What is a gangway on a cruise ship?

“The gangway is located aft, on the starboard side.”

It’s totally reasonable for a crew member to tell you this and not understand a word of all those nautical terms. It’s easy to learn that “aft” refers to the back of the boat and “starboard” is the term sailors use to refer to the right side, but what exactly is a cruise ship gangway and what do you need to know about this common structure on cruise ships?

“Gangway” is the name given to any walkway, staircase, or platform that allows you to board or disembark from a ship. The location and style of the gangway you’ll use during your cruise can vary from day to day. The characteristics of the gangway depend on the port, sea conditions, and the ship itself. Even where your cruise ship’s gangway is located can be confusing as the ship moves from port to port.

Let’s clear up some jargon and examine all the possibilities for entering and exiting your cruise ship via a jetway.

How do you use a cruise ship gangway?

At major cruise terminals, such as those at the port of embarkation or departure, the jetway is often like an airplane jetway. It is an enclosed walkway that runs from the terminal building to a middle deck of the ship. You will enter the jetway from a hallway in the terminal and emerge onto a welcoming deck where crew members greet you and direct you to your stateroom.

For small ships, you may need to walk down the dock and then up a flight of stairs or ramp to board, even at major port facilities. It’s similar to how boarding on regional aircraft varies from boarding on full-size aircraft, even at large airports.

To leave the ship once it docks or anchors and receives clearance from local authorities at a port of call, you will need to go through a line to check out of the ship, usually by scanning your cruise key card.

In ports where the ship is moored at a dock, the gangway may simply consist of a metal ramp with handrails that bridges the small gap between the ship and the concrete dock. If the ship is anchored far from the port, tender boats will take passengers to shore; the gangway will be a platform attached to the side of the ship from where the boats are accessed. Crew members are always available to help you board the boat safely.

When you return to the ship after a day in port, you’ll likely be greeted at the dock by crew members, sometimes with cold drinks or towels and a place to rest in the shade. They’ll direct you to the gangway or boat dock, which may have changed a bit during your absence.

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Changing sea and tidal conditions can increase or decrease the steepness of ramps and stairs throughout the day. Occasionally, crew members even change gangway equipment to improve accessibility.

Once back on the ship, you will scan your key card again and go through a security checkpoint.

Related: The Biggest Mistakes Cruise Ship Passengers Make on Port Days

Where is the cruise ship’s gangway located?

Signs, announcements and crew members will direct you to the gangway location, which may change from day to day depending on sea conditions and docking facilities at each port. You may initially embark on Deck 5, disembark at the first port of call from the port side forward on Deck 2, and disembark by tender from a gangway amidships on the starboard side at the next port.

I have even been on a riverboat whose bow opened to reveal a long gangplank bridge that extended directly to the shore at a spot where the river was too shallow to allow normal parallel docking at a pier.

“Gangway up” refers to the moment when a cruise ship takes the final steps to leave a port of call. Passengers are usually expected to return to the ship half an hour or even an hour early. departure timeThe gangway up is the time when the captain deems that all passengers not on board will not be boarding. The gangway is retracted through the opening in the hull or, if a port gangway is used, removed from the vessel by port personnel.

Captains maintain the cruise ship gangway for a variety of reasons, such as when ship-sponsored tours or transportation methods are delayed, or when passengers are involved in medical emergencies.

It is much better to be back on board the ship and watch the process of boarding the gangplank than to be left behind.

Related: 12 ways to speed up the boarding process on a cruise ship

Cruise lines place a high priority on passenger safety, so a gangway collapse is unlikely, but not impossible. In 2022, a gangway owned by the port authority in Panama City collapsed, injuring 11 passengers. Norwegian Encore as they boarded the ship after a day in port. Reports indicated that changing tides had increased the slope of the gangway, possibly contributing to the collapse.

Are cruise ship gangways accessible if I use a wheelchair, scooter or other mobility device?

If you have mobility limitations, it’s important to choose your cruise line, ship, and itinerary carefully. Don’t assume that all gangways will be wheelchair-friendly or that crew members will be there to help lift scooters or wheelchairs in all situations.

Ports that require the use of tenders pose a possible scenario where the gangway might be inaccessible: on days when the sea is particularly rough. I have seen tender crews assist passengers with mobility aids on calm days, but refuse to do so on days of rough seas.

Related: 6 tips for taking a cruise in a wheelchair

Some smaller cruise lines use stairs as gangways at all ports, making them inaccessible to wheeled devices. Even if the departure port has accessible gangways, checking the accessibility of a line’s port gangways is critical for those who rely on assistive devices and wish to leave the ship at ports of call.