What 'coning' code word means on a cruise - and why you never want to hear 'Winnie'

The secret slang used by cruise ship workers has been revealed - and there are some that you never want to hear on board.

If you've ever set sail on a cruise ship, chances are you may have overheard the crew saying a few phrases that may not have made much sense at the time.

However, it turns out that there is a whole set of code words workers use to communicate with one another on board, without alerting passengers to what they're really talking about.

With cruise ships tending to employ staff from several different countries, this unique vernacular is derived from several different languages as well as slang, and can often vary depending on the particular cruise line.

There's many slang words cruise ship workers use around passengers. Credit: Michael Dunning / Getty Images

One thing you probably won't want to hear on board a Disney cruise is a worker worrying about "Winnie".

Originating from the character name Winnie the Pooh, it signals to staff that a passenger has pooped in the pool.

A "protein spill" - also sometimes known as a PVI or Purell, per Business Insider - is also pretty bleak, as it refers to "public vomit incidents", whether that be from a simple case of seasickness, or a cruise's worst nightmare... an outbreak of the highly contagious norovirus.

While emergency alert codes vary by cruise line, some of the code words for a fire include "bravo", "Alpha Team", or "red party", while "alpha", "star code", or "Code Mike" refer to medical emergencies.

If you happen to see a crew member looking nervous and talking about an "echo", it can mean that the ship is drifting, or there's a risk of high winds and even an collision.

Shortly afterward, you might hear the crew being told to "kilo" - meaning they need to report to their assigned posts during an emergency.

If you hear "Code Oscar" or "Mr. Mob" over the loudspeakers and radio system, this alerts crew members to stand watch for a missing person and slow the ship down in a 'man overboard' situation where a guest or worker may have fallen from the ship, per Marine Insight.

You never want to hear "Winnie" while you're in the pool on board. Credit: David Sacks / Getty Images

While there are many code words for various emergencies and situations that need an urgent response on board, the crew have also come up with ways of referring to passengers and their actions, too.

If you hear someone referring to you as a "cone", that's not a compliment, as it's used as a derogatory word to compare holidaymakers to traffic cones that the workers have to dodge.

"Coning", on the other hand, means something quite different - that's slang for when a crew member hooks up with a passenger, which is also a fireable offense on board.

If you get caught coning, you might end up with a "banana" - which means you may get written up or reported for breaking the rules.

You also won't want to be called "Babalu" - which means "idiot" - or "Mamagayo", which is lazy, though that's usually used for crew members who are shirking their duties.

Featured image credit: Michael Dunning / Getty Images