When people talk about cruising the vocabulary can be a foreign language to some people. Whether you’re trying to find your way around the ship, planning what to do or just learning about different aspects of cruising, it helps to know the appropriate lingo for on your cruise.
Here’s our guide to the meaning of cruising words.
Galley – Ships Kitchen
Gangway – The ramp linking the ship to the land
GRT – Gross Registered Tonnage. How big and heavy the ship is
Inside Cabin – A cabin with no window or balcony
Knot – Term for speed at sea
Life Boat – A smaller boat for use in an emergency
Life Jackets – A sleeveless jacket of buoyant or inflatable construction, for supporting the wearer in deep water and preventing drowning
Midship – Towards the middle of the ship
Muster Station – The designated meeting spot for passengers during emergencies or evacuations
Outside Cabin – A cabin with a view. They will have a picture window or a porthole
Pilot – Independent navigational adviser who comes on board to guide the ship when entering and leaving port
Pontoon – Used and lowered to the side of the ship for guests to walk on prior to getting in the tender boat to go ashore when the ship is at anchor
Port – left side of the ship
Port – Places you visit
Porthole – A round window
Pullman Bed – Pull down bed from the wall for some of the beds in the cabin
Quay – Dock, pier or berth
Satellite Navigator – The global positioning system (GPS). A system using 24 satellites to fix the ships position
Stabilisers – Wing shaped fins on the bottom of the ship that helps minimise the side to side rolling movement
Starboard – The right hand side of the ship
Stern – The back of the ship
Swell – The motion of the ocean
Tender – If the ship cannot dock in port you will get a tender to the shore
Aft – Towards the back of the ship
Alongside – When the ship is beside the pier
At Anchor – When the ships is anchored offshore
Balcony – A private open space outside, attached to your cabin. Referred to as Veranda on some American ships
Beam – Width of the ship at its widest point
Bearing – Compass direction expressed in degrees from the ship to a particular destination
Berth – The name given to the beds in your cabin
Berth – When the ship is docked
Bow – The front of the ship
Bridge – The place where the Captain steers the ship.
Bunkers – Fuel storage area
Cabin – Your accommodation on a ship. Sometimes known as stateroom
Cabin Grade – Type of cabin booking, inside, outside, balcony, mini suite and suite
Cabin Steward/ Stewardess – Lady or gent that takes care of your cabin everyday
Cashless System – No need to carry cash around the ship as your boarding/swipe card can be used to make purchases on board
Colours – Ship’s emblem or flag of nationality
Crew – All the people that work on board the ship
Decks – Floors of the ship
Disembarking – Getting off the ship
Dock – The act of bringing the ship alongside the quay
Draft – Distance from the ship’s waterline to the bottom of its keel
Embarking – Getting on the ship
Emergency Drill – A requirement of maritime law, it is compulsory for guests to attend and emergency drill. It is to familiarise yourself with the ships safety procedures for a real emergency. Also known as Muster Drill
Forward – Towards the front of the ship
Funnel – Ship’s exhaust
