Island-hopping by sea can feel far calmer than racing through airports, but plenty of cruise guests don’t realise crew members often use their own coded slang to chat openly right in front of passengers.
Most travellers understand a few basic ship terms — like port and starboard — and some may even know the galley is the kitchen. Still, there’s a whole other layer of onboard language that rarely reaches paying customers.
Behind the scenes, the staff who keep everything running — cleaning public areas before sunrise and handling late-night requests with a smile — have developed informal phrases to describe situations, workloads, and even difficult guests without spelling it out.
A former cruise ship employee recently broke down several of these expressions, giving future passengers a glimpse into what crew members might be saying when they think no one around them understands.
In a candid Reddit post, the former worker outlined six common bits of crew slang, explaining: “The ship’s crew uses a whole bunch of slang words and phrases when talking to each other. A passenger would surely make a crew member’s day using some of them.”
If you’re tempted to try them yourself, it might be worth using a little discretion — especially if the crew member looks rushed or stressed. For example, if you hear someone describing themselves as “lagege,” they may not be in the mood for extra conversation.
Another phrase sounds harmless at first, but it isn’t about snacks. The ex-worker explained: “When a crew member does something wrong and gets lectured by the supervisor, we say that he got a banana.”
And getting a “banana” can be linked to another term used onboard. They added: “A crew member who spends time in the cabin or hiding somewhere while on duty is called mamagayo.”
Some of the slang also reflects how crew members deal with day-to-day mishaps, like breaking a tool or damaging equipment during a busy shift.
“Company rich – When crew members break some equipment or a tool they work with, they don’t stress too much. They would just say, ‘No problem. Company rich,'” the worker said.
Workload is another recurring theme in the code. “Lagege – When crew members are very busy, they say, ‘I’m lagege.'”
According to the former employee, these expressions can also help staff vent without drawing unwanted attention from supervisors or management.
The worker added: “Mucho Trabaho, Poco Denaro – The ones making less money for doing more physical jobs would say this. After some time, they realise that to make more money and work less, they need to apply for another job.”
Ultimately, their biggest message wasn’t about learning the lingo — it was about remembering how demanding cruise work can be, with long days and extended stretches away from family.
If you want to show friendliness to crew members in a simple way, the former worker suggested using “paisano” for a man or “paisana” for a woman, noting: “It means a fellow countryman (countrywoman). You can’t go wrong using this word when talking with a crew member.”