Cruise Glossary

Cruise Gratuities

The mandatory daily service charge added to your account for the crew.

Onboard Credit (OBC)

Digital funds loaded onto your ship account to spend on extras like drinks or excursions.

Single Supplement

The premium charged to solo travelers to make up for the second passenger's missing fare.

All-Inclusive Cruise

A fare structure that bundles drinks, wifi, and gratuities into the upfront ticket price.

Cruise Drink Package

A flat daily rate paid in advance for unlimited beverages during your sailing.

Future Cruise Credit (FCC)

A voucher issued by the cruise line, acting as a credit toward a future booking.

GTY (Guarantee) Cabin

A booking that guarantees a cabin category but not a specific room assignment.

Transfers

Cruise line-operated transportation linking the airport and the cruise terminal.

Charter Cruise

When a private organization rents the entire ship for a specific group or theme.

Segments

Individual, bookable portions of a much longer itinerary, like a World Cruise.

Chit

The physical receipt you sign onboard for drinks, dining, or services.

Air-Sea Package

Airfare the cruise line books alongside your cruise, bundling flights, transfers, and missed-ship protection.

Cruise Travel Insurance

Trip-protection coverage for cancellation, emergency medical care, and evacuation from the ship.

Shoulder Season

The transition weeks just before or after a region's peak, when fares and crowds drop but the weather is still good.

Wave Season

The early-year booking-sale stretch, roughly January through March, when lines compete with low fares and bundled perks.

Stateroom

The industry term for your cruise ship cabin or bedroom.

Aft, Bow, Midship, Forward

The directional vocabulary used to navigate the length of the ship.

Port and Starboard

The ship's left (port) and right (starboard) sides, facing forward — and how to remember which is which.

Lido Deck

The primary outdoor deck housing the main pools and the buffet.

Obstructed View Cabin

A room where lifeboats or ship architecture partially block the view to the ocean.

Junior Suite

An oversized balcony cabin that generally lacks full premium suite perks.

Virtual Balcony

An interior cabin featuring a floor-to-ceiling high-definition screen projecting a live outside view.

Spa Cabin

Rooms that include complimentary access to the ship's thermal suite and specialized wellness amenities.

Pullman Bed

A bunk bed that drops down from the ceiling or wall to accommodate additional passengers.

Embarkation / Disembarkation

The formal process of boarding the ship on day one, and leaving it at the end.

Muster Drill

The legally required safety briefing every passenger must complete before sailing.

Tender Port

A destination where the ship anchors offshore and uses small boats to ferry passengers to land.

Porter

The workers at the cruise terminal curbside who take your checked luggage.

Cabin Steward

The dedicated crew member responsible for cleaning and organizing your room.

Cruise Director

The highly visible host and executive in charge of all onboard entertainment and scheduling.

Maitre d'

The senior manager overseeing the main dining room, seating requests, and waitstaff.

Sommelier

The specialized wine steward who assists with pairings and handles high-end beverage service.

Main Dining Room (MDR)

The large, multi-level restaurant offering complimentary multi-course meals.

Specialty Dining

Premium onboard restaurants that require an additional cover charge or à la carte pricing.

Cruise Dress Codes

The daily attire guidelines, ranging from cruise casual to formal night elegance.

Sea Day vs. Port Day

The distinction between days spent transiting the ocean and days docked at a destination.

Repositioning Cruise

A one-way sailing when a ship moves from one seasonal region to another.

Back-to-Back Cruise

Booking two or more consecutive sailings on the same ship to extend your vacation.

World Cruise

A massive itinerary, often lasting 100+ days, that navigates the globe.

Cruisetour

A vacation package combining a traditional sailing with a multi-day guided land tour.

Upgrade Fairy

The legendary phenomenon of receiving an unexpected, complimentary cabin upgrade.

Sail Away Party

The celebratory gathering on the open deck as the ship departs its embarkation port.

Cruise Ducks

A popular passenger tradition of hiding and finding small rubber ducks around the ship.

Godmother

The honorary sponsor chosen to bless a new ship during its naming ceremony.

Inaugural / Maiden Voyage

The very first time a brand-new vessel sails with paying passengers.

Friends of Bill W.

The traditional daily program listing for Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery meetings.

Friends of Dorothy

The classic cruise terminology for LGBTQ+ community meetups and mixers.

Captain's Cocktail Party

A formal gathering where passengers can meet the ship's master and senior officers.

Waitlist

A standby roster for fully booked sailings, dining times, or shore excursions.

Cruise Lanyard

A common accessory used to conveniently carry your room keycard around the ship.

Magnetic Hooks

A popular cabin organization hack, taking advantage of the ship's metal walls.

Knot

The universal measure of maritime speed, equal to one nautical mile per hour.

Panamax

A size designation for ships built strictly to fit through the original Panama Canal locks.

Stabilizer

Underwater fins deployed from the hull to reduce the ship's side-to-side rolling motion.

Bridge

The elevated, windowed room at the front of the ship serving as the command center.

Galley

The nautical term for the ship's massive kitchens and food preparation areas.

Hull

The main structural body of the ship that sits in and above the water.

Wake

The churning, white-water trail left behind the ship as its engines propel it forward.

Helm

The specific console on the bridge used to physically steer the vessel.

Keel-Laying Ceremony

A traditional shipyard milestone marking the official start of a ship's construction.