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Cruise Ship Basics
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Understanding Cruise Ship Language
Double Occupancy: This means that each room is filled with two people. Sometimes when cruise lines quote passenger amounts they will put the double occupancy number.
Speed of Cruise Ships: The majority of cruise ships measure their speed in nautical miles, not plain miles or kilometers. My research indicates that 1 knot is equal to about 1.15 miles. Be careful not to confuse nautical miles with miles.
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Front of the Ship: The front of the ship is typically referred to as the forward or FWD (if abbreviated). Although cruise ships don't always use this next term the front of a ship is also called the "bow". The term "bow" is commonly used on military ships and smaller ships.
Back of the Ship: The back of the ship is typically referred to as the back or AFT (if abbreviated). Although cruise ships don't always use this next term the back of the ship is also called the "stern". The term "stern" is commonly used on military ships & smaller ships. Right Side vs. Left Side: The right side is typically called the starboard side and the left side is typically called the port side. To determine which side is which look the same way that the front is facing and your right hand will indicate the starboard side and your left hand will indicate the port side. |
Things To Know That People Don't Always Understand
The Ship's Crew: The ship's crew members live and work onboard the cruise ship. They usually have cabins in areas that are not accessible to guests. They are usually away from home for months at a time and work for many hours each day. At the end of their contract they get some vacation time off the ship to go home, and if they choose they can come back after their vacation to work another contract. Crew member contract lengths vary by multiple factors, but the average crew member will spend many months away from their home and then get a few weeks of vacation.
Yes, the crew members live onboard! Some people have asked this before at talks and it is a common cruise director joke. Please don't ask if the crew members live onboard. If you are curious about crew members and their cabins you could instead ask where on the ship do the crew members live.
Between Cruises: For the most part, when one cruise ends another cruise begins hours later. The day a cruise ends and when another one begins is commonly referred to as a turnaround day. Crew members have a short amount of time between cruises to prepare the vessel for the next guests. A common misconception is cruise ships have a few days between cruises to get ready for the next cruise. This is not true in most cases!!!!
However, when a cruise ship is going to be taken out of service for a dry-dock it will have a lengthy time period until its next cruise. I will explain dry-docks later, but these are times when the ship is taken out of service for work that cannot be done while the ship is in operation. When the cruise before a dry-dock ends the ship will not get new guests and will instead sail to its dry-dock facility without guests.
Cruise Ship Dry-Docks: If you hear your cruise ship is going into dry-dock this means that the ship will be taken out of service for a period of time. The ship goes to a place where it will be propped on blocks and the water under the ship will be drained. This allows work to be done to the ship's hull and bottom areas. While in dry-dock, many ships receive some refurbishments and renovations. Some dry-docks result in new exciting amenities getting placed on a cruise ship and others are just to refresh the general appearance of the ship.
For more information related to cruise ship dry-docks, check out this article: Click Here
Yes, the crew members live onboard! Some people have asked this before at talks and it is a common cruise director joke. Please don't ask if the crew members live onboard. If you are curious about crew members and their cabins you could instead ask where on the ship do the crew members live.
Between Cruises: For the most part, when one cruise ends another cruise begins hours later. The day a cruise ends and when another one begins is commonly referred to as a turnaround day. Crew members have a short amount of time between cruises to prepare the vessel for the next guests. A common misconception is cruise ships have a few days between cruises to get ready for the next cruise. This is not true in most cases!!!!
However, when a cruise ship is going to be taken out of service for a dry-dock it will have a lengthy time period until its next cruise. I will explain dry-docks later, but these are times when the ship is taken out of service for work that cannot be done while the ship is in operation. When the cruise before a dry-dock ends the ship will not get new guests and will instead sail to its dry-dock facility without guests.
Cruise Ship Dry-Docks: If you hear your cruise ship is going into dry-dock this means that the ship will be taken out of service for a period of time. The ship goes to a place where it will be propped on blocks and the water under the ship will be drained. This allows work to be done to the ship's hull and bottom areas. While in dry-dock, many ships receive some refurbishments and renovations. Some dry-docks result in new exciting amenities getting placed on a cruise ship and others are just to refresh the general appearance of the ship.
For more information related to cruise ship dry-docks, check out this article: Click Here
Frequently Asked Cruise Questions Gallery
There are many times when cruisers have similar questions about cruising. I have compiled some common questions that have been asked to me on this website or in person. Check out our Cruise Frequently Asked Questions gallery and if don't see your question please ask!
Click Here To View our Cruise FAQ page.