Many of today's ships have gotten so large, you forget you are onboard a ship instead of a land resort. Often you will hear lingo used aboard and nautical terms referring to a place you need to go or something you need to do. Heres a comprehensive list to brush up on your vocabulary before you board and start calling it a "boat". After you are done you will sound like a pro on your cruise and can navigate around the ship a little easier.

 

aboard	onboard, or on the ship; the opposite of ashore. Used when referring to being or doing something on the ship
about	To turn the ship around
abreast	Alongside something, usually another ship or a dock
add-on	An additional charge to the cruise fare that usually refers to airfare, transfers, or land tours
aft	The back of the ship
air/sea package	A package deal that includes the cruise price, airfare, and transfers between the airport and the ship
all hands	All the crewmembers working aboard the ship
alternative restaurant	A smaller onboard restaurant where guests can choose to eat, often for a small fee
amidships	The middle section of the ship
ashore	On land; the opposite of aboard
astern	Toward the aft (back of the ship), or behind the ship
azipod propulsion	Ships powered by Azipod propulsion are a bit more maneuverable and much quieter than older propeller-driven ships.

- B -

balcony / verandah	Some Outside Staterooms (and most suites) have a balcony or veranda where you can sun and sightsee in relative privacy. Often available for as little as $15/day extra, many cruisers consider this a vital upgrade--especially in places like Alaska where the scenery never stops.
beam	The width of the ship at its widest point, usually right across the middle section of the ship
bearing	The compass direction the ship is sailing, expressed in degrees
berth	A bed; or the place where the ship is docked in port
bow	The front part of the ship
bridge	The location where the captain and crew controls the ship-where navigation and steering occur
bulkhead	The structural wall in the interior of the ship
buoy	A marker or float used to identify navigational landmarks or channels

- C -

cabin	A passenger room onboard the ship-sometimes called a stateroom
cabin steward	The person who cleans the cabin
captain's dinner	On most cruises, even ones where the dress code is Casual, you’ll have the chance for a group dinner--or at least a cocktail party--with the captain. This event is always optional, but many people enjoy the opportunity to dress up and meet the captain of their ship.
cast off	To release the ship from her mooring
category	The price level of a cabin based on location, size, and amenities
casual	During the day, casual can be as dressed-down as a tee shirt and shorts, or even a bathing suit. On many ships, however, you will be expected to wear long pants (not jeans), a shirt, and shoes in restaurants and clubs after 6pm. (The opposite of casual is, naturally, Formal.)
channel	The deepest part of a river or harbor
chocoholic buffet	Yes, these really exist. Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered the concept of a buffet where everything, from cakes to cookies to bon-bons, is made of luscious, diet-busting chocolate. Good thing Norwegian ships also offer guests free use of exercise equipment.
companionway	A stairway inside the ship that connects the deck levels
course	The ship's route from one port to the next
cruise director	Head of the ship's entertainment staff, often emcees events
cruise to nowhere	A cruise spent entirely at sea in international waters, with no stops in port.

- D -

davit	A steel structure that hoist lifeboats over the side of the ship
debark	To go ashore
deck	Each level (floor) of the ship
disembark	To leave the ship and go ashore
dinner seating	The time a passenger is assigned to a particular dining venue on the ship
dock	A place to moor the ship
draft	The depth of water needed to sail so that the ship doesn't touch the ocean floor (The draft is measured from the waterline to the lowest part of the ship, usually the keel)

- E -

embark

To go aboard the ship

- F -

fantail	The rear overhang of a ship (shaped like a duck's bill)
fathom	Measurement of water depth (One fathom equals six feet.)
first seating	The earlier of two meal servings (dinner seatings) in the ship's main dining room-also referred to as the main seating
fleet	A number of ships under the same ownership
Flow Rider	Onboard surf pool on Royal Caribbean ships
fore, forward	The area toward the bow of the ship
formal wear	Most cruises still feature at least one formal dress night (an exception is Windstar, whose cruises are all-casual, all the time). Although there is often an alternative restaurant open at the same time where you can dress casually if you wish, most passengers enjoy the opportunity to put on the Ritz. Dress codes and customs vary by ship, but in general formal means a dark suit and tie for men--a tuxedo wouldn’t even look out-of-place on many ships (you’ll be able to rent one onboard, if you want). Women usually wear cocktail dresses or pantsuits. (Contrast with Casual dress, which is the rule any other time onboard.) When booking a cruise online, be sure to read Cruise Critic reviews to get an idea of what to expect on a particular cruise.
Freestyle Cruising	Norwegian Cruise Line's style of cruising, featuring casual dress and no set dinner times
Fun Ships	Name for Carnival's cruise ships
funnel	The ship's smokestack

- G -

galley	The ship's kitchen
gangway	Ramp or stairway between the ship and the shore while the ship is docked
gross registerd ton (grt)	A measurement of enclosed passenger space, including the space in cabins, lounges, showrooms, and dining rooms. This does not apply to open spaces such as decks and pool areas (unless, of course, they are enclosed)
guarantee	A cruise reservation in which one pays for a certain category cabin, but is not given a cabin number. Passengers often take this type of reservation with the hopes of getting upgraded to a higher category

- H -

hand	A crewmember
head	A bathroom
helm	The ship's steering equipment, located in the bridge
hold	The ship's cargo area
hotel manager	Shipboard director of hotel operations such as housekeeping and passenger services
hull	The outside shell of the ship from the main deck down to the keel

- I -

inside cabin	A stateroom that does not have a porthole, window, or balcony
internet cafe	More and more common on board ships, Internet cafés offer computers allowing you to surf the net and send e-mail. Prices are steep, but often less expensive than placing a ship-to-shore telephone call.

- K -

keel	The chief structure of the ship that extends lengthwise along the center of the ship's bottom-the ship's backbone
knot	The measurement of the ship's speed. One knot is one nautical mile per hour

- L -

latitude	The distance north or south of the equator expressed in degrees
league	A unit of measurement equal to 3.45 nautical miles
leeward	The side of an island or ship that is sheltered from the wind
lines	The ropes used to tie up the ship while it is at the dock
longitude	The distance east or west of the prime meridian expressed in degrees

- M -

maiden voyage	The first voyage of a new ship
maiden call	The first port-of-call on the ship's maiden voyage
master	The person who is in charge of the ship; the captain
midnight buffet	It’s not always at midnight (on some ships, you only have to stay awake until 11:30 or so), but most ships offer a midnight buffet. As a matter of fact, most ships now offer some form of dining--or at least room service--around the clock, ensuring you never have to go hungry onboard.
mini-suite	The smallest, most affordable suite on a ship, often with just a curtain dividing the living and sleeping areas
moor	To hold the ship in place with lines at a berth
muster	To assemble the passengers and crew
muster drill	Also known as the lifeboat drill, every cruise ship holds this safety drill at the beginning of a cruise. It may seem silly, but you’ll find out which lifeboat is yours in the (extremely unlikely) event of an emergency. Plus, it’s mandatory! There will be instructions in your cabin telling you where to report for your drill, and announcements telling you when.
muster station	A meeting place onboard the ship that usually refers to the area where one would go to get into the lifeboats in case of an emergency

- N -

nautical mile

A unit of measurement equal to one-sixtieth of a degree of the earth's circumference; it's measured in the U.S. as 6,080.2 feet or internationally as 6,076.1 feet

- O -

oceanview cabin	An outside cabin with a large porthole window or a verandah
onboard	Located on the ship; carried or used on the vessel
open seating	A dinner seating in which tables are not assigned
outside cabin	A stateroom with a porthole, window, or balcony that overlooks the ocean-also referred to as an oceanview cabin

- P -

passageway	A hallway inside the ship
passenger space ratio	The number of gross registered tons (grt) divided by the total passenger capacity
passenger to crew ratio	The total number of passengers divided by the total number of crewmembers
pitch	The forward and backward rise and fall of the ship as it moves
port	The left side of the ship when facing forward; also the harbor where a ship docks
porthole	A round window on a ship
port-of-call	A port at which the ship anchors or moors, and the passengers are allowed to disembark
promenade	An open deck that encircles a ship, often used for walking or jogging
purser	The officer onboard who serves as a financial or administrative manager for guest services

- Q -

quad	A cabin that will accommodate four passengers

- R -

repositioning cruise	A one-way itinerary that brings a ship from one region to another at the change of the cruise seasons
registry	Why is your ship registered in Liberia? Or Panama? For tax reasons, cruise-ship lines find it less expensive to register their ships abroad. International standards of safety and sanitation do apply, though. For instance, the U.S. Coast Guard requires that all foreign-flagged ships calling at U.S. ports pass inspections based on the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or SOLAS. So even though it’s far from home, your cruise ship is guaranteed to meet strict safely and health guidelines.
rock climbing	Believe it or not, it really is possible to rock-climb on board a cruise ship. Royal Caribbean has several ships with rock-climbing walls, and hopes to eventually have them installed on every vessel in the fleet.
roll	The side-to-side movement of the ship

- S -

screw	The ship's propeller
second seating	The later of two meal servings (dinner seatings) in the ship's main dining room-also referred to as the late seating
single supplement	An extra charge solo travelers pay to have just one person in a cabin
sister ships	Ships built of the same design-sometimes referred to as ships owned and operated by the same cruise line
shore excursions	A tour or guided activity in which guests participate while ashore
stabilizer	A retractable arm located below the waterline mid-ship, which can be extended to help reduce the ship's roll in rougher sea conditions
starboard	The right side of the ship when facing forward
stateroom	A cabin; Staterooms come in two basic styles: Inside, and Outside, although on any ship you will find subdivisions within each category. Some outside staterooms have Balconies, or Oceanviews, for instance, while slightly less expensive room will not.
stern	The back end of the ship
suite	The largest class of stateroom; features separate living and sleeping areas

- T -

tender	A small boat used to transport passengers from the ship to the shore. Tenders are used when the harbor is not deep enough for the ship to dock
transfer	Transportation from the airport or a hotel to the ship and vice versa
triple	A cabin that will accommodate three passengers

- U -

underway	The act of sailing
upgrade	A change in cabin assignment to a better category
upper berth	A bed similar to a bunk bed, often folded or recessed into the wall

- V -

verandah

A private balcony adjacent to the ship's stateroom (cabin)

- W -

wake	The track left in the water at the stern created by a moving ship
windward	The side of the ship against which the wind is blowing
world cruise	A three- to four-month-long cruise that sails around the world; guests can choose to cruise the entire time or just on select one-way segments