Melinda Crow #TravelTruth on Cruise Critic

A cruise director is the ship's officer responsible for passenger activities and entertainment onboard.

Assigned or set seating dining is a traditional form of cruise ship dining, where your evening meal is served at the same table and at the same time each night. Read more >>

The captain's table on a cruise ship is technically any table where the captain of the ship is dining.

The chef's table on a cruise refers to a dinner event staged in a private setting for a small group of passengers. A chef, often the executive chef, chooses, prepares and presents a series of gourmet dishes - not found on any other onboard menu and usually of a higher caliber

When the first plates of steel are cut to begin the building phase of a cruise ship, it is cause for celebration.

A sea day on a cruise is a day during which the ship does not stop at a port. Sea days are frequently included in itineraries where the ship must travel long distances between ports of call.

A cabin steward on a cruise ship is the person responsible for cleaning and maintaining your stateroom during your cruise. Sometimes referred to as a cabin attendant, the steward will make your bed and clean the bathroom each day while you are out.

A group charter cruise is when a group, company or individual books all or part of a ship for the duration of the cruise.

A notice of a meeting of the Friends of Bill W. on your cruise ship daily schedule indicates an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. William Wilson founded AA as a society of members dedicated to helping each other achieve and maintain sobriety.

The christening of a ship is part of the ceremonial launching of a new vessel. A cruise ship christening is a gala event featuring celebrities, cruise line executives, engineers who helped with the ship's design, travel agents, journalists and other VIPs.

The purser on a cruise ship is a staff member in charge of financial matters onboard. Specifically, the Chief Purser oversees a staff that manages money and accounts, as well as many guest services on the ship.

The wheelhouse on a river cruise ship refers to the enclosed area where the ship is piloted by the captain and crew. Its location can vary greatly from ship to ship.

Traditionally, a promenade deck on a cruise ship is an outdoor walkway that circles the ship, usually on a center deck. It serves as the lifeboat boarding area in an emergency.

Thalassotherapy means therapy of the sea. And while that could apply to an entire ocean cruise, it typically refers to a special hydrotherapy pool available on some cruise ships.

The wake of any ship or boat consists of the waves created by the hull of the vessel as it moves through the water.

A dry dock is a type of docking facility that can be flooded to allow a boat or ship to float in, then be drained once the vessel is positioned on supports.

SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) is the shorthand term used to refer to an international treaty that creates standards of safe construction and operation of both passenger and merchant ships.

The gangway is the means of getting on and off a ship. In general shipping terms, it refers to a walkway or bridge connecting the vessel to land.

Here's what you need to know if you'd like to rent camera gear for your cruise of a lifetime.

There are a few cruise destinations with snorkeling and diving that may surprise you. Read on for a guide to finding the best spots around the world to get under the waves.

The bridge is the place on the ship where the captain and his crew manage the direction and speed of the ship, as well as other functions of the vessel.