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.

cruise ship vocabulary and cruise glossary


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.



THE SHIP

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/counter – 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





STILLMORE

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




 Cruise Advice - Tips

• Running on a Cruise


• Advice for an Alaska cruise
• Avoiding putting on weight
• Bringing Alcohol Onboard
• Cabin Fever
• Child Free Cruises
• Choosing a Cabin
• Cold Climate Cruising
• Cruise Dress Codes
• Cruise Etiquette
• Cruise First Aid
• Cruise High Fashion
• Cruise Ship Entertainment
• Cruise Ship Laundry
• Cruise Ship Libraries
• Cruise Ship Officers
• Cruise Vocabulary
• Dealing with Disabilities
• Disembarking
• Early/Late Seating for Dinner
• Family Cruises
• Food Poisoning
• Healthy Eating
• Healthy Cruising
• Internet on a Cruise Ship
• Jet Lag
• Lifeboats on Cruise Ships
• Maintaining mental health
• Medical Preparedness
• Norovirus/Norwalk
• Packing for a Cruise
• Packing for a Cruise (more)
• Phoning from a Cruise
• Rewards Programs
• Safety at Sea
• Saving Money on a Cruise
• Seasickness
• Shore Excursions
• Smoking on Cruise Ships
• Sun and the Topics
• Swine Flu
• Table Assignments
• Taking Alaska photos
• The real cost of cruises
• Tipping on Cruises









 Ship's Doctor

Medical expert and travel enthusiast Joe Springfield offers some tips and advice about typical travel concerns.

• cabin fever
• cold climates
• food poisoning
• jet lag
• norwalk virus
• seasickness
• tropical concerns


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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