FGSCruise2015: My Perfect Vacation

Do you remember when you were a child being asked to write an essay entitled “what I did on my summer vacation?”  Next year I plan to write that essay and it will include all my favorite things: genealogy, a cruise, time with my friends, and enjoying some of the best genealogy speakers on the planet (not that I’m prejudiced!).

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas

My husband and I started cruising about twenty years ago and since then have been all over the world on more than 40 cruises.  Yes, we’re addicted.  We love to walk into our cabin, unpack our bags, and be taken care of for the duration of our trip.  We travel from place to place without being cramped in a seat on an airplane or motor coach; we can go see a show, attend a class, have a massage, read a book, take a nap, visit with a friend, play a game . . . well, you get the idea.  We enjoy not only the wide variety of activities, but the scrumptious selection of food, the amazing shows, and of course the glorious ports.  Alaska is definitely one of our favorites.  The 2015 FGS cruise to Alaska will be our third cruise to this beautiful state.

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas Centrum

The ports on this cruise are amazing.  I love Juneau and I love Victoria, but Skagway is my favorite.  It is a charming little village packed with history and cute shops.  FGS plans to offer tours at each of the ports designed with genealogists in mind; but non-genealogists (like my husband) will also find them very interesting.

Spending a week with old and new friends who all love genealogy is a dream come true.  Two years ago my husband and I sailed from Auckland, New Zealand, around Australia from Melbourne up to Darwin and then up to the Far East, ending in the port for Beijing.  It was a 38-night cruise, so I decided to ask the cruise director if we could gather together any interested genealogists on the ship to see if we might share our love of family history.  Judging by the place they gave us to meet, I think they thought we might have 6 or 8 individuals, but our first meeting had 50 folks, and eventually our group grew to 75.  The attendees wanted to know why cruises didn’t offer this type of activity all the time.  

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas Tides Dining Room

You have the opportunity to join us for a week with four top-notch speakers.  Not only will you get to attend classes with them, but we will offer the chance for you to have dinners with them and some lucky folks will win some free individual consultations.

I am so looking forward to seeing all my friends on this cruise and I’m looking forward to meeting you – if I haven’t already.  I love new friends and want you to join us on the very first FGS Conference Cruise.  Sometime in the spring we will start giving you more details about the cruise and we will answer questions.  If you’re a first-time cruiser, my goal is for you to walk on the ship and feel like you know all there is to know about cruising, so you can relax, learn from the classes, and have fun!

Please join us!  The FGS 2015 Alaskan Cruise will offer a full genealogy conference during sea days that does not encroach on time to enjoy mainland excursions.  Register for the cruise at https://www.fgsconference.org/cruise/.

--Pat Oxley, FGS Cruise Coordinator