CruisEUs
Written by Patty Reeves as seen in FRID newsletter 2006
It was a
pleasure joining my fellow passengers on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas
for the
maiden voyage of
“CruisEUs”. Who could imagine the fun we would have on this
extreme
version of
mixing business
with pleasure?
I have to be
honest. The idea of going to
I’m more of a
sun and beach kinda gal. Even though I live in
of the smell of
the ocean and feel of the warm sun on my skin. Still, earning CEUs towards my
certification,
together with a
cruise, was a nice enticement. I further decided to take along my hubby to make
a
little vacation
getaway out of it. We booked the trip in October and looked forward to
June.
We arrived three
days prior to our departure date and enjoyed the sights of
welcomed us with
luxury accommodations at the Westin hotel with a lovely view of the Space
Needle.
Our lodging
arrangements were an item we could include on our cruise package through Royal
Caribbean.
What a great
experience! An education vacation. The Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas cruise
ship
offer deluxe
amenities, a variety of activities for people of all ages, and interesting ports
and excursions.
Imagine a
floating resort complete with pools, spas, and a conference
area!
Like most
other hotel-based conferences you attend for professional development, we had a
sequestered
conference
area. Sitting at the orientation, there was little difference between “The Omni”
and “The
Ocean”!
However, the greatest
difference was
“The Ocean” with the baby whales swimming alongside
our ship as we
looked out the shipside windows. The ship was spacious enough to offer the
opportunity
to mix and
mingle with other passenger professionals and provide solitude should you desire
time alone.
bring their own laptop for tutorials and CEU opportunities through Signs of Development.
With my
laptop, and a Signs of Development CD, I experienced “balcony learning” cruising
up the Icey
Strait in
Imagine having
this for a classroom view!
Our first port
of call was
optional. Guided
tours are offered in almost all cruise ports and cities and are a great way to
enhance
your cruise
experience. Shore excursions highlight the best local attractions and
sightseeing opportunities;
the best places
to shop; and, give the cruise passenger a chance to experience the local
culture. On
shore, you could
explore on your own or enjoy exciting tour options offered through the cruise
line.
Everything you've heard about
cruise ship dining is true. You'll find a varied selection of
entrees
(appetizers, salads, soups,
vegetables, and desserts, too) every time you sit down. In addition,
there's
virtually no limit on what or
how much you can order.
Best of all, the one thing
you’ll never see on a cruise ship menu is the price. Our cruise package
included
seating with our cruisEU
group, which offered a wonderful dining experience with good
food,
good friends and good
conversation. Adding to that were the themed evenings. From Italian cuisine to
a
wonderful evening of American
dishes and American songs at the Fourth of July celebration, our
dining
room staff offered five star
service and cuisine. Especially moving was hearing the singing of
American
patriotic songs offered by the
cruise dining staff that possessed a variety of accents from around
the
globe.
When it came down to business
and on days at sea, it was time for learning. The CruisEUs offered
an
array of Sign Language
learning opportunities for development of diverse levels of skill and
knowledge
and instruction on strategies
for application of sign language to the job
function.
Presenters included Performer
and instructor Peter Cook (seen above right), Author of “Deaf
Tend
Your” and instructor Byron
Bridges, Performer and author of “Nightmare on
Keith Wann, who together with
Crom also perform in their theatre group “CAKE”.
(Crom And Keith
Entertainment). The evenings also provided Deaf entertainment in the main
theatres.
Lynne Wiesman, the founder of
Signs of Development, and cruise interpreter extraordinaire
and
the brainchild behind CruisEUs
Emilia Lorenti served as organizers as well as instructors for this
maiden
voyage.
Overall, I can’t imagine a
more wonderful expenditure and experience. While accruing CEUs
toward
my professional certification,
I was able to have some vacation time with my husband. We were able
to
see the sites of more than one
city, which is typical when you attend a land based conference in
one
city. In addition, while I was
learning, he was able to enjoy the shipboard activities. Had we
brought
our children, they too could
have been close by while rock climbing the wall, swimming or joining
the
many shipboard
activities.
After a delicious dinner, my
husband and I retired to our 8th floor balcony suite where a view of
the
ocean and cool breeze lulled
us to sleep. What an amazing education vacation!
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Article from 2009 - by Cory Fuller
Red wine with beef, cold hands in warm gloves, movies and popcorn.... some things in life just go together. CruisEUs demonstrates to interpreters that business and pleasure can be paired just as easily and as enjoyable as a Tri-tip roast with a Cabernet.
My family went on the August 2009 CruisEUs trip which took us from the port of LA down into Mexico for various stops. During Days at Sea I chose to go to the fantastic interpreter workshops offered through Cruiseus while my children enjoyed their various youth events on the ship as well as just hanging out with their dad at the pool or taking in shows.
During Days at Port, CruisEUs offered no in-person workshops so that interpreters had the opportunity to go spend the days sightseeing and participating in activities with families and friends. That was the perfect blend for my family because I was not tied up completely with "work stuff" the entire week - I had days of family fun as we explored the ports, shopped, swam in the ocean, and took in the sights. For interpreters that wanted to pack in more CEUs than what was offered by the onboard presenters, CruisEUs offered an extensive DVD library of workshops that could be completed on an individual basis and could easily be completed at your leisure. Truly, an interpreter that chooses to sail with CruisEUs has complete freedom of choice in the number of CEUs that they bring home at the end of the week... and all for only $150! Ya’ can’t beat it!
For those who have never cruised, it’s quite an amazing experience. It’s a rare opportunity to be waited on hand and foot. Our rooms were always impeccably cleaned, our food was delectable and the service was sincere. Cruisers have options for every meal from shorts and t-shirt casual in the informal restaurants to business casual or even formal in the nicest dining rooms. There are buffets and a myriad of restaurants (not to mention room service) located throughout the ship to satisfy even a momentary thought of hunger or thirst. Cruises are prepaid and all inclusive which keeps vacation costs more easily under control. A cruise is definitely a lot of bang for the buck.
The ship offers nightly shows, dance clubs, lounges, a casino, multiple bars and constant motion, 24 hours a day. A cruise is a vacation of which the vacationer determines the pace - a cruiser can go full speed ahead and do as much as possible or take the extreme opposite approach and curl up with a book on a spa chair and soak up the comfort and quiet.
CruisEUs offered top notch presenters with workshops that were second to none. Interpreters had the opportunity to interact with some of the best minds in ASL World and were able to benefit from much hands-on work and practice. Interpreters normally earn CEUs locally and while those local CEUs are definitely beneficial, there is merit in being able to learn from a different pool of workshop leaders.
Taking advantage of the group travel format, a CruisEUs trip offers interpreter-cruisers the chance to meet and network with other interpreters from around the nation. With social networking technology, it’s easy to stay in touch and build on the contacts that are formed over the week of the trip.
Mixing business with pleasure through CruisEUs can be stress-free, cost effective, family friendly and all around enjoyable. It's not too late to sign on to CruisEUs 2010 and experience all that it has to offer!
