Welcome aboard — Meaning Explained with Examples

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Welcome aboard, fellow Linguaholics!

Today, you’ll learn the ropes about how to use the first phrase you’ve just read in this article.

What does “Welcome aboard!” mean? And how do we even respond to it?

All hands on deck as we navigate the rough waters to find the answers.

 

What is the meaning of “Welcome aboard”?

The meaning of “Welcome aboard” is “We are pleased to welcome you to our vessel, organization, team, or project.” It is a colloquial expression used mainly in the context of maritime transportation before but more so in business today. It is also a more casual way of saying “Welcome on board!”

 

When to use “Welcome aboard”

“Welcome aboard” is a phrase largely used by shipping crew members to greet new passengers getting onto or having just gotten into the vessel.

Not limited to passengers, “Welcome aboard!” can also be used to greet new crew members who are about to start their job on the ship or aircraft.

“Welcome aboard,” therefore, originates in the maritime industry, although it is also commonly used within the aviation industry.

“Welcome aboard” is also a just more casual synonym of “Welcome on board!” – that means you could never go wrong when you choose either.

 

“Welcome aboard” in maritime

“Welcome aboard” is something you would hear from a ship or boat crew member when you are about to get onto it.

It, therefore, indirectly suggests the location of the reception, which can only be understood with enough context.

So, when someone says “Welcome aboard!” to you as you get onto a cruise ship, the person is actually saying “Welcome aboard this cruise ship!”

Example:

 

“Welcome aboard!” in aviation

“Welcome aboard!” is not only limited to the maritime industry, so you can also hear it from flight attendants and pilots.

A “Welcome aboard!” message from a flight attendant intends to convey warmth and hospitality.

So, it is best to return the favor by responding with a quick “thank you” or simply smiling back, especially if the person is talking directly to you.

Example:

 

“Welcome aboard” in business

In the business world, “Welcome aboard!” is commonly said to a person or team of people who are about to begin their workplace training.

“Welcome to the team!” or its alternatives when greeting new employees is also regularly used in workplace settings.

The same idea goes behind this greeting, which is to display warmth to the person or people being greeted.

Expect anyone from the learning and development team to use “Welcome aboard!” on your first day of training.

Example:

 

“Welcome aboard” parts of speech

“Welcome aboard!” is made up of the interjection “welcome” and the adverb “aboard,” in which “aboard” may also be used as a preposition at other times.

“Aboard” simply works the same way as “on board” in “Welcome on board!” – a more formal version.

Sentence construction is quite an interesting and daunting topic to explore, and not many people are fond of it.

That is to say, questions like “Should an adverb go before or after a verb?” and “Should we put an adverb after a noun?” could get really confusing at times.

Don’t worry though because even native English speakers have the same battle, pretty much like everyone else.

 

“Aboard” as an adverb

“Aboard” is often used as an adverb, the part of speech that modifies adjectives, verbs, and even other adverbs.

“Aboard” suggests a location, which often means “onto or on” a ship, a plane, a train, a company, a baseball field, or even a horse.

The adverb “aboard” is also used in sports, particularly in baseball and softball. For example, the expression “runners aboard” is something you could hear in this context.

“Runners aboard” is a situation in which the batting team player or players have successfully reached one of the three bases.

Example:

 

The adverb “aboard” may also be used in horseback riding, which describes the situation in which a rider or equestrian is “onto or on” a horse.

Example:

 

“Aboard” as a preposition

“Aboard” may also be used as a preposition, the part of speech that expresses the connection or link between words and phrases, especially nouns.

The only difference between the adverb and preposition “aboard” is the way they are used in a sentence. Nevertheless, their meaning remains the same.

Similarly, you can use the preposition “aboard” in the maritime context. To do this, just put a noun phrase after “aboard,” such as “the Stellarum Express” in the next example.

Example:

 
You can also use the preposition “aboard” in the context of equestrianism, like the following example:

Example:

 

Ways to respond to “Welcome aboard!” in business settings

Receiving a “Welcome aboard!” message could mean that you will be responding to an acceptance email from any of your future colleagues.

Whether you are a seasoned worker or a newbie, you would always want to show your teammates that you are excited to work with them.

Here are formal and casual responses to “Welcome aboard!” that you can choose from, as needed by your situation.

You could use the following responses when you want to convey a neutral rather than friendly tone to the sender of the welcome email.

 

Thank you for having me. I am glad to be part of the team.

Polite and neutral, you can use this response when you have not previously interacted with the email sender.

Maybe another person was assigned to your recruitment process, and now a different person is welcoming you on board.

Example:

 

Thank you kindly. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Also professional in tone, this response is also worth using when you have had little to no interaction with the person behind the email you’re replying to.

Perhaps, you are exchanging emails with a person from the onboarding team who will be handling your company orientation soon.

Example:

 

Thank you for the warm welcome. I look forward to working with you.

Businesslike in tone, this response works well when you are responding to your immediate superior or manager.

In a case like this when you do not personally know the other person, and he or she commands authority, you would likely want to show tact and respect.

Example:

 

Thank you for this opportunity. I am excited to work with you soon.

This is another great response that you can choose when you want to express well-mannerism in your email.

This message steers clear of that cheerful tone that you would more likely use only when you are socially close to the other person.

Example:

 

Thank you for your email and the opportunity to be part of the team.

Use this response when you want to be courteous enough in writing, and you won’t go wrong, especially if you have not met the email sender yet.

Maybe you were given some formal instructions on the company dress code as well as your whereabouts on your first day of work.

Example:

 

Meanwhile, you can use these responses when you want to show more warmth and personalization in your message.

 

Thank you for the heads-up. I’m all set for Monday.

Warm in tone, you can use this response when you already feel comfortable with the person behind the email you’re replying to.

Maybe you’ve already had a few interactions via email before, which makes the connection much lighter and less stiff.

Example:

 

A huge thank you to you and the whole team. Excited to meet all of you!

An even warmer message, this response works when you have probably spoken with the email sender over the phone, and you have observed his or her cozy energy.

Take note though that the phrase “a huge thank you” is quite casual and that you would want to avoid this when your goal is to be extra polite.

Example:

 

Thanks a lot for welcoming me! Excited to meet you soon.

Fairly enthusiastic, don’t be afraid to use this response when you are still testing the waters yet, you also want to sound friendly via email.

You have probably not interacted with the email sender before, but you could sense from the message that he or she is not really that tight in terms of personality.

Example:

 

Such a warm welcome! Thank you, and see you soon.

Short and straightforward, this response works nicely when you want to be pleasant yet respectful of the reader’s time.

You can even convey more warmth by using a “Happy Thursday” greeting or salutation instead of the typical “Dear.”

Example:

 

Thank you so much! I can’t wait to meet everyone.

Last but not least, this simple yet amiable response is something you should go for when you want to show eagerness toward your new role.

Pair it with a quick closing message like “Best” instead of the typical “Best Regards” or “Kind Regards,” and you will surely convey enthusiasm.

Example: