We have discussed terms that deal with the ship itself, but there are so many more that are often used by cruisers and are the ones that anyone new to cruising may not be as familiar with or aware of at all, but are probably the most important for cruisers to know.Ahoy Travelers. It’s Amy with Cruising from the Ozarks here to help YOU make your vacation a success.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Embarkation and Debarkation
- Embarkation refers to the day you first board the cruise ship. You are embarking on your vacation! This is the best day with all its expectations and excitement.
- Debarkation is the worst day of your cruise, the day they kick you off the ship. Maybe not literally, but eventually they probably would. At the very least, they will politely remind you that your time aboard ship is over!
You will embark and debark at the Cruise Terminal. During embarkation, this is where you will have to show your identification, paperwork that is essentially your ticket, and have your carry-on bags checked. Debarkation isn’t as involved, but you may need to go through customs.
Self-disembark – This is where you carry your own bags off the ship. This is what we have always done due to wanting to get on the road as soon as possible. Otherwise you are given a time to disembark and the crew takes your bags off for you, and you will need to pick them up at the cruise terminal. For us, it makes sense to get on the road as soon as possible since we usually have around a 10-hour drive ahead of us. If you are waiting around for an afternoon flight, then taking your time, having breakfast aboard ship, makes sense.
Porter – These are the people who are paid to take your luggage at the cruise terminal and make sure it makes it onto your ship. They will be waiting for you when you arrive at the cruise terminal to assist you with your luggage. It is customary to tip them $2-$5 a bag. The process is quick, so have your cash ready when you hand them your bags.
Muster Drill – There is no messing around with this one as the ship can’t go anywhere until everyone aboard ship has attended the muster drill. You can’t get out of it, so don’t try. It is where you go to your muster station and learn how to put on your life vest. This is the location you would go to in the case of an emergency requiring passengers abandon ship and get on the lifeboats.
Of course we have to talk about the etymology of the word “muster” which has ties to both Latin and Old French words that mean “to show or appear.” It is literally where you show up during an emergency.
E-muster – This is an electronic form of the safety talk. It’s probably the one good thing to come out of the changes that occurred due to covid. You will still need to check into your muster station, but instead of waiting around for everyone to show up, you will just need to quickly check in. While the e-muster became popular as a covid precaution, unfortunately it seems that some lines are going back to the in-person muster.
Stateroom – Also referred to as a cabin, this is the room where you stay while on your cruise.
Room Steward – These amazing people are not “cabin cleaners.” They are the ones that are in charge of making sure your cabin is cleaned and in good shape, that you get important notifications, excursion tickets, and more. They are the first person to talk to if anything is wrong with your cabin.
Cruise Director – Sometimes you will see this written as CD on cruise blogs. Think of them like a Master of Ceremonies, they are in charge of the entertainment on a cruise. A good CD can make your cruise fun and exciting.
Main Dining Room (MDR) – Just what it sounds like, the MDR is the main place to eat. Included meals are served in the MDR for breakfast, lunch and supper. Some lines will also serve Brunch as well as Tea Time on sea days. Meals in the Main Dining Room are sit down meals where you order from a menu. It’s similar to a restaurant on land except that you don’t have to pay when you leave because the cost is included in the cost of your cruise.
Formal Night – Most cruise lines have formal nights in the MDR although they are not always referred to specifically as formal night. Gala Night is another term you might hear. Longer cruises may have more than one, and depending on the line, formal dress may or may not be required to eat in the MDR on formal night, so be sure to check prior to packing.
Sea Day – This is another term that is exactly what it sounds like. This is a day at sea where the ship does not dock at a port.
Lido Deck – Italian for beach, the Lido is the main open air deck and usually includes pools, bars and often the buffet or other included places to eat.
Atrium – Usually the main hub of the ship and where you will usually enter and exit the ship during embarkation and debarkation.
Tender – Sometimes called a water shuttle or water taxi. These are small boats used to take passengers to shore in ports where the ship cannot dock usually due to water levels.
Cruising From The Ozarks 