Do you know the difference between a port (harbor where ships dock) and a porthole (round window on the ship)? If not, you need to brush up on your cruise lingo before you board the ship.
First, remember that you cruise aboard a ship. Not a boat. A ship can carry other boats, but a boat can’t carry a ship. On the ship (or an island), the side that faces into wind is called windward. The side of the ship or island that faces away from the wind is called leeward.
You don’t have to remember everything. Celebrity Cruises offers a free Cruise Lingo app you can download into your iPhone or Android phone. The app contains more than 40 cruise phrases, as well as a tip calculator and a few other goodies.
Here are a few important bits of cruise lingo to get you started. Let’s start with six people to know aboard ship:
- Captain. The person in charge of the ship. Also called a master.
- Purser. The person in charge of the finances on the boat. Handles any billing questions.
- Cruise director. The person in charge of entertainment aboard ship. Often MCs events.
- Hotel Manager. The person in charge of hotel operations aboard ship, such as housekeeping.
- Steward. The person who takes care of your cabin. Make sure you leave a tip each day.
- Hand. Any crewmember aboard ship.
Here are eight cruise terms to know before you board:
- Embark. The act of going onboard the ship.
- Disembark. The act of leaving the ship.
- Gangway. The raised platform that connects the dock to the ship.
- Stateroom. Any private room or compartment aboard ship.
- Berth. The sleeping space aboard ship.
- Head. The term for bathroom aboard ship.
- Pitch. The rise and fall of the ship, forward and backward, as it cruises.
- Roll. The side-to-side movement of the ship as it cruises.
And ten cruise terms to know about the boat:
- Bow. The front of the ship.
- Midship. The middle of the ship.
- Stern. The back of the ship.
- Port. If you’re facing the bow, it’s the left side of the ship.
- Starboard. If you’re facing the bow, it’s the right side.
- Bridge. The ship’s control room at the bow.
- Galley. The ship’s kitchen.
- Lido Deck. The ship’s pool deck.
- Muster Station. The area in which passengers must gather in case of emergency.