One of the first things you'll learn when planning any cruise vacation is a new vocabulary.
Here are some basic words that you should know before reading any further:
Aft or stern: rear of the ship
Bow: front of the ship (forward, fore, stem)
Deck: floors/levels of the ship
Midship: middle of ship
Port: Left side of the ship (portside) *I remember that left and port have four letters!
Starboard: right side of ship
Bridge: command and navigation area
Galley: kitchen
Funnel: smokestack, stack
Berth: your bed
Category: a group of rooms with similar price, location and/or amenities
Head: bathroom
Stateroom: cabin, room
Verandah: also spelled veranda; balcony
Embarkation: boarding a cruise ship (embark)
Disembarkation: exiting a ship (disembark, debark)
Gangway: ramp/bridge used to embark and debark
Berth: pier, dock
Port-of-Call: places/ports the ship visits
Shore Excursion: shoreside tour, tour taken at a Port-of-Call
Knot: unit of speed indicating one nautical mile per hour
Nautical mile: 6,076 feet
Underway: ship in motion
Muster drill: lifeboat and life preserver safety demonstration
Cabin Steward: stateroom host; your housekeeper at sea
Cruise Director: Activities and Entertainment Manager. Emcee of shows.
*I'll update with more cruise lingo as needed.
Next up, Bon Voyage...
or have a good trip.
I love the hint about port and left both having four letters. Now, I think I could remember that! Learn something new everyday!
Posted by: Allison @ Slice of Heaven | February 18, 2009 at 06:36 AM
I love this because we are getting ready for our first Disney cruise this April.
Posted by: Tracie | February 18, 2009 at 04:14 PM