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 Alaska never really appealed to me. When it comes to vacations,
I’m more of a sun and beach kinda gal. Even though I live in Florida, I can’t seem to get enough
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 Seattle. This beautiful city
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.

With my laptop, and a Signs of Development CD, I experienced “balcony learning” cruising up the Icey
Strait in Alaska from a chair on my balcony.
Imagine having this for a classroom view!

Our first port of call was Juneau, the capitol city of Alaska. Getting off the boat for a shore excursion is
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 ASL Street” Crom Saunders,
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!