January 31st 2025.
Have you ever wondered what kind of language is used on a cruise ship? Well, one crew member has spilled the beans on some insider terminology that may sound foreign to those of us not working on the open seas. In a recent TikTok video, travel influencer and cruise ship worker, @cass_stefanie, gave us a glimpse into the lingo used by staff on board - and there's one word in particular that could spell trouble if you hear it.
According to Cass, the term "banana" is used when someone is getting into trouble on the ship. For example, if you're innocently walking down the I-95 (the main corridor that joins the back and front of the ship) with your AirPods in, you may be stopped and warned not to let anyone see you, otherwise you'll get a "banana". Strange, right?
Even Cass herself is unsure of where the term originated from, but it's become a well-known phrase among the crew members. "When I first heard it, I was like 'what?' I had no idea it meant trouble," she admitted.
But Cass isn't the only one speaking out about the unique language on board a cruise ship. A viral Reddit post on the r/Royal Caribbean thread by crew member @SolAreiaLivros listed out a whole dictionary of jargon used by staff. According to the post, "banana" means "a scolding or an earful from your supervisor". So, if you see a crew member looking sad or not smiling, you can jokingly ask them why they're sad and if they got a "banana" from their boss. Guaranteed to earn you a smile and a curious response.
The post also revealed that "amo" is a term used to address someone in a flattering way, like a boss or supervisor, while "taka taka" means nonsense talk or gossip. If you want to tease a crew member for forgetting to bring you something, you can accuse them of doing too much "taka taka" with their colleagues in the storeroom.
But it's not just clever slang that's used on board, there are also words and topics that are considered taboo. Just like how actors are forbidden from saying "MacBeth" in a theatre, mentioning the Titanic is highly frowned upon while on a cruise ship.
Marc Sebastian, a passenger on a nine-month cruise on the Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas liner, found this out the hard way when he casually brought up the infamous ship during a conversation. "Number one, you're not supposed to talk about the Titanic," he revealed in a TikTok video.
Marc had no idea about this unwritten rule and made the mistake of mentioning the ill-fated ship, which sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg. "I brought up to an entire room of people having lunch that our ship is only 100 feet longer than Titanic," he said. "Utensils dropped. Waiters gasped. It's dead silent."
After the awkward moment, Marc's friend whispered to him that talking about the Titanic is not allowed on board. "Well, it wasn't like that was in the f***ing handbook," he joked. "Not that I read the handbook, clearly."
Do you have any funny or interesting stories from your time on a cruise ship? We'd love to hear them. Send us an email and let us know.
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