Tips for remembering those onboard terms...?

We're off on our 2nd cruise next month so are just beginning to get the hang of it. We wonder if you've any tips or funny ways that you remember all the terminology and locations onboard - I still have to think twice when I see aft, bow, stern, port, starboard etc. Fore and mid ships I can just about manage...!

Port I remember as the same number of letters in 'left' - which means starboard must be right..but is that left/right when standing onboard looking forward, or looking from front towards the back?! (Hope I'm confusing you nicely!). Bow as in bow wave. But aft and stern I still have to think twice, even though they're more or less the same? Don't get me started on windward v leeward!

I guess on our first cruise (Azura) we could just about get away with calling it the 'pointy end' and the 'stubby end' when trying to get our bearings, especially when deciphering the deck plans onboard to see where we were. But I'm sure some of you will have your own quirky ways of remembering the proper ship terms (before it became second nature to you) that will help other cruise virgins? All tips very welcome, thanks!

We're off on our 2nd cruise next month so are just beginning to get the hang of it. We wonder if you've any tips or funny ways that you remember all the terminology and locations onboard - I still have to think twice when I see aft, bow, stern, port, starboard etc. Fore and mid ships I can just about manage...!

 

Port I remember as the same number of letters in 'left' - which means starboard must be right..but is that left/right when standing onboard looking forward, or looking from front towards the back?! (Hope I'm confusing you nicely!). Bow as in bow wave. But aft and stern I still have to think twice, even though they're more or less the same? Don't get me started on windward v leeward!

 

I guess on our first cruise (Azura) we could just about get away with calling it the 'pointy end' and the 'stubby end' when trying to get our bearings, especially when deciphering the deck plans onboard to see where we were. But I'm sure some of you will have your own quirky ways of remembering the proper ship terms (before it became second nature to you) that will help other cruise virgins? All tips very welcome, thanks!

Port goes round the table leftwards, does it. I still use the word pointy end.

I still lose our cabin every single time on a cruise. Lift door opens and the rooms all run around and hide. Needless to say OH never gets lost, but then he is perfect, so I have been informed.

We find that the little, side on, map that they give you at registration is hopeless. Before we go, we cut out the deck plan for the relevant ship from the P&O brochure. It doesn't stop us from getting lost, but we can soon look and see where things are.

We find that the little, side on, map that they give you at registration is hopeless. Before we go, we cut out the deck plan for the relevant ship from the P&O brochure. It doesn't stop us from getting lost, but we can soon look and see where things are.

Oh that's a good idea, thanks I'm going to pinch that one. I worry I will get lost lol, Britannia looks huge!!!!

We find that the little, side on, map that they give you at registration is hopeless. Before we go, we cut out the deck plan for the relevant ship from the P&O brochure. It doesn't stop us from getting lost, but we can soon look and see where things are.

The one advantage of the little; side on map, or elevation given out at registration is that it shows the location of the restaurant Deck 6 Aft is that it impossible to descend to deck 6 and walk along this deck from the pointy part end get to the said restaurant which is backypoos. You can only access by a straight descent from the Aft stairwell and Lifts. This is hard to work out from Deckplans.

Regards John

The one advantage of the little; side on map, or elevation given out at registration is that it shows the location of the restaurant Deck 6 Aft is that it impossible to descend to deck 6 and walk along this deck from the pointy part end get to the said restaurant which is backypoos. You can only access by a straight descent from the Aft stairwell and Lifts. This is hard to work out from Deckplans.

 

Regards John

Sounds like the aft MDR on Aurora, that constantly hides from us!!!!

Oh that's a good idea, thanks I'm going to pinch that one. I worry I will get lost lol, Britannia looks huge!!!!

Fear not Poppins 74, Britannia is very similar to Azura in layout, and having been on Azura I had very little trouble finding my way around Britannia. As you exit the lifts for your cabin, try to spot a landmark (piece of artwork, sign - in our case it was a personal Christmas decoration hung on a door) for the side of the ship your cabin is on (odds or evens). Strangely OH, who normally has a v. good sense of direction, really struggled on Britannia, always wanting to go forward instead of aft.

I always make a mental note of which way the lifts face, that helps when on the post-Martini run to bed.

Port has the same number of letters as Left. Works for me!

Of the two P&O ships I have used , this helps when finding your cabin.

The Azura and Ventura main lifts with four in a row and there are three sets,Bow-mid and Aft .

They all face the ships forward.

Just remember when only exiting these lifts that if you turn left then the cabin numbers will be evens

and it goes without saying a right turn on leaving the lift will take you to the odd numbered cabins .

This tends to stop a few people moaning " I told you it was the other side.";)

The ship LEFT PORT !

I was always told that the phrase 'Is there any red port left?' tells us which side port is on and also what colour light should be shown on that side of the ship.

As someone who has never really mastered left and right , I Am mostly always going in the wrong direction on board ship. That said its part of the 'fun' and you can never really get lost , a bit like living on an island . Enjoy finding all these places you weren't looking for! :)

I find that getting lost on the ship helps with limiting the weight gain....all that walking!

Going on a smaller ship this time though and our cabin is right by the lifts.....might not get lost so much!

Most people get confused by the modern "Port" term, so for the traditionalists you can use the older term Larboard. Larboard and Left both start with the letter "L" which should eliminate all confusion.

Regards John

We're off on our 2nd cruise next month so are just beginning to get the hang of it. We wonder if you've any tips or funny ways that you remember all the terminology and locations onboard - I still have to think twice when I see aft, bow, stern, port, starboard etc. Fore and mid ships I can just about manage...!

 

Port I remember as the same number of letters in 'left' - which means starboard must be right..but is that left/right when standing onboard looking forward, or looking from front towards the back?! (Hope I'm confusing you nicely!). Bow as in bow wave. But aft and stern I still have to think twice, even though they're more or less the same? Don't get me started on windward v leeward!

 

I guess on our first cruise (Azura) we could just about get away with calling it the 'pointy end' and the 'stubby end' when trying to get our bearings, especially when deciphering the deck plans onboard to see where we were. But I'm sure some of you will have your own quirky ways of remembering the proper ship terms (before it became second nature to you) that will help other cruise virgins? All tips very welcome, thanks!

I've been on 35 cruises and still call it Front and Back. Starboard and Port I can manage OK, just.

Hubby has a pair of socks with port and star board on the individual ones. It works fine as long as he puts them on the right feet :D:D:D

Hubby has a pair of socks with port and star board on the individual ones. It works fine as long as he puts them on the right feet :D:D:D

The RNLI sell those.....my hubby has a pair too!

A captain once helpfully said that all the lifts face aft, apart from the ones that face forward :)

Most people recommend asking your cabin steward if you are unsure. I asked mine where the doodah was and he had no idea so it's best to have a deck plan.

Regards John

For goodness sake, it's quite simple, the doodah is next to the whatsit!

Peter

For goodness sake, it's quite simple, the doodah is next to the whatsit!

 

Peter

And opposite the thingymajig!

Hubby has a pair of socks with port and star board on the individual ones. It works fine as long as he puts them on the right feet :D:D:D

What happens to the one you should put on the left feet?

I downloaded the PDF version of the deck plan to my smartphone before I left, so I always had a fully detailed plan in my pocket when I needed it. I also found it definitely helped to study and memorise the deckplans before we left - not down to the finest details but just 'general' locations, e.g. MDR spanning 2 decks at the stern, theatre spanning 2 decks at the bow, shops/cinema/photo gallery/coffee shop etc on the prom deck, most of the bars on the deck below that, buffet and pools on the lido deck. Obviously this is specific to the ship I was on and may vary for the other ships, but this was enough detail to avoid worrying about being lost at any point.

As for memorizing port/startboard etc, I use the number of letters rule, which works with the colours of the lights too:

Left=Port=Red=Fewer letters

Right=Starboard=Green=More letters

There's no port left in bottle is something that's stuck with from being a 12 yr old scout, the rest I have to think about:)