Seminar Cruise January 5 - 12, 2013
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas

You will want to get to the New Orleans Julia Street Cruise Terminal #2 well before 3:00 pm on Saturday January 5, 2013. The port authority web site (click here) provides details for getting there. Everyone has to be aboard by 3:00 pm. Around 4:00 pm the ship will hold its Muster (safety) Drill, all passengers must participate. Around 4:30 pm the ship will leave its moorings and our voyage will have truly begun. As we sail down the Mississippi headed to the Gulf of Mexico, our group will assemble in the Solarium bar on deck 11, just aft of the forward elevators. Join others in the group, meet Bruce Roberts the Seminar Cruise Coordinator and Cassandra Agnew Walker our facilitator. Make some new friends and if you've been on a prior Seminar Cruise catch up with other returning participants.

Sunday, day 2 is the first of three seminar days. Those registered in Forms (Update) must be in class by 9:00 am. While the atmosphere aboard ship is relaxed, seminar times are strictly adhered to and late arrivals may be denied entrance and thus credit. Our seminar room will not be allocated until the fall, but we will be meeting in one of the seminar rooms of the Conference Center on deck 2, just aft of the forward elevators.

Monday we will dock in Cozumel early in the morning. Have fun. The beaches are beautiful. The snorkeling and SCUBA are great. While there is some snorkeling from shore the best can be found on excursions to off-shore reefs. There is a nice tourist district and the locals will work quite hard at separating you from a few dollars. Make sure you get back to the ship before 3:30 pm. The local language is Spanish but English is spoken in tourist areas. US$ are widely accepted, especially in tourist areas.

Weather permitting mid-Tuesday morning, Navigator of the Seas will anchor just off George Town Grand Cayman. Boats will ferry passengers between Navigator of the Seas and a downtown pier. The trip takes about ten minutes. If you are a shutter bug the tender trip is a great opportunity to get some wonderful shots of the Navigator of the Seas. Disney's Magic is also scheduled to be in Grand Cayman on January 8. She's a lovely ship. Look for Goofy trying to paint the stern. Once ashore you can catch a bus in front of the tourist information center that will drop you off somewhere along Seven Mile beach. Last time we were there stops were US$4, US$5, and US$6. Food and other facilities can be found at each of the stops. If you want to do a little shopping you'll be delighted with the shops surrounding the tender piers.

Numerous excursions are offered through the ship and by private operators. You can snorkel just off-shore of George Town, there is even a wreck. Or you can head well off-shore to any of a number of locations for snorkeling, SCUBA, swims with rays, and swims with dolphins. There is sailing, parasailing, paddle boats and banana boats. There are booze cruises and kayaks, sailing and power boating. If you are a landlubber take a trip to Hell or visit a sea-turtle farm. English is the principal language of the island. US dollars are widely accepted but be prepared to receive local currency as change.

You'll have to be back aboard Navigator of the Seas by 5:30 pm. It's often a crush at the tender pier a half-hour or so before the last boat. If you want a more leisurely experience get to the tender pier at least a quarter to five - 4:45 pm for those who live in the digital age.

Wednesday is the halfway point of our cruise. We will be docked in Falmouth, Jamaica which is near Montego Bay. Jamaica is one of the loveliest islands in the Caribbean. Lush mountain vistas leading down to long sandy beaches. The island is justly famous for Jerk, a wonderful combination of spices that is usually rubbed onto chicken or pork; rum, try the rum-cream for a slightly different taste; and Blue Mountain coffee, sadly it's expensive even in Jamaica. There are a number of must see places, you'll likely only have time to visit one. Bob Marley's birth place, Appleton Estate and Dunn's River falls to name a few. The local language is English although the accent can often be difficult for an inexperienced ear. US dollars are widely accepted but check on the type of change you'll receive before buying.

Thursday and Friday we will be at sea and most of you will be in class during the day. Friday afternoon around 4:30 pm everyone is invited to our networking get together. Bring some business cards. The location will be announced before our trip. Sadly, you will also be packing your bags on Friday.

Early morning Saturday January 12 Navigator of the Seas will arrive back in New Orleans ending our 2013 Seminar Cruise.