Cruise Glossary

Cruising has its own language. Here are the terms you will hear most often, in plain English.

Aft

Toward the back (stern) of the ship.

All aboard time

The time you must be back onboard in port, usually 30–60 minutes before departure.

Balcony / veranda

A cabin with a private outdoor space.

Beam

The width of the ship at its widest point.

Berth

A bed onboard; also the ship’s docking place in port.

Bow

The front of the ship.

Bridge

The navigation and command center.

Cabin / stateroom

Your room onboard.

Captain’s table

A dinner hosted by the captain for invited guests.

Closed-loop cruise

A cruise that starts and ends at the same US port; affects document requirements for US citizens.

Deck

A floor of the ship.

Disembarkation

Leaving the ship at the end of the cruise (or in port).

Draft

How deep the ship sits in the water; limits which ports it can enter.

Embarkation

Boarding the ship at the start of the cruise.

Excursion

An organized tour in port, sold by the cruise line or independent operators.

Fare

The price of the cruise itself, per person based on double occupancy.

Forward

Toward the front of the ship.

Galley

The ship’s kitchen.

Gangway

The walkway between the ship and the pier.

Gross tonnage (GT)

A measure of the ship’s enclosed volume, not its weight.

Guarantee cabin

A booking where you are guaranteed a category or better, but the line chooses the cabin.

Hull

The body of the ship.

Inside cabin

A cabin with no window.

Knot

One nautical mile (about 1.15 statute miles) per hour.

Lido deck

The pool deck, usually with the buffet.

Midship

The middle of the ship; the most stable place in rough seas.

Muster drill

The mandatory safety briefing; now often an e-muster.

Obstructed view

A window or balcony partly blocked, often by lifeboats.

Ocean-view cabin

A cabin with a window or porthole but no balcony.

Onboard credit (OBC)

Money credited to your onboard account, often a booking perk.

Open-jaw

Flying into one city and home from another, as on one-way cruises.

Port

The left side of the ship facing forward; also a place the ship visits.

Port charges

Fees charged by ports and passed on to passengers.

Purser / guest services

The front desk for questions, accounts and problems.

PVSA

The Passenger Vessel Services Act, the US law requiring foreign-flagged ships to call at a foreign port.

Repositioning cruise

A one-way voyage moving a ship between seasonal regions.

Sea day

A full day at sea with no port call.

Shore excursion

See excursion.

Single supplement

The extra charge for one person in a cabin priced for two.

Starboard

The right side of the ship facing forward.

Stern

The back of the ship.

Suite

A larger cabin, often with extra privileges.

Tender

A small boat that ferries passengers ashore when the ship anchors.

Transatlantic

A crossing between Europe and the Americas.

Wake

The trail of disturbed water behind the ship.

Wave Season

The first months of the year, when many lines launch their biggest promotions.