Cruising Lingo 101

[Denise]

You may hear a few of these terms while on your cruise:

Aft- directional term meaning toward the back (stern) of the ship.
Bow- the front of the ship.
Bridge- where the captain and helmsman navigate a ship and give orders.
Buoy- floating object used to mark a channel.
Deck- platform stretching along a ship.
Forward- directional term meaning toward the front of the ship.
Funnel- large hollow tube or pipe which exhaust from a ship's engine escapes.
Galley- the kitchen on the ship.
Hull- the outer frame or body of a ship.
Knot- the measure of a ship's speed. One knot is one nautical mile per hour.
Midship- the area of the middle of a ship.
Port- the left-hand side of a ship (facing forward).
Porthole- a window in the side of the ship.
Stateroom- living quarters for passengers and crew onboard a ship, also know as a cabin.
Stern- the rear end of a ship.
Starboard- the right-hand side of a ship (facing forward).