Terms from A to Z
- Aft
- Toward the back (stern) of the ship.
- All aboard
- The time every guest must be back on the ship before it sails from a port.
- Bridge
- The control room where the officers steer and navigate the ship.
- Cabin steward
- The crew member who cleans and tidies your cabin.
- Cruise card
- Your room key, onboard charge card and ID for getting on and off.
- Deck plan
- The floor plan of each deck, showing cabins and public rooms.
- Disembarkation
- Leaving the ship at the end of the trip.
- Embarkation
- Boarding the ship at the start of the trip.
- Forward
- Toward the front (bow) of the ship.
- Galley
- The ship's kitchen.
- Gangway
- The walkway between the ship and the pier.
- Guest services
- The front desk for billing, questions and lost items.
- Itinerary
- The list of ports and sea days on a voyage.
- Lido deck
- The pool deck, often with casual dining nearby.
- Midship
- The middle section of the ship, where motion is usually lowest.
- Muster drill
- The required safety briefing that shows you your assembly station.
- Muster station
- The place you go in an emergency, printed on your cabin door or card.
- Obstructed view
- A window or balcony partly blocked, often by lifeboats.
- Port and starboard
- Facing forward, port is the left side and starboard is the right.
- Repositioning cruise
- A one-way trip that moves a ship between regions as seasons change.
- Round trip
- A cruise that starts and ends in the same port.
- Sea day
- A day with no port stop, spent at sea.
- Shore excursion
- A tour in port, booked through the ship or on your own.
- Tender
- A small boat that ferries guests to shore when the ship anchors.
Finding your way
Ship directions stay the same whichever way you face. Forward is always toward the bow, aft is always toward the stern, port is the left side when facing forward and starboard is the right. Cabin numbers often encode the deck and side; many ships use even numbers on one side and odd on the other, though the system varies. Signs near elevators usually show which way is forward.
Reading the daily program
The daily program, printed or in the app, lists the next day's port times, all-aboard time, dress code if any, opening hours and events. Check it each evening. Times are given in ship time, which may differ from the local time in port and from your phone if it picks up a local network.
For more context on these terms, see choosing a cabin and ports and shore excursions.