The heart sank when the taxi rounded the corner and Pier 91 was dwarfed by the giants of cruising…..The Explorer of the Seas is 12 decks of glitz and glam and 1800 passengers of varying degrees of enthusiasm all trying to embark. Full marks to the staple contoller whose job it was to staple the stateroom tag to the luggage. He didn’t miss a beat when I only got 2 staples instead of the regulation 3.
Already LSM was missing the background drone of the motorway outside the windows of the cosy, old-fashioned airbnb you see in the lower apartment block on the right of the image below…what had we let ourselves in for…….hmmm!
Top marks also to the organisation of the customs, immigration and boarding staff of Royal Carribean – extremely efficient and friendly. HOWEVER, the call of “washy, washy” from the perky handwash distributors on board soon became less than fresh. Yes, I know the intent is to foam every last germ out of existence so that minimal infection strikes, but we are now waking up to Day 3 and my hands are so clean they reflect the light from the chandeliers.
Yes, the ship is large, the stateroom is very comfortable, the deck fittings are sheer bling, the orientation past the mini-gold course to the daily walking track (9 laps equals an American mile) is easily accessible, and discovering the HUGE eating area offering a pleasant assortment at the Gluten Free corner have all been part of that initial Wow! Factor.
The first evening was the Unlock the Past genealogy conference rego, group dinner (succulent salmon), and our first lecture……copious notes, fun anecdotes and the program was off to a flying start.
Day 2 was a very rocky intro to sea cruising…….yes, my fears were coming true. LSM was so woozy he only managed the first lecture before he retired to cabin to regain his equilibrium somewhat. The conference program saw more note taking in the morning, but the news that all handouts and lecture notes would be sent to Dropbox saw an immediate stopping of penmanship. Lectures became relaxed and lots more new and interesting family history info was absorbed. LSM ate a green aplle wnich quelled the motiin pronlem and he rejoined the flow after lunch.
All relevant info for friends and family will be sent personally on my return and no further details of the program will haunt the blog….phew she hears!
So after a full program from 8am to 9 pm and the first of the formal dining sittings last night (LSM looked dapper in his formal kit!), we were quite weary and the ship has now manoeuvered in to calmer waters.
The sun is glistening on the water, the rocking has stopped and we are heading for Juneau – and no doubt a fun shore day – if we can avoid the many jewellery outlets. So it’s all aboard for trivia, library exploration, shore time, and more conference and nightlife after dinner tonight.
Blog you in a couple of days…🚢🙌🍾🕶🍹🍺🇺🇸
Molly B travlyn 
Just imagine, if you will – 1800 people on the Explorer of the Seas who are all interested in both genealogy, AND the shipboard life of entertainment and socializing. Now add to the mix, the theory of six degrees of separation. See where I’m going with this? It is not beyond the realms of imagination to believe that you, Lyndall and Murray, might actually be sitting next to one of your relatives, and be none the wiser. So I propose a workshop session called “Find Your Own Relatives”. This is how I envisage it could work. Taking it in turns around the room, stand up and say the name of the earliest ancestor on your family tree. The first person might say “John Smith”. (This one might have to be narrowed down to, say, country of birth.) Actually, it might work better if Tyrone O’Foghladha was the name of the ancestor.
Okay, I admit this procedure might need a bit of tweaking. But can you imagine the joy of finding your third cousin twice removed? I can just hear comments like “Oh, my! You’ve sure got the family nose”, or “Cripey! I never thought that side of the family had the money for a luxury cruise.”
Now that I’ve sown the seed of curiosity, you won’t be able to have a conversation with anyone onboard, (or stop comparing noses), without wondering, “Is she/he related to me?”
Have fun! Can’t wait to hear all about your discoveries (genealogically or otherwise).
LikeLike
What fun……..let’s do it with the Germaan side. My earliest known Ger,an relative is Ursula Stumpf from Baden Wurtemburg. It would be such a blast being on something like this with you. They are actually doing a matches board and strategy across the conference and 2 cousins already have found each other. I am learning heaps! Will send you some of the good stuff when I get back home 😀
LikeLike