Ship Lingo
Do you speak "Shipster"? Familiarize yourself with the lingo you’ll be hearing on Bananaland at Sea!
aft
Adverb
1. towards or near the back of the ship
My cabin is all the way aft so I can be closer to the buffet.
assembly station
Noun
1. a specific location on ship to gather, based on stateroom assignment.
2. the place you’ll meet before we set sail as part of the ship’s regular Safety Briefing.
You’ll find your assembly station location printed on your room keycard.
Atrium
Noun
1. the central court (or center area) on Deck 7, rising through the ship's interior.
2. location of Sixthman Info Desk, Norwegian Guest Services, and Shore Excursions.
I was having so much fun I lost my keycard! Thankfully the Norwegian Guest Service desk in the Atrium was able to print me a new one!
Magnum's in Bar City
Noun
1. The area on Deck 6 to catch smaller shows that’s also prone to late night magic.
The show in Magnum’s gave me so much energy, I hit the nearby casino right after for even more late-night fun!
berth
Noun
1. a built-in bed or bunk, as in a ship's stateroom
The room steward is so awesome having the berth set up for turn down, now if only I made it back to my cabin before 3am.
bow
Noun
1. the very front of the ship
I wanted to yell, “I’m king of the world” from the bow of the ship, but guests aren’t allowed out there. Probably wise.
bridge
Noun
1. the navigational control center, where the captain steers the ship
I fancy myself a sea captain, so I took a tour of the bridge. It was a lot more complicated than I thought. Better stick to Banana Ball.
deck plan
Noun
1. an overhead diagram of the cabins and the public rooms
I wanted to plan the perfect night so I looked over the deck plan to efficiently make my way from picking up my kids from the Splash Academy, to dinner, to the theater, to the late night snacks!
debarkation
Noun
1. the day you have to get up to get off the ship
2. the process of saying goodbye to our guests as they all leave the ship
I didn’t bother going to sleep the night before debarkation.
dock
Noun
1. the place where your ship 'parks' when in port
I was the first one off the ship and onto the dock when we got to port.
forward
Adverb
1. Toward the front of the boat.
gangway
Noun
1. The area that allows you access on and off the ship
I made it to the gangway just in time!
knot
Noun
1. a unit of nautical speed equal to one nautical mile per hour
I couldn’t feel the ship moving because we were only going 20 knots.
midship
Noun
1. the middle of the ship
I prefer my cabin to be midship so I’m in the middle of everything.
muster
Verb
1. to come together or assemble aboard ship for inspection, roll call or an emergency
I watched the ship’s crew muster for a safety drill.
pier
Noun
1. a structure built out over the water and supported by pillars or piles used as a landing place.
I got really excited and started running down the pier to the beach.
port
Noun
1. the left-hand side of a ship as one faces forward; opposite of starboard.
We remember port vs. starboard with this: The words "port" and "left" both have four letters.
port of call
Noun
1. regular stopover(s) on a cruise itinerary
We have two ports of call: Nassau, Bahamas & Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
Sports Court
Noun
1. Court on a ship used for basketball or other sports,
2. On this cruise, this is the place to find some unique activities like musical squares or any sports oriented competitions and shows.
I planned on swinging by the Sports Court for a few minutes to see what was there and ended up staying to watch the Banana Nanas teach a line dancing class.
starboard
Noun
1. the right side of the ship while facing forward
My cabin is on the starboard side of the ship.
stateroom
Noun
1. a guest cabin
We brought magnets and signs to decorate our door and really made our stateroom feel like home during our trip.
stateroom steward
Noun
1. the person who takes care of guest cabins and service aboard a ship.
My towel animal was out of control cute, so I made sure to thank my stateroom steward.
stern
Noun
1. the very back of the ship
I love watching the waves from the stern