Disney Cruise Line Ship Lingo Glossary

Do all the ship acronyms and names confuse you? It’s understandable! I’ve got a list below to explain nautical and cruising words many find confusing. Hopefully it helps!

Adjacent Stateroom – Adjacent means two staterooms are next to each other. It does NOT mean they connect.

Aft – In the direction of the back (stern) of the ship.

Back-to-Back – Booking two consecutive cruises on the same ship.

Blackout Dates – Specific sail dates for which placeholder discounts do not apply.

Boarding Group – A number between 1 and 40 that is assigned to you during check-in, based on your Port Arrival Time. Boarding the ship is done in groups, starting with the number 1.

Bow – The front of the ship.

Cay-to-Cay – DCL slang for an itinerary that stops at Lookout Cay AND Castaway Cay.

Closed Loop Cruise – A cruise that starts and ends in the same U.S. city.

Connecting Stateroom – Two staterooms with an interior door in between them.

Deck – The nautical term for a story, or floor, or level on the ship.

DisneyBand+ – An optional MagicBand+ for purchase that functions like your Key to the World card onboard.

Double Dip – Slang in the DCL community for two visits to Castaway or Lookout on the same sailing.

Fish Extender – Next to each stateroom door is a small, decorative shelf-like metal sculpture that functions like a mailbox. On the original DCL ships, it was shaped like a small fish. Some guests join Fish Extender groups in their Facebook group and exchange gifts through a bag of some kind that they hang on their metal sculpture, thus extending the space of the mailbox (i.e. a Fish Extender).

Folio – Your stateroom charges.

Forward – The direction of the front (bow) of the ship.

GTY – A stateroom status that happens when a specific category (i.e. 4B or 5C) is almost full and you can’t pick a stateroom number. Disney will pick your stateroom in that category. Contrary to many misconceptions, there is no discount on these staterooms.

IGT, OGT, VGT – Inside Guarantee, Oceanview Guarantee, and Verandah Guarantee. These are last-minute discounted rates. Disney picks your stateroom number for these rates as well, and there is a discount. You are not picking a specific category this time, but a broad stateroom type (inside, oceanview, or verandah). There are several restrictions on these fares, like no changes and you must pay in full.

Key to the World Card – The card you receive at check-in that opens your door, serves as your identification on board, and functions as a charge card onboard.

MDR – The three main dining rooms onboard. You’ll be assigned to one of them each night and then rotate through each of them with your serving team throughout your cruise.

Muster – The required first day’s safety drill.

OBB – Onboard booking or placeholder. This will save you money on a future sailing within two years of the booking.

PAT – Port arrival time. It is not the same as boarding time. It’s your assigned time to arrive at the port which you choose during online check-in.

Placeholder – An onboard booking that saves you money on a future sailing within two years of the booking.

Port Side – The left side of the ship as you face forward.

Port Adventures – Disney’s name for excursions.

Rotational Dining – A Disney Cruise Line original concept, guests are assigned to a particular main dining room each night and then rotate through all three over the course of the sailing. Their serving team will rotate with them.

Ship Class – Once the first ship of its type has sailed, the rest of the sister ships are in that “class” of ships. Disney currently has four classes – Magic-, Dream -, Wish-, and Adventure-class.

Side to Side – Slang in the DCL community for consecutive cruises on two different ships! You disembark from one ship and embark on a second ship on the same day.

Starboard Side – The right side of the ship as you face forward.

Stateroom – Disney calls their rooms staterooms. Never cabins!

Stern – The back of the ship.

Transfer – The Disney arranged transportation method of getting you to and from the ship. There is a cost.

Vacation Protection Plan – Disney’s preferred name for travel insurance.

Verandah – Disney’s name for stateroom balconies.

I know I missed some! Do you have any to add? Questions about any of them?