When you start planning your very first cruise, you quickly realise that this subculture comes with its own language. And what kinds of nerdy librarians would we be if we didn’t offer a rundown of the terms you can expect to hear?

This guide breaks it all down so you can talk like a seasoned cruiser (and finally know what on earth a “chair hog” is).

We’ll highlight some of the must-know phrases for first-time cruisers, and then dive into a complete A–Z cruise slang dictionary for the curious and confident among you.

Heard a bit of cruise slang we missed? Drop us a note on Instagram @TravelWhileNerdy we will be updating the dictionary regularly.

Below are a few of our favourite terms (and the stories behind them). But if you’d rather skip straight to the full Cruise Dictionary, just click the button below.

Jump straight to the Cruise Dictionary

Terms when you’re booking your cruise

When you start planning your cruise, you’ll quickly come across some new vocabulary.

You’ll see the terms embarkation and disembarkation — these refer to the times and locations where you get on and off the ship. Cruise lines are usually strict about these times, so arriving early often just means waiting around at the port (and not the most exciting waiting room you’ve ever been in).

When you start browsing staterooms, you’ll notice a flurry of category codes (for example, 7A or 4C). These are used by cruise lines to indicate the type and location of your cabin — whether it’s inside, ocean view, balcony, or suite. Once you’ve booked, you may be asked if you want to add a drinks package or soda package. These prepaid beverage plans often sound tempting, but do the math before you buy. Unless you’re planning to down six to ten drinks a day, you might be better off paying à la carte.

Terms for when you’re boarding

Once you’ve embarked (see, you’re already using cruise lingo!), there’s a lot to take in during those first few hours.

The most important terms to know are Muster Drill and Muster Station. This is the mandatory safety briefing and your assigned emergency meeting area — think of it as the nautical version of a flight safety demo. Another key phrase is All Aboard Time. It’s exactly what it sounds like: the time you must be back on the ship before departure. Don’t be that person sprinting down the pier (see “Pier Runners” below).

Your cruise card is basically your golden ticket. It’s your onboard ID, your room key, and your payment card all in one. Each cruise line gives it a special name — on Disney Cruise Line it’s called your Key to the World, and on Royal Caribbean, it’s your SeaPass.

Deep dive terms: Cruiser culture & inside jokes

Once you’ve got your sea legs (another key term — it’s the feeling of balance you develop as your body adjusts to the ship’s movement), you’ll start to notice a whole new world of cruise culture and inside jokes. Chair hogs are passengers who “reserve” prime poolside loungers by leaving a towel or flip-flop on the chair, then disappearing for hours. Many cruise lines are thankfully cracking down on this selfish practice. Pier runners are the unfortunate (and, we have to admit, unintentionally amusing) souls who return too late on a port day and find themselves sprinting along the pier as the ship is about to depart — and yes, people do film them.

You may find that when you return to you cabin in the evening, your cabin steward has transformed one of your room’s towls into a magical creation. A mouse, a bird, or (like above) and elephant. These are known as towel animals and add that little bit of sparkle to your holiday. After a few days onboard, you might experience the Love Boat Effect — that cheery, optimistic vibe that makes everyone a little friendlier (and sometimes even flirtier). The phrase nods to The Love Boat, the 1970s TV show set on the Pacific Princess that helped popularize modern cruising.

And once you’re back on land, you may find yourself still swaying slightly for a few days. That’s your land legs kicking in — the body’s way of adjusting back after days at sea.

Cruise slang dictionary

Below is your A–Z of cruise slang and insider lingo — from “All Aboard” to the legendary “Washy Washy.”

Tap the plus and minus icons to open each section and brush up on your cruise speak.

- All Aboard Time – The time you must be back on the ship before it departs port. Miss it and you’ll become a cautionary tale.
- Anytime Dining / MyTime Dining – Flexible dining options instead of a set early or late seating.
- Aft – The back section of the ship.
- B2B (Back-to-Back) – Consecutive cruises on the same ship. A seasoned cruiser’s dream scenario.
- Balcony Cabin – A stateroom with a private outdoor balcony. Sometimes called a ‘verandah.’
- Beam – The width of the ship at its widest point.
- Bridge – The navigation hub of the ship where the captain and officers steer and command.
- Buffet – The self-serve dining area, often on an upper deck.
- Cabin Crawl – A guest-organized tour of different staterooms to see how others are set up.
- Category Code (e.g., 7A, 4C) – A code used by cruise lines to indicate the cabin’s type and location.
- Cabin Steward - Also known as a cabin attendant, is a staff member responsible for cleaning and maintaining guest staterooms.
- Chair Hog – Someone who reserves a poolside lounger early and disappears for hours.
- Code Brown – An unfortunate bathroom accident… not in a bathroom. Usually results in pool closure.
- Code Yellow – A spill or biohazard (like vomit) that requires cleanup. Common on rough sea days.
- Connecting Cabins – Adjoining staterooms with a shared door, great for families.
- Cruise Compass / Daily Planner – The printed or digital schedule of daily onboard activities.
- Cruise Director – The ship’s main entertainment host and hype person.
- Cruise Duck / Duck Hunt – A passenger game where people hide and find small rubber ducks around the ship.
- Cruise Hangover – The sad post-cruise feeling when you realize nobody’s bringing you breakfast anymore
- Deck – A level of the ship (not a “floor”). Example: “Disney Wonder has 11 decks.”
- Deck Plan – The map showing the ship’s layout and cabin locations.
- Disembark / Debark – Leaving the ship at the end of the cruise (or at a port).
- Door Décor – Decorations and magnets cruisers use to personalize their stateroom doors.
- Draft – The depth of the ship below the waterline.
- Drink Package / Soda Package – Prepaid beverage plans; can include alcohol or not.
- Dry Dock – When a ship is taken out of the water for maintenance or refurbishment.
- Embark – Boarding the ship at the start of your cruise.
- Early / Late Seating – Assigned dining times in the Main Dining Room (MDR).
- Forward – The front section of the ship.
- Gangway – The walkway used to board or leave the ship.
- Gratuities / Prepaid Gratuities – Tips for crew members, often added automatically to your account.
- GTY / Guaranteed Cabin – You’re guaranteed a cabin type but not a specific room number until closer to sailing.
- Inside Cabin – A room without windows or outside view.
- Itinerary – The schedule of ports and sea days for your cruise.
- Knot – A nautical unit of speed equal to about 1.15 mph.
- Land Legs – That weird sensation that the ground is still swaying after your cruise.
- Lido Deck – The deck where the pool, buffet, and outdoor activities are typically located.
- Loyalty Program – The cruise line’s rewards system for frequent cruisers (e.g., Castaway Club, Crown & Anchor).
- Love Boat Effect, The – That oddly cheerful, flirty, optimistic vibe people get mid-cruise.
- Main Dining Room (MDR) – The main sit-down restaurant included in your fare.
- Midship – The middle section of the ship, often the most stable area for motion sickness.
- Muster Drill / Muster Station – Mandatory safety briefing and designated emergency meeting spot.
- Obstructed View – A cabin view partially blocked by lifeboats or other structures.
- OBC / Onboard Credit – Prepaid or bonus credit to spend onboard (spa, drinks, etc.).
- Outside Cabin – A room with a window or porthole but no balcony.
- Pier Runners – Late passengers sprinting back as the ship’s horn sounds. Equal parts drama and comedy.
- Poop Deck – The highest deck on the stern, or rear, of a sailing ship, often forming the roof of the stern cabin. The "poop deck" is called that because its name comes from the French word "la poupe", which means "the stern" of a ship.
- Port – The left side of the ship when facing forward (also used for destination stops).
- Port Day / Sea Day – A port day means the ship is docked; a sea day means you’re sailing all day.
- Port of Call – A scheduled stop on the cruise itinerary.
- Private Island – A cruise-line-owned destination, like Disney’s Castaway Cay or Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay.
- Sail Away / Sailaway Party – The celebration as the ship departs its first port.
- Sea Legs – The balance adjustment your body makes to walk steadily while at sea.
- SeaPass / Sail & Sign / Key to the World Card – Your onboard ID, room key, and charge card all in one.
- Shore Excursion – A tour or activity at port, booked through the cruise line or independently.
- Shipmate – A friendly term for your fellow cruisers or cabin neighbours.
- Specialty Dining – Upscale restaurants onboard with extra charges.
- Starboard – The right side of the ship when facing forward.
- Suite – A large, upgraded cabin, often with added perks.
- Tender / Tender Boat – A smaller vessel used to ferry passengers to shore when the ship can’t dock directly.
- Wake – The trail of waves left behind by a moving ship.
- Washy Washy! – The cheerful greeting from crew reminding you to sanitize before entering the buffet.