“The gangway is located aft on the starboard side.”
It makes perfect sense for a team member to say this to you – and you don’t understand the name of all those swimming words. It’s easy to read that “aft” refers to the back of the ship and “starboard” is the sailor’s term for the right side, but what exactly is a cruise ship’s gangway – and what do you need to know about this common cruise structure?
“Gangway” is the name given to any walkway, stairway or platform that allows you to get on or off a ship. The location and style of gangway you will use during your trip may vary from one day to the next. Gangway features depend on the port, sea conditions and the ship itself. Even where you find the gang for your cruise ship can be confusing as the ship moves from port to port.
Let’s clear up the jargon and explore all the possibilities of getting in and out of your cruise ship by gangway.
How do you use the cruise ship gangway?
At major cruise ports, such as those you depart from or depart from, the gangway is often similar to an airplane jetway. It is an enclosed walkway from the terminal building to the center of the ship. You will enter the gang room from the hallway in the terminal and exit to the lobby where the team members greet you and point you in the right direction.
Smaller vessels may require you to walk across the pier and up a flight of stairs or a boardwalk, even in large harbor facilities. It’s similar to how boarding regional jets differs from boarding full-size jets, even at major airports.
To disembark once docked or docked and cleared by local authorities at the port of call, you will go through a line to check in from the ship, usually by scanning your cruise ship key card.
In ports where a ship is moored to a dock, the gangway may consist of nothing more than a metal ramp with bars covering the small gap between the ship and the concrete pier. If the ship is tied up far from the port, tender boats will take the passengers ashore; the gangway will be a platform attached to the side of the ship where you access the boats. Team members are always there to help you safely enter the tender.
When you return to the ship after a day in port, you will likely be greeted by crew members at the pier, sometimes with cold drinks or towels and a place to rest in the shade. They will point you in the direction of a gangway or a tender dock, which may have changed a bit while you were gone.
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Changing sea conditions and tides can increase or decrease the depth of ramps and steps throughout the day. Sometimes, gang members even switch to other gang items to improve accessibility.
Once you’re back on board, you’ll scan in again with your keycard and go through a security checkpoint.
Related: The biggest mistakes cruise passengers make on port days
Where do you find the crew of a sailing ship?
Signs, announcements and staff will show you the location of the gang, which can change from day to day depending on the sea conditions and the stops in each port. You may board the ship initially on Deck 5, depart from the first port of call from the forward port side on Deck 2 and disembark from the tender boat from the midship gangway on the starboard side at the next port.
I’ve been on a river boat with the bow open to reveal a long gang bridge that was put right on the beach in a place where the river was too shallow to allow for the normal parallel position in the pier.
What is the meaning of ‘gangway up’ on a cruise?
“Gangway up” refers to the time when a cruise ship takes its final steps to leave the port of call. Passengers are usually expected to return to the ship half an hour or even a full hour before departure time. Gangway up is the time when the captain considers all passengers who are not on board as not aboard. The gang line is pulled through the port of the ship, or if a gang line is used in port, it is pulled by the dock workers from the ship.
Captains arrest cruise ships for a variety of reasons, such as when cruise-sponsored tours or transits are delayed, or when passengers are involved in medical emergencies.
It is much better to return to your ship and watch the gangway-up process than to be left behind.
Related: 12 ways to speed up the onboarding process
Can a cruise ship’s gangway collapse?
Cruise lines place a high priority on passenger safety, making a gang fall unlikely but not impossible. In 2022, a gang run by a port official in Panama City collapsed, injuring 11 passengers on the Norwegian Encore as they re-boarded the ship after a day in port. Reports indicated that the changing tides had increased the height of the gang, which may have contributed to the collapse.
Are cruise ship gangways accessible if I use a wheelchair, scooter or other mobility aid?
If you have travel restrictions, it’s important to choose your cruise line, ship and itinerary carefully. Don’t assume that the entire gang will be wheelchair friendly or that gang members will be there to help lift scooters or wheelchairs in all situations.
Docks that require a tender create one possible situation where a pirate may not be accessible: on days when the sea is rough. I have seen tender workers helping passengers use the shuttles on cool days but getting off on bad days.
Related: 6 tips for cruising as a wheelchair user
Some smaller cruise lines use gangways at every port, making them inaccessible to wheeled vehicles. Even if the port of departure has accessible gangways, checking the accessibility of the gangways at the port of call is important for those who rely on auxiliary services and wish to leave the ship at ports of call.
Bottom line
Cruise ship gangways come in a variety of styles and can be deployed in a variety of ways to allow passengers to enter and exit the ship. In some ports, the gangway may be a simple ramp; in others, there may be steps or platforms for mooring tender boats. All of the above is considered a “gang way” when used and can easily be found using signs, listening to announcements or following staff instructions.
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