Hi! After a week of visiting gorgeous islands in the Caribbean and indulging in way too much dessert, I’m back to share nautical terms I learned aboard the Disney Fantasy. As I stand at my writing desk and type, I can still feel the roll of the waves, even though I’ve been off the ship for three days. Aging is doing nothing good for my vestibular system.
My family had a fabulous time, and, I’m please to note, we were able to learn even while on vacation! For this week’s Wondrous Words Wednesday, here are Word Nerd Words we picked up while cruising the Caribbean:
- Starboard– [noun from Old English stēorbord, from stēor– steering oar + bord ship’s side]; the side of a ship or aircraft that is on the right when you are looking toward the front
- Port– [noun from Anglo-French, gate, door, from Latin porta passage, gate]; the left side of a ship or aircraft looking forward —called also larboard.
- *Word Nerd Note: to help remember the difference, note that port and left both have four letters.
- Forward [adjective from from Old English foreweard, from fore– + –weard -ward]; near the front of something, like the ship
- Midship – I couldn’t find it in the dictionary, but this term is self-explanatory: in the middle of the ship
- Aft- [adverb from Middle English afte back, from Old English æftan from behind]; near the back of a boat, ship, or aircraft; in the stern portion of the ship
- Bow [noun from Middle English bowe, bowgh, probably from Middle Dutch boech bow, shoulder]; the forward part of a ship
- Stern– [noun from Middle English, rudder, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse stjōrn steering, rudder]; the back part of a boat or ship.
- *Word Nerd Note: the stern IS the back of the ship; aft describes the back area of the ship.
- Leeward– noun; the side that is sheltered from the wind
- Keel- noun from Middle English kele, from Old Norse kjǫlr; akin to Old English ceole throat, beak of a ship]; the part of a boat or ship that extends longitudinally along the center of its bottom and that often projects from the bottom
Thank you, Merriam-Webster
Specific to Disney cruises
- Nominal fee = $20, as in, they charge a nominal fee to participate in a margarita tasting session. I think a “nominal fee” should be $5 or less, but I don’t run the cruise line.
Words that came to mind during the cruise
- Excess and indulgence (Access to free soft serve ALL DAY!)
- Polite, friendly, happy (We never met a grumpy crew member).
Word Nerd Workout
Can you add to my list of nautical terms? Or can you share interesting words you’ve learned during a vacation?
Don’t forget to stop by Kathy’s blog for Wondrous Words Wednesday!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me today!
A Disney voyage sounds like so much fun! I would love to peruse another post with insider tips for future cruisers, for example, which of those “ostensible” expenses merited paying (and I thoroughly concur that $20 isn’t generally ostensible, particularly in case you’re paying that for every relative).
A couple of more extraordinary words for cruisers incorporate “cookroom” (the boat’s kitchen), “connect” (the boat’s navigational control focus), “wake” the trail of waves at the boat’s stern), and “delicate” (a pontoon the vehicles individuals and supplies between the primary boat and the shore .
Great additions to my “Cruise Vocab” list. For insider tips for future cruisers, please visit this post: Cruising the Caribbean: Info and Advice
Nice! I’ve had friends (with kids) who adore the Disney cruises. We went on a cruise to Alaska last summer and tried to keep up with the nautical terms so we could figure out which side of the ship to run to when whales were spotted!
Ha! Yes knowing your port and starboard would be crucial for whale sightings! I’ve heard wonderful things about Alaskan cruises.
Soooooooo fun! Love how you could even get nerdy while on vacation :). Will you go again and would you recommend a Disney cruise?
Although we enjoyed the trip, and I’m grateful to my in-laws for the opportunity, I’m not sure I would choose a cruise again. I’d rather go to one place and explore from there. We’ve never been to the Caribbean, and this cruise made us realize… hey, we should plan a vacation down here. It’s as beautiful as Hawaii but not as far! I’ll do a full write up with recommendations soon.
A Disney cruise sounds like so much fun! I would love to read another post with insider tips for future cruisers, such as which of those “nominal” fees were worth paying (and I totally agree that $20 isn’t really nominal, especially if you’re paying that for each family member).
A few more great words for cruisers include “galley” (the ship’s kitchen), “bridge” (the ship’s navigational control center), “wake” (the trail of waves at the ship’s stern), and “tender” (a boat the transports people and supplies between the main ship and the shore).
Those are fantastic words to add to my nautical list. Thanks! And I will definitely write up a post with insider tips for cruises. Thanks for the idea. 😉
My husband And I are going on a cruise in October, your words were very helpful.
Great! Have a fabulous time. 😉
Welcome home! Hope your cruise was amazing. I remember “port” as the left side exactly as you mentioned in your tip.
Twenty bucks is not nominal. You could get 2 or 3 margaritas for that!
My sentiments exactly, Dana!
I’ve heard most of those nautical terms but didn’t know those meanings. I agree with you on the nominal fees!
I love the etymology of ‘keel’!
(And I agree that $20 is really not in the ‘spirit of the law’ for a ‘nominal’ fee.)