December 11th, 2013

Fancy a Cruise to Visit Your Caribbean Cousins?

If you have family members in the Caribbean, there is no better time to meet or visit them than now. This year from December 7-14, Cruise Everything, a Fritz Travel Company, will be hosting an Eastern Caribbean Genealogy Cruise on board the Celebrity Silhouette, one of Celebrity Cruise Line’s fantastic new Solstice Class ships. The especially great part of this cruise is that there will be three professional genealogists on board who will be available by private appointment to consult with you about your Caribbean heritage.

On board the Celebrity Silhouette you’ll be able to partake of all the amenities and bathe in the splendor of a luxury 5 star hotel. The ports of call are of the most interesting in the Caribbean, and you’ll be able to indulge in five course gourmet meals, revel in top notch nightly entertainment, and explore the uniqueness of destination when ashore.

Some of the fantastic genealogy based activities that will be on offer while on board the Silhouette and ashore are:

  • Welcome Cocktail Party (Open Bar!)
  • Daily Private Genealogy Events
  • Access to Speakers and Hosts Throughout the Trip
  • Meeting Rooms for Private Discussions
  • Surprise Events and Activities
  • Selected Shore Excursions with an Escort for purchase

The cruise will be departing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (you’ll have to make your own way there) at 4:30 EST on December 7. The first port of call will be San Juan, Puerto Rico, where you will spend an entire afternoon. From San Juan the Silhouette sails to Basseterre, St. Kitts where you have an entire day to explore or meet with family members. St. Maarten is next where you will again spend an entire day before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. The three days that you will spend at sea will feature genbealogy events that include talks, instruction, and insights into Caribbean family tree research.

The genealogists who will be accompanying you on the cruise are professional genealogists Gary and Diana Smith, Certified Genealogist (CG) Jana Sloan Broglin, and renowned genealogy blogger and expert Dick Eastman of Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter. All are nationally recognized speakers who will give discourses on a variety of subjects related to Eastern Caribbean genealogy.

Each of the genealogists will also make themselves available for a private 20 minute session with anyone who wishes. Spaces are limited however, so you’ll need to get your request in early. This is an excellent opportunity to get some free coaching from some very experienced and knowledgeable genealogists, while having some fun and enjoying the Caribbean sun!

It is estimated that at least between fifteen and twenty percent of Americans have roots in the Caribbean. If you’re one of them, this is a great opportunity to get some first-class instruction and to visit the land of your ancestors, maybe even meet some relatives for the first time. You can find out more about the Eastern Caribbean Genealogy Cruise on its Cruise Everything webpage.