shoulder seasons usually provide the cheapest prices and fewest crowds. While the weather might be a bit unpredictable, this is an ideal time to travel for many cruisers.

Onboard Cruise Lingo

56. cruise card.

A cruise card, also known as a key card, is a small plastic card issued to each passenger on a cruise ship. The card serves as a key to your stateroom, as well as identification when getting on and off the ship at ports of call. This card is also how you will pay for all purchases while onboard the ship. Some cruise lines have wearable devices that replace this key card, like Princess Cruises’ Medallion or Virgin Voyages’ The Band.

57. Formal Night

While some cruise lines are doing away with this cruise tradition, many cruise lines still have at least one formal night. Formal Night, also referred to as “elegant night”, “evening chic”, etc., is a special dress-up evening on the ship. It’s when you can don your finest attire, attend a Captain’s Toast, take some photos, and maybe enjoy some lobster in the main dining room.

58. Freestyle Cruising/Dining

While most cruise line’s still have traditional main dining rooms with an early and late seating, many are starting to offer more flexible options in addition. Norwegian Cruise Line was the pioneer of Freestyle Cruising. This type of cruising doesn’t have fixed dining times or table arrangements, meaning that cruisers can choose when, where, and with whom they want to dine each evening. Other cruise lines now have similar options like “My Time Dining”, “Dine Anytime”, etc.

59. Cruise Gratuities

If you are new to cruising, you should know that not everything is included in your cruise vacation. In addition to your cruise fare, there are other services charges for which you will need to  budget , including cruise gratuities.

Cruise Gratuities are a per person, per day dollar amount that are charged to all guests across all stateroom categories. These charges serve as a means to reward the hard-working crew for the excellent service provided during your cruise vacation.

60. Onboard Credit (OBC)

Cruise Onboard Credit , referred to as OBC in cruise lingo, is essentially “free money” to use on your cruise vacation. This credit can be obtained a variety of ways and can be spent onboard the ship on most cruise experiences. Some cruise lines even allow you to apply this onboard credit when purchasing items pre-cruise in your online cruise planner.

MDR is the abbreviation cruisers use when referring to the Main Dining Room on a cruise ship. On all cruise ships, the MDR is complimentary to all passengers. The main dining room(s) is always open for dinner, serving a multi-course rotational menu. It can be open for select hours for breakfast and lunch as well.

If you opt for traditional dining, you will be assigned to an early or late dinner time at the same table with the same waitstaff every night of the cruise.

62. Specialty Dining

While there are many dining venues covered in the standard cruise fare, cruise lines also offer up-charge dining options and experiences referred to as specialty dining. These restaurants can range from steakhouses, to Italian trattorias, to sushi and hibachi, to seafood-centric restaurants, and other experiential venues. While they do cost money, these specialty dining experiences offer upscale service and menu options making for a special night out.

63. Lanyard

A lanyard is a neck strap that many passengers wear on a cruise ship to hold their cruise cards. Since having easy access to this card is essential, many cruisers enjoy the convenience of  a lanyard . Having one that you can detach at the bottom is a bonus to pass off to staff when ordering drinks, etc. Another popular option to store your cruise card is an adhesive pocket on your cell phone.

64. Towel Animal

Towel Animals are often made by stateroom attendants by folding towels into various shapes such as elephants, monkeys, or swans. These creations are left in your cabin during it’s daily cleaning or turndown service. While some might think this tradition is a bit tacky, we enjoy receiving these special surprises in our stateroom.

65. All-Inclusive Cruise

While cruises are a great value, not everything is included in the price of the cruise fare unless you are sailing with a luxury cruise line. Add-ons typically include things like specialty coffee, alcoholic beverages, specialty dining, shore excursions, WiFi, etc.

However, more and more cruise lines are beginning to offer All-Inclusive Cruise packages. These typically include a drink package, gratuities, and WiFi. Some packages might even include additional perks.

Now that you know the terminology, it’s time to start planning your perfect cruise vacation . When it comes to cruise lingo though, just don’t forget: It’s a ship NOT a boat !

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Do you have any other important cruise lingo to add to this list? What terms and slang should first time cruisers know before setting sail? Drop us an anchor below to share your insider info.

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Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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Glossary of cruise lingo

A guide to help you navigate the jargon of the cruising world.

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Unless you're a cruise veteran, chances are you've come across the occasional term on a cruise or travel website that makes you wonder, Huh? What the heck does that mean?

The cruise landscape is riddled with insidery terms and strange lingo — but don’t feel intimidated! Here’s a quick guide to some of the terms you may encounter.

Come across a term that’s making you cross-eyed? Tell us and we’ll define it, add it to the list and credit you. 

Get a handle on cruise terms

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The Ultimate Cruise Glossary

Welcome to our comprehensive alphabetical cruise glossary. In this free A to Z guide on Cruise terminology we have done the research for you. We have used our extensive knowledge of cruising to share an ultimate list of cruising and ship lingo in this cruise dictionary.

When you book at cruise for the first time it can be a bit daunting with all of those cruise ship terms and their meanings. So scroll though our cruise glossary and hopefully we have covered all the cruise lingo to help you with your next cruise vacation.

In this A to Z guide on cruising we have covered almost everything cruise related in our cruise glossary including shop features, cruise lines, river cruise lines and port lingo.

Welcome to the ultimate Cruise glossary, the A to Z terminology of cruising

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Cruise Glossary A

Starting with A on our cruise glossary lets discover all the cruise words associated with A

Accomodation

The room or cruise cabin you stay in during the duration of your cruise. There are a choice of accommodations on cruise ships from inside cabins, sea view, balconies, mini suites and suites. This ensures there is something to suit every budget.

Cruise ships not only take you from port to port, but also plan a full schedule of activities for all ages from culture and art talks, auctions to kids clubs, Karaoke, theatre, cooking lesson and theatre, the list goes on. But if you choose your cruise line correctly you will never get bored.

Adds on are extras the cruise line charges above and beyond your cruise fare. This could include drinks although some cruise lines now include drinks in the price of the cruise. Also gratuities are often add ons, as are some activities and speciality dining restaurants . It’s always a good idea to check up on whats included and what’s extra on your cruise to allow you to budget.

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The Aft is the back of a cruise ship. This is where you go to see the wake waves and watch the ship leave a port behind. It really is a very relaxing spot to stand.

An aft cabin is a cabin at the back of the ship. Check the position as it may be towards the back or at the very back. Although these cabins are a bit of a longer walk from the main areas and lifts, they are generally more peaceful. If you book a wake view aft cabin at the very back of the ship the cabins are often a little more spacious with larger balconies. It’s also a wonderful place to chill and enjoy the sea views.

Ahoy is a tradition nautical term which means hello or hi its a term used to greet somebody.

Alcohol Policy

Every cruise line has an alcohol policy, some such as Princess Cruises , P&O and Carnival have a limit of how many alcoholic drinks you can drink as part of your drinks package. However don’t worry it’s a lot, Alcoholic drinks are limited to 15 drinks in every 24-hour period.

Cruise lines also have cruise policies on drinking age that fit in with the region you are cruising. Therefore you have to be 18 to drink alcohol on South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand cruises, 21 to drink on US and the Caribbean cruises.

All Inclusive

Some cruise lines offer all inclusive packages, these usually include drinks and some wifi, speciality dining and sometimes gratuities. However do check your cruise line as these offers of all inclusive options vary wildly.

When a cruise ship docks in port it docks alongside the jetty to allow passengers to disembark for port day activities and tours.

Amazon River Cruise

Amazon cruises sail through and from Peru and Ecuador.

AMA Waterways

AMA Waterways is a Luxury California based river cruise company that offers cruises in Europe, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, and Egypt.

Ambassador Cruise Line

Ambassador Cruise Line is a new cruise line who have 2 extensively refurbished retired ships that sail out of the UK.

Amplification 

Amplification is Royal Caribbean’s refurbishment programme . Royal caribbean refurbish ships and add on brand new activities and dining experiences.

This is usually a piece of metal with a v shaped tip which is bottom heavy. This is attached to chains that reach to the sea bed to hold the ship in position whilst it is docked in port. Most modern day cruise ships have more than one anchor due to the sheer size of the ship and can be anything from 10ft to 20ft in length and weigh 10–12 tonnes.

Anytime Dining

Anytime dining is another option to fixed dining. With anytime dining you can choose to eat at whatever time you wish. You can also choose to eat alone or with a group of people. If the restaurant is busy when you arrive, you simply take a pager and head to the bar for a drink whilst you wait.

Art Auction

Most cruise ships have art auctions and feature certain artists such as; Peter Max, Romero Britto and Michael Godard to name a few. There is a huge variety of art to suit all tastes, its certainly worth checking out the gallery even if you’re not intending to buy. In fact art on cruise ships is a big thing!

Ashore is the term used on board your cruise ship for the land. If you are heading off the ship for a tour or to explore you are going ashore.

ATOL is the UK’s financial protection scheme. This protects you when you book an ATOL protected holiday with an ATOL holding travel agent. It will provide support so that you are not at a financial loss or without help and assistance abroad if your ATOL holder ceases trading before or whilst you are traveling.

Many ships have an atrium but not all, the Atrium is usually the centre of the ship, where you will find bars, cafes and snacks. The Atrium is generally the hub of of ship and a great place to people watch and mingle.

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways are a river cruise company offering river cruises throughout river networks worldwide. The ships are luxurious and intimate offering a more personal experience and access to wonderful cities and villages around the world.

Azamara is a small luxury cruise brand with 4 cruise ships offering inclusive features such as certain drinks and facilities as part of the package. They offer worldwide cruise destinations and sailings of various lengths.

Cruise Glossary B

Cruise Ship glossary words beginning with B

Balcony Stateroom

Balcony Staterooms otherwise known as Verandah Staterooms have doors opening to private open seating area overlooking the sea. These are perfect for morning coffee and breakfast or indeed an afternoon chilling in the sun.

Most cruise ships have theatres, back stage can be behind the theatre scenes or indeed just back stage of the public areas of your cruise ship. If this is something that interests you, you can book backstage tours on many ships.

The Beam is the width of a cruise ship, it is usually measured at the widest point.

The bearings are part of the propellor shaft, the main function of the propellor shaft is to turn the propeller. Bearing can also be an angle and location between 2 ships.

Berth is a bed, so for a family of 4 you would want a 4 berth cabin. A large percentage of cabins on ships are 2 berth. However berths up to 10 are available. 3,4 and 5 in regular cabins, but any larger are usually suites. If you are travelling as a family you can also book connecting cabins with an opening internal door. These are great for more space and to fit larger families, or families with teens who want a little privacy.

Boardwalk is the main public area on many Royal Caribbean Cruise ships. This is where you will find bars, cafes and entertainment. Royal Caribbean reinvented the traditional atrium and created something a little more fun and quirky and it works really well. The Boardwalk is open air and even has a full size carousel!

Newer cruisers often call ships boats, however they are very different. Ships are much larger and the rule of thumb is a ship can carry a boat, but a boat can’t carry a ship. When a vessel reaches 100 ft long (This varies between 97 ft-120 ft depending what you read) then the boat becomes a ship.

A Boat Drill otherwise known as a Muster Drill, it is law for every passenger to complete the drill before the ship sets sail. This outlines the safety drill, procedures and lifeboat meeting points should the ship come into difficulties.

Is a term to wish good wishes and goodbye often used on sail away parties. The sailaway is when the ship leaves port, in past years sailings were for function ie moving country or transportation. Thus there were many friends and relatives in port waving and wishing Bon Voyage.

Booze Cruise

Also known as a party cruise aimed at groups going to party for normally a weekend.

Bottomless bubbles

Bottomless bubbles is an unlimited soda package on Carnival cruises . Carnival do a package for kiddies and adults with different price levels.

The forward part of the hull of a ship, this is usually the most forward part of the ship.

Some cruise ships have bowling alleys or bowling areas.

The bulkheads are the inner wall in the hull of a ship, these are designed to either fill or overflow to cope with waves at rough sea. Some are designed to create watertight compartments. They can also be used to form tanks for fuel.

A Buoy is a floating device which are usually anchored in ports and used for lanes and port guidance for the port pilots.

Some newer ships have onsite Breweries, you will find one on Norwegian Encore , here beer is freshly brewed at sea.

The Bridge is at the front of the ship and where the captain and his crew navigate the ship from.

The buffet is an area usually on a high deck where you can go to eat. The choice on cruise ship buffets is huge and they are often open for many hours during the day.

Butlers on cruise ships are generally found in top suites. They can assist with packing and unpacking, concierge services, make reservations in restaurants or on shore excursions. The Butlers on cruise ships can also escort you to dinner, shore excursions and shows as well arrange special celebrations or organise laundry services.

Cruise Ship Glossary C

Cruise glossary words beginning with C

A cabin is a room on a ship you will stay in, much like a hotel room. Although cabins are smaller than hotel rooms they are well planned to allow maximum storage and comfort during your cruise.

Cabin Steward

A Cabin Steward is your room attendant that cleans and services the cabin. You will have the same cabin steward for the duration of your cruise who will clean every day and turn down down your bed and prepare the cabin for the night.

Capacity is the maximum amount of people that are are allowed on a cruise ship at any one time. There are two capacities, one when every cabin has two people staying in, and in the school holidays when the extra berths are used for families so many cabins will have 4 or 5 people staying in, this is known and full capacity.

The captain also known as the skipper is the ship’s captain. The ships captain has the ultimate responsibility for the care and safety of the vessel.

Captains Circle

The Captains circle is the Princess Cruises loyalty programme. It is a four tier loyalty program for passengers who have cruised with Princess. Passengers earn cruise credits in order to start receiving Captain’s Circle benefits the more points the more benefits and the higher the tier. Passengers must have completed their first cruise and registered on the Princess Cruises website in order to gain their first points. The Captain’s Circle tiers are….

• Gold, After Your First Cruise
• Ruby, After Your 3 Cruise or 30 Cruise Days
• Platinum, After completing 5 cruises or 50 cruise days
• Elite, After completing 15 cruises or 150 cruise days.

Captains Club

The Captains Club is the Celebrity Cruises passenger loyalty rewards programme. You earn points on every sailing and can enjoy discounts, offers, and perks such as spa discounts and complimentary laundry services. The Celebrity Cruises Captains club can also offer passengers loyalty stateroom upgrades, access to exclusive voyages, and exciting cruise club events on board and has 6 levels.

Captains Table

The Captains table is the table that the Captain sits at for dinner on a cruise ship. This is generally a formal occasion and occasionally passengers are invited to sit at the captain’s table during their cruise. The Captains table is normally located in the centre of the main dining room and is reserved exclusively for the captain, senior officers and their invited guests.

Carnival Cruise lines

Carnival Cruise lines is a Cruise line with head offices in Florida, they are known as the fun cruise line and have 25 ships in service, mostly in the Caribbean.

Most Cruise lines and Ships have a Casino onboard for playing roulette, slot machines or poker.

Casual Dress

Casual dress means the dress code onboard a cruise ship in the main dining area. This usually means you can wear items such as jeans and collared shirts for men. Woman can wear dresses or trousers. You are not allowed to wear baseball caps, bathing attire or shorts in the reaturnat and must always wear a top onboard the ship. Shorts, flip flops or sliders are are not allowed during dinner in main dining.

Castaway Club

Castaway Club is the Disney Cruise Lines reward programme. The 3 membership levels are based upon the total number of completed eligible cruises. For Silver Castaway you must complete 1 cruise. Gold Castaway is 5 completed cruises. Platinum Castaway is from 10 completed cruises.

Celebrity Cruise lines are a cruise line company with headquarters in Miami they own 16 cruise ships and are constantly renovating the fleet. The cruise line is owned by Royal Caribbean Group.  The vibe is refined quality.

Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal Cruises is a cruise line who sails Greece and run a variety of short cruises right through to 14 nights.

The Centrum is the central hub area of a ship and another name for the Atrium. This is where you will find bars, cafes and snacks.

A Charter is when a company block books a cruise ship sailing, it could be the whole ship for a themed cruise or private event.

Cheers is Carnival cruise’s alcoholic drinks package

Cococay 

Cococay is Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas, here cruisers will find a private beach, endless pools and waterslides, activities and dining exclusively for Royal Caribbean guests.

A cruise concierge is someone onboard a cruise ship, generally in concierge class or suite class who will arrange dinners, shows and excursions for passengers they are caring for during a sailing.

Costa Cruises

Costa Cruises is an Italian Cruise Line, Costa has 12 ships in all in the fleet.

A Crossing is when a ship crosses across an ocean, an example of this is a Transatlantic crossing where a ship crosses for Europe to the US.

Crown And Anchor

The Crown and anchor is the Cruise loyalty programme on Royal Caribbean. The Crown and Anchor Society is a way of building recognition the more you cruise and has 6 tier levels to and reward brand loyalty the highest being Pinnicle. Booking under the Crown and Anchor means you sometimes get on board credits or special discounts.

There is also a champagne reception on every cruise for Crown and Anchor members. Crown and Anchor loyalty levels will also show in your Celebrity Cruise Captains Club account too.

Cruise Crew To Passenger Ratio

This is the amount of crew onboard to passengers. The ratio highlights how many crew members there are per passenger. This ratios are usually far higher than land based hotels.

Cruise Card

Your cruise card is the key to your room but also your payment method. All of your info is stored on the cruise card including any drinks packages and dining packages.

Cruise Casual

This is another word for Casual dress code onboard a cruise ship. Casual cruising steps away from traditional cruise attire and formal nights for a more relaxed cruising experience.

Cruise Director

A cruise director is the person onboard responsible for all onboard hospitality, entertainment and social events. The cruise director makes announcements throughout the day for entertainment purposes. They also organise public events and introduce the theatre shows, and parties onboard.

Cruise Loyalty Programme

A Cruise Loyalty Programme is a point programme which rewards passengers for each cruise they go on. It is a way that cruise lines can retain their loyal customers  them gaining points and receiving onboard benefits. The more your cruise the more enticing offers come your way. Passengers get specialty dining areas, discounts, VIP lounge access, complimentary drinks and lots more.

Cruise Planner

A cruise planner is an agent who plans your cruise for you. A cruise planner is also often the name of your daily planner that you will receive daily in your cabin.

A Cruiser is a person who cruises the ocean or rivers.

Cuisine means a style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country, region, or establishment. Many cruise lines have many different cuisines onboard. Dining at seas is some of the best I have ever experienced whilst on vacation.

Cunard Line is a British cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England. You will find a more formal form of sailing on Cunard. Who keep to the traditional roots of ocean liners, offering transatlantic Southampton to New York round trips as part of its offering. They have 3 ships, The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victorial.

Croisi Europe Cruise

Croisi Europe Cruise is Europes largest cruise line which is French owned and based in Strasbourg.

Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises is a cruise line with headquarters in Miami, Florida . They are also the World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line.

Cruise Ship Glossary D

Days at seas.

Days at sea means the number of days on the itinerary that the ship is at sea and not in port.

Danube River Cruise

A Danube River Cruise takes you down the Danube River, usually between German and Hungary and through Austria. This scenic cruise stops at some incredible towns and cities such as Linz, Vienna and Budapest.

Debarcation

Debarkation or disembarkation is the process of leaving the cruise ship to debark.

The Deck plan is the plan of the layout of the ship by drawing. The drawing represents the location of the decks, public rooms, cabins, an all areas on the cruise ship.

Departure Port

The departure port is the port in which the ship leaves and departs.

A deposit is usually required to secure your cruise booking. Cruise lines offer lots of low deposit deals so keep an eye out for those if you are planning cruise. You usually have to settle your cruise balance 12 weeks before your sail date.

Dining Plan

Many cruise lines have cruise dining plans where you can pay extra for dining packages and use the speciality restaurants. This is usually cheaper to book in advance.

Direct Booking

A direct booking is to book directly with the cruise line thus cutting out the travel agent or middle man.

Disembark or debark is the process of leaving the cruise ship to go home.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line owned by The Walt Disney Company. The company headquarters are in florida. Featuring all the amazing things from Disney such as Mickey Mouse and Disney shows. They have 5 ships in the fleet but have more planned.

The dock is where the ships stops and anchors in port. The dock is an area ships and cargo ships unload cargo whether that is cruise passengers or goods.

Double Occupancy

Double occupancy is two people in a cruise cabin. Most cruise lines require cabins to be booked at least double occupancy or they charge a fee. However some cruise lines do offer single occupancy supplements or single occupancy cabins.

Drinks Package

Purchasing a drinks package is a way of paying for all of your drinks up font. You pay daily for your drinks package up front but must purchase for all the days of your sailing and also for every person in your cabin. There are drinks packages available for all cruises including a kids softs drinks package and non alcoholic package which normally includes speciality coffees, water and smoothies.

Check out our guide for information on all cruise line packages. However the key to remember here to assess if a drinks package is worth it, it to look a the drinks prices on your cruise, again we have most of that information on cruise drinks prices. Next work out how many drinks you will drink in a day, but don’t forget hot drinks, soft drinks and water.

A dry dock is where a cruise ship goes for an upgrade, this can be anything from an complete overhaul such as Oasis of the Seas in 2019 or mechanical upgrades and a hull repaint.

Duty Free Shopping

A duty-free shop is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties. Most ships have duty free shops on board. Duty-free Cruise ships shops are legal as the products aren’t sold to the people who live in the destinations.

Cruise Ship Glossary E

Elevator also known as a lift is a means of travelling through to different floors of a ship.

Embarkation

Embarkment or embarcation, embarkation, is the process of loading persons on a passenger ship.

Entertainment

Most cruise ships have lots of different types of cruise ship entertainment . The types of entertainment can include, magic shows, theatre shows, ice skating shows and comedy acts.

Is a trip the cruise line offers in port. Cruise lines offer a selection of excursions in each port to reach a variety of tastes and budgets.

Cruising Ship Glossary F

Lets find all of the words beginning with F in our cruise glossary

Family Cabin

A cabin offered to accommodate families, sometimes up to 5 , some more. These range from inside to suites depending on budget. Norwegian cruise line offer great ocean view cabins with 5 berths for families.

Goodbye, whether its farewell to land port or the ships, grand farewells are a big deal at sea and mostly celebrated.

Final Payment

This is the final payment of your cruise vacation, the final balance is usually required 12 weeks before your sailing.

This is a collection of ships owned by one cruise brand. The collective of cruise ships is called a fleet.

The float out is the first ever time a cruise ship leaves the dock, usually to check its seaworthy. Although there will of course be many checks before this moment. However the float out is the first moment the ship in its entire form sails.

The FlowRider is a surf simulator designed to replicate surfing and bodyboarding with realistic waves. These can be found on many of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships

Formal Night

Formal night on a cruise ship is the gala evening where the suggested dress code in black tie and cocktail dresses. This tends to be a bit more relaxed now with many men preferring a shirt and blazer.

Forward on a cruise ship means in the direction of the bow, the front of a ship.

Freestyle Cruise

Freestyle cruising means having the ability to choose on your cruise. Choosing when to dine and when and what shows or activities to do and when.

Free at Sea

Free at sea is Norwegian cruise lines offers when booking a cruise. With Free At Sea And Choose 2 Offers such as Open Bar, Dining and Wifi.

French Balcony

A cruise french balcony is a balcony that you can not step out in to. French Balconies have floor to ceiling sliding doors with a rail across the middle for safety.

Fun ships is an program idea devised by Carnival Cruise Lines. The program is said to dramatically transform its on-board guest experience to deliver even more memorable vacations.

Fun Times is the Carnival Cruise daily newsletter that is delivered to your stateroom.

Cruise Glossary G

Galapagos islands cruise.

A Galapagos Islands River Cruise starts in Quito, Ecuador and cruises from island to island, discovering the rare wildlife and scenery.

The Galley is the section of the ship that has houses the kitchen of the ship. A galley is also referred to in the shipping world as a ship which is propelled mostly by oars ( hence not a cruise ship )

A cruise ship Gang way is a walkway or bridge to get on and off of a ship.

Ganges River Cruise

A Ganges River Cruise takes you down the Ganges River through the heart of India.

Cruise Gratuities are tips that are automatically added onboard account. The fee is usually for each passenger each day and can vary. Some cruise lines let you pay these tips in cash and some cruise lines offer free Gratuities or you can pay them upfront. The cruise line then divides the money between all of the staff and crew.

Gross Registered Tons

Gross registered tons or tonnage is a ship’s total internal volume in “register tons”, each of which is equal to 100 cubic feet. Tonnage is the measure of the volume of certain enclosed spaces.

A guest is a paying passenger on a cruise ship. Passengers are guests on a cruise ship.

Guest Services

Guest services is the reception area of the ship where guests can get help throughout their stay. The Guest Service area is normally open at all hours and they provide they provide answers to many questions and problems onboard.

Cruise Ship Glossary H

A harbour is an area of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked and moored. A port is a man-made harbour built for loading and unloading vessels and dropping off and picking up passengers. A Harbour can be natural or man made.

Haven is the Luxury Suite class area on Norwegian Cruise line. Here you will find a dedicated restaurant, bar and many of the newer ships have a pool area.

Height restriction

Some slides and activities have Height restriction s on board such as Ziplines or Slides .

Holland America Line

Holland America is a cruise line is owned by Owned by Carnival Corp. & plc, whos headquarters are based in Seattle. However all of their cruise ships and vessels are registered in the Netherlands.

Hotel Manager

A Hotel manager is a manager who oversees the operation of a hotel. In the case of a cruise ship the Hotel Manager is in charge of all the passenger cabins and crew servicing and maintaining the cabins.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping is another word for cleaning your room and is Responsibility for the cabins or staterooms on a cruise ship fall under the housekeeping department. This division is responsible for making passengers comfortable while they are in their rooms, and includes the care of the cabins, room and messenger service, and laundry pick up and delivery.

The Home Port is the port a ship is sailing from for a given season. The home port is also where the ship will refuel and restock ready for the next sailing and where passengers will board and disembark for their sailing. Some ships have a home port in Spain or it could be anywhere in the world!

The horizon is the point the seas or land meet the sky. The visible point where the sun sets and rises on the earth. Views of the the horizon at sunrise and sunset are partially stunning at sea.

The Hull is the structural watertight body of the ship. We have found a really informative article that explains it far better than we ever could.

Hurricane Season

As a rule the Hurricane Season goes from June to the end of November, however the high risk months are mid-August to early October. But Hurricanes can occur at any time within those dates and do. It really depends how active the season is, we have always been lucky and avoided Hurricanes on our travels, but know others who have not.

The only way to truly avoid hurricanes is to book outside of those dates. Or if not be prepared for itinerary changes and cancellations. Captains are excellent at avoiding weather situations, however this also means ports can be missed too.

Hurtigruten Cruise Line

Hurtigruten Cruise Line is an expedition cruise line that specializes in discovering areas many cruise lines can’t reach.

Cruising Ship Glossary I

Inside cabin/inside stateroom.

Inside cabins are situated on the inside of cruise ships meaning they don’t have a window. Because of this choosing an inside cabin makes it a much more economical way to enjoy a cruise vacation.

Some cruise lines also have virtual cabins, these have simulated windows, where you can enjoy real-time views of the ocean and destinations from your interior stateroom.

Internet Package

To enjoy internet at sea you must purchase the cruise lines internet package. (Some offer these free of charge) It really important to remember to turn off data roaming on all devices when you are at sea or you will incur huge roaming charges. Thus you need the ships data packages.

International Date Line

The International Date Line is an imaginary line that runs between the North and South Poles, which crosses time. When you cross the line you either gain or lose a day. But travelling east across the date line, will take you back in time by 24 hours. However when traveling west, you will travel 24 hours ahead. However when cruising as it is at a slower pace you generally lose or gain an hour each day.

An inaugural cruise the first time a cruise ship sails with paying passengers. This is a huge deal in the cruise industry, especially with loyal cruise line fans who want to experience a new ship.

The Itinerary is the route and ports a cruise ship will take on a given sailing. This is always pre determined, however due to environmental factors such as weather this is never set in stone and can change. Although as a rule this is something cruise lines do try to avoid.

Cruise Ship Glossary J

Jules verne cruises.

Jules Verne are a cruise and tour company who tailer make holidays and cruises.

The journey is the cruise you will take during your sailing.

Junior Suite

A junior suite or mini suite is mostly larger than a balcony cabin and often comes with certain extras, but not as many as a full suite. For example on Royal Caribbean you will enjoy double cruise reward points, be able to book the suite dining area, but not have exclusive access.

Cruise Glossary K

The keel is a vertical lowest point of a cruise ship that sits in the ocean, it works to slice through the water. The keel also helps the ship maintain balance and prevents the ship from capsizing.

Cruise ships have extensive kids clubs and programmes . These vary from nurseries for babies on some ships, stay and play sessions for parents and kids club sessions daily and nightly. Here parents can leave their children to enjoy structured activities with qualified staff.

Knot is the speed a cruise ship sails at, this is the nautical equivalent of Miles Per Hour. The average cruise ship sails at 20-30 knots, which is 23-35 miles per hour.

Cruise Glossary L

Labadee is a private port resort leased to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd in Haiti. The Island is for the exclusive use of passengers of the three cruise lines. Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara Club Cruises.

A landmark is an easy recognisable building or features of a city or landscape that is easily recognisable from a distance. Examples of landmarks include the Empire State Building in New York, the Brooklyn Bridge or the Parliament buildings in Budapest.

A lanyard is a fabric neck cord which goes around your neck and used to clip on a carry your cruise card. The cruise card can be used as a key to your stateroom or to order drinks and purchase from the onboard shop so it’s always good to have it handy. Thus a lanyard is a great option, you can usually purchase these from the onboard shop.

Latitude is the measurement of distance north or south of the Equator, it is measured in 180 imaginary lines vertically around the globe. This tells you exactly where you are between the North Pole and the South Pole.

Latitude rewards

Latitude is Norwegian cruise lines reward programme for loyal returning guest’s. Where perks for points gained on their previous sailings. There are 7 loyalty levels to the Latitudes Reward Club.

Lido means outdoor pool, the lido deck on a cruise ship is usually the main pool deck. Most ships will label this as the lido deck.

A cruise ship with a capacity of 4000 passengers must have have at least 20 lifeboats onboard to accommodate everyone onboard. You will find lifeboats at each side of the ship ready to launch, these can carry between 150-370 people. There are also inflatable lifeboats onboard.

Is a round floating ring that is attached to the side of ships, boats and swimming pools. This is to aid someone who gets into trouble in the water.

Life Jacket

A life jacket is a jacket that acts as a floating aid when wearing it, you will find enough for each passenger in your cabin. Many cruise lines also have swimming life jackets by the swimming pools for children.

A lighthouse is a tall thin circular building that sits on the edge of land, islands or peninsulas. They have a light on top that alerts ships or boats of land.

A lock is something a ship transits through between areas of river that are or different lengths. River Cruise Locks are huge and it’s an incredible experience to travel through one.

Longitude measures the earth in the opposite direction to Latitude, it is the angular distance of a location measured to the east of west of the meridian at Greenwich, England. Where Latitude runs in an imaginary line horizontally, Longitude runs vertically. But both at a 360 degree angle around the earth.

Loyalty Programme

Many cruise lines offer a loyalty programmes where the more you sail the more perks you get when you sail. This encourages loyalty to a certain brands. Some also offer double loyalty points when you book jnr suite cabins and above.

Luggage is your belongings you take on your cruise. Before you get on the ship you hand your luggage into the the luggage handlers who process the luggage, security scan it and leave it outside your cabin, this can take a few hours. However you are free to get on the ship enjoy lunch and explore.

On the last night of your cruise you must leave your luggage outside your stateroom to be processed for the next day. When you get off the ship it is there waiting for you in a large holding area.

Luxury cruises

A Luxury cruise is a cruiseline that goes above and beyond. They have a more refined onboard experience, luxury spacious cabins and a higher level of personalised services. These cruises are the finest there are usually cost a bit more. There are many different luxury cruises so there is lots to choose from for all budgets.

Cruise Glossary M

Maiden call.

A maiden call is the first time ever a ship calls at a port. The maiden call is usually a big day for cruise fans. And indeed cruise enthusiasts in port.

Maiden Voyage

The maiden voyage is the very first sailing of a new ship, this is a huge deal in the cruise industry and for cruise passengers.

Main Restaurant

The main restaurant is usually the largest restaurant on a cruise ship and can be spread over 2 or 3 floors. Dining in the main restaurant, otherwise known as the “MDR” is always free for food, but not drinks unless you have a drinks package. However there are sometimes the option to upgrade a meal to surf and turf on steak night. This depends on the cruise line, but that aside the quality of the MDR is in our experience always great.

A UK owned cruise line owned by Tui Travel. Marella markets at a British audience and offers an affordable way to cruise. As a company they buy out of service ships from other cruise lines and renovate to fit their own style.

Marina Society Programme

Holland and America’s loyalty programme, the more you cruise you build up perks.

A mate is a deck naval officer aboard a vessel. The job duties of a shipmate include working as part of a crew.

Main River Cruise

The Main River cruise takes you through central Germany and is formed by the joining of the Red Main and the White Main, meeting the Rhine River at the town of Mainz. The Main-Danube canal, which joins the Main River and Danube River, stretches for a length of 106 miles from Bamberg to Regensburg, with a total of 16 locks, thus making it possible to travel via a river cruise ship from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

The definition of maritime is something nautical or related to the sea.  The laws and rules set in place are for commerce that takes place on oceans and seas  thus making them are an example of maritime laws. Anything relating to the sea or the enjoyment maritime activities such as yachting and deep sea diving is considered a maritime activity.

Mediterranean cruise

A Mediterranean cruise is a cruise that takes place around the Mediterranean sea, starting points may vary and sailings can go anything from 2 days to 30 days.

Mekong River Cruise

The Mekong River flows for over 3,000 miles through Asia, and stops in exciting countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Midship means the middle of the ship. This point of reference is used often during a cruise to describe locations and netting points.

A mini suite or jnr suite is mostly larger than a balcony cabin and often comes with certain extras, but not as many as a full suite. For example on Royal Caribbean you will enjoy double cruise reward points, be able to book the suite dining area, but not have exclusive access.

The mini bar is located in your cabin. Most cabins have a mini bar where you can put cold drinks.

Main Seating

Main seating is located in the main dining room. You are normally allocated main dining room seating on arrival of your cruise.

Moselle River Cruise

The Moselle River runs through France , Luxembourg and Germany, and known for its picturesque castles and fine wines.

Motion is the movement of the ship when it is cruising. Some people can suffer from motion sickness when cruising. If you do then it is better to book a cabin mid-ship on a lower deck where you will feel the motion less.

A Maître d is the head waiter in the main dining room. The Maître d oversees service and all of the waiters to ensure that service is smooth and all diners are happy.

MSC Cruise line are are an Italian based shipping company that have 21 cruise ships

The MSC S tatus M atch

MSC will match your cruise loyalty status from other cruise lines such a Royal Caribbean. MSC Cruises Status Match Program will match your frequent traveler status from other cruise lines, hotels and tour operators

Muster Drill

A muster drill is a mandatory safety exercise required by law to ensure the safty of passenger , guests and staff. The main objective is to familiarise guests and crew with the location (muster station) see below. During this drill you will be shown additional safety information such as where your lifeboat is and how to wear a life jacket. No ship can cruise without passengers being given a muster drill when sailing.

Muster Station

A muster station is a point on the ship you should meet in the the unlikely event of an emergency. This will be displayed on your cabin card and will be explained on your arrival.

My time dining

My time dining is dining at anytime of your choice in the main dining area on a Royal Caribbean cruise. You can select times to eat between the hours of 6:00 and 9:30 p.m.

Cruise Glossary N

This is a term people use to associate with the seas, sailing, cruising and ships.

Nautical Mile

Nautical miles are used to measure the distance travelled in water, a nautical mile is equivalent to around 1,852 meters.

Navigate means to plan a route or direction, the navigational route of a ship is always meticulously planned to calculate timings in shipping lanes, arriving and leaving ports and fuel requirements.

Nickel and Diming

Nickel and diming is a term used by passengers when a cruise line adds lots of extras onto your cruise or is constantly trying to upsell whilst you are onboard to generate more income.

Nile River Cruise

A Nile river cruises offer cruises at different locations down the longest river in the world. Flowing north from Lake Victoria through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt the Nile drains into the Mediterranean Sea.

Noble Caledonia River Cruises

Noble Caledonia is a small luxury cruise line who specialises in worldwide, small ship cruising, including river cruises, and escorted tours. 

Norovirus is a stomach flu that is easily spread. This spreads on land as well as ships. However seems more reported at sea, due to the reporting procedures of cruise lines. Cruise lines do an awful lot to minimise infections and help stay safe on a cruise but they do inevitably spread. However this also relies on passengers being vigilant with hand hygiene.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is a cruise line who offer a relaxed freestyle form of cruising, with options for relaxed cruising and dining or more of an upscale experience. NCL have 17 ships, 19 if you include the imminent launch of Norwegian Prima who launches in August 2022 and Viva in June 2023

Norwegian Fjords Cruise 

A Norwegian Fjords Cruise sails between and through the Fjords, check out our review of a Norwegian Fjords cruise to find out some of the incredible ports a Fjords Cruise stops at.

Cruise Glossary O

Obstructed view cabin.

And obstructed view cabin is a cabin whether it be an ocean view or balcony cabin has an obstruction in front of the window or balcony. This is usually a lifeboat, but can be part of fully blocking the view.

Oceanview Cabin

And ocean view cabin is a cabin with a window which has views of the ocean. These are a great option when cruising with younger children.

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is a cruise line based out of Miami. They have six cruise ships which run on worldwide itineraries. It offers cruises that last between 10 and 14 days, but is also known for its longer cruises.  

The Ocean is the expanse of water between the and Continents which covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. There are 5 Oceans…

• The Arctic Ocean
• The Southern Ocean
• The Indian Ocean
• The Atlantic Ocean
• The Pacific Ocean

The Ocean and Sea are different the Sea is usually where the land meets the ocean.

Is MSC cruise lines private island in the Bahamas. Cruisers can visit having access to private pools and beach areas exclusively for passengers.

Ocean Cruise

An Ocean cruise is exactly what it says it is! a cruise around the ocean!

Oceania Cruises is a cruise line based in Miami in Florida, they operate six cruise ships on worldwide itineraries. 

A Ship’s officer  navigate’s and supervise’s the safe operation of ships at sea. They also oversee the operations in port and when the anchor is dropped. They help coordinate the activities of the crew under the captains supervision.

The term Onboard means being on a ship and actually inside or on deck.

Onboard Entertainment

Many cruise ships have onboard entertainment this includes , quiz’s, shows, live music and other performances.

Onboard Credit (OBC)

  OBC otherwise known as onboard credit is money that is offered free from the cruise line you are travelling with. It can be an incentive to book a cruise or be offered as a resolution to something. You can spend the onboard credit on the ship on drinks, excursions or in shops.

Onboard Shopping

Onboard Shopping is shopping whilst onboard a cruise ship. Shops generally open when the ship leaves port.

Open Seating

Open Seating is unassigned seating this generally happens in bars on cruise ships but not in restaurant’s.

Orientation

Orientation means position or positioning with relation to the points of the compass or other specific directions. You can adjust your positions using orientation to continue a ships route.

Outside Cabin

An outside cabin is a cabin that has a a window or porthole to view the outside. This does not mean that the cabin is outside with a balcony only a view.

Owners Suite

Owners Suite is a suite on a cruise ship typically Royal Caribbean. It is normally a luxury suite with panoramic balcony, concierge service, and access to suite services such as the coastal kitchen.

Cruise Glossary P

A package is when certain elements of travel are bundled together in one price. This could be the price of a cruise, drinks or dining packages.

A passageway is a route cruises take on Alaskan cruises, Alaska’s Inside Passage is a the route between the Gulf of Alaska and Puget Sound. Whilst the Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic. The Northeast Passage is a route between Europe and Asia along the northern shores of Russia.

Passengers are paying guests on a cruise.

Passenger Capacity

The Passenger capacity is the maximum amount of passengers the cruise ship will hold. This is calculated on occupancy of cabins, thus there is a capacity for double occupancy (2 people in as cabin) or full occupancy ( This is where the 4 berth cabins are all full too, this is is generally in School Holiday time.)

Passenger Crew Ratio

This is how many passengers there are per crew member, the average ration on a cruise ship is around 2.5-1. This depends on the cruise line however the lower it is the better.

Passenger Space Ratio

This is how much space there is on a ship per passenger.

A pier can be found in port, these usually protrude from the land, although not always, sometimes they are flush. Cruise ships dock alongside the pier to allow the passengers on and off the cruise ship.

Pilots work in docks and ports and come out of dock to board the ship to steer the ships in and out of port. They will also steer out of the port then leave and return to port.

Pinnacle Club

Pinnacle Club is the highest Royal Caribbean Loyalty level, to reach Pinnacle level you must have 700 cruise points. you build 1 night for every night cruised, or 2 if you stay in a suite or junior suit.

Benefits of Pinnacle Club include a dedicated check in, private lounge bar onboard many ships, gifts and discounts.

Every cruise line has an online planner app booking system to plan activities, show and dining. However there is also a daily planner with all onboard activities. This is usually get left in your cabin every night.

P&O is a cruise line owned by the Carnival Corporation, they have 7 cruise ships in total including Arvia which launches in 2022. The brand P&O is mostly aimed at a British audience but sail worldwide.

Ponant Cruise

Ponant is a French cruise line. It was founded in April 1988 by Philippe Videau, Jean-Emmanuel Sauvé, and other officers of the French Merchant Navy and launched the first French cruise ship. The ships are smaller and more intimate offering a luxury experience.

Is a cruise line that offers a refined relaxed service. The cruises are great quality, offering delicious food and surroundings. Princess have Princess Cruises have 15 cruise ships as of 2022 after selling 5 during the 2021,22.

Princess Patter

The Princess Patter is the daily news onboard Princess Cruise Ships. This is left in you cabin every night during turn down and tells you everything you need to know about what’s going on onboard the next day.

A policy is a set of guidelines a cruise lines works towards and follows, these are usually set in stone and linked to a law or just a rule a cruise line aims to keep to maintain standards.

Cruise ships have several types of pools, check your ship for pool info on your sailing. However larger ships often have family and kids pools with slides and splash areas. A main pool for sunbathers, where all the fun and music happens. And an adult only pool or spa pool for child free chill time. Some larger ships have pools in the suite areas too.

A port is a maritime facility that has one or more wharves where ships can dock to load cargo and let passengers embark and disembark.

A porthole is a window in a circular window on the hull of a ship. An outside cabin has a porthole

The port side is the side of the vessel which is to the left of the ship when facing forward towards the direction the ship is travelling.

Port Charges

These are charges are the fees that shipping operators and their customers pay to port authorities for the use of the port’s facilities and services. 

Port Of Call

A port of call is a port that a cruise ship is stops at on an itinerary.

A Porter is someone that transports and handles luggage on and off of a cruise ship.

A programme is a schedule of events for passengers set out by a cruise line often called a planner

A promenade deck on a cruise ship is an outdoor walkway that circles the ship. It is also sometimes referred to as the promenade that runs in the centre of a ship from bow to stern where shops and Restaurant are.

Prepaid gratuities 

Prepaid gratuities are tips that have been paid by the cruise line as special offer for you . Meaning you will not you be charged for tips. 

Private Island

A private island is an island owned privately by a cruise line to be used by its passengers.

A pub is a public house that serves beer. Many cruise ships have a pub.

A ship’s purser is the person on a ship who is responsible for the handling of money and accounts on board.

Cruise Glossary Q

Quadrant Australia is a specialist travel company offering group tours and travel services in the Australian and international marketplace.

A quay is a stone or metal platform lying alongside or into the into water for loading and unloading ships.

Cruise Glossary R

Radiance of the seas.

A Royal Caribbean Ship, Radiance of the Seas was launched in 2001, holds 2466 passengers and has a crew of 894.

Refurbishment

Cruise ships are renovated and updated all the time, some are just minor mechanical updates, whilst some are huge overhauls.

Repositioning cruise 

Repositioning cruises are where a ship relocates from one continent to another. This usually happens when ships move for a new season. Repositioning cruises can be really good value but have more sea days as they cross between continents.

Rhine River Cruise

A Rhine River cruise takes you through central Europe, where you will get to visit cities in Germany, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands.

Rhone River Cruise

A Rhone River Cruise will take you through the heart of France down to the South of France and depending on your route can take in Paris, Burgundy and Provence.

River Cruise 

River cruises sail down rivers on smaller ships. Because rivers are smaller, river boats are ships are smaller. However many still maintain a feel of opulence and quality. You will find River Cruising brings you into the heart of cities and towns, many of which will be walking distance. They are much more intimate affairs, many offering free tours and other extras.

Riviera Cruises Travel

Riviera Cruises are a UK based cruise travel brand offering options to River Cruise, Expedition Cruising and Yacht worldwide.

Royal Caribbean 

A cruise line offering fun multigenerational cruising with an upscale feel. Royal Caribbean offer possibly some of the best entertainment at sea with dining options and chill out child free areas too.

Royal Suite 

The Royal Suite is generally one of the best suites on offer on a cruise ships. Booking a Royal Suite also offers other benefits such a butler or concierge, free drinks packages dedicated dining and bars for suite guests only.

Royal Caribbean sometimes offer the opportunity to bit for an upgraded cabin before your cruise. The bids are for the first 2 people in the cabin, this is by invitation only. If you are fortunate enough to win a bit upgrade to suite class, you get to enjoy all the perks of suite cruising but will not get the double booking points perk.

Cruise Glossary S

Sail date .

You sail date is the date your cruise sets sail. This is the day you have booked your cruise to start, you. usually have to pay your final bill 12 weeks before, but final payment date can vary.

Sailaway Party 

A sailaway is a party traditionally on the top decks around the lido deck. The Sailaway party happens as a ship leaves port and sails out to sea. This is traditionally on the first sailaway of a cruise. However some cruise lines do it for every sailaway.

Saone River Cruise

 The Saone runs southwest of Épinal in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France to meet the Rhône at Lyon. There is a 233 mile navigable portion of the Saone with 30 locks, which is linked through canals to the Loire, Rhine, Seine and Marne Rivers.

Saga River Cruises

Saga River Cruises are a River Cruise company aimed at the over 50s, offering river cruises with chauffeur pickups, all inclusive packages and fine dining.

The Sea is an expanse of water between the Ocean and land, there are seven seas in the world.

A Sea Bands is a knitted elasticated wristband that works because of a plastic knob sewn into the side of the inside of the wrist-band which put pressure and on an acupressure point. It is said that pressure on this point relieves seasickness, nausea and vomiting.

Seine River Cruise

A Seine river cruise is a river cruise along the Siene river in France

Scenic Luxury Cruises And Tours 

A luxury all inclusive river cruise company who offer sailings luxury

Scenic Sun Lounge System

Scenic Sun Lounge System is a Scenic cruises balcony. The Scenic Sun Lounge’ system transforms your balcony into an all-weather conservatory style space.

Serenade Of The Seas

Serenade of the Seas is a Radiance class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was completed in 2003

Shipping Lane

A shipping lane is a sea lane or a sea road. A shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels. Shipping lanes are seen on wide waterways such as oceans, seas, rivers and large lakes.

A ship tour is a tour of the cruise ship. These are often given on special occasions such as moving up a loyalty teir.

Shuttle bus

A shuttle bus is a passenger bus that operates between the cruise terminal and the port entance.

Silent Disco

Many cruise ships have silent discos as entertainment on the ship. Dancers wear headphones and can choose which music

Shore Excursion 

A shore excursion is an organised trip ashore. These are organised by the cruiseline and you are fully escorted at all times and usually go on a coach

Most cruise ships have a Spa area. In the Spa area you can have beauty treatments or use the water spas facilities

Splashaway Bay

Splashaway bay is the kid friendly water themed splash park on Royal Caribbean ships

Splash Park 

A Splash park is the kid friendly water themed splash park on top deck of a ship

Specialty Restaurants 

Specialty restaurants  are restaurants that are an extra charge. These are normally different themed restaurants and cuiseines.

Stabilisers 

Ship stabilisers are fins or rotors mounted beneath the waterline on a cruise ship hull. They are used to reduce the ship’s roll due in wind or waves. The fins are controlled by a gyroscopic control system

Starboard 

The Starboard side is the side of the vessel which is to the right of the ship when facing forward towards the direction the ship is travelling.

Stateroom 

A stateroom is another word for your cabin or room on a cruise ship .

Stern 

The rear of a boat is called the stern.

Steward 

A Ship’s Steward is a person who in charge of organizing and preparing dinner arrangements on a ship

What is a suite? A suite is an extra large room on a cruise ship. It is normally a luxury or top tier cabin. Guests staying in a suite normally receive extra special facilities such separate restaurants and pool area, butler service and priority boarding.

Symphony of the Seas 

Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis class cruise ship owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She was built in 2018 and is one of the largest ships in the world

Cruise Glossary T

Taxes on a cruise can have many meaning, some ports charge additional tax on drinks and purchases. Be aware that services and products may have taxes on.

Teeming River Cruises

A river cruise company based in Florida offering affordable river cruises in Europe and Africa. The ships are more basic but offer an affordable option.

Tender  

A tender is when a cruise ship docks out at sea and send passengers into port on the lifeboats. This is usually when ports don’t want to overburden with ships ort the ship is too large for smaller ports. Tenders can sometimes take a little longer, however sometimes you can book slots or times.

Tauck River Cruises

A river cruise line offering high end River Cruises who claim to offer lots of extras for a more luxury intimate experience.

Also otherwise known as gratuities, many cruise lines charge tips up front. Tips are charged per person, per cabin this covers gratuities for cabin stewards, restaurant and waiting staff. However bars and speciality dining venues also charge tips on top of this. You can choose to remove tips from your booking and tip staff individually. However you can also choose to reward outstanding service on top of the. standard tipping rate.

The Perfect Storm (Slide)

The Perfect Storm is a combination of 3 action packed waterslides known as Typhoon, Cyclone and Supercell. These create the next level of pool fun for all thrill seeking members of the family.

Themed Cruise 

Many cruise lines offer themed cruises with special speakers and artists. These range from theatre cruise, 80s, craft and scrapbooking and comedy cruises. There are so many options to suit many enthusiasts.

Transfer 

A transfer if arranging transport from your ship to a port, hotel or airport. There are many types of transfers. Some ports put on transfers to get cruisers into town, or in cargo ports ships sometimes provide free transfers in. However you can also book private transfers and taxis or seats on buses.

Tonnage 

Tonnage is the weight of a cruise ship, this is used to measure a cruise ship and indicates the size of a cruise ship.

Towel Animal 

Some cruise lines make animals out of your towel to leave in the cabin when they turn it down at night. This is not as common as it used to be, which is a shame as it’s a great touch.

Transatlantic 

A term for cruises sailing across the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and the US, these cruise can be anything from 6 night on Cunard with no stops to 16 with stops at European and Caribbean ports. Transatlantic cruises are often great value, however do have more sea days.

Turn Down Service 

A turndown service is where your cruise cabin attendant prepares you room for the evening. This included turning down the bed, making up sofa or fold down beds and refreshing towels.

Turnaround Day

Turnaround day is the day that passengers disembark and new passenger’s board. Crew spend the day moving luggage on and off of the ship and cleaning cabins for new guests

Cruise Glossary U

Words beginning with U in cruise glossary

An upgrade to your room is often offered free in certain circumstances such as sailing in low demand or booking a free upgrade promotion

Uniworld river cruises 

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection is a river cruise company located in Los Angeles, California. The company operates a fleet of 21 river cruising cruise ships which operate along the rivers of Europe.

Ultimate Abyss

The Ultimate Abyss is a slide on the Oasis class ships of Royal Caribbean. It is 10 stories high and 150 feet above sea level. The Ultimate Abyss on Oasis Class ships is the tallest slide at sea and ends on the boardwalk.

Cruise Glossary V

Vantage deluxe world travel .

Vantage Deluxe World Travel is a cruise company in Boston, Massachusetts. It operates Expedition Cruises as well as Small Ship Ocean Cruises and River Cruises.

A veranda is an extension of your stateroom or cabin that is outside and exposed to the sea. You can open the door to the cabin and step out to the veranda which the area which is encapsulated by a balcony

Virtuosa is a ship in the MSC cruise line

VIFP club 

VIFP club is Celebrity Cruises loyalty programme which stands for Very Important Fun Person Club.

Virtual balcony

A virtual balcony is a cabin with a virtual balcony view. On Royal Caribbean 80-inch high-definition screens are inside the interior staterooms with real time views of the ocean.

Viking cruises

Viking is a river cruise company with operations in Basel, Switzerland and marketing headquarters in Los Angeles, California.

A Voyage is to travel from one destination to another for example on a cruise

Cruise Glossary W

The wake is the area of moving water that is propelled from the stern (rear) of the ship. Caused by the flow of water displacement as the ship moves.

Wave Season

Wave season is a busy booking period of around three months from January 1 to March 31 when cruise lines and travel agents normally book the largest number of cruise holidays or vacations.

Weight Restriction

Weight restrictions are usually in place on certain activities on a cruise ship such as slides or rides 

Windward 

The Windward Passage is a strait of sea in the Caribbean Sea which lies between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola. 

Wonderland 

Wonderland is a Alice in wonderland style specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean Oasis class ships.

Cruise Glossary X

Cruise glossary y.

Yacht club is MSC’s luxury ship within a ship experience with suites and private dining areas just for Yacht club guests. These cabins also have butlers and priority boarding.

Cruise Glossary Z

Many cruise lines have zip lines on deck such as Royal Caribbean’s oasis class ships. 

Zodiac 

Zodiac are a boat range known and recognized by professional experts as a famous rigid inflatable boat. These Zodiac inflatable boats are used in over 90 countries worldwide.

Thank you for reading our cruise glossary

Donna and Sarah ( Cruising For All ) Sarah Christie and Donna Vallance are experienced travel writers and cruise enthusiasts specializing in cruising. They are passionate about exploring new destinations and have dedicated themselves to sharing their knowledge and insights with fellow travellers. They provide valuable information, tips, and recommendations for all cruisers. They strive to make cruising accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of their interests, budgets, or accessibility needs. Their articles and reviews are well-researched, comprehensive, and written to help readers make informed decisions and have unforgettable cruise adventures.

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Onboard Experience

Cruise lingo: a guide to ship terminology and onboard essentials.

Greetings! Get ready to set off on a journey through the fascinating world of cruise ship terminology and essential items for your trip.

Join me as I navigate through the vast sea of terms and concepts that make cruising such a unique experience.

From the aft to the atrium, from alternative dining to balcony cabins, we’ll explore it all.

So grab your cruise card and let’s dive right in to uncover the secrets of cruise lingo and make your next voyage unforgettable.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Cruise lingo includes terms such as aft, air/sea, alternative dining, and atrium.
• Ship features include berth, bow, bridge, deck plan, and dry dock.
• Onboard essentials include cruise card, cruise director, debarkation/disembarkation, embarkation, and first seating.
• Cabin types include French balcony, inside cabin, oceanview cabin, suite, and stateroom.
• Navigation and direction include course, forward, port, starboard, and stern.

Aft: Understanding Ship Terminology

I always make sure to book a cabin near the aft of the ship for a quieter and more peaceful experience. The aft refers to the rear of the ship, and it is a great location to avoid noise and crowds.

When it comes to ship navigation, the aft plays an important role. It is where the ship’s engines and propellers are located, allowing the vessel to move forward.

Understanding the ship’s deck plan is also crucial when choosing a cabin. By referring to the deck plan, you can easily locate the position of the aft and select a cabin nearby. This way, you can enjoy the tranquility and serenity of the aft while still being conveniently positioned on the ship.

Air/Sea Packages: What You Need to Know

Booking an air/sea package for my cruise is a convenient way to have my airfare and cruise included in one package. It takes away the hassle of having to book them separately and ensures a seamless travel experience. With an air/sea package, I can enjoy the benefits of cruise line loyalty programs, such as priority boarding and exclusive perks. Additionally, these packages often include transportation from the airport to the port, making the journey even more convenient.

When it comes to onboard entertainment, cruise ships offer a wide range of options to keep passengers entertained throughout their journey. From Broadway-style shows and live music performances to comedy clubs and casinos, there is something for everyone. Many cruise lines also have partnerships with renowned entertainment companies, ensuring top-notch performances and experiences. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing evening or an action-packed night, the entertainment options on a cruise ship are sure to impress.

Alternative Dining: Exploring Onboard Food Options

Exploring the variety of alternative dining options onboard is an exciting part of the cruise experience. From specialty restaurants to dining package options, there is something for every palate.

Specialty restaurants offer a unique and intimate dining experience, with menus curated by renowned chefs. Whether you crave sushi, steak, or seafood, these restaurants provide a culinary journey that will tantalize your taste buds.

Dining package options allow you to enjoy multiple specialty restaurants at a discounted price. With these packages, you can savor different cuisines and indulge in a variety of flavors throughout your cruise.

Whether you choose a la carte dining or opt for a package, the alternative dining options onboard are sure to satisfy even the most discerning food connoisseur.

Atrium: The Heart of the Ship

The atrium is a bustling hub of activity, with its grand staircase, shops, and entertainment venues. It is the heart of the ship, where guests gather to socialize, relax, and enjoy various events.

The architecture of the atrium is impressive, with its multi-level design and beautiful glass elevators that offer panoramic views of the surrounding areas. From live music performances to art exhibitions, the atrium hosts a wide range of events that cater to different interests and preferences.

Whether you want to shop for souvenirs, grab a drink at the bar, or simply soak in the vibrant atmosphere, the atrium is the place to be. It truly showcases the essence of cruise ship living and adds to the overall charm and excitement of the voyage.

Balcony Cabins: Enjoying Private Outdoor Space

I love relaxing on the private balcony of my cabin, enjoying the fresh ocean breeze and panoramic views. It’s one of the many cabin amenities that maximize comfort onboard a cruise ship. Having a balcony cabin allows you to have your own outdoor space where you can unwind and take in the beauty of the sea.

When choosing the right balcony cabin, there are several factors to consider. First, the location of the cabin is important. Do you prefer a cabin at the front of the ship, known as the bow, or at the rear, known as the aft? Each location offers a different perspective and experience. Second, the size of the balcony is something to think about. Do you want a small balcony just for yourself or a larger one to accommodate your family or friends? Lastly, the view from the balcony is crucial. Do you want an unobstructed view of the ocean or are you okay with a partially obstructed view?

Here’s a table to summarize the factors to consider when choosing a balcony cabin:

Cruise Card and Cruise Director: Essential Onboard Essentials

When boarding the ship, it’s important to have my cruise card handy as it serves as my personal ID and allows me to access various amenities and services onboard.

The cruise card benefits are numerous. Firstly, it acts as a key to my cabin, allowing me to enter and exit easily. Additionally, it serves as a form of payment, eliminating the need to carry cash or credit cards while onboard. I can use it to purchase drinks, snacks, and souvenirs, as well as book shore excursions and spa treatments.

Furthermore, my cruise card grants me access to exclusive areas and events, such as the spa, specialty restaurants, and private lounges.

Another important aspect of the cruise experience is the cruise director. Their responsibilities include planning and organizing onboard activities, entertainment shows, and social events. They ensure that passengers have a memorable and enjoyable time during their cruise vacation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does a ship typically go into dry dock for refurbishments.

Ships typically go into dry dock for refurbishments on a regular basis. The frequency varies depending on the ship and its maintenance schedule. During the dry dock process, the ship undergoes repairs, upgrades, and renovations to ensure it remains in top condition.

What Is the Difference Between a French Balcony and a Regular Balcony Cabin?

A French balcony cabin is a cabin with a large window that opens to a shallow balcony. It offers a more intimate view of the ocean. Having a balcony on a cruise allows for fresh air and a private outdoor space.

Can You Explain the Difference Between an Inside Cabin and an Oceanview Cabin?

An inside cabin is a cabin without a window or balcony, while an oceanview cabin has a window or porthole for ocean views. Booking a balcony cabin offers benefits such as fresh air and scenic views. Suites provide a more luxurious experience compared to regular cabins.

How Can I Find the Deck Plan for a Specific Ship?

To find the deck plan for a specific ship, I would recommend visiting the cruise line’s website. They usually have detailed deck plans available for each ship. Popular cruise destinations may also have deck plans on their websites.

What Is the Role of the Cruise Director and What Kind of Events Do They Organize Onboard?

The cruise director plays a crucial role in organizing onboard events and ensuring passengers have a memorable experience. They are responsible for planning activities such as shows, parties, and games, keeping guests entertained throughout the cruise.

As we reach the end of this guide to cruise ship terminology and onboard essentials, I hope you feel like you’ve stepped into a world of wonder and excitement.

Like a captain navigating through calm waters, you now possess a wealth of knowledge about aft, air/sea packages, alternative dining, and more.

Picture yourself standing on the balcony of your cabin, the warm sea breeze gently caressing your face. With your cruise card in hand and the cruise director’s voice guiding you, you embark on an unforgettable journey.

So set your course for adventure and let the magic of cruising unfold before you.

Alfons is the visionary leader and driving force behind Voyager Info’s success. As the Editor in Chief, he brings a wealth of experience and an unwavering passion for travel to the helm of our cruise-centric platform.

With a lifelong fascination for exploring new horizons, Alfons discovered his love for the ocean and cruising at a young age. From sailing across pristine Caribbean waters to embarking on daring expeditions to far-flung destinations, he has amassed a treasure trove of first-hand experiences in the world of cruising.

Cunard’s Regal Role in Historic Coronation Festivities

Culinary Collaboration: American Queen Voyages Teams up With America’s Test Kitchen

Alfons is the visionary leader and driving force behind Voyager Info’s success. As the Editor in Chief, he brings a wealth of experience and an unwavering passion for travel to the helm of our cruise-centric platform. With a lifelong fascination for exploring new horizons, Alfons discovered his love for the ocean and cruising at a young age. From sailing across pristine Caribbean waters to embarking on daring expeditions to far-flung destinations, he has amassed a treasure trove of first-hand experiences in the world of cruising.

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When is peak cruise season.

Ah, the excitement of the prime cruising season! This is the magical time when the lure of the ocean becomes undeniable, and adventures across the expansive seas are merely on the edge of the horizon. But when exactly does this much-awaited period take place?

Well, my fellow travel enthusiasts, fear not, for I am here to guide you through the intricacies of peak cruise season. From the factors that determine it to the best destinations and insider secrets, we’ll leave no question unanswered.

So grab your sunscreen and get ready to set sail during the most exhilarating time of the year!

• Peak cruise season occurs during the summer months with ideal weather conditions.
• Schools being on break during this time makes it easier for families to plan vacations.
• Cruise lines often offer special promotions and discounts during peak season.
• Popular cruise destinations during peak season include the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska, and the South Pacific.

Understanding the Concept of Peak Cruise Season

Peak cruise season typically occurs during the summer months when the weather is warm and vacationers are looking to escape. There are several factors that influence why this time of year is considered the peak season for cruising.

First and foremost, the summer months offer ideal weather conditions for cruising, with calm seas and pleasant temperatures. Additionally, schools are on break during this time, making it easier for families to plan vacations.

The benefits of traveling during the peak season are plentiful. You can expect a wider range of itineraries and destinations to choose from, as well as more onboard activities and entertainment options. Furthermore, cruise lines often offer special promotions and discounts during this time to attract more passengers.

As we delve into the factors that determine peak cruise season, it becomes clear that there is much more to consider than just the time of year.

Factors That Determine Peak Cruise Season

One of the factors that determines when the cruise season is at its busiest is the weather. The popularity of certain cruise ports also plays a significant role in determining peak cruise season. Some ports, such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Barcelona, are known for their year-round cruise availability and attract thousands of passengers each year. Additionally, factors affecting cruise prices, such as school holidays and major events, can contribute to the peak season. To better understand the correlation between popular cruise ports and peak season, consider the following table:

As we explore popular destinations during peak cruise season, it becomes evident that these factors greatly influence when and where passengers choose to embark on their cruise adventures.

Popular Destinations During Peak Cruise Season

When it comes to planning the perfect cruise vacation, there are a few key factors to consider: the best cruise itineraries, top cruise destinations, and cruise line availability.

The right itinerary can make all the difference, offering a balance of exciting ports of call and relaxing days at sea.

From the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean to the awe-inspiring glaciers of Alaska, there are endless options to choose from when it comes to cruise destinations.

And of course, it’s important to consider the availability of your preferred cruise line, as different cruise lines offer unique experiences and amenities.

Best Cruise Itineraries

You’ll find the best cruise itineraries for your vacation. When it comes to choosing the perfect cruise itinerary, there are a few factors to consider. First, think about your interests. Are you looking for a relaxing beach getaway or an adventure-filled expedition? Some of the best cruise itineraries include popular cruise destinations such as the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska, and the South Pacific. Each of these regions offers unique experiences and attractions. For those seeking sun and sand, the Caribbean is a top choice with its pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. If you prefer history and culture, the Mediterranean offers a wealth of ancient ruins and charming coastal towns. For nature lovers, Alaska provides breathtaking landscapes and opportunities to spot wildlife. And for a truly exotic experience, the South Pacific islands offer a tropical paradise like no other. With so many options available, you’re sure to find the perfect cruise itinerary for your dream vacation.

Now let’s move on to the top cruise destinations.

Top Cruise Destinations

If you’re looking for a popular cruise destination, the Caribbean offers pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters. With its warm climate and stunning landscapes, it’s no wonder that the Caribbean is one of the top choices for cruise enthusiasts.

When it comes to exploring this tropical paradise, there are several cruise lines that offer exceptional experiences. Some of the best cruise lines to consider are Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and Norwegian Cruise Line. These cruise lines provide a wide range of itineraries, allowing you to visit multiple Caribbean islands and experience the diverse cultures and activities each one has to offer. Popular cruise routes in the Caribbean include the Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and Southern Caribbean.

Whether you prefer lounging on the beautiful beaches of Jamaica, exploring the vibrant markets of St. Maarten, or snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas, the Caribbean has something for everyone.

When it comes to cruise line availability, it’s important to plan ahead and book your trip in advance. Popular cruise routes and destinations tend to fill up quickly, especially during peak seasons. So, if you have your heart set on a Caribbean cruise, it’s recommended to secure your spot early to ensure availability and get the best deals.

Don’t wait until the last minute to book your dream vacation, as you may miss out on the opportunity to sail with your preferred cruise line or visit your desired destinations. By planning ahead and booking in advance, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable cruise experience in the Caribbean.

Cruise Line Availability

To secure your spot and get the best deals on a Caribbean cruise, make sure to plan ahead and book your trip well in advance. Cruise line availability can vary depending on the time of year and the popularity of the destination. During peak season, which is typically during the summer months and major holidays, availability can be limited and prices tend to be higher. It’s important to check with different cruise lines to see what options are available and to compare pricing. Here is a table to give you an idea of the availability and pricing for some popular cruise lines during peak season:

Best Time to Book a Cruise for Peak Season

The best time to book a cruise for peak season is during the early months of the year. This is when cruise lines tend to release their peak season travel deals, offering discounted rates and added incentives to attract travelers. By booking early, you can take advantage of these special offers and secure the best prices for your cruise vacation.

Here are some reasons why booking early is beneficial:

• More cabin options available
• Higher chance of securing popular itineraries

And here are some additional benefits of booking early:

• Opportunity to plan ahead and secure desired accommodations
• More time to research and compare cruise lines and itineraries

Now that you know the best time to book a cruise for peak season, let’s explore how to plan your itinerary for this exciting time of year.

How to Plan Your Itinerary for Peak Cruise Season

When planning a cruise during peak season, it’s important to consider the differences between off-peak and peak travel times.

Off-peak periods may offer lower prices and fewer crowds, but peak season often includes must-see destinations and special events.

Balancing relaxation and exploration is key, as you’ll want to make the most of your time on board while also experiencing the exciting ports of call.

Off-Peak Vs Peak?

Did you know that peak cruise season is the busiest time to travel, while off-peak offers fewer crowds and potentially better deals? When it comes to planning your cruise, it’s important to consider the advantages of traveling during the off-peak season.

Not only can you avoid the hustle and bustle of peak season activities, but you can also take advantage of off peak discounts that cruise lines often offer. Imagine having more space and time to explore the ship’s amenities without the crowds.

Additionally, off-peak cruise itineraries tend to visit less crowded ports, allowing for a more immersive and authentic experience. So, if you’re looking for a quieter, more affordable cruise experience, consider traveling during the off-peak season.

Now, let’s dive into some must-see destinations for your next cruise adventure.

Must-See Destinations?

Planning a cruise during the off-peak season allows you to explore unique and captivating destinations. Here are three must-see attractions and hidden gems that you should consider adding to your itinerary:

Santorini, Greece: This stunning island offers breathtaking views of the Aegean Sea and is known for its iconic white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Akrotiri, buried under volcanic ash for centuries.

Dubrovnik, Croatia: This medieval walled city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often referred to as the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic.’ Take a walk along the city walls for panoramic views, visit the historic Old Town, and explore the picturesque Lokrum Island.

Bora Bora, French Polynesia: Known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and overwater bungalows, Bora Bora is a paradise for beach lovers. Snorkel or dive in the vibrant coral reefs, relax on pristine beaches, and soak in the beauty of this tropical paradise.

By visiting these must-see attractions and hidden gems, you’ll have a truly unforgettable cruise experience.

Now, let’s talk about balancing relaxation and exploration on your trip.

Balancing Relaxation and Exploration

Exploring unique destinations while also finding time to relax is essential for a well-balanced cruise experience. Balancing relaxation and exploration allows you to make the most of your time on board and maximize your enjoyment and exploration.

While it’s tempting to spend every minute exploring the exciting ports of call, it’s equally important to take advantage of the onboard amenities and activities that promote relaxation and rejuvenation. Whether it’s lounging by the pool, indulging in a spa treatment, or simply enjoying a leisurely meal with a stunning ocean view, these moments of relaxation are just as important as the time spent exploring ashore.

By finding the right balance between relaxation and exploration, you can ensure that your cruise experience is both fulfilling and rejuvenating.

As you start planning your next cruise, it’s important to keep in mind the tips for finding the best cruise deals during peak season.

Tips for Finding the Best Cruise Deals During Peak Season

To find the best cruise deals during peak season, you’ll want to start your search early and be flexible with your travel dates. Trust me, it’s worth the effort! Here are a few tips to help you snag those last minute deals and find budget-friendly cruise options:

Compare Multiple Websites : Don’t settle for the first deal you come across. Check out different travel websites to compare prices and find the best offers.

Sign up for Newsletters : Stay in the loop by subscribing to newsletters from cruise lines and travel agencies. They often send out exclusive deals and discounts to their subscribers.

Consider Repositioning Cruises : These cruises are a great way to explore multiple destinations at a lower cost. They occur when ships are moving from one region to another, and often offer discounted fares.

By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect cruise deal.

Now, let’s dive into what to expect during peak cruise season.

What to Expect During Peak Cruise Season

Be prepared for large crowds and busy itineraries when you book your cruise during the peak season. While it may seem overwhelming, there are actually many benefits to cruising during this time.

One of the main advantages is that the cruise ships are often at their fullest capacity, which means that there will be a wide range of activities and entertainment options available to passengers. Additionally, the cruise lines usually plan special events and festivals during the peak season, making it an exciting time to be on board.

To manage the crowds, the cruise lines have implemented various strategies such as staggered embarkation times and advanced reservation systems for popular activities. This ensures that everyone has a chance to enjoy everything the ship has to offer.

Must-See Events and Festivals During Peak Season

Don’t miss out on the exciting events and festivals happening during this busy time on board the cruise ship.

Peak cruise season is the perfect time to experience some must-see events and festivals that will make your trip even more memorable.

From lively music festivals to vibrant cultural celebrations, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Take part in the popular activities and excursions, such as wine tastings, cooking classes, and snorkeling adventures.

Immerse yourself in the local culture by attending traditional dance performances or exploring local markets.

These events and festivals offer a unique opportunity to connect with the destination and create lasting memories.

So, make sure to check the cruise itinerary and plan your activities accordingly.

Now, let’s explore the benefits of traveling during peak cruise season.

Benefits of Traveling During Peak Cruise Season

When it comes to traveling during peak cruise season, there are two major benefits that are worth considering.

Firstly, traveling during peak season can often result in significant cost savings due to the increased competition among cruise lines. This means that you can take advantage of discounted prices and special promotions, making your cruise experience more affordable.

Secondly, during peak season, cruise ships tend to offer a wider range of onboard activities and entertainment options. From live shows and themed parties to cooking classes and water sports, there is something for everyone to enjoy while sailing the high seas.

Cost Savings During Peak Season

Save money during peak cruise season by taking advantage of special discounts and promotions.

When planning a cruise vacation, it’s important to consider cost-effective options and budget-friendly destinations. Many cruise lines offer discounted rates during peak season, allowing travelers to experience the beauty of popular destinations without breaking the bank.

From the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, there are plenty of affordable options to choose from. By booking during peak season, you can take advantage of lower fares and enjoy the same breathtaking views and luxurious amenities.

In addition to cost savings, peak season also offers more onboard activities available for guests to enjoy. From live entertainment to culinary experiences, there is never a dull moment on a cruise ship during peak season.

So why wait? Start planning your budget-friendly cruise vacation today and experience the best of both worlds – savings and enjoyment.

More Onboard Activities Available

There’s never a dull moment on a cruise ship during peak season. There are plenty of onboard activities available for guests to enjoy. Whether you’re looking to relax by the pool, indulge in gourmet dining experiences, or dance the night away at a vibrant onboard nightclub, cruise ships are designed to maximize entertainment options for everyone.

Here are three ways cruise lines ensure guests have a memorable experience:

Onboard amenities: Cruise ships are equipped with a wide range of amenities to cater to every interest. From luxurious spas and fitness centers to sports courts and water parks, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Entertainment shows: Cruise ships offer top-notch entertainment shows that rival those found on land. From Broadway-style productions to comedy shows and live music performances, guests can enjoy world-class entertainment every night.

Facilities for all ages: Cruise ships go above and beyond to cater to guests of all ages. Kids and teens can have a blast at dedicated youth clubs, while adults can unwind at upscale lounges or try their luck at the onboard casinos.

With so many onboard amenities and facilities, cruise ships truly offer a one-of-a-kind vacation experience. Now, let’s explore the top cruise lines for peak season travel.

Top Cruise Lines for Peak Season Travel

If you’re looking for the top cruise lines to travel during peak season, you should consider Royal Caribbean and Carnival. These two cruise lines are known for their exceptional service, diverse itineraries, and top-notch amenities.

When it comes to peak season pricing, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival offer competitive rates and special promotions to attract travelers. Royal Caribbean is known for its innovative ships, thrilling activities like rock climbing walls and surf simulators, and a wide range of dining options. Carnival, on the other hand, is famous for its fun-filled atmosphere, vibrant entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

Whether you’re seeking adventure or relaxation, these cruise lines have something for everyone.

Now, let’s discuss how to avoid crowds during peak cruise season.

How to Avoid Crowds During Peak Cruise Season

When it comes to cruising, timing is everything. If you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy a quieter experience, it’s important to choose the right time to set sail.

Additionally, selecting off-peak destinations can also provide solitude and a more peaceful atmosphere. By considering both the timing and the destination, you can ensure a serene and relaxing cruise experience.

Timing for Quieter Cruises

For a more peaceful experience, consider cruising during the quieter seasons. Not only will you be able to enjoy the tranquility of the open seas, but you’ll also have the opportunity to avoid the crowds that often come with peak cruise season.

Here are some strategies for avoiding the hustle and bustle:

• Choose off-peak times: Look for cruises during the shoulder seasons or even during weekdays when fewer people tend to travel.
• Opt for lesser-known destinations: Instead of the popular ports of call, consider exploring lesser-known destinations that are less crowded.
• Book a longer cruise: Longer cruises tend to attract fewer passengers, providing a more serene atmosphere onboard.
• Research the ship’s capacity: Before booking, find out the maximum capacity of the ship to ensure it’s not overcrowded.
• Take advantage of themed cruises: Some themed cruises attract a specific niche market, resulting in smaller crowds and a more relaxed experience.

By following these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a quiet cruise experience.

Now, let’s explore some off-peak destinations for solitude.

Off-Peak Destinations for Solitude

Exploring lesser-known destinations can provide a more serene and peaceful experience for those seeking solitude on a cruise. While popular cruise destinations like the Caribbean and Mediterranean are bustling with tourists during peak season, there are hidden gems that offer a quieter atmosphere.

One such destination is Alaska, with its breathtaking landscapes and remote ports of call. Imagine sailing through glaciers and spotting wildlife in their natural habitat, all while enjoying the tranquility that solitude brings. Another option is the Norwegian Fjords, where you can witness stunning waterfalls and dramatic cliffs without the crowds. These solitude destinations allow you to truly immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, away from the hustle and bustle of popular tourist spots.

So, if you’re looking for a peaceful cruise experience, consider these hidden gems.

Speaking of cruising, let’s now talk about what to pack for a cruise during peak season.

What to Pack for a Cruise During Peak Season

Packing for a cruise during peak season can be challenging due to limited storage space. However, with careful planning and some essential items, you can make the most of your cruise experience.

First and foremost, packing essentials such as sunscreen, comfortable shoes, and a swimsuit are a must. Don’t forget to bring formal attire for special events and dinners on board.

When it comes to cruise fashion, think lightweight and versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched. Maxi dresses, shorts, and breathable fabrics are great choices. It’s also important to pack a small day bag for excursions and a waterproof phone case for capturing those unforgettable moments.

As peak cruise season brings larger crowds and higher prices, it’s essential to plan ahead and book early.

Now, let’s explore the pros and cons of peak cruise season versus the off-season.

Peak Cruise Season Vs. Off-Season: Pros and Cons

When planning your cruise, it’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of traveling during the busiest times versus the quieter periods. Balancing relaxation and exploration is crucial, as well as finding cost savings during peak season. To help you make an informed decision, here is a comparison table:

How Weather Affects Peak Cruise Season

Considering the weather conditions can greatly influence the experience of your cruise. The impact of weather on cruise popularity cannot be underestimated. Here are three reasons why weather plays a crucial role in the peak cruise season:

Smooth Sailing: Good weather ensures calm seas and smooth sailing, providing a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for passengers. It reduces the chances of seasickness and allows for uninterrupted exploration of the ship’s amenities and activities.

Sightseeing Opportunities: Clear skies and favorable weather conditions make for excellent sightseeing opportunities during a cruise. Whether it’s gazing at breathtaking sunsets or spotting marine wildlife, favorable weather enhances the overall experience and ensures memorable moments.

Outdoor Activities: Many cruise itineraries include various outdoor activities such as snorkeling, swimming, or beach visits. With pleasant weather, you can fully enjoy these activities without any disruptions, maximizing your fun and relaxation on board.

With the weather impact in mind, it’s important to know insider secrets for maximizing your cruise experience during peak season.

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Insider Secrets for Maximizing Your Cruise Experience During Peak Season

One of the best ways to enhance your cruise experience during the busiest times is by taking advantage of insider tips. Here are some insider secrets for maximizing your cruise amenities and ensuring a hassle-free embarkation process.

Can I Get a Refund if I Book a Cruise During Peak Season and Later Decide to Cancel?

Yes, you can usually get a refund if you book a cruise during peak season and later decide to cancel. However, keep in mind that there might be cancellation fees depending on the specific refund policy of the cruise line.

Are There Any Discounts or Special Promotions Available for Cruises During Peak Season?

During peak cruise season, there are often discounts and special promotions available. However, it’s important to carefully review the terms and conditions as there may be hidden charges or restrictions on these offers.

How Far in Advance Should I Book a Cruise for Peak Season to Ensure Availability?

I always make sure to book my cruise for peak season well in advance to secure availability. It’s like catching a wave at the perfect moment – timing is everything!

Are There Any Activities or Attractions That Are Exclusive to Peak Cruise Season?

During peak cruise season, there are many exclusive activities and attractions available. From special onboard entertainment to unique shore excursions, the benefits of cruising during this time ensure a memorable and exciting experience.

Are There Any Hidden Fees or Additional Charges I Should Be Aware of When Booking a Cruise During Peak Season?

When booking a cruise during peak season, it’s important to be aware of any hidden fees or additional charges. I’ve found that doing thorough research and reading the fine print can help avoid any surprises.

In conclusion, after thorough research and analysis, it is clear that peak cruise season is a thrilling and captivating time to embark on a cruise adventure.

The theory that peak season offers the best experiences and opportunities to explore popular destinations has been proven true.

The excitement and buzz that surrounds peak season cannot be denied, and it is a time when cruise enthusiasts can truly immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere and make memories to last a lifetime.

Don’t miss out on the chance to experience the peak cruise season and all the wonders it has to offer.

Book your cruise now and get ready for an unforgettable journey!

Why Is Norovirus Common on Cruise Ships

As a frequent cruiser, I’ve always wondered about the common presence of norovirus on these luxurious ships. This worry is not mine alone, leading to a more detailed investigation into this highly contagious virus.

In this article, we will explore the factors that contribute to norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships, such as high population density and shared facilities. We’ll also discuss the challenges in controlling its spread and the efforts made by public health officials.

So, let’s dive in and uncover the reasons behind the common occurrence of norovirus on cruise ships.

• Norovirus spreads easily on cruise ships due to the fecal-oral route and contaminated food and water.
• Factors contributing to norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships include lack of effective quarantine protocols, inconsistent implementation of transmission prevention strategies, high population density, close quarters, and limited sanitation opportunities.
• Challenges in controlling norovirus spread on cruise ships include inadequate hygiene practices, high passenger turnover, shared dining facilities, and the constant influx and departure of passengers.
• Environmental conditions, such as the survival of norovirus on surfaces and in water, as well as its transmission through respiratory droplets, contribute to the risk of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.

The Nature of Norovirus

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes stomach and intestinal inflammation. It is important to understand the factors affecting its transmission and the prevention strategies to combat its spread.

Norovirus is primarily transmitted through the fecal-oral route, meaning it can spread when infected individuals do not practice proper hand hygiene after using the bathroom. Additionally, contaminated food and water can serve as vehicles for transmission.

Prevention strategies include frequent handwashing with soap and water, especially before eating or preparing food, and after using the bathroom. Thoroughly cooking food and avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods is also crucial. Proper sanitation of surfaces and disinfection of contaminated areas are essential in preventing norovirus outbreaks.

Understanding these factors and implementing effective prevention strategies is key in reducing the spread of norovirus.

Now, let’s explore the factors contributing to norovirus outbreaks.

Factors Contributing to Norovirus Outbreaks

To avoid norovirus outbreaks, it’s important to frequently wash your hands and practice good hygiene while on board. However, there are other factors that contribute to the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships.

One such factor is the lack of effective quarantine protocols. When a passenger or crew member is infected with norovirus, it is crucial to isolate them and prevent further transmission. Unfortunately, some cruise ships do not have proper quarantine measures in place, allowing the virus to spread rapidly among the passengers and staff.

Additionally, transmission prevention strategies, such as thorough cleaning and disinfection of common areas, are not always implemented consistently. This further facilitates the spread of norovirus.

With these factors in mind, it is evident that the high population density on cruise ships plays a significant role in the frequent outbreaks of norovirus.

High Population Density on Cruise Ships

Close quarters on cruise ships facilitate the transmission of norovirus. This is due to the proximity of individuals and the ease with which the virus can spread through respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces.

With thousands of passengers and crew members in close proximity, it becomes difficult to contain the virus and prevent its spread.

Additionally, limited sanitation opportunities increase the risk of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships. This is because proper hand hygiene and disinfection practices may not be consistently followed. As a result, the virus can persist and infect more individuals.

Close Quarters Facilitate Transmission

Due to the tight living spaces on cruise ships, it’s easier for norovirus to spread among passengers and crew members. The close quarters provide an ideal environment for the virus to thrive and transmit from person to person. Here are some reasons why the close quarters facilitate transmission:

Limited personal space: Passengers and crew members often share small cabins, making it difficult to maintain proper hygiene and avoid close contact with infected individuals.

Shared facilities: Common areas such as dining halls, entertainment venues, and recreational facilities increase the likelihood of virus transmission through contaminated surfaces and close proximity.

The transmission of norovirus on cruise ships has a significant impact on public health. Outbreaks can affect a large number of individuals within a short period, leading to severe illness and potential complications. Additionally, the confined nature of the ship can hinder effective transmission prevention measures, further exacerbating the spread.

As we explore the next section, it becomes evident that the limited sanitation opportunities on cruise ships increase the risk of norovirus outbreaks.

Limited Sanitation Opportunities Increase Risk

Make sure you take advantage of every available opportunity to sanitize your hands and surfaces, as the limited sanitation options on board put you at a higher risk for infection. On cruise ships, the ability to maintain proper hygiene is often compromised due to a variety of factors. For instance, the table below illustrates the limited sanitation opportunities on board and the potential risks associated with them:

These factors create an environment where norovirus can easily spread. Insufficient handwashing stations make it challenging for passengers and crew members to thoroughly clean their hands, increasing the risk of transmitting the virus. Crowded common areas provide ample opportunities for person-to-person transmission through close contact. Additionally, shared bathroom facilities can become contaminated with norovirus, leading to the spread of the virus through contact with contaminated surfaces.

As we delve into the next section discussing shared facilities and contaminated surfaces, it becomes evident that these conditions further contribute to the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships.

Shared Facilities and Contaminated Surfaces

To prevent the spread of norovirus on cruise ships, you should regularly clean and disinfect shared facilities and surfaces. Contaminated water sources and transmission through air particles are two key factors contributing to the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships.

Norovirus can be present in water sources, such as swimming pools or hot tubs, if they are not properly treated or maintained. Additionally, the virus can be transmitted through tiny particles in the air when an infected person vomits or has diarrhea. These particles can settle on surfaces and contaminate them, leading to further spread of the virus.

Therefore, it is crucial to regularly clean and disinfect common areas, such as dining areas, restrooms, and handrails, to prevent norovirus from spreading. However, despite these preventive measures, challenges in controlling norovirus spread still persist.

Challenges in Controlling Norovirus Spread

Inadequate hygiene practices, high passenger turnover, and shared dining facilities are three key factors that contribute to the challenges in controlling the spread of norovirus on cruise ships.

Firstly, many passengers may not adhere to proper hand hygiene, which can facilitate the transmission of the virus.

Secondly, the constant influx and departure of passengers on cruise ships create a dynamic environment where the virus can easily be introduced and spread.

Lastly, shared dining facilities, where large numbers of people gather to eat, can serve as hotspots for norovirus transmission, especially if proper cleaning and disinfection protocols are not followed.

Understanding and addressing these factors is crucial in implementing effective measures to prevent and control norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.

Inadequate Hygiene Practices

One reason norovirus is common on cruise ships is because passengers and crew members often don’t practice proper hygiene. Inadequate cleaning and lack of awareness contribute to the spread of this highly contagious virus. Here are three key factors that contribute to the inadequate hygiene practices on board:

Insufficient cleaning protocols: Cruise ships have a high passenger turnover, making it challenging to maintain cleanliness. Inadequate cleaning of surfaces and shared spaces can allow the virus to thrive and spread easily.

Lack of hand hygiene: Many passengers and crew members fail to follow proper handwashing techniques, including using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This allows the virus to transfer from contaminated surfaces to hands and then to the mouth, leading to infection.

Limited awareness: Some individuals may not be aware of the importance of practicing good hygiene to prevent the spread of norovirus. Lack of knowledge about the virus and its transmission can contribute to the continued spread on cruise ships.

With inadequate hygiene practices in place, it is not surprising that norovirus outbreaks occur frequently on cruise ships. The combination of these factors creates an environment conducive to the rapid spread of the virus.

High Passenger Turnover

With so many passengers coming and going, it’s no wonder that cruise ships have a high turnover rate. This constant flow of people creates a challenging environment when it comes to maintaining proper sanitation practices. Limited opportunities for passengers to practice good hygiene can contribute to the spread of illnesses like norovirus.

Cruise ships are essentially floating cities, accommodating thousands of passengers at a time. However, the limited number of sanitation stations can make it difficult for passengers to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly. Additionally, the close proximity of passengers in confined spaces increases the risk of person-to-person transmission.

These factors, combined with the high passenger turnover, create an ideal environment for the rapid spread of norovirus and other infectious diseases.

As we explore further, we will delve into another crucial aspect of cruise ship hygiene: the shared dining facilities.

Shared Dining Facilities

The close proximity of passengers in confined spaces on cruise ships can increase the risk of person-to-person transmission, which is why shared dining facilities are a concern. Limited dining options and the large number of people using these facilities can contribute to the spread of norovirus.

Research has shown that contaminated food is a common source of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships. In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was found that 75% of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships were caused by contaminated food. This highlights the importance of proper food handling and sanitation practices in preventing the transmission of norovirus.

Inadequate hand hygiene practices also play a significant role in the spread of norovirus, which will be discussed in the next section.

Inadequate Hand Hygiene Practices

Norovirus is often spread on cruise ships due to people not practicing adequate hand hygiene. This is a significant factor in the transmission of the virus, as it can easily be passed from person to person through contaminated hands. The lack of proper handwashing techniques and hygiene education contributes to the rapid spread of norovirus on cruise ships.

Here are some reasons why inadequate hand hygiene practices contribute to the spread of norovirus on cruise ships:

Insufficient handwashing: Many people do not wash their hands for the recommended duration of at least 20 seconds, or they may not wash their hands at all.

Improper handwashing technique: Some individuals may not use soap or fail to cover all surfaces of their hands, including the backs, between fingers, and under nails.

Lack of hand sanitizer use: Hand sanitizers can be effective in killing norovirus, but not everyone uses them regularly.

Poor hand hygiene education: Some passengers may not be aware of the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of norovirus.

With inadequate hand hygiene practices being a significant contributor to norovirus transmission on cruise ships, it is crucial to address this issue to prevent further outbreaks.

Transitioning to the next section about foodborne transmission of norovirus, it is essential to understand another route by which the virus can spread onboard.

Foodborne Transmission of Norovirus

When it comes to the foodborne transmission of norovirus, there are several key points to consider.

First, contaminated food sources can play a significant role in spreading the virus. Whether it’s contaminated water used in food preparation or raw ingredients that carry the virus, these sources can easily contaminate the final product.

Second, inadequate food handling practices can also contribute to the transmission of norovirus. From improper hand hygiene to cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods, these practices can introduce the virus into the food supply chain.

Contaminated Food Sources

Contaminated food sources can contribute to the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis, leading to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. It is responsible for a significant number of foodborne illnesses worldwide.

Foodborne transmission occurs when the virus is present in contaminated food or water and is ingested by individuals. On cruise ships, where large numbers of people gather in close quarters, the risk of norovirus transmission is heightened.

Contaminated food sources, such as raw or undercooked shellfish, fruits, vegetables, and contaminated water used for cooking or drinking, can introduce the virus into the ship’s food supply. This highlights the importance of proper food handling and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of the virus among passengers and crew members.

Inadequate food handling can further exacerbate the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships.

Inadequate Food Handling

To prevent the spread of the illness, you should always practice proper food handling techniques on a cruise ship. The following food handling practices and sanitation measures are essential to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers:

Handwashing: Regular and thorough handwashing with soap and water is crucial before and after handling food. This helps to eliminate any potential pathogens that may be present.

Proper storage: Food should be stored at appropriate temperatures to prevent bacterial growth. Refrigerated items must be kept below 40°F, and hot foods should be maintained above 140°F.

Cross-contamination prevention: To avoid the transfer of bacteria from one food to another, separate raw and cooked foods and use different utensils and cutting boards.

Regular cleaning and sanitizing: All food preparation surfaces, utensils, and equipment should be cleaned and sanitized regularly to minimize the risk of contamination.

Lack of Proper Sanitation

Inadequate food handling is not the only reason why norovirus is common on cruise ships. Another significant factor is the lack of proper sanitation practices.

Cruise ships are like floating cities with thousands of passengers and crew members living in close quarters. This crowded environment makes it easier for the virus to spread. Despite efforts to maintain cleanliness, it is challenging to control the transmission of norovirus in such a confined space.

Many surfaces, such as handrails, doorknobs, and dining areas, can become contaminated, allowing the virus to persist and infect more individuals. Proper sanitation practices, including frequent cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, proper hand hygiene, and isolation protocols for infected individuals, are crucial for disease prevention on cruise ships.

However, even with these measures in place, the impact of close contact and socialization cannot be overlooked.

Impact of Close Contact and Socialization

Close contact and socialization on cruise ships contribute to the high prevalence of norovirus. The impact of socialization cannot be underestimated when it comes to the transmission risks of this highly contagious virus.

Cruise ships are known for their close quarters and crowded spaces, making it easy for norovirus to spread from person to person. When people gather in dining areas, lounges, or participate in group activities, they are unknowingly creating opportunities for the virus to pass from one individual to another.

Additionally, the nature of cruise ship travel involves people from different regions and backgrounds coming together, increasing the chances of introducing new strains of the virus.

Understanding the role of close contact and socialization is crucial in preventing and controlling norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.

This leads us to the next section, where we will explore the environmental conditions favoring norovirus survival.

Environmental Conditions Favoring Norovirus Survival

When you’re in confined spaces with many people, such as on a cruise ship, it’s important to be aware of the environmental conditions that can support the survival of norovirus. Norovirus is notorious for its ability to persist in various environments.

Studies have shown that it can survive on surfaces for up to several days, especially on hard surfaces like stainless steel and plastic. Additionally, the virus can remain infectious in water for extended periods of time. This means that even if a contaminated surface or water source has been cleaned, there is still a risk of transmission if proper disinfection measures are not taken.

Furthermore, norovirus can spread through respiratory droplets, making it highly transmissible in crowded spaces like cruise ship cabins and dining areas. This highlights the importance of implementing effective cleaning and hygiene protocols to minimize the risk of norovirus transmission on cruise ships.

With these environmental conditions in mind, it becomes crucial to understand the limited quarantine measures that are often in place on cruise ships.

Limited Quarantine Measures on Cruise Ships

It’s important to understand the limited quarantine measures in place on cruise ships to effectively minimize the risk of transmission. The limited medical resources available on these vessels make it challenging to implement comprehensive quarantine protocols.

Cruise ships often have limited medical staff and facilities, which can hinder the ability to isolate and treat infected individuals effectively. This limited capacity puts a strain on the cruise ship industry as outbreaks of norovirus can negatively impact their reputation and profitability.

The industry is constantly working to improve these measures, but the confined nature of cruise ships makes it difficult to completely eradicate the risk of transmission. Nonetheless, cruise lines are taking steps to mitigate the spread of norovirus and ensure the safety of their passengers and crew.

Speaking of crew and norovirus transmission…

Cruise Ship Crew and Norovirus Transmission

In my previous section, I discussed the limited quarantine measures on cruise ships, which can contribute to the spread of norovirus. Now, I want to shift the focus to the health of the cruise ship crew and the strategies in place to prevent norovirus transmission.

Ensuring the health of the crew is crucial in preventing the spread of norovirus on cruise ships. Cruise lines have implemented strict policies to maintain crew health, including regular hand hygiene training, monitoring of symptoms, and isolation of ill crew members. Additionally, crew members are required to follow strict food handling and preparation protocols to reduce the risk of contamination.

These prevention strategies play a vital role in minimizing norovirus outbreaks onboard. However, it is essential to understand that despite these measures, norovirus can still be introduced to the ship through various sources, including infected passengers, contaminated food or water, and even shore excursions.

Transitioning into the subsequent section about cruise ship itineraries and norovirus risk, it is necessary to consider how different destinations and activities can influence the likelihood of norovirus outbreaks.

Cruise Ship Itineraries and Norovirus Risk

To minimize the risk of norovirus outbreaks, you should consider how different destinations and activities on your cruise itinerary may influence the likelihood of transmission. Cruise ship itineraries play a significant role in the prevention of norovirus outbreaks. Research has shown that certain destinations and activities are more prone to norovirus transmission than others.

For example, crowded ports and excursions that involve close contact with local populations can increase the risk of exposure to the virus. Additionally, onboard activities such as buffets and shared recreational spaces can also contribute to the spread of norovirus. These findings have had a significant impact on the cruise industry, as outbreaks can result in negative publicity and financial losses.

Therefore, cruise lines have implemented measures to mitigate these risks, such as improved sanitation practices and increased passenger education. By considering these factors, passengers can make informed decisions to minimize their chances of contracting norovirus during their cruise.

Transitioning into the next section about public health efforts to prevent norovirus outbreaks, it is important to note that these efforts go beyond individual actions and involve coordinated strategies to safeguard public health.

Public Health Efforts to Prevent Norovirus Outbreaks

By following proper hygiene practices and staying informed about public health guidelines, you can actively contribute to the prevention of norovirus outbreaks. Public health strategies play a crucial role in outbreak management, focusing on both prevention and control measures. These strategies include promoting hand hygiene, implementing proper food safety practices, and conducting thorough environmental cleaning and disinfection. By adhering to these measures, individuals can reduce the risk of norovirus transmission and protect themselves and others from infection.

Moreover, cruise ships often have strict protocols in place to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members. These protocols may include pre-boarding health screenings, onboard medical facilities, and isolation procedures in case of an outbreak. By implementing these public health strategies, cruise ships can effectively manage norovirus outbreaks and minimize their impact on passengers and crew members.

Moving forward, it is essential to highlight the importance of surveillance and reporting in detecting and responding to norovirus outbreaks.

Importance of Surveillance and Reporting

Make sure you are vigilant about surveillance and reporting, as it plays a crucial role in detecting and responding to outbreaks. Effective surveillance systems and reporting procedures are essential in identifying and monitoring the occurrence of norovirus on cruise ships.

By collecting and analyzing data on cases and symptoms, public health authorities can identify patterns and trends, allowing for early detection and intervention. Surveillance systems rely on surveillance officers and healthcare professionals on board who are trained to promptly report any suspected cases. This timely reporting enables public health agencies to implement appropriate control measures, such as isolation of affected individuals and enhanced cleaning protocols.

It is through these surveillance systems and reporting procedures that outbreaks can be contained and the spread of norovirus minimized.

Now, let’s move on to recommendations for cruise ship passengers and crew to prevent the transmission of norovirus.

Recommendations for Cruise Ship Passengers and Crew

When it comes to preventing norovirus transmission on cruise ships, there are several key points to consider.

First, implementing effective hygiene practices on board is crucial. This includes frequent handwashing, proper sanitization of surfaces, and ensuring food safety protocols are followed.

Additionally, vaccination requirements and recommendations can play a significant role in reducing the risk of norovirus outbreaks on cruises, as vaccinations can help to boost immunity and prevent the spread of the virus.

Preventing Norovirus Transmission

One way to prevent the transmission of norovirus on cruise ships is by regularly disinfecting common areas. Maintaining cleanliness is crucial in preventing the spread of this highly contagious virus. The importance of cleanliness cannot be overstated when it comes to norovirus prevention measures.

By disinfecting surfaces such as handrails, door handles, and dining areas, the risk of transmission can be significantly reduced. Ensuring that crew members follow strict cleaning protocols and using effective disinfectants are essential in maintaining a hygienic environment on board.

Additionally, promoting proper hand hygiene among passengers and crew members through education and readily available hand sanitizers can further prevent the spread of norovirus. By implementing these preventive measures, cruise ships can create a safer and healthier environment for all on board, minimizing the risk of norovirus outbreaks.

Transitioning into the next section about hygiene practices on board, it is important to consider additional measures that can be taken to prevent the spread of norovirus.

Hygiene Practices on Board

Maintaining cleanliness and promoting good hand hygiene are essential for preventing the spread of norovirus on board. Improving hygiene practices can have a significant impact on public health and reduce the risk of norovirus outbreaks.

Cruise ships are known to be susceptible to norovirus due to the close proximity of passengers and crew members, making it crucial to implement effective hygiene measures. Regular handwashing with soap and water, especially before eating and after using the restroom, is vital in preventing norovirus transmission.

Additionally, proper cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces, such as handrails and doorknobs, can help eliminate the virus. By prioritizing hygiene practices and implementing robust protocols, cruise lines can minimize the risk of norovirus outbreaks and enhance the overall health and safety of passengers and crew members.

As we move into the next section on vaccination requirements and recommendations, it is important to consider the additional measures that can be taken to further protect against norovirus.

Vaccination Requirements and Recommendations

To protect yourself and others from norovirus, make sure you check the vaccination requirements and recommendations before boarding the ship. Vaccinations are an important tool in preventing the spread of norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that can cause severe symptoms. Here are three key points to consider:

Vaccination effectiveness: Vaccines can significantly reduce the risk of contracting norovirus. Studies have shown that vaccinated individuals have a lower likelihood of getting sick and spreading the virus to others.

Potential side effects: Like any medication, vaccines can have side effects. However, the side effects of norovirus vaccines are generally mild and temporary, such as soreness at the injection site or a low-grade fever. Severe adverse reactions are extremely rare.

Consult with healthcare professionals: Before getting vaccinated, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider. They can provide personalized advice based on your medical history and any specific concerns you may have.

How Long Does Norovirus Survive on Surfaces?

Norovirus can survive on surfaces for days, making it highly transmissible. Its ability to persist on surfaces contributes to its common occurrence on cruise ships, where close quarters and shared facilities facilitate transmission.

Can Norovirus Be Transmitted Through the Air?

Yes, norovirus can be transmitted through the air. It spreads easily in close quarters like cruise ships. To prevent airborne transmission, proper ventilation and hand hygiene are crucial.

Are There Any Specific Foods That Are More Likely to Be Contaminated With Norovirus?

Specific foods, such as raw shellfish, leafy greens, and fresh fruits, are more likely to be contaminated with norovirus. Proper food safety measures, like thorough cooking and hand hygiene, are essential in preventing foodborne illnesses on cruise ships.

How Effective Are the Quarantine Measures on Cruise Ships in Preventing Norovirus Outbreaks?

Quarantine measures on cruise ships can be effective in preventing norovirus outbreaks. Hand sanitizers play a crucial role in reducing the spread of the virus, and the diligence of crew members is key in maintaining proper sanitation practices.

What Steps Can Cruise Ship Passengers Take to Protect Themselves From Norovirus?

To protect myself from norovirus on a cruise ship, I can take steps like washing my hands frequently, avoiding touching my face, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals. Common symptoms of norovirus infection include vomiting and diarrhea.

In conclusion, the prevalence of norovirus on cruise ships can be attributed to various factors. These factors include the nature of the virus, high population density, shared facilities, and contaminated surfaces. Controlling the spread of norovirus on cruise ships can be challenging due to the close proximity of passengers and crew members.

However, public health efforts have been implemented to prevent outbreaks. These efforts include surveillance and reporting. For example, in a recent case study, a cruise ship successfully contained a norovirus outbreak. They did this by implementing strict hygiene protocols and isolating affected individuals.

It is crucial for both passengers and crew to follow recommendations to minimize the risk of norovirus transmission. These recommendations include frequent handwashing and avoiding shared utensils.

What Time Can You Get in Your Room on Carnival Cruise

Hello! Ever wondered when you can check into your cozy cabin on a Carnival Cruise? Stress no further, as I’ve got all the thrilling details you’re looking for.

In this article, I’ll be your trusty guide, providing informative and detailed insights into when you can expect to gain access to your room.

From early check-in options to room availability for different cabin types, I’ll leave no question unanswered.

So sit back, relax, and let’s embark on this journey together!

• Smooth check-in process with presentation of ID and cruise documents
• Early room access available for a hassle-free start to the cruise experience
• Different cabin types offer additional perks and amenities
• Priority guests and group bookings may have different check-in times and benefits

Early Check-in Options

You can typically get in your room early on a Carnival cruise. The check-in process is quite smooth, but there are a few key card issues you should be aware of.

When you arrive at the port, you will need to present your ID and cruise documents to complete the check-in process. Once that’s done, you will be issued a key card that will serve as your room access throughout the cruise. However, there may be instances where your key card doesn’t work initially.

In such cases, the cruise staff will be readily available to assist you and resolve any issues promptly. It’s always a good idea to double-check your key card before leaving the check-in area to ensure a hassle-free room access upon boarding.

Room Access Upon Boarding

Upon boarding the Carnival cruise, guests can access their rooms at a specified time. Early room check-in is available for those who want to settle in as soon as possible. However, the exact time may vary depending on the ship and the embarkation process. To ensure a smooth experience, it is recommended to check the cruise itinerary or contact Carnival for specific information regarding early room check-in.

Additionally, Carnival strives to provide accessible accommodations for guests with disabilities. These rooms are designed to cater to different accessibility needs, such as wider doorways, grab bars in the bathrooms, and accessible showers. Guests with disabilities can request these rooms during the booking process to ensure their comfort and convenience.

Now, let’s move on to the key card distribution process, which is vital for accessing various amenities and services on the ship.

Key Card Distribution Process

Once you board the Carnival cruise, you’ll receive your key card, which grants you access to various amenities and services on the ship. The key card distribution process is quick and efficient, ensuring that you can start enjoying your cruise as soon as possible.

Carnival offers early room access options for guests who want to settle into their accommodations right away. By taking advantage of priority check-in, you can skip the lines and be one of the first to receive your key card. This allows you to access your room earlier than other guests, giving you more time to relax and explore the ship.

The benefits of priority check-in extend beyond early room access. It also allows you to enjoy a streamlined boarding process and access to exclusive perks and amenities. With your key card in hand, you can begin your Carnival cruise experience with ease and convenience.

Next, let’s discuss the room availability for different cabin types.

Room Availability for Different Cabin Types

When checking the availability of different cabin types, it’s important to consider the specific amenities and features that each option offers. Here are some key factors to keep in mind:

Cabin size: Depending on your preferences and needs, you can choose from various cabin sizes, such as interior, ocean view, balcony, or suite.

Location: Consider the deck level and proximity to certain areas of the ship, like the pool or dining venues.

Extra perks: Some cabins may come with additional amenities, such as access to exclusive lounges or priority boarding.

Room configuration: Depending on your group size, you can opt for cabins with multiple beds or connecting rooms.

Understanding these factors will help you make an informed decision when selecting your cabin type.

Now, let’s explore the check-in time for priority guests.

Check-in Time for Priority Guests

When it comes to check-in time for priority guests on a Carnival cruise, there are a few key points to consider.

Firstly, early room access is often a benefit that comes with priority status, allowing guests to settle in and start enjoying their vacation sooner.

Secondly, priority check-in benefits can include shorter wait times and dedicated check-in lines, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.

Lastly, one of the advantages of being a priority guest is the flexibility in arrival time, allowing for a more convenient and stress-free start to your cruise experience.

Early Room Access?

You can get into your room early on a Carnival Cruise. The cruise line offers early room access as one of the benefits of early check-in. Here are the advantages of being able to access your room early:

Settle in and relax: By getting into your room early, you can unpack, freshen up, and start your vacation without delay. It allows you to settle in and get comfortable right away.

Explore the ship: With early room access, you have more time to explore the different amenities and activities onboard the cruise ship. You can familiarize yourself with the layout and start planning your itinerary for the rest of the trip.

Enjoy the views: Many cruise ship rooms offer stunning ocean views. By accessing your room early, you can enjoy the beautiful sights and relax on your balcony or by the window.

Skip the crowds: Being one of the first guests to access your room means you can avoid the rush and long lines that may occur during peak check-in times.

Now let’s move on to the next section about the benefits of priority check-in.

Priority Check-In Benefits?

One of the benefits of priority check-in is that you can enjoy a streamlined and efficient boarding process. By having priority embarkation perks, you can skip the long lines and get on the ship early. This means you have more time to explore and enjoy the amenities before the crowds arrive.

With priority check-in, you can also have early boarding benefits, such as being one of the first to access your stateroom. This allows you to settle in and start enjoying your cruise right away.

Now, let’s talk about another advantage of priority check-in: arrival time flexibility.

Arrival Time Flexibility?

Having priority check-in allows for greater flexibility in when you can board the ship and start your cruise. One of the benefits of early check-in is that it provides flexible arrival options, giving you the freedom to choose the best time for you to begin your vacation. With priority check-in, you can arrive at the port earlier than regular guests and enjoy a smooth and efficient boarding process. This means less time spent waiting in line and more time exploring the ship and taking advantage of all the amenities and activities it has to offer. To give you a clearer picture, here is a table showcasing the advantages of early check-in:

Now, let’s move on to the check-in time for regular guests and what to expect.

Check-in Time for Regular Guests

When it comes to check-in time for regular guests on a Carnival cruise, there are a few key points to keep in mind.

First, let’s talk about early check-in options. If you arrive at the port before the designated check-in time, you may have the opportunity to complete the check-in process early and start enjoying your cruise sooner. However, it’s important to note that early check-in is subject to availability and may incur an additional fee.

Additionally, it’s essential to be aware of the late check-in policy. If you happen to arrive at the port after the designated check-in time, you may risk not being able to board the ship. Therefore, it’s crucial to plan your travel accordingly and arrive at the port within the specified check-in window.

Early Check-In Options

If you want to get into your room early on the Carnival Cruise, you can take advantage of early check-in options. These options provide room access alternatives for guests who want to settle in as soon as possible. By completing the online check-in process before your cruise, you can save time and bypass long lines at the terminal. This allows you to receive your Sail & Sign card and access your stateroom earlier than regular check-in time. The table below outlines the different early check-in options available:

Late Check-In Policy

As I mentioned earlier, Carnival Cruise offers early check-in options for guests looking to get into their rooms sooner.

However, it is important to note that there are also requirements and policies for late check-ins.

If you find yourself arriving at the port later in the day, you will still be able to check in and get settled, but there may be some additional steps involved.

This is especially true for international guests who need to go through the necessary immigration and customs procedures.

It is important to allow ample time for these processes, as they can take some time.

Now, let’s delve into the late check-in procedures and how Carnival Cruise ensures a smooth and efficient process for all guests.

Late Check-in Procedures

To ensure a smooth check-in process, make sure you arrive at the terminal during the designated check-in time. Carnival Cruise has a strict late check-in policy to ensure the safety and satisfaction of all guests. If you arrive after the designated check-in time, you may not be allowed to board the ship.

It is important to plan ahead and account for any potential delays to avoid missing the check-in window. Additionally, if you arrive early and your room is not ready yet, Carnival Cruise provides convenient luggage storage options. This way, you can explore the ship and enjoy the onboard amenities while your room gets prepared.

It’s important to note that Carnival Cruise will notify you when your room is ready, so you can relax and start enjoying your vacation without any interruptions.

Room Ready Notifications

When it comes to accessing your room on a Carnival cruise, there are a few key points to consider.

Firstly, you might be wondering if early room access is possible.

Secondly, you might be concerned about the possibility of delayed room availability.

Lastly, you may want to know when you can expect to receive notifications about your room readiness.

In this discussion, I will provide detailed information and address these key points to ensure you have a smooth and informed experience on your Carnival cruise.

You can’t get in your room early on a Carnival cruise. While early room access is not available, there are still benefits to consider.

Carnival offers early room upgrades for guests who want to ensure a higher level of comfort and convenience during their cruise. These upgrades allow you to enjoy additional amenities and perks, such as priority boarding and disembarkation, access to exclusive lounges, and even complimentary drinks and dining options. By opting for an early room upgrade, you can enhance your cruise experience from the moment you step onboard.

However, it’s important to note that even with an early room upgrade, there may still be a delay in room availability. Carnival operates on a strict schedule to ensure that each room is properly cleaned and prepared for the next guest. While it can be disappointing to not have immediate access to your room, this delay allows the crew to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort for all guests.

Delayed Room Availability?

Don’t worry if there is a delay in room availability. It allows the crew to ensure cleanliness and comfort for all guests onboard. We understand that you may be eager to settle into your room, but rest assured that the delay is for your benefit.

Here are a few things to keep in mind during the delayed check-in process:

• Our team is working diligently to prepare each room to the highest standards, which may take some time.
• We prioritize the needs of late boarders, ensuring that their rooms are ready upon their arrival.

By taking the time to properly clean and prepare each room, we can guarantee a pleasant and comfortable stay for all guests.

Now, let’s move on to the next important topic: notification timings?

Notification Timings?

Our team is currently working on notifying guests about any changes in their room availability. We understand the importance of keeping our guests informed and ensuring a smooth check-in process. If there are any delays in room availability, we will notify guests in advance, allowing them to plan accordingly.

In addition, we offer an early check-out process for guests with late flights. This allows them to check out of their room but still have access to the ship’s amenities until their departure. We want to ensure that our guests have a comfortable and enjoyable experience, even if their room is not immediately available.

Speaking of room access, another convenient service we provide is the option to store luggage before gaining access to your room. This allows guests to explore the ship and start enjoying their vacation without the burden of carrying their bags.

Storing Luggage Before Room Access

There’s a place to store your luggage before you can access your room on the Carnival cruise. Carnival understands the importance of securely storing your belongings while you embark on your cruise adventure. They provide efficient luggage handling services to ensure that your bags are stored safely until you can access your room.

Upon boarding the ship, you will be directed to the designated luggage storage area where you can drop off your bags. Carnival’s dedicated staff will handle your luggage with utmost care and professionalism. Rest assured that your belongings will be securely stored until you can access your room.

Now, let’s move on to the next topic of room access for special needs guests, which is an important aspect of ensuring a comfortable and accessible experience for all guests on board.

Room Access for Special Needs Guests

For a seamless and accessible experience, special needs guests are provided with convenient room access on the Carnival cruise. The cruise line understands the importance of ensuring that all guests, including those with disabilities or elderly guests, have easy access to their rooms. To accommodate these guests, Carnival offers a variety of features and services that cater to their unique needs. One of these is the provision of accessible staterooms that are designed specifically for guests with disabilities. These rooms have wider doorways, grab bars in the bathrooms, and lower sinks and closet rods for easy reach. In addition, there are also wheelchair-accessible ramps and elevators throughout the ship, making it easier for guests to move around. The table below provides a summary of the room access options for guests with disabilities and elderly guests.

With these accommodations, Carnival ensures that special needs guests can enjoy their cruise vacation with ease and comfort. Now let’s move on to the next section: check-in time for group bookings.

Check-in Time for Group Bookings

When it comes to group bookings, check-in time is an important consideration. Many hotels and resorts have specific policies in place for group check-ins, which may differ from individual check-ins.

In this discussion, we will explore the factors that can affect group check-in times, including the number of rooms booked and any special requests.

Additionally, we will also address the topic of early room access for group bookings, as this can often be a point of concern for large groups traveling together.

Group Booking Check-In?

To find out the check-in time for group bookings on Carnival Cruise, can you contact their customer service?

Absolutely! When it comes to group bookings, Carnival Cruise offers several benefits. Not only do you get to enjoy the company of your friends or family, but you may also receive special perks like discounted rates, onboard credits, and exclusive access to group activities.

As for the check-in process for large groups, it is recommended to contact Carnival Cruise’s customer service in advance. They will provide you with detailed information on the check-in time and any specific requirements for your group. By reaching out to their customer service, you can ensure a smooth and seamless check-in experience for everyone in your party.

Now, let’s move on to the next topic: early room access.

If you’re looking to access your room early on Carnival Cruise, there are options available. Carnival offers early room access for guests who want to settle in and start enjoying their vacation without delay. By opting for early room access, you can enjoy the benefits of having your room ready before the regular check-in time. Some of the early room amenities include being able to unpack and freshen up, relax in the comfort of your own space, and start exploring the ship sooner. Here’s a table to help visualize the benefits of early room access:

Early Check-in for Past Guests

You can receive early check-in privileges as a past guest on Carnival Cruise. This is one of the many benefits of being a loyal customer. Here are four advantages of priority check-in for past guests:

Expedited process: As a past guest, you can skip the long lines and enjoy a streamlined check-in process. This means less time waiting and more time enjoying your vacation.

Early access to your stateroom: By checking in early, you will have the opportunity to get to your room sooner. You can drop off your belongings and start exploring the ship right away.

Priority boarding: Past guests are often granted priority boarding, allowing them to board the ship ahead of other passengers. This means you can settle in and start enjoying the ship’s amenities sooner.

Exclusive perks: Carnival Cruise rewards its loyal customers with exclusive perks. This could include access to special events, discounts, or even complimentary upgrades.

Now, let’s move on to the next section about check-in time for solo travelers.

Check-in Time for Solo Travelers

As a solo traveler, you may be wondering about the check-in process and what time you can get into your room on a Carnival cruise. Fortunately, Carnival offers an early check-in option for guests who want to start their vacation as soon as possible. By completing the online check-in process before you arrive at the port, you can save time and avoid long lines.

When it comes to check-in time for single occupancy rooms, it generally follows the same schedule as other cabins. The official check-in time is usually around 1:30 PM, but it can vary depending on the ship and itinerary. However, it’s important to note that this is just an estimated time and actual room access may depend on various factors such as the ship’s arrival time, cleaning schedule, and availability of rooms.

Now, let’s move on to the next section about room access for families with children.

Room Access for Families With Children

When traveling with your family and children, it’s important to know the policies and procedures for accessing your accommodations on a Carnival cruise. As a family, you’ll have smooth room access on the ship. Upon boarding, you’ll receive your stateroom key card, which will grant you access to your room.

Carnival understands that families may require more than one room, so they offer a variety of room options to accommodate your needs. Whether you prefer connecting rooms or larger family suites, there are plenty of choices available.

Additionally, Carnival ensures that families with early flights have access to their rooms as soon as possible. They prioritize room availability for guests with early flights, allowing them to settle in and relax before their journey.

Now, let’s move on to discussing room access for guests with flights arriving early.

Room Access for Guests With Flights Arriving Early

If guests’ flights arrive early, they can access their accommodations on the ship as soon as possible. Carnival Cruise Line understands the benefits of early check-in and the importance of arrival time flexibility for their guests. To make the check-in process smooth and efficient, Carnival offers early room access for guests with early flights. This allows guests to settle into their rooms and start enjoying their cruise experience without any delay. The flexibility in arrival time ensures that guests can make the most of their vacation and maximize their time on the ship. To give you an idea of the benefits of early check-in, here’s a table highlighting some advantages:

Carnival Cruise Line understands the importance of providing a seamless experience for their guests, and early room access is just one of the ways they ensure guest satisfaction. So, if your flight arrives early, rest assured that Carnival will do everything possible to get you settled into your room and ready to start your cruise adventure.

Can I Check in Early if I Am a Past Guest of Carnival Cruise?

As a past guest of Carnival Cruise, I can enjoy the benefits of early check-in. It allows me to get into my room ahead of others, giving me more time to settle in and start my vacation.

What Time Can Solo Travelers Access Their Rooms on Carnival Cruise?

As a solo traveler on Carnival Cruise, I was thrilled with the benefits. The room availability for solo travelers was impressive, and I could access my room at a convenient time.

How Does the Check-In Process Work for Families With Children on Carnival Cruise?

The check-in process for families with children on Carnival Cruise is straightforward. Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff who guided us through the process. Here are some tips for a smooth check-in experience with kids on board.

Can Guests With Flights Arriving Early Access Their Rooms Before the Designated Check-In Time?

As a guest with a late flight, I’m pleased to share that Carnival Cruise offers early room access. If you have an early arrival, don’t worry! There are alternative options available to ensure you have a comfortable experience.

Is There a Specific Check-In Time for Group Bookings on Carnival Cruise?

There is a specific check-in time for group bookings on Carnival Cruise. It is important to arrive at the designated time to ensure a smooth and efficient check-in process for all members of the group.

In conclusion, the time you can get into your room on a Carnival cruise depends on various factors such as early check-in options, cabin type, and guest priority status.

Picture yourself stepping onto the ship, excitement coursing through your veins, as you are handed your key card, your ticket to relaxation and comfort. The distribution process is efficient, ensuring quick access to your room.

Whether you are a past guest, a solo traveler, or a family with children, Carnival Cruise ensures that your room is ready for you, allowing you to start your vacation without delay.

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Cruise Ship Phrases and Vocabulary

“Meet me on the Lido deck!” Learn what that and other cruise ship lingo mean so you don’t get lost on board!

If you’re planning a cruise soon, it’s helpful to understand cruise ship lingo. Whether it’s your first, second, or third cruise, there are always new things to learn. If you’re excited about an early morning activity taking place on the bow of the ship, you don’t want to miss out by going to the wrong location! Learning cruise ship phrases before your vacation will help you feel at ease onboard your ship. Avoid getting lost looking for shops, entertainment, or activities by learning the parts of a cruise ship.

Click here to browse our last minute cruises!

As always, here at CruiseExperts.com, we strive to make your cruise vacation a wonderful and memorable experience. We have assembled a cruise ship vocabulary list containing common phrases and words you will hear and use while sailing.

Cruise Ship Types

Cruise ships come in various sizes and offer different experiences to travelers. It’s important to decide on the type of cruise you want in order to book your vacation on the right style of ship. Each is unique, and each has its own special charm. Below is a list of the names of the main types of cruise ships.

Mainstream Cruise Ship

The majority of cruise lines fall into the category of mainstream ships. The ship is a vacation in itself with special club activities for children of all ages; special adult activities, spas, gyms, swimming pools, water slides, restaurants, nightly entertainment, casinos, restaurants, and lounges. You can also go shopping, visit art galleries, learn to dance, and enjoy all the amenities of a resort. This type of ship can accommodate between 850 and 3,500 passengers. Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian are mainstream cruise ships.

Luxury Cruise Ship

The luxury ship may be large or small and often caters to longer cruises and exotic ports. Luxury lines include Cunard, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, and Silversea. Prices for these cruises cost more, but they also include popular amenities, such as complimentary drinks, 24-hour room service, luxury state rooms, and more.

Adventure Ship

Adventure ships are frequently sail-powered and are able to reach those ports that are inaccessible to large cruise ships. Although these ships are smaller, they do offer a number of luxury amenities. Travelers who like out-of-the-way places enjoy adventure ships. They can pull into small ports in wonderful places that can’t be reached by larger ships. River cruises can fall into this category. Windstar Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, and Australis fall in the adventure ship category.

Megaships are a new class of vessel that can carry over 3,000 passengers. Mainstream cruise ship lines feature these megaships that have expanded choices in activities, entertainment, dining, and lounges as well as more and larger accommodation options with private patios. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class and Freedom class are the largest ships in the world.

Don't Overpay for Your Cruise

A Cruise Glossary: Cruise Lingo You Should Know

By: Author Carrie Ann Karstunen

Posted on Published: August 29, 2020  - Last updated: January 23, 2023

On your first cruise, you’ll find that seasoned cruisers often tend to speak in cruise lingo. It’s a mix of nautical terms, cruise slang, and abbreviations that might send your head spinning if you’re unfamiliar.

But you’ll probably even encounter some unfamiliar cruise lingo before you set foot on the ship! When you’re booking a cruise, you’ll see lots of these cruise terms when you’re choosing an itinerary and picking your stateroom.

Let’s go over some cruise terminology you’ll want to know before you book your cruise, and what words you’ll want to be familiar with once you’re on board.

Terms you should know when booking a cruise

All-inclusive: a policy where all food, drinks, and entertainment are included in your cruise fare. Luxury cruise lines tend to be far more all-inclusive than mainstream cruise lines. Some luxury lines include airfare, shore excursions, and gratuities as part of the fare.

Read more: Which Cruise Lines Are All-Inclusive?

Balcony:  Sometimes called a verandah, a balcony is a private outdoor space attached to a stateroom. Most balconies face out to the water, but some large ships have interior balconies facing public areas.

Back-to-back: (Often written BTB or B2B) is the cruise term for booking two or more sailings in a row on the same ship.

Booze cruise: A slang term for a very short cruise sailing where many passengers’ primary objective is to drink a lot of alcohol. Some cruisers looking for a short relaxing getaway are often shocked that they’ve inadvertently booked a rowdy booze cruise.

Read more: Pros and Cons of Taking a Short Cruise (2-5 Days)

Closed-loop sailing:  A roundtrip itinerary that begins and ends in the same port. For ships sailing from United States ports, closed-loop sailings often have more relaxed rules that the cruise lines need to follow compared to cruises that begin and end in different ports.

Read more: Why Do Most US Cruises Have to Stop in a Foreign Port?

Cruise to nowhere : A short voyage in which a cruise ship leaves the embarkation port, sails in international waters for several days, then returns to the embarkation port without stopping at another destination. Cruises to nowhere are somewhat popular in Europe and Australia. The US banned this kind of cruise for foreign-flagged ships in 2016.

Cruisetour: A land-based excursion, usually by coach, that cruisers can take before or after a voyage.

Double occupancy: A policy requiring that a minimum of two cruise fares must be paid for a stateroom. Solo travelers booking a double occupancy cabin must pay a single supplement, often 100% of the fare, to book that room.

Expedition cruise: Sometimes called an adventure cruise, expedition cruises often visit far-flung locations like Alaska, Antarctica, or the Galápagos Islands. Ships are generally smaller and purpose-built. Expedition cruises offer more active excursions like hiking, kayaking, and nature walks, and enrichment lectures focus on the destination’s culture, history, and wildlife.

Read more: What Is an Expedition Cruise (and Why You Should Consider One)

French balcony: Although not technically a balcony, a French balcony is the term for a large sliding glass door that opens to the outside, but doesn’t have seating space. French balconies are often found on river cruise ships.

Gratuities: Tips paid to cruise ship staff by passengers. Gratuities for service crew accrue daily (often called automatic gratuities or autograts), and can be pre-paid or settled at the end of the cruise. Specialty dining and drink packages also include gratuities, so there’s no need to tip extra.

Read more: Tipping on a Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know About Cruise Gratuities

Guarantee stateroom: A fare class where cruisers are assigned a cabin from unallocated inventory before sailing. Cruisers will receive a stateroom assignment in the cabin category they paid for, or one in a higher category.

Read more: What Is a Guarantee Stateroom on a Cruise (and Should You Book One)?

Interior:  Also called an “inside cabin”, an interior is a stateroom that’s located away from the hull of the ship, in the ship’s interior. Inside cabins don’t have windows to the outside, although some newer ships might include a virtual window or a window to the interior of the ship.

Read more: Is an Interior Cabin Right for Your Cruise?

Loyalty program: A free plan that gives perks and discounts to repeat cruisers on the same cruise line. Cruise line loyalty programs often have several tiers, with more valuable perks offered to passengers who have sailed many times.

OBC: Onboard credit issued as a perk for booking a cruise, or as compensation for a negative event during the voyage. OBC can be used on the ship to pay for items in the ship’s stores, shore excursions, and specialty dining.

Obstructed view: A window or balcony that’s blocked by an object, usually a lifeboat. Obstructions can partially or completely block a window.

Ocean view:  A stateroom with a porthole or window facing the ocean.

Open-jaw sailing: A one-way cruise itinerary where the embarkation port and disembarkation port are not the same.

Port fees: Charges from the cruise port to the cruise line, which are passed on to the passenger at booking. Some ports charge more than others, so port fees can be adjusted if stops on the itinerary are canceled or changed.

Pullman bed: A bed that pulls down from the wall or ceiling of a stateroom to allow higher occupancy in a room. Cabin stewards set up and stow Pullman beds if anyone in your cabin will be using them.

Repositioning cruise: Sometimes called a repo cruise, repositioning cruises take ships from their seasonal home port to their home port for the next season. Repo cruises are generally long sailings with lots of sea days, and are often sold at bargain prices.

Shoulder season: The time period at the beginning and end of the busiest season for cruises in a given area. Cruise fares in the shoulder season can be significantly cheaper than in the peak tourist season.

You may also like: What is the Cheapest Month to Cruise?

Single supplement: The fee that solo cruisers must pay to book a double-occupancy stateroom. It’s usually 100% of the cruise fare, but some cruise lines slightly discount the supplement.

Stateroom: Also called a cabin, a stateroom on a cruise ship is a passenger’s on board accommodation. Staterooms can vary in size from tiny interior cabins to massive owner’s suites with several bedrooms and living areas.

Studio: Sometimes called a solo cabin, studios are small staterooms on some cruise ships that can accommodate a single cruiser. Studio cabins are an economical way for solo cruisers to travel, as a single supplement isn’t required.

Suite:  Larger accommodations on a cruise ship, often with separate living and sleeping rooms. Many cruise lines extend perks to suite guests, like private dining rooms, priority lines, or even butler service.

Theme cruise: A chartered cruise that appeals to a particular audience. Theme cruises for fans of a musical group or style are the most common, but other types of theme cruises center around health and wellness, or crafts. LGBTQ+ cruises are also a popular theme for chartered sailings.

Check out my list of Sweepstakes You Can Enter to Win a Free Cruise to find out how you could win tickets on a theme cruise!

Transfer: The term for coach transportation between the cruise ship and the airport or a hotel you booked through the cruise line before or after a cruise. Transfers are also often included with pre- and post-cruise shore excursions and cruisetours booked through the cruise line.

Mini-suite: Also called junior suites, mini-suites are a type of stateroom that’s usually a bit larger than a balcony cabin but smaller than a full suite. Mini-suites have a separate living space set off from the sleeping area by a partial wall or a privacy curtain. Guests in mini-suites usually don’t share in the added perks that suite guests enjoy, but some cruise lines offer special fare classes for this type of stateroom that allow you to enjoy some of the benefits.

Virtual balcony/virtual porthole: A high-definition screen mounted on the wall of an inside cabin to simulate the look and feel of a balcony or window. The screen shows a real-time feed from the exterior of the ship.

Wave season: The three-month period from January through March when cruise lines typically offer the best deals of the year.

Read more: How to Save Money on Cruises

General cruise ship terms you should know

All-aboard: The time all cruisers need to be aboard the ship on embarkation day and after each day in port. These times are listed in the daily planner, as well as on signs as you exit the ship. All-aboard time is always in ship’s time, which may differ from local time.

Bunkering: A ship’s term for refueling in port. Marine fuel is known as “bunker”, a term that most likely comes from the place a ship’s fuel is stored: the fuel bunker.

Charter: When a company or group books the entire ship (a full charter) or a large amount of cabins (a partial charter). Groups often book charters for theme cruises or corporate retreats.

Crossing:  A cruise across an ocean, such as a transatlantic or transpacific voyage.

Cruise card: A credit card-sized plastic card that each cruiser receives at check-in, linked to your onboard account. The cruise card serves as your boarding pass each time you return to the ship. As cruise ships are an almost cashless environment (except for in some casinos or if you want to give someone an extra tip), cruise cards are used to pay for everything around the ship from purchases in the shops to drinks at the bar.

Daily planner: A newsletter delivered to cruisers each day. The daily planner details times and locations of the next day’s activities. The planner also provides a weather report, port information, and any important announcements cruisers need to know. Each cruise line calls the daily planner by a different brand-specific name. Some cruise lines offer paperless planners via a smartphone app.

Departure port or embarkation port:  The port where your cruise begins.

Disembarkation:  The process of exiting the ship. You’ll sometimes hear this called “debarkation”. Most cruisers only use this term to refer to leaving the ship at the end of a cruise, but it technically can refer to any time you leave the ship.

Disembarkation Day: The last day on board the ship, when passengers leave at the end of a cruise. Disembarkation day isn’t a full cruise day—passengers generally need to disembark in the mid-morning at the latest.

Dry dock: A structure that’s flooded to allow a ship to float in, and is then drained once the ship is in position. This allows workers access to parts of the ship that are usually underwater to perform maintenance. Often when you hear that a ship “just came out of dry dock”, it means that major maintenance or refurbishments were just completed.

Embarkation: The process of entering the ship. Most cruisers only use this term to refer to boarding the ship at the beginning of a cruise, but it technically can refer to any time you come aboard the ship.

Embarkation Day: The day that passengers board the ship at the beginning of the cruise.

Read more: How to Have the Best Embarkation Day on a Cruise

FCC: an abbreviation for Future Cruise Credit, FCC may be used in lieu of cash to pay for all or part of a future cruise. FCC is issued if a sailing is canceled and the cruiser opts to not receive a cash refund of their fare. Cruise lines may also award FCC due to a major customer service issue.

Future Cruise Deposit: Similar to FCC, Future Cruise Deposits can be used to pay for part of a future cruise fare. These deposits can often be purchased at a heavy discount during a sailing to apply to another cruise.

Godmother: The honorary protector of a ship who blesses and officially names the vessel before its inaugural sailing. Traditionally the role of a well-known female, today some cruise ships have godfathers. Notable cruise ship godmothers and godfathers include Queen Elizabeth, Oprah Winfrey, activist Malala Yousafzai, and rapper Pitbull.

Read more: What Is a Cruise Ship Godmother (or Godfather)?

Itinerary: The list of ports visited on a cruise.

Muster drill: Also called the safety drill or lifeboat drill, the muster drill is a mandatory safety demonstration that all cruisers must attend. It’s usually held on the afternoon of embarkation day.

Open tender: The time when any guest can go ashore at a tender port of call (see “tender ports” below) without a ticket. Open tender generally happens after all passengers with tender tickets have left the ship, although later tenders will often take guests who didn’t pick up a ticket prior to tendering.

Pier: A fixed structure that allows a cruise ship to dock in a port. Passengers can disembark at a pier and walk directly ashore without tendering.

Pier runners: The slang term for cruisers who are late getting back to the ship for all aboard. Pier runners are generally seen frantically running toward the ship. Spotting (and heckling) them is a favorite pastime of some cruisers.

Read more: 35 Things You Should Never Do on a Cruise

Port of call:  Any destination on a cruise where the ship stops and lets passengers off for the day. Usually just called a port.

Private island: An exclusive destination that only cruise ship passengers can visit. Some cruise ship private islands are entire islands, and some are private sections of an island.

Read more: 12 Amazing Cruise Line Private Islands to Visit in 2021 and Beyond

Sea day: A day on a cruise itinerary when the ship doesn’t stop at any port.

Ship: The cruise vessel you’ll be traveling on. Call it a “boat” at your own risk! (This might be the #1 way to be identified as a new cruiser.) Boats are nautical vessels that can be carried by a larger boat or ship. Examples include lifeboats and tender boats.

Ship’s time: The time zone that the ship’s operations use on any given day. This is often local time, but not always! For example, a ship might visit several ports that are in close proximity to one another but in different time zones. To avoid switching in and out of time zones, the Captain might choose not to change to local time.

Shore excursion:  Sometimes abbreviated as “shorex”, a shore excursion is an activity at a port of call booked with the cruise line, a tour company, or as a DIY activity.

Stabilizers: A set of fins or rotors on ocean-going ships that reduce a ship’s rolling motion from waves or wind.

Tender: A smaller boat that ferries passengers from the ship to the shore (and back) when the cruise ship anchors in a harbor. Passage on tender boats is always free of charge, but guests without cruise line excursions often need to pick up a tender ticket or wait until open tender to secure a spot on a boat.

Tender port: Ports of call with shallow harbors (or limited piers for cruise ships) often force ships to anchor offshore and ferry passengers in on tenders.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Tender Ports on a Cruise

Zodiac: An inflatable, rigid-bottomed boat used to transport expedition cruise passengers away from the ship.

Read more: What Is a Zodiac Boat on an Expedition Cruise?

Helpful cruise terms for around the ship

Aft:  The rear part of a ship. The opposite end of the ship from forward. Also used to specify which way you’re walking on a cruise ship, e.g. “Head aft and you’ll see the main pool.”

Atrium: The central part of a ship’s interior, with an open floor plan. A ship’s atrium often spans several decks and is where you’ll find guest services, shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Forward: The front section of the ship. The opposite end of the ship from aft. Also used to specify which way you’re walking on a cruise ship, e.g. “Head forward and you’ll see the library on your right.”

Bow:  The very front of the ship. Bow is pronounced to rhyme with “cow”—not like the word that refers to a ribbon tied in a fancy knot.

Bridge:  The location where the captain or officers command the ship.

Deck: Although today’s mega cruise ships can often feel like enormous resorts where you could easily forget that you’re even at sea, you’re still on a ship. Although you might be tempted to tell your family “Meet me at the pool on the seventeenth floor”, seasoned cruisers don’t call the levels on the ship “floors”. They’re decks. That pool? It’s on Deck 17. Or just say “Meet me on the Lido in an hour”.

Duty-free: Shops on board a cruise ship that sell products without having to collect local import taxes. Alcohol, tobacco products, and cosmetics are popular duty-free items.

Galley:  A kitchen on a cruise ship.

Gangway: The ramp or stairs that you use to embark or disembark the ship.

Hull:  The outer waterproof covering of the ship, from below the lowest open decks to the keel. A cruise ship’s hull is made of welded steel panels.

Keel:  The bottom center line of a ship, running from bow to stern.

Leeward:  The side of the ship that’s most sheltered from the wind. This side can vary based on the direction of the wind and the direction a ship is sailing. The opposite of windward.

Lido:  Also called the pool deck, the Lido is the deck where you’ll find the outdoor pools, sun loungers, and live entertainment.

Midship:  The middle area of the ship between forward and aft.

Muster station: A meeting point for guests and assigned crew in case of an emergency. Muster stations are assigned by cabin location, and are usually located on open decks near the lifeboats.

Port:  The left side of the ship as you face forward.

Promenade deck: A deck designed for walking in a circular path around the perimeter of the ship. Promenade decks traditionally were open decks, but today’s cruise ships sometimes have them partially or fully enclosed.

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

Read more: Port vs Starboard: Which Side Is Better on a Cruise?

Stern: The aft-most section of a cruise ship.

Windward: The side of the ship that’s least sheltered from the wind. This side can vary based on the direction of the wind and the direction a ship is sailing. The opposite of leeward.

Dining and Entertainment terms on a cruise ship

Captain’s table : The table where the Captain eats dinner, often with senior officers and invited guests. Passengers are sometimes invited to join by formal invitation, and this is considered to be quite an honor.

Captain’s party: Usually held on the first formal night of a sailing, the Captain’s party or ball is open to all passengers. During the party, which is often held in the atrium, guests will have the opportunity to chat and take photos with the Captain and officers. Often, complimentary Champagne or sparkling wine is served.

Resort casual:  The general dress code on many of today’s cruise ships, especially in the main dining rooms. It usually includes trousers and capris, casual dresses and skirts, polos or dressier tops, and dressy jeans. Some cruise lines have specific rules around shorts, sleeveless tops, or t-shirts, so check with your cruise line for their specific rules.

Formal attire:  For cruise lines that have formal nights, this is the dress code in the main dining rooms on these evenings. Dress code varies by cruise line, but many passengers wear cocktail dresses or longer gowns, a blazer, suit, or tuxedo.

Formal night: On more traditional cruise lines, there are often one or more evenings each week when formal attire is required in the main dining rooms. Formal nights often take place on sea days, and are announced in the daily newsletter.

Friends of Bill W . : The cruise ship term for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on board.

Friends of Dorothy: The cruise ship term for LGBTQIA+ meetings and activities on board.

MDR: The main dining room (or dining rooms) on a cruise ship.

Read more: What New Cruisers Don’t Know About Cruise Food & Drinks

Seating: On cruise ships with assigned dining times, there’s often more than one set dinner time. These times, known as seatings, are spaced several hours apart.

Served buffet: A style of buffet where each guest indicates which dishes they’d like to have, and crewmembers place their servings on a plate. Served buffets are popular on luxury cruise lines, although mainstream cruise lines will offer served buffets during times of increased risk of disease transmission.

Open seating:  On cruise lines that allow guests to eat dinner on their own schedule, at least one dining room will have open seating. Passengers don’t need to make a reservation or dine at a specific time.

Sailaway party: On embarkation day, the cruise director and entertainment staff host a party, often on the Lido deck, to celebrate leaving port and the beginning of the cruise. Sailaway parties often feature live music and dancing.

Specialty restaurant: A dining venue on a cruise ship that offers elevated cuisine and service for an extra fee. Specialty restaurants often serve food from a specific region, like Italian, French, or Japanese. Or they may specialize in seafood, BBQ, or steak dishes.

Terms for cruise ship employees

Butler: Some cruise lines employ butlers, generally for suite guests, who pick up where cabin stewards leave off. Butlers can pack and unpack your luggage, make dinner reservations, take care of laundry service, and arrange in-suite dinner or cocktail parties.

Cabin steward:  A crew member responsible for cleaning your stateroom, setting up beds, and delivering items like ice and extra hangers. Stewards are often excellent sources of information, especially for new cruisers and guests who are new to the cruise line.

Captain:  The cruise ship Captain holds the ultimate responsibility for safe transportation of the ship, passengers, and crew. They direct the ship’s navigation and make decisions to avoid hazards, especially those due to weather conditions. The Captain also socializes with passengers, notably at Captain’s table dinners and at the Captain’s party.

Crew: Service employees on the ship including waitstaff and cooks, bartenders, and cabin stewards. Skilled maintenance workers like carpenters, electricians, and plumbers are also considered crew.

Cruise director:  The staff member who organizes entertainment and activities on a cruise ship. A cruise director usually takes on the role of Master of Ceremonies during events and parties, and spends time mingling with guests to make sure everyone’s having a good time. Cruise directors also oversee the entertainment staff on board.

Dance Host: Sometimes called a “gentleman host”, male dance hosts are available on some of the more traditional cruise lines to dance and converse with unattached female cruisers. Dance hosts aren’t technically employed by the cruise line, but receive free or heavily discounted fares in exchange for their service.

Head Waiters: Although service levels in cruise ship restaurants are often impeccable (even on mainstream cruise lines), the Head Waiter in the MDR and in specialty restaurants is there to ensure service runs smoothly and guests enjoy the experience.

Maître d’:  A cruise ship Maître d’Hôtel (usually abbreviated as Maître d’, and pronounced “may-truh-DEE”) is in charge of operations for one or more restaurants on a cruise ship. Cruise ship passengers with dietary restrictions can usually speak with the Maître d’ to ensure kitchen and waitstaff comply with those needs, but sometimes the Head Waiter takes care of that function.

Officers: Employees on a cruise ship who oversee the safety, navigation and mechanical aspects of the ship. Officers report directly to the ship’s Captain.

Porter:  A baggage handler that takes your checked luggage on embarkation day and delivers it to the ship. Porters often aren’t cruise line employees, and they rely on tips (generally $1 to 2 per bag).

Purser:  The Purser on a cruise ship is the staff member in charge of guest billing and all monetary transactions on board.

Purser’s desk: Traditionally, the Purser’s desk is the place where guests can ask questions about charges to their on board account. Today, what used to be called the Purser’s Desk is generally called Guest Services, Passenger Services, or the Reception Desk. Cruisers can still ask questions about their onboard accounts, along with other general questions. If you have a problem with your cruise card not working, or you need to check the lost and found, this is where you need to go.

Staff: Cruise ship employees in upper-level positions including cruise directors, assistant cruise directors, entertainers, retail workers, and spa technicians.

Nautical terms cruisers should know

Knot:  The unit of speed used by ships. One knot is equivalent to one nautical mile per hour. In the 16th century, sailors used a rope with knots tied at intervals in a length of rope to measure speed. As the ship moved forward, the line of rope rolled out behind the ship. The number of knots that went over the ship’s stern during a period of time was used to calculate the speed.

You may also like: How Fast Do Cruise Ships Go?

Mooring:  A permanent structure to which a ship is tied, such as a pier when in port.

Wake:  The waves created by a ship as it moves through the water. The wake is seen as a churning trail of water at the stern of a ship.

What’s your favorite cruise lingo? Are there any cruise terms I should add to the glossary? Let me know in the comments below!

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An A-Z of cruising

Author: Saskia Den Boon

Published on: 13 July 2022

Updated on: 15 July 2022

Clueless about cruising? We’re here to help. Our A-Z of cruising terms will get you clued up in no time.

Ever wondered what an aft is? Or what starboard actually means? Nautical terms can tie us in knots – especially if, like me, you’re new to the cruise scene. With this in mind, I’ve compiled a comprehensive A-Z of cruising terms to help us both find our sea legs. Think of it as your essential guide to cruise ship terms. Take a little look, and soon we’ll all be speaking fluent sailor.

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Aft The back of the ship, also known as the stern.

Anytime dining This is ideal for passengers who want a little bit more flexibility in their schedules. Anytime dining allows you to choose your dining time.

Bow The front of the ship.

Bridge No... this is not an actual bridge. Or the card game. Rather, the term refers to where the captain and crew steer and navigate the ship.

Cabin steward The team member who is responsible for cleaning and maintaining your stateroom during the cruise. Make sure to say thanks when you spot them!

Capacity The number of passengers a ship can hold.

Captain Jack Sparrow. Just kidding – otherwise known as 'the Master' this is the person who oversees the ship, as well as crew and passenger safety. Coastal cruise When the ship hugs the coastline for the entire sailing.

Coastal cruise When the ship hugs the coastline for the entire sailing.

Crossing A voyage from one port to another on the open water. If you’re on an ocean cruise, you’re likely on a crossing.

Cruise casual This dress code generally refers to a relaxed dress code: casual skirts and trousers are permitted but swimwear, ripped jeans, and tank tops aren’t. That said, check your cruise line's dress code – some do allow denim.

Cruise director Basically, the cruise’s social planner. The person who schedules activities organises the entertainment and acts as the ship’s master of ceremonies.

Cruise elegant Cruise lines typically up the ante for one or two nights and invite guests to don something a little fancier – think cocktail dresses for women – for the evening.

Deck The ship’s equivalent of floors in a building.

Dock Where ships land, unload, and board. Usually a large platform.

Expedition cruise A specialised, smaller ship built to explore areas off the beaten track . Often featuring an ice-strengthened hull, this sort of vessel takes the daring and adventurous to remote – and usually chilly – regions of the planet.

Fly-cruises When you must book a flight to and from the port city where your cruise departs/ends.

Galley The ship’s kitchen area. *Yum*

Gangway The ramp/staircase you’ll use to embark and disembark the vessel.

Gratuities The extras – read food, drink, and tips – that aren’t included in your up-front cruise fare.

Helm Crew only, thank you! This is the part of the bridge that houses the steering wheel and a whole other bunch of buttons, bits, and bobs that only the crew knows how to operate.

Home port Where the ship begins the cruise journey. All aboard!

Hull The belly of the ship.

Inaugural cruise A ship’s maiden voyage… queue the pomp and circumstance.

Itinerary A schedule of all the fabulous places your ship will be visiting, including all the fun on-shore expeditions.

Jetty Basically, a dock, except it’s slightly more fun to say. Jetties are usually wooden or stone and are often used to protect harbours from rough tides.

Keel The bottom centre of the ship.

Knot Here’s some true nautical lingo for you! A knot is the unit of speed at which your cruise is cruising, equal to one nautical mile per hour.

Leeward Too windy? Has your hat blown off? Head to the leeward side of the ship – the term for whichever side is sheltered from the wind.

Lido The deck which typically houses the cruise’s pools. The place for a dip and a chance to cool off.

Liner A ship built to withstand rough seas while journeying through the open ocean. There is only one ocean liner in the world: step forward Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 , the last of her kind.

Maître d’ The crew member you’ll see first when you enter a cruise restaurant. Maître d’s are the hosts, supervisors, and managers of fine dining experiences onboard your cruise.

Midship The middle of the ship (surprise surprise).

Muster drill A mandatory safety drill during which crew members help passengers familiarise themselves with safety measures onboard the ship, including life vests and lifeboats.

No-fly cruises When you don’t have to book a flight to or from the port city where your cruise is launching. The opposite of Fly-cruises.

Ocean cruise Any cruise traversing the salty seas.

Ports of call Any destination listed on your itinerary where your cruise plans to stop. Here, you’ll hop off the ship for shore excursions, city strolls, beach days, museum visits, and more.

Quarter The part of the boat midway between the stern and the beam.

Repositioning cruises When a one-way cruise transitions to sail in a new region, with an entirely new itinerary.

River cruise Any cruise a-rolling on the river.

Sailaway party An enormous party on deck to celebrate the start of a ship’s sailing. Break out the champagne.

Sea day A day on which a ship remains at sea, with stopping at ports of call. Ah, relaxation.

Ship Also known as a vessel – whatever you do, don’t call her a boat. That’s just rude.

Shore excursion Time to hop off the ship and explore, be it on an organised excursion or under your own steam.

Single supplement A single supplement is a premium charged to people who take a room alone. However, times are changing and more cruise lines are scrapping single supplements for solo travellers. Specialty restaurants Many cruise lines now feature specialty dining options that are, well, special. They tend to be higher-end options, often involving partnerships with such world-renowned chefs as Thomas Keller, Daniel Bouloud, and Eric Lanlard, and a cover charge applies.

Starboard Aha. That one’s right. Right?

Staterooms A stateroom is the nautical term for your cabin or accommodation on a ship. Usually, you’ll have four categories to choose from: Inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite.

Stern The back of the ship.

Tender A small ship used to carry passengers from the ship to the dock when the cruise ship is unable to dock alongside the pier.

Themed cruise Spice up your holiday with a themed cruise. From history and wine tasting to painting and yoga, themed cruises bring like-minded people onboard to explore both their interests and the world together.

Turnaround day The changing of the guard, cruise style. This is the day when one set of passengers disembarks, and another set embarks.

Upper deck Where you’ll find me soaking up the sun and sipping bubbles once onboard. Wake The lovely trail of water behind the ship as it sails.

Windward The side of the ship where your hat blows off into the water and, sorry to say, you’ll probably never see it again.

World cruise Your ticket to see the world. World cruises can last for three, four, nine (or more) months, taking guests all over the globe. Passengers can join for the entire sailing or book a segment.

X-tras Actually, it’s just extras – the term for any additional activities, meals, or experiences which aren’t included in the overall cost for the cruise.

Yacht Some cruise lines have a collection of yachts that offer guests the most intimate of cruising experiences. Because these yachts are smaller ships, they can often take guests to more remote destinations.

Zenith A navigation term referring to the point which joins the centre of the earth, the observer, and the celestial sphere in a straight line. You don’t really need to remember this one… I just needed a Z.

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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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Cruise Ship Vocabulary

Basic terms and phrases that cruise guests need to know, ship personnel.

Cabin steward : The crew member with the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining your cabin.

Captain : The master of the vessel, who has complete responsibility and command of the ship. The ship captain and crew control the ship from the bridge.

Cruise Director : The crew member designated as Master of Ceremonies for onboard entertainment and guest activities. The Cruise Director and his staff manage onboard entertainment, activities and events.

Maître D’ : The crew member responsible for dining room operations.

Purser : The crew member responsible for guest services and handling billing services (onboard accounts). The purser’s desk is located in the atrium of the ship.

Areas of the ship

Aft : The part of the ship which is towards the back/rear of the ship.

Atrium : A lobby-like space where you’ll find the purser, reception desk, shore excursion desk and other guest services.

Bridge : The area of the ship, typically located in the bow, from where the captain and crew navigate and control the vessel.

Beam : The maximum width of a ship at its widest point.

Bow : The forward/front section of the ship.

Decks : The decks of a ship is what floors or levels are to a building. Just like in a building decks are numbered from bottom to top.

Forward : It means toward the direction of the bow (front of the ship).

Funnel : The smokestack on some cruise ships.

Gangway : Bridge connecting the ship to land. This is the means by which guests embark and disembark the ship.

Galley : The ship’s kitchen – the place where food for all guests onboard is prepared. Some cruise ships will have a large galley located close to the main dinning area as well as smaller galleys to serve the specialty restaurants.

Lido Deck : An outdoor area where most of the daytime activities take place. Depending on the ship, on this deck you might find one or more pools, hot tubs, water slide or splash park, sunchairs, a stage for a band to play on and outdoor projection screens for movie nights. This deck, depending on the cruise line and layout of the ship, will also have a dessert station , bars and the buffet.

Muster drill : A safety drill normally conducted at the beginning of a cruise to instruct guests about where to go to get into lifeboats in case of an emergency.

Muster station : The area of the ship where passengers gather for safety drills and in cases of an emergency.

Port : Refers to the left side of the ship, when facing forward.

Promenade deck : This deck traditionally serves as the lifeboat boarding area in the event of an emergency, for that reason this deck is distinguishable by the lifeboats hanging overhead. The promenade deck also serves as an outdoor walkway circling the ship.

Some of the modern mega-ships have done away with the outdoor promenade, moving it instead to the inside of the ship where it is a walkway past various bars and restaurants, shops and other entertainment areas. Giving guests a shopping mall experience while on a ship.

Starboard : Refers to the right side of the ship, when facing forward.

Stern : This is the back end of the ship – directly opposite from the bow.

Other cruise phrases

Docking port : a port where a ship is able to berth (park) so that passengers can embark and disembark.

Guarantee cabin : You book a cabin of a specific type – inside, outside or balcony or suite – on your preferred voyage, however, the allocation of a specific cabin number, deck and location on the ship is done by the cruise line. Allocation of a specific cabin can happen up until a week before date of departure.

Itinerary : a day-by-day plan of a journey, including the route and the places that the ship will stop at. The itinerary is made up of a mix of sea days and days in port (ports of call).

Obstructed view cabin : These are either outside or balcony cabins that have a view which is either partially or fully blocked. The view can possibly be blocked by lifeboats or any other structure of the ship.

Port of call : A destination, normally indicated on the cruise itinerary, where a cruise ship is scheduled to stop so that guests can go ashore.

Porthole : A round window found in most outside cabins. This window does not open, it only affords guests a view of the outside.

Repositioning cruise : A one-way sailing in which a cruise ship moves from one geographical region to another. These sailings are normally done to reposition cruise ships as one season comes to an end and another is about to begin.

Sea day : A day when the cruise ship is out at sea and is not scheduled to call at any port. On this day the ship will be travelling from one port on the itinerary to the next.

Single supplement : An extra charge levied specifically on solo guests by some cruise lines. This charge is a means by which cruise lines try to make up revenue potentially lost from having a single guest occupying a cabin that could have accommodated at least 2 guests. This is because cruise fares are usually based on double occupancy.

Tender port : A port where the cruise ship drops anchor a short distance from shore and small boats ferry passengers in groups to the shore. A ship will tender instead of docking for various reasons including: 1) the particular port having shallow waters, 2) the port being too full to allow the ship to dock or 3) adverse weather conditions.

Tender boat : small boats that ferry guests between the ship and shore at ports where the ship is unable to dock – tender port.

Theme cruise : A voyage where the entertainment, activities and events are tailored towards a specific interest, passion or hobby . The objective of a theme cruise is to bring together like-minded people together. On a theme cruise the cruise line will still operate the ship but the entertainment, activities and events will be run by organisers of the theme. A theme cruise can either be a full takeover of all entertainment, activities and events on a particular voyage or it partially takes over. A partial takeover would mean the cruise line program will run parallel to the them.

 Cruise Ship Vocabulary and Glossary

First-time cruise passengers may feel baffled by some of the cruise vocabulary on their cruise – some of the words and phrases they hear aboard..

Tips and Advice About the Language of Cruise Ships - Vocabulary and Glossary

Occasionally, when you're aboard your first cruise, it can sound like a whole new language, and sometimes the lack of translation can mean you miss out on things. One of our visitors aboard Prow’s Edge told us that during an Alaska cruise, a lot of the passengers missed some of the sights simply because they didn’t understand the vocabulary. When the Captain announced a whale sighting on the port side, several folks looked baffled and then dashed off in the wrong direction. They missed the whales.

Of course, had they known that “port” meant the left side of the ship, they may well have made the sightings in time.

For those not familiar with the nautical terms and don’t wish to make any gaffs on their first day on board the cruise ship, here are some tips.

Remember of course, that the tub you’re sailing in is NEVER referred to as a boat, (nor a tub, of course) but a ship. And remember also that the ship is always she, and NEVER he, and NEVER, NEVER it.

ship – a cruise ship is NEVER referred to as a boat - it is always a “ship”

AT THE FRONT OF THE SHIP

bow – word used to refer to anything at the front of the ship

fore / forward – more words used to refer to anything at the front of the ship

AT THE BACK OF THE SHIP

aft – word used to refer to anything at the rear of the ship

stern – another word used to refer to anything at the rear of the ship

AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SHIP

starboard – word used to refer to the right side of the ship

AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SHIP

port – word used to refer to the left side of the ship

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHIP

midships – word used to refer to the middle of the ship

OTHER PARTS OF THE SHIP

bridge – word used to refer to the place where the captain and his officers steer the ship brig – ship’s jail

galley – a cruise ship’s kitchen

gangway – the ramp or staircase giving access to and from the ship to shore

OTHER NAUTICAL TERMS

draft – the depth of water (from the waterline to the bottom of the ship) needed to float a ship fathom – a measure of six feet, usually of water depth windward – refers to the direction upwind from the point of reference.

leeward – refers to the direction downwind from the point of reference.

lee side – the side of a ship that is towards the leeward - away from the wind

ROOMS AND AREAS OF THE SHIP

purser's desk – the cruise ship equivalent of the front desk, information desk or reception onland stateroom – the cruise ship equivalent of the room in which you sleep cabin – another word used as the cruise ship equivalent of the room in which you sleep

berth – just to confuse you, this could refer to your bed on a boat, or the location in a port where a ship can be moored tender – a vessel that transports passengers between the ship and shore when the ship is at anchor in a port.

STAFF AND STAFF RELATED TERMS

purser’s office / pursers desk/counte r – home for the cruise line’s pursers

pursers – the mass of staff at the pursers’ desk usually referred to as “receptionists” in hotels on shore. As with receptionists, pursers take care of everything from bills to enquiries and any problems with customer service

cabin steward – more than the room maids in land hotels, individual cabin stewards take care of the cabin and guests for the entire cruise with services covering everything from breakfast service to turning down the beds at night

cruise director – the cruise ship director generally take responsibility for all the entertainment on board your cruise ship - from parties at the pool to late night entertainment in the bars

And last but not least, important measurement terms are: 1 nautical mile = about 6078 feet/1.15 statute miles 1 league = 3 nautical miles 1 knot (a measurement of speed) = 1 nautical mile/hour

Established in 1998, free Prow’s Edge Cruise Magazine offers information on different types of cruises and cruise articles and reviews covering all parts of the world, the latest in cruise news, cruise lines profiles, and information on cruise ports and terminals, as well as cruise tips and advice, cheap cruise deals, cruise food and recipes from cruise line chefs, opinions and perspectives from cruise industry leaders and CEOS, how to go about planning a cruise, safety tips about cruise ship crime, and a chance to vent your own opinions at the Prow’s Edge cruise forums and cruise message boards.

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 cruise advice - tips,  ship's doctor.

For more information about Ships Officers, take a look at the Prow's Edge Cruise Forums and Cruise Message Boards and see what fellow passengers have to say about officers.

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Breaking News English Lesson: Cruise Ship

Home     |     help this site, world's largest ever cruise ship sets sail    (17th march, 2022).

• 27-page lesson  (40 exercises)
• 2-page MINI lesson
• All 4 graded readings
• North American & British English
• 20 questions
• Listen & spell
• 3-speed reading
• Text jumble
• The / An / A
• Prepositions
• Missing letters
• Initials only
• Missing words

The Reading / Listening - Cruise Ship - Level 3

The largest cruise ship ever made has set sail. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has room for 6,988 guests. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is the newest addition to the ships owned by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on its maiden voyage last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of the Caribbean islands. A company official spoke about his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class features after a six-year-long process." He said the company's expertise and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something truly awe-inspiring". It took a shipyard in France three years to build the enormous ship. It is an impressive vessel. It weighs 237,000 tons, and is as long as the Empire State Building is high. It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft carrier ever built and 306 meters* longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph faster. The new cruise ship has eight different "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different experiences. One is called Central Park, which is filled with over 10,000 real plants. Facilities include 20 restaurants, four swimming pools, a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, an ice-skating rink, a surf simulator, a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre rock-climbing walls.

* Error: This should be 93 meters.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

     Cruise Ship - Level 0 ,  Cruise Ship - Level 1   or  Cruise Ship - Level 2

• https://edition. cnn.com /travel/article/worlds-largest-ship-wonder-of-the-seas-delivered/index.html
• https://www. thenationalnews.com /world/2022/02/22/wonder-of-the-seas-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-to-sail-with-passengers-for-first-time/
• https://www. cruisehive.com /the-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-arrives-in-the-us-for-the-first-time/66343

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities, and more.

Take a look...

"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools." The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)

"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and...history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it." Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)

"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels.... In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills." Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.

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--> 1. CRUISE SHIPS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about cruise ships. Change partners often and share your findings. 2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?        cruise ship / set sail / guests / voyage / passenger / Caribbean / the world / feedback        shipyard / impressive / vessel / aircraft carrier / experiences / water park / basketball Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently. 3. CRUISE: Students A strongly believe a cruise is more fun than a luxury train journey; Students B strongly believe a train journey is better. Change partners again and talk about your conversations. 4. SHIPS: What do you know about these ships (and boats)? What would it be like to work on them?  Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.   What I Know Working on the Ship Cruise ship     Oil tanker     Aircraft carrier     Container ship     Fishing boat     Rescue boat     MY e-BOOK See a sample 5. GUEST: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "guest". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories. 6. CRUISE: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things to do on a cruise at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings. Sunbathe Meet other guests Sightsee Meet the captain Eat Fish Swim Read   Vocabulary     Paragraph 1       1. set sail a. A traveller on a ship, train, or in a taxi, car, bus, etc. but not the driver, pilot, or crew.       2. deck b. A feeling of being amazed by something impressive or frightening.       3. addition c. When a boat or ship starts its journey (trip).       4. voyage d. A floor of a ship that stretches for the full length of the ship.       5. passenger e. A long journey (trip) by sea or in space       6. expertise f. Great, great skill or knowledge in a particular field.       7. awe-inspiring g. A person or thing added or joined.     Paragraph 2       8. enormous h. A place or piece of equipment provided for a particular purpose.       9. impressive i. A living (green) thing like a tree, shrub, herb, grass, fern, or moss.       10. vessel j. A district or community.       11. neighbourhood k. Very, very big.       12. plant l. A machine designed to provide a realistic copy of the controls and operation of an airplane or other complex system.       13. facility m. Creating admiration through size, quality, or skill.       14. simulator n. A ship or large boat.   Before reading / listening 1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F). The cruise ship in the story is over 360 metres long.      T / F The name of the company that owns the ship is Caribbean Royal.      T / F The ship is heading to Florida as its first destination.      T / F Feedback from guests allowed the company to make a better ship.      T / F It took three years to build the cruise ship.      T / F The cruise ship is 30 metres longer than the Titanic.     T / F There is an area on the ship called Central Park that has 10,000 parks.     T / F The ship has 13 rock-climbing walls.      T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article. addition voyage features expertise awe-inspiring enormous vessel built include theatre huge ship or boat breathtaking journey comprise inclusion cinema skill constructed attractions 3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.) The largest cruise ship ever made has It is the newest addition It set off on its maiden world- the company could create something It took a shipyard in France three years It weighs 237,000 the longest aircraft an ice-skating two 13-metre rock-climbing carrier ever built class features truly awe-inspiring tons rink to the ships walls voyage last week to build the enormous ship set sail Gap fill Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below. introduce voyage room truly cruise set process addition

The largest cruise ship ever made has (1) _____________________ sail. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has (2) _____________________ for 6,988 guests. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is the newest (3) _____________________ to the ships owned by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on its maiden (4) _____________________ last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The lucky passengers will enjoy a (5) _____________________ of the Caribbean islands. A company official spoke about his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excited to (6) _____________________ guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class features after a six-year-long (7) _____________________." He said the company's expertise and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something (8) _____________________ awe-inspiring".

plants built enormous court weighs experiences rink faster

It took a shipyard in France three years to build the (9) _____________________ ship. It is an impressive vessel. It (10) _____________________ 237,000 tons, and is as long as the Empire State Building is high. It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft carrier ever (11) _____________________ and 306 metres longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph (12) _____________________. The new cruise ship has eight different "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different (13) _____________________. One is called Central Park, which is filled with over 10,000 real (14) _____________________. Facilities include 20 restaurants, four swimming pools, a children's water park, a full-size basketball (15) _____________________, an ice-skating (16) _____________________, a surf simulator, a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre rock-climbing walls.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) The largest cruise ship ever made ______      a.  has let sail      b.  has set sail      c.  has bet sail      d.  has met sail 2)  The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has room ______      a.  for 6,988 guest      b.  for 6,988 gusts      c.  for 6,988 jests      d.  for 6,988 guests 3)  The lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of ______      a.  the Caribbean island      b.  the Caribbean islands      c.  a Caribbean islands      d.  those Caribbean islands 4)  the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class features after a six-______      a.  year-long process      b.  years-long process      c.  year-longer process      d.  year-long processes 5)  feedback from guests meant the company could create something ______      a.  truly awe-inspiring      b.  truly or-inspiring      c.  truly yore-inspiring      d.  true leer-inspiring

6)  It took a shipyard in France three years to build ______      a.  the enormous shipped      b.  the enormous ships      c.  the enormous shipper      d.  the enormous ship 7)  It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft ______      a.  carrier ever build      b.  carrion ever built      c.  carry ya ever built      d.  carrier ever built 8)  These are areas of the ship that will give ______      a.  guests different experience      b.  guests different experiences      c.  guests difference experiences      d.  guests differ rent experiences 9)  One is called Central Park, which is filled with over ______      a.  10,000 real pants      b.  10,000 real plants      c.  10,000 real pliant      d.  10,000 real pranks 10)  four swimming pools, a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, an ______      a.  ice-skating link      b.  ice-skating drink      c.  ice-skating rink      d.  ice-skating brink

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The largest cruise ship ever made (1) ____________________. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has room for 6,988 guests. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is (2) ____________________ to the ships owned by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on (3) ____________________ last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of the Caribbean islands. A (4) ____________________ about his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its (5) ____________________ after a six-year-long process." He said the company's expertise and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something (6) ____________________".

It took a shipyard in France three years to build (7) ____________________. It is an impressive vessel. It weighs 237,000 tons, and is as long as the Empire State Building is high. It is 30 metres longer than (8) ____________________ carrier ever built and 306 metres longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph faster. The new cruise ship (9) ____________________ "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different experiences. One is called Central Park, which is (10) ____________________ 10,000 real plants. Facilities include 20 restaurants, four swimming pools, a children's water park, (11) ____________________ basketball court, an ice-skating rink, a surf simulator, a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre (12) ____________________.

Comprehension questions

• How long is the cruise ship?
• What's the name of the cruise ship?
• Where are the passengers going on a cruise?
• Who did a company official talk to?
• What did a spokesperson say the company wanted to create?
• How long did it take to build the ship?
• How much longer than the Titanic is the cruise ship?
• How many different "neighbourhoods" does the ship have?
• How many plants are there on an area of the ship called Central Park?
• How many people can sit in the ship's cinema?

Multiple choice quiz

1) How long is the cruise ship? a) 360 metres b) 262 metres c) 326 metres d) 362 metres 2) What's the name of the cruise ship? a) Seas of Wonder b) Wonder of the Seas c) Wonder Seas d) Wonderful Seas 3) Where are the passengers going on a cruise? a) the River Nile b) Florida c) Tahiti d) Caribbean islands 4) Who did a company official talk to? a) Booking.com b) passengers c) CNN Travel d) the ship's captain 5) What did a spokesperson say the company wanted to create? a) an unbeatable ship b) perfect memories c) the best company in the world d) something truly awe-inspiring

6) How long did it take to build the ship? a) 8 years b) 2 years c) 3 years d) 5 years 7) How much longer than the Titanic is the cruise ship? a) 30 metres b) 300 metres c) 13 metres d) 3 metres 8) How many different "neighbourhoods" does the ship have? a) 6 b) 10 c) 8 d) 5 9) How many plants are there on an area of the ship called Central Park? a) over 50,000 b) over 1,000 c) over 10,000 d) over 20,000 10) How many people can sit in the ship's cinema? a) 1,400 b) 1,600 c) 1,200 d) 1,800

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'cruise' ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ and 'ship' . ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

18 maiden enjoy official six truly three 30 1.8 eight 20 1,400

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion - Cruise Ship

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

• What did you think when you read the headline?
• What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'cruise'?
• What do you think of the idea of a cruise?
• Where would you like to go on a cruise?
• What would you do on a cruise ship for two weeks?
• Would you like to be on a ship with nearly 7,000 other people?
• What do you think of a Caribbean cruise?
• How environmentally friendly are cruise ships?
• Do you think the Wonder of the Seas is a wonder?
• How 'awe-inspiring' is this ship?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

• Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
• What do you think of when you hear the word 'ship'?
• What do you think about what you read?
• What are the good and bad things about cruises?
• Can you imagine how big this ship is?
• How much fun do you think a cruise on this ship would be?
• What do you think of the facilities on the ship?
• Should all cruise ships use electric engines?
• What do you think of the movie 'Titanic'?
• What questions would you like to ask the ship's captain?

Discussion — Write your own questions

(a) ________________ (b) ________________ (c) ________________ (d) ________________ (e) ________________

(f) ________________ (g) ________________ (h) ________________ (i) ________________ (j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

The largest cruise ship ever made has (1) ____ sail. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has room for 6,988 (2) ____. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is the newest addition to the ships owned by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on its (3) ____ voyage last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of the Caribbean islands. A company official spoke (4) ____ his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class (5) ____ after a six-year-long process." He said the company's expertise and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something truly (6) ____-inspiring".

It took a shipyard in France three years to build the enormous ship. It is an impressive (7) ____. It weighs 237,000 tons, and is as long as the Empire State Building is high. It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft carrier ever (8) ____ and 306 metres longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph faster. The new cruise ship has eight (9) ____ "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different experiences. One is called Central Park, which is (10) ____ with over 10,000 real plants. Facilities include 20 restaurants, four swimming pools, a children's water park, a full-size basketball (11) ____, an ice-skating (12) ____, a surf simulator, a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre rock-climbing walls.

Which of these words go in the above text?

• (a)     net     (b)     met     (c)     let     (d)     set    
• (a)     jets     (b)     gusts     (c)     jests     (d)     guests    
• (a)     maid     (b)     maiden     (c)     made     (d)     making    
• (a)     at     (b)     about     (c)     around     (d)     in    
• (a)     features     (b)     feats     (c)     futures     (d)     fractures    
• (a)     awe     (b)     awl     (c)     owl     (d)     or    
• (a)     dinghy     (b)     yacht     (c)     speedboat     (d)     vessel    
• (a)     built     (b)     builds     (c)     building     (d)     builder    
• (a)     difference     (b)     different     (c)     differ     (d)     differs    
• (a)     failed     (b)     filed     (c)     filled     (d)     foliage    
• (a)     pitch     (b)     field     (c)     court     (d)     ground    
• (a)     link     (b)     rink     (c)     dink     (d)     sink

Paragraph 1

• the newest daodiint to the ships
• It set off on its maiden vyeaog
• its world-class faeurste
• after a six-year-long orsepsc
• the company's seetepirx
• create something truly awe- pinngsrii

Paragraph 2

• build the noerosum ship
• It is an impressive sesevl
• the longest aircraft cirraer ever built
• eight different gsonodoeuhbihr
• eicsialift include 20 restaurants
• a surf suiomltra

Put the text back together

(...)  rink, a surf simulator, a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre rock-climbing walls. (...)  experiences. One is called Central Park, which is filled with over 10,000 real plants. Facilities (...)  It took a shipyard in France three years to build the enormous ship. It is an impressive vessel. It weighs (...)  237,000 tons, and is as long as the Empire State Building is high. It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft (...)  by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on its maiden voyage last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The lucky (  1   ) The largest cruise ship ever made has set sail. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has room (...)  and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something truly awe-inspiring". (...)  passengers will enjoy a cruise of the Caribbean islands. A company official spoke (...)  for 6,988 guests. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is the newest addition to the ships owned (...)  about his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world- (...)  ship has eight different "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different (...)  carrier ever built and 306 metres longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph faster. The new cruise (...)  include 20 restaurants, four swimming pools, a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, an ice-skating (...)  class features after a six-year-long process." He said the company's expertise

Put the words in the right order

largest   cruise   The   set   ship   made   ever   sail   . the   the   is   newest   ships   .   addition   to   It Set   its   on   maiden   last   off   voyage   week   . guests   to   world   .   across   We're   the   introduce   excited something   The   awe-inspiring   .   could   truly   company   create in   a   It   France   took   years   .   shipyard   three aircraft   built   .   carrier   Longer   ever   the   than   longest neighbourhoods   .   has   ship   eight   cruise   new   The   different real   over   10,000   is   with   plants   .   It   filled include   four   and   restaurants   20   pools   .   The   facilities   swimming

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

The largest cruise ship ever made / make has set sail. The ship is 362 metres long, has 18 decks, and has cabin / room for 6,988 guests. Its name is Wonder of the Seas. It is the newest addition / add to the ships owned by the company Royal Caribbean. It set off on its maiden / made voyage last week from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, USA. The luckless / lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of the Caribbean islands. A company official speak / spoke about his excitement to CNN Travel. He said: "We're excitement / excited to introduce guests across the world to Wonder of the Seas and its world-class futures / features after a six-year-long process." He said the company's expertise / expats and feedback from guests meant the company could "create something truly / truth awe-inspiring".

It took a shipyard in France three years to build / built the enormous ship. It is an impressive vessel. It weight / weighs 237,000 tons, and is as length / long as the Empire State Building is high / height . It is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft car / carrier ever built and 306 metres longer than the Titanic. Surprisingly, the Titanic was 1.8kph faster. The new cruise ship has eight difference / different "neighbourhoods". These are areas of the ship that will give guests different experiences. One is / be called Central Park, which is filled with over / more 10,000 real plants. Facilities include 20 restaurants, four swimming pails / pools , a children's water park, a full-size basketball court, an ice-skating rink, a surf stimulate / simulator , a 1400-seat theatre, and two 13-metre rock-climbing walls.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

Th_  l_rg_st  cr__s_  sh_p  _v_r  m_d_  h_s  s_t  s__l.  Th_  sh_p  _s  362  m_tr_s  l_ng,  h_s  18  d_cks,  _nd  h_s  r__m  f_r  6,988  g__sts.  _ts  n_m_  _s  W_nd_r  _f  th_  S__s.  _t  _s  th_  n_w_st  _dd_t__n  t_  th_  sh_ps  _wn_d  by  th_  c_mp_ny  R_y_l  C_r_bb__n.  _t  s_t  _ff  _n  _ts  m__d_n  v_y_g_  l_st  w__k  fr_m  F_rt  L__d_rd_l_  _n  Fl_r_d_,  _S_.  Th_  l_cky  p_ss_ng_rs  w_ll  _nj_y  _  cr__s_  _f  th_  C_r_bb__n  _sl_nds.  _  c_mp_ny  _ff_c__l  sp_k_  _b__t  h_s  _xc_t_m_nt  t_  CNN  Tr_v_l.  H_  s__d:  "W_'r_  _xc_t_d  t_  _ntr_d_c_  g__sts  _cr_ss  th_  w_rld  t_  W_nd_r  _f  th_  S__s  _nd  _ts  w_rld-cl_ss  f__t_r_s  _ft_r  _  s_x-y__r-l_ng  pr_c_ss."  H_  s__d  th_  c_mp_ny's  _xp_rt_s_  _nd  f__db_ck  fr_m  g__sts  m__nt  th_  c_mp_ny  c__ld  "cr__t_  s_m_th_ng  tr_ly  _w_-_nsp_r_ng".

_t  t__k  _  sh_py_rd  _n  Fr_nc_  thr__  y__rs  t_  b__ld  th_  _n_rm__s  sh_p.  _t  _s  _n  _mpr_ss_v_  v_ss_l.  _t  w__ghs  237,000  t_ns,  _nd  _s  _s  l_ng  _s  th_  _mp_r_  St_t_  B__ld_ng  _s  h_gh.  _t  _s  30  m_tr_s  l_ng_r  th_n  th_  l_ng_st  __rcr_ft  c_rr__r  _v_r  b__lt  _nd  306  m_tr_s  l_ng_r  th_n  th_  T_t_n_c.  S_rpr_s_ngly,  th_  T_t_n_c  w_s  1.8kph  f_st_r.  Th_  n_w  cr__s_  sh_p  h_s  __ght  d_ff_r_nt  "n__ghb__rh__ds".  Th_s_  _r_  _r__s  _f  th_  sh_p  th_t  w_ll  g_v_  g__sts  d_ff_r_nt  _xp_r__nc_s.  _n_  _s  c_ll_d  C_ntr_l  P_rk,  wh_ch  _s  f_ll_d  w_th  _v_r  10,000  r__l  pl_nts.  F_c_l_t__s  _ncl_d_  20  r_st__r_nts,  f__r  sw_mm_ng  p__ls,  _  ch_ldr_n's  w_t_r  p_rk,  _  f_ll-s_z_  b_sk_tb_ll  c__rt,  _n  _c_-sk_t_ng  r_nk,  _  s_rf  s_m_l_t_r,  _  1400-s__t  th__tr_,  _nd  tw_  13-m_tr_  r_ck-cl_mb_ng  w_lls.

Punctuate the text and add capitals

the largest cruise ship ever made has set sail the ship is 362 metres long has 18 decks and has room for 6988 guests its name is wonder of the seas it is the newest addition to the ships owned by the company royal caribbean it set off on its maiden voyage last week from fort lauderdale in florida usa the lucky passengers will enjoy a cruise of the caribbean islands a company official spoke about his excitement to cnn travel he said were excited to introduce guests across the world to wonder of the seas and its worldclass features after a sixyearlong process he said the companys expertise and feedback from guests meant the company could create something truly aweinspiring

it took a shipyard in france three years to build the enormous ship it is an impressive vessel it weighs 237000 tons and is as long as the empire state building is high it is 30 metres longer than the longest aircraft carrier ever built and 306 metres longer than the titanic surprisingly the titanic was 18kph faster the new cruise ship has eight different neighbourhoods these are areas of the ship that will give guests different experiences one is called central park which is filled with over 10000 real plants facilities include 20 restaurants four swimming pools a childrens water park a fullsize basketball court an iceskating rink a surf simulator a 1400seat theatre and two 13metre rockclimbing walls

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thelargestcruiseshipevermadehassetsail.Theshipis362metreslong, has18decks,andhasroomfor6,988guests.ItsnameisWonderoftheSe as.ItisthenewestadditiontotheshipsownedbythecompanyRoyalCari bbean.ItsetoffonitsmaidenvoyagelastweekfromFortLauderdaleinFl orida,USA.TheluckypassengerswillenjoyacruiseoftheCaribbeanislan ds.AcompanyofficialspokeabouthisexcitementtoCNNTravel.Hesaid: "We'reexcitedtointroduceguestsacrosstheworldtoWonderoftheSeas anditsworld-classfeaturesafterasix-year-longprocess."Hesaidthec ompany'sexpertiseandfeedbackfromguestsmeantthecompanycoul d"createsomethingtrulyawe-inspiring".IttookashipyardinFrancethr eeyearstobuildtheenormousship.Itisanimpressivevessel.Itweighs2 37,000tons,andisaslongastheEmpireStateBuildingishigh.Itis30met reslongerthanthelongestaircraftcarriereverbuiltand306metreslong erthantheTitanic.Surprisingly,theTitanicwas1.8kphfaster.Thenewcr uiseshiphaseightdifferent"neighbourhoods".Theseareareasoftheshi pthatwillgiveguestsdifferentexperiences.OneiscalledCentralPark,w hichisfilledwithover10,000realplants.Facilitiesinclude20restaurants ,fourswimmingpools,achildren'swaterpark,afull-sizebasketballcour t,anice-skatingrink,asurfsimulator,a1400-seattheatre,andtwo13- metrerock-climbingwalls.

Free writing

Write about cruise ship for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

A one-year cruise is better than a two-week cruise. Discuss.

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word. 2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson. 3. CRUISE SHIPS: Make a poster about cruise ships. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things? 4. ECO-CRUISES: Write a magazine article about only allowing eco-cruises - ones where the ship emits zero emissions. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s). 5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles. 6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on cruise ships. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to make them fun. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

• Pre-reading / Post-reading
• Using headlines
• Working with words
• While-reading / While-listening
• Moving from text to speech
• Post-reading / Post-listening
• Discussions
• Using opinions
• Using lists
• Using quotes
• Task-based activities
• Using the central characters in the article
• Using themes from the news

Buy my book

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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Economic Watch: China's Tianjin port welcomes three int'l cruise ships within a week

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-04-13 21:54:15

Foreign tourists go through passenger clearance procedures at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality, April 13, 2024. (Xinhua)

TIANJIN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's port city of Tianjin on Saturday morning, making it the third international cruise ship to visit Tianjin within a week.

Featuring luxurious facilities, Silver Shadow is one of the most popular cruise ships in the Silversea fleet. The cruise ship began service in 2000 and underwent renovation in 2019.

The ship has visited Tianjin 17 times in the past and this is its first visit to the city this year.

The ship will dock at Tianjin for two days and one night. The majority of the over 200 foreign tourists from 21 countries and regions aboard will go on sightseeing tours in Beijing and Tianjin.

"We work with the cruise line and the port company to streamline passenger clearance procedures, allowing them to have more travel time in China," said Liu Yang, a local immigration inspection officer.

With the rapid recovery of the cruise industry, there is a growing demand among foreign tourists to visit China's scenic spots and historic sites, Liu said.

"Last time I came to China to visit the Great Wall. This time, I would like to experience something different. I hope to take the high-speed rail from Tianjin to visit and enjoy Beijing," said Christopher Hamilton, a tourist hailing from Britain.

A couple from Germany stated that they had only one day in Beijing and would like to visit the Great Wall, perhaps the Forbidden City, and other popular attractions.

As the largest cruise home port in northern China, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed three international cruise ships within a week.

Cruise ship Serenade of the Seas, also operated by Royal Caribbean Group, and Seabourn Odyssey, operated by Seabourn Cruise Line, docked at this port on April 7 and 8, respectively.

"The frequency of international cruise ships visiting Tianjin has surpassed previous levels," Liu said.

The Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed 24 cruise ships with 74,000 tourists so far this year, according to Dong Zichen, deputy general manager of Tianjin International Cruise Home Port Co., Ltd.

"We are quite optimistic about the recovery of the cruise tourism industry in Tianjin," Dong said, adding that the port is estimated to receive 100 cruise ships and 300,000 inbound and outbound tourists this year.

Royal Caribbean International announced its new China route deployment plan in March, which includes two cruises deployed in the ports of Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong, with the sailing timeframe spanning from February 2025 to April 2026.

"We always stick to the Chinese market, and we are committed to creating value for Chinese consumers, social and economic development, as well as inbound and outbound travel. We have full confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy," said Liu Zinan, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Asia. ■

An aerial drone photo taken on April 13, 2024 shows the Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docking at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua)

• GLOBAL VIEW
• THIS IS CHINA
• REAL XINJIANG

China's Tianjin port welcomes three int'l cruise ships within a week

Foreign tourists go through passenger clearance procedures at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's Tianjin Municipality, April 13, 2024. (Xinhua)

TIANJIN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Silver Shadow cruise ship, operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, docked at Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in north China's port city of Tianjin on Saturday morning, making it the third international cruise ship to visit Tianjin within a week.

Featuring luxurious facilities, Silver Shadow is one of the most popular cruise ships in the Silversea fleet. The cruise ship began service in 2000 and underwent renovation in 2019.

The ship has visited Tianjin 17 times in the past and this is its first visit to the city this year.

The ship will dock at Tianjin for two days and one night. The majority of the over 200 foreign tourists from 21 countries and regions aboard will go on sightseeing tours in Beijing and Tianjin.

"We work with the cruise line and the port company to streamline passenger clearance procedures, allowing them to have more travel time in China," said Liu Yang, a local immigration inspection officer.

With the rapid recovery of the cruise industry, there is a growing demand among foreign tourists to visit China's scenic spots and historic sites, Liu said.

"Last time I came to China to visit the Great Wall. This time, I would like to experience something different. I hope to take the high-speed rail from Tianjin to visit and enjoy Beijing," said Christopher Hamilton, a tourist hailing from Britain.

A couple from Germany stated that they had only one day in Beijing and would like to visit the Great Wall, perhaps the Forbidden City, and other popular attractions.

As the largest cruise home port in northern China, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed three international cruise ships within a week.

Cruise ship Serenade of the Seas, also operated by Royal Caribbean Group, and Seabourn Odyssey, operated by Seabourn Cruise Line, docked at this port on April 7 and 8, respectively.

"The frequency of international cruise ships visiting Tianjin has surpassed previous levels," Liu said.

The Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has welcomed 24 cruise ships with 74,000 tourists so far this year, according to Dong Zichen, deputy general manager of Tianjin International Cruise Home Port Co., Ltd.

"We are quite optimistic about the recovery of the cruise tourism industry in Tianjin," Dong said, adding that the port is estimated to receive 100 cruise ships and 300,000 inbound and outbound tourists this year.

Royal Caribbean International announced its new China route deployment plan in March, which includes two cruises deployed in the ports of Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong, with the sailing timeframe spanning from February 2025 to April 2026.

"We always stick to the Chinese market, and we are committed to creating value for Chinese consumers, social and economic development, as well as inbound and outbound travel. We have full confidence in the resilience of the Chinese economy," said Liu Zinan, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Asia. 

• China Daily
• People´s Daily
• China.org.cn

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