ESL Podcast 230 - A New Year's Cruise

New Year's Eve - the holiday celebrated on December 31; the night before the New Year (January 1)

Normally their children go to bed early, but on New Year's Eve they're allowed to stay up until midnight.

harbor - an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls to protect boats from bad weather

The storm destroyed the boats that were on the ocean, but the boats in the harbor weren't damaged at all.

cruise - a relaxing journey on the ocean, usually for a vacation

After they were married, they went on a two-week cruise in the Caribbean.

fireworks - small objects that explode in the sky with a loud noise, producing bright lights in many colors, usually used for celebrations

Many American towns and cities use fireworks to celebrate the country's Independence Day on the fourth of July.

marina - a harbor (an area of ocean water near the land that has strong walls to protect boats) that is built especially for small boats, often with wooden walkways over the water to get access to the boats.

Pedro and his uncle often fish in the marina where the fish are used to small boats coming and going.

to board - to get on a ship, airplane, bus, train, or another large vehicle for many people

Melissa was a little bit nervous as she boarded a plane for the first time.

this was no... - this was not a...

He took a long time getting dressed, because he knew that this was no ordinary day.

boat - a vehicle that floats and moves on the water and carries people or cargo (good and products)

During the summer, they take their boat to the lake every weekend.

upper / lower - located above (upper) or below (lower) something else

Unlike the lower floors, the upper floors of this office building have wonderful views of the city.

deck - a floor or level of a ship or bus

Some busses in London have two decks. Tourists like to sit on the top deck so that they can see the city.

crew - the staff or workers on a boat or ship

Did all members of the crew return to the ship by 5 p.m.?

on board - on or inside a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus

Move aside, please, so everyone can get on board.

life jackets - vests (jackets with no arms) that people wear so that they will float if they fall into the water, usually filled with air or other material

These boats are supposed to have enough life jackets for everyone on board.

captain - the highest-ranking (most important and powerful) member of the crew; the person who leads, runs, or manages everything on a boat or ship

It looks like a bad storm is coming! Does the captain seem worried about it?

passenger - a person or guest traveling on a boat, ship, airplane, train, or bus

Their boat is small and can only hold seven passengers.

seasick - a bad feeling in one's stomach and dizziness caused by being on moving water, usually when one is on a boat or ship

Andrea gets seasick very easily, so she always has to take a pill before she steps onto a boat.

Coast Guard - a part of the U.S. military that protects the people and land along the country's coasts (where water and land meet)

Our boat's motor stopped working while we were a mile from land, so we had to wait for the Coast Guard to come help us.

on shore - on land; off of a boat or ship

Do you know what time we'll be able to go on shore?

to walk the plank - to walk down a long, flat piece of wood that goes out from a ship over the water; in stories, pirates (thieves in ships who steal from other ships and boats) made people walk down the long, flat piece of wood to their death

In many movies about pirates, a beautiful young woman is forced to walk the plank, but someone always saves her before she falls into the water.