Who the heck is BOB and why is he POSH?

Does cruise jargon leave you confused? Do nautical terms tie you in knots?

Going on a cruise can feel like walking into a foreign country especially if you are a Newbie. Even if English is the on board language, people are bound to be speaking Cruise-ese, a hybrid of nautical terms and cruise-specific lingo. Suddenly, your room is a cabin, your maid a cabin steward – and heaven forbid you call the ship “a boat.”

While you’ll need to know many terms to become fluent in cruise speak, here are some basics  to help you get around

BOB is the affectionate term for the Bay of Biscay – if you are cruising from Southampton you may have encountered this stretch of ocean – on a good day can be a mill pond, on a bad day can be treacherous!

P.O.S.H. Port Out, Starboard Home; port supposedly being the side of the ship (and starboard on the return journey) having the best cabins when sailing East or West

Atrium:  The centre area of the ship, equivalent to a lobby of a hotel.

Berth: On a ship, a berth means bed.

Aft/forward: The back of the ship is aft and the front of the ship is forward

Bow/stern: The front part of the ship is called the bow. The back part of the ship is called the stern.

Bridge:  The control centre of the ship. This is where the captain and crew navigate and steer the vessel.

Cabin steward: The person who cleans your cabin and turns down the room at night. A steward can assist with minor tasks such as bringing you ice and taking your laundry to be cleaned.

Cruise director: The Big Boss of the cruise who heads up the entertainment staff and might handle passenger requests and complaints.

Cruise tour: A cruise that is preceded or followed by a land tour, operated by the cruise line.

Deck: The name given to each level of a ship

Dock: If a ship is due to dock at a destination, this means it will sail into the port and deploy the gangway so you can walk off the ship. Compare this to ‘tender’ below.

Galley: A ship’s kitchen.

Gangway: The ramp or stairway that leads from the ship to the pier, allowing passengers and crew members to get on and off the ship.

Guarantee: A fare class that allows the cruise line to select your cabin number, often at a lower price point than an assigned cabin in the same cabin category.

Hull: The outside shell of a ship

Lido deck: The pool deck.

MDR: Main dining room.

Maitre D’: The officer in charge of the dining room and its wait staff. Each dining room usually has its own maitre d’.

Muster drill/muster station: A muster drill is a mandatory event where passengers assemble in a specific location and receive instructions on what to do in an emergency. The muster station is the location passengers must go to during a drill or in an actual emergency.

OBC: Onboard credit — a credit added to your onboard account to spend on board

Port/starboard: The nautical terms for left (port) and right (starboard).

Porthole: A round window, often smaller than the standard picture window found in most outside cabins

Promenade: A deck large enough for passengers to walk around. Often a public space complete with shops and restaurants.

Purser: The officer in charge of financial accounting, who handles billing issues, as well as general customer service.

Somelier:  Posh name for wine waiter

Shorex: Shorex means a shore excursion.

Tender: A small boat that ferries cruise passengers from the ship to shore when docking isn’t possible.

If you can master the basics you will soon be fluent in Cruise Speak!!