Check out our A-Z list of cruising. There should be something for every cruise enthusiast!
A: Aft Balconies
Aft balconies are found at the back of the ship. If you have an aft balcony you will usually find these are hotter than the average balcony due to the ship blocking the wind. You will also find being in an aft balcony quieter as they are located further away from the passenger lifts.
A: Atrium
The atrium of the ship is usually the most beautiful part of the ship. The atrium is the heart of the ship and the central hub of many cruise activities and events. You will usually find the atrium is central to all of the available restaurants.
B: Bingo
One of the best activities to do on a cruise is of course bingo! Bingo is usually on the activities list every day and is suitable for all ages. There can be big prizes on offer too!
B: Buffet
A big part of cruising is the buffet – you will find at least 3/4 different restaurants offering a wide range of options at breakfast, lunch and dinner too. This includes all of your regular buffet foods including sausages, bacon, eggs, chips, cold meats, bread, salad, ice cream, the list goes on. Pretty much anything you could want.
C: Cruising
If you are on a 7-day cruise you will, of course, see many locations over that period. You will get the chance to disembark from many ports offering you the chance to explore the country’s culture and food.
C: Cruise Credit
Before you board your cruise ship you will be made aware of cruise credit. Cruise credit is your currency onboard the cruise ship – this means you have you use your cruise card when buying things such as massages, food, excursions and booking speciality restaurants.
C: Cabin
When you book your cruise you will have the choice of an inside cabin, balcony cabin or suite. An inside cabin is usually the cheapest and consists of a double bed, shower, clothes storage and a tv. An inside cabin will also have curtains to mimic the feel of having windows (even though they won’t). A balcony cabin has all of the features of an inside cabin but with the addition of a balcony. They are often also a little bigger than standard inside cabins. You can sit outside in the privacy of your own room.
C: Cruise Card
Every passenger will receive a Cruise Card. The cruise card gets scanned every time you embark and disembark the cruise ship. Please bear in mind though that the cruise ship will still leave if you are late to board the ship.
D: Dining
Each cruise has plenty of places to dine at including buffet stations, main restaurant and specialty restaurants. Speciality restaurants are more expensive but often offer a better, more unique and intimate experience. If there are multiple speciality restaurants you will find that on some cruise lines you can get a discount to dine at all of them.
D: Disembarkation
Every morning (apart from sea days) you will get the opportunity to disembark the ship to explore the country’s port. You don’t have to disembark and can choose to simply stay on the ship; it really depends what you want to do.
E: Exercise
Every cruise ship has a fitness centre. From dumbbells to exercise machines, there is something for everyone.
E: Embarkation
When you board the ship this is known as Embarkation. Usually, before you embark your bags will get checked in and your cruise card scanned to say you have boarded.
F: Formal Wear
You may be requested on some evenings to dress up in formal attire (especially if there is a captains night). Shirts, trousers, dresses and shoes will usually tick the box. I wouldn’t recommend wearing shorts though. If you decide not to dress up and join formal night then guests can always visit the buffet for food.
G: Gangway
The gangway is the means of getting onto the ship. It’s what attaches the dock and the ship together.
G: Gratuities
If you are on a non-inclusive cruise you will probably need to pay for gratuities. This is basically a service charge.
H: Hand Sanitizer
Before you enter any restaurant you will need to sanitize your hands. This is to keep illness and viruses in check and not spread them around to other passengers. In times like this (Covid-19 pandemic) hand sanitizing has never been so important to do.
I: Itinerary
Every day you will get the cruise news delivered to your door or via the cruise line app. This will give you an itinerary of all of the activities you can do on board the cruise ship for the next day. You will also have the opportunity to find out more information on excursions that are still available.
J: Jigsaws
On the cruise ship, there is a high possibility you will find a games room where you can do a jigsaw, play a game or read a book.
K: Kindness
The crew are really friendly on most cruise ships. They will bend themselves backwards to make sure you are having a great time.
L: Lido Deck
The Lido deck is where you’ll usually find a couple of pools surrounded by sun loungers. You may also find a hot tub or two along with a buffet or restaurant for poolside snacks.
M: Muster Drill
The Muster drill is a legal requirement for all cruises in the event of an emergency. Muster drills happen on the first day of embarkation.
M: Massage
Most cruise liners will have a massage or spa. Perfect for a sea day when you can’t leave the ship. Bear in mind that massages are usually cheaper on port days. Sea days are usually the most expensive.
N: News
Most ships will have the cruise news delivered to their cabins. This is really helpful information and is worth the read before you go on for your day. It outlines all of the events, shows, port information and much more.
O: Ocean
You can’t forget the ocean when on a cruise ship. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on your balcony or in a restaurant looking at the waves of the ocean!
P: Port of departure
How exciting is it to know where your port of departure is! You may need to take a flight to a different country.
Q: Queuing
There will be a little bit of queueing involved before you board the ship for the first time. This is where a representative will sort out a cruise card for ship adventure and explain the rules on cruise travel.
R: Relaxation
With all the activities available I’m sure you will have a great time relaxing. From the shows to the food, to the relaxing cabins, every part of your cruise holiday should be relaxing. Don’t overdo it on the port excursions though!
S: Shore Excursion
Wherever you have booked your cruise you will have the opportunity to visit the ports. You can either book with your cruise line or simply do your own thing whilst at the port. We tend to mix both as both options have their benefits.
S: Sea Day
Most cruises have at least one sea day. This means that the ship won’t be stopping at a port on that given day. This is simply a day where you can sit on a sun lounger, read a book and enjoy great food.
S: Single Occupancy
If you go for single occupancy on a cruise ship, expect to pay more for your cruise holiday. Cruise lines usually expect a cabin to have double occupancy to cover costs.
S: Shows
There’s nothing better than a cruise show. Each evening there is something different! From musicals to comedy, there’s something for everyone!
S: Speciality Restaurants
Many cruises have speciality restaurants. You can pay a small fee to visit an upmarket restaurant and have more of a special meal. You can expect these restaurants to offer better food and drink with a unique experience. Well worth it to do. If there are a few speciality restaurants on the cruise ship, some of them will give a discount if you visit all of them. We took advantage of this deal on the Marella Dream and visited all three speciality restaurants on board.
T: Tender Boat
Some ships will provide a tender boat to get you from the ship to the port. This might be because the ports are full or the ship is too big to dock. The tender boats double up as life boats should an emergency evacuation be needed.
U: Upper Deck
The upper decks usually contain most of the restaurants, pools and activities, whereas the lower decks will usually house the passenger cabins and medical facility.
V: Voyage
Enjoy the voyage – you will see some spectacular locations!
W: Water Stations
The cruise ship will have many water stations. Simply take your canister or water bottle to the water station and fill it up. Water stations are usually located near the passenger cabins and lifts and save you a lot of money buying bottled water either on ships or in the ports.
X: X-ray Machines
When you board the ship expect to have your bags checked by x-ray machines for security purposes.
Y: Yacht Club
MSC cruise lines have a Yacht club; a special club where for a fee you can enjoy unlimited drinks, a private restaurant with flexible times, priority check-in and an exclusive lounge for snacks and drinks. Sounds good to me!
Z: Zumba
Some cruises offer Zumba classes to keep you dancing fit on a cruise! Why not give one a go and burn off some of these ice cream calories!
There you go! That’s our A-Z list of cruising! Have you got more you would like to add? Give us a message!