Secret language cruise ship employees use – from Mamagayo to banana & what it all means

A CRUISE ship employee has revealed some of the secret languages ​​used by staff in front of passengers.

Zlatko Simovski has been working on cruise ships for five years and has learned a few code words during that time.

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The lifeguard, who has been working on cruise ships for eight months, has traveled to Italy, Bora Bora, Spain and Singapore.

He spoke to many holidaymakers during his long days outside attending to the needs of passengers by the pool.

But Zlatko and his colleagues sometimes spoke in a secret language in front of guests.

Zlatko told The Sun Online Travel: “Crew members on the ships use a whole range of slang, foreign and scrambled words when speaking to one another.

“A future guest using some of them in conversation with crew members will surely make their day.”

Mamagayo

According to Zlatko, this is one of the most popular words in a cruise ship employee’s vocabulary.

He explained, “Mamagayo is someone who, on duty, spends time in the dressing room or hides somewhere.”

Meanwhile, Urban Dictionary has defined it as an employee who is “lazy” and trying to evade their duties.

banana

Another common word used by cruise line employees is “banana” — and it’s not someone after a piece of fruit.

Zlatko said: “That’s when a crew member does something wrong and is lectured by their superior – we say they got a banana.”

Among different ships and crews, “banana” can have multiple meanings, but it often refers to a “bad feeling” or “bad time.”

capo

While there are entertainers on cruise ships, the term “capo” does not refer to the small device used by guitarists.

Zlatko explained, “That’s when a crew member sees that their superior wants to be a gangster by walking and talking like one, so they’re called a capo.”

Capo can be used to refer to the captain or a boss and is commonly used by staff onboard Italian cruise ships.

Chiki Chiki

According to the lifeguard, “Sex is an extinct word among crew members, instead we use Chiki Chiki.”

No rice, no electricity

Downsizing on cruise lines can depend on several factors, including the type of company, the contract, and the level of employment.

For Zlatko and his colleagues, it was often a plate of rice that kept crew members well fed.

He said: “The majority of the crew on the ships live on rice and eat three full plates of rice every day.”

If an employee doesn’t get their portion of rice, they don’t have enough energy for the rest of the day.

Other common words used on board are “kaput” which means “tired”.

While Company Rich is when a crew member accidentally breaks a piece of gear but tries not to worry because the Company is paying for the replacement.

Zlatko has detailed his time as a crew member in his book Diary of a Cruise Ship Employee, available on Amazon for £8.39.

Meanwhile, cruise attorney Spencer Aronfeld (@cruiseshiplawyer) has revealed why passengers never want to hear the phrase “Code Oscar” aboard a ship.

There are other secret words used on board to keep passengers in the dark about what’s going on on board.

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