I wrote several Genea-Musings posts about our vacation travels all over the United States and some foreign countries, but they are all in my "Engineer-speak" and "Just-the-facts" writing style.
One of our most memorable trips was to New York City and a Caribbean Cruise in October 2008. I wrote a summary report after the trip.
Our 2008 TMG Genealogy Cruise from New York to the Caribbean -- Sightseeing Summary
This is my account of the sightseeing adventures from our memorable cruise journey in October 2008, sponsored by The Master Genealogist (a genealogy software company) that began in New York City and ventured through several Caribbean islands, and ended up in Florida, offering a fascinating blend of American landmarks, island culture, and genealogical tourism. We flew from San Diego to New York City on Jet Blue to catch the cruise ship Caribbean Princess, but first we wanted to explore New York City (neither of us had been there before).
New York City: A Whirlwind Introduction
Our adventure began on Thursday, October 23, 2008, with what was supposed to be an eight-hour tour of New York City but turned into a nine-hour marathon. Linda and I had signed up for this tour the night before, and we left our hotel after 10 a.m., ready for whatever the city had to offer.
The tour packed in an impressive array of iconic locations, each offering its own unique perspective on the city's character and history. The United Nations building provided our first stop, where we navigated security to reach the visitor center and capture photographs outside this symbol of international c ooperation. From there, we moved to Rockefeller Plaza, where we explored both the interior and exterior spaces, including the famous Today show building and the skating rink that has become a winter tradition for millions.
The Empire State Building offered perhaps the most spectacular views of the day. Ascending to the 86th-floor observation deck, Linda and I gazed out over the sprawling metropolis, taking in the breathtaking panorama that has captivated tourists for generations. The gift shop provided the obligatory opportunity for souvenirs before our group continued the journey.Lunch came late, at 3 p.m., at Water Street Gourmet deli, but the wait was worthwhile as it preceded one of the tour's highlights. Battery Park served as our departure point for the ferry to Liberty Island, where we ate our deli lunches while cruising across the harbor. The Statue of Liberty, that enduring symbol of American freedom and immigration, stood majestically against the New York skyline. Though we couldn't ascend into the statue itself, we had ample opportunity for photographs and I even fed some opportunistic seagulls. One of my memorable photos captured what I like to call "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" photobombing a Liberty shot.
Ground Zero (of 9/11) provided a sobering contrast to the earlier stops. I was surprised by how compact the footprint appeared and noted how businesses around the site had resumed normal operations. The limited viewing area—requiring a 100-yard walk down a slope to a break in the fence—offered a glimpse into the construction site that would eventually become the 9/11 Memorial.
Chinatown brought the sensory experience to life with its open-air markets displaying fruits, vegetables, seafood, jewelry, and souvenirs. The vibrant neighborhood offered a stark contrast to the solemn atmosphere of Ground Zero, showcasing New York's incredible diversity.
The day's final challenge came in the form of clogged expressways, particularly the hour-long crawl from Chinatown to Elmhurst. "Arrgghh," I wrote in my journal. This traffic jam, however, provided an unexpected opportunity for me to discuss genealogy with ladies from Nova Scotia across the aisle. They were surprised that I knew where Cape Breton was—one of my CVGS colleagues has ancestry there! I told them about my Norway research and our trip to Voss in 1999. Then the traffic jam broke and we had to stop our conversation.
We got back at 7 p.m.—a full nine-hour day. The wireless connection at our hotel was crappy, and I couldn't read my email using Cox web mail that night—the pages never loaded.
Ellis Island: My Personal Pilgrimage
Friday, October 24, brought a deeply personal excursion to Ellis Island, a site of tremendous significance for genealogists like me. Linda wanted a quiet day and was really tired from all the walking the day before and cannot climb the subway stairs, so she walked to a local shopping center while I took the New York subway back to Battery Park.
My journey began at 10:30 a.m. on the R subway from Queens, and I arrived at Battery Park at 11:30 a.m. I bought my ticket, and then found the end of the line—it wrapped all the way around the park, maybe 300 yards long. I passed through security after 1 p.m. and caught the 1:30 p.m. boat, which stopped at the Statue of Liberty before getting to Ellis Island at 2 p.m.
The Ellis Island Immigration Center entrance led me into the Baggage Room, an evocative space that must have been filled with anxiety and hope for the millions who passed through it during the facility's operational years. At the west end of the room was the American Family Immigration History Center, which had the resources of the www.EllisIsland.org website on computers—visitors could look for ship manifests and ship passengers.
A particularly moving moment came when I stood and watched an excellent docent coax immigration information from a patron—and then the patron went to a computer for a 35-minute session to find and copy the ship manifest and ship's picture. Of course, the patron could buy a beautiful framed reproduction. I sensed the excitement, though. This is really ground-floor genealogy. I'll bet few of these patrons knew beforehand that they would have this opportunity.
I had limited time, so I went up to the second floor where most of th e exhibits are located. I no sooner entered than I was face-to-face with Annie Moore, the first recorded immigrant to Ellis Island. I had to get a picture of and with Annie, since I have strong feelings for her and had researched her story somewhat.
The rest of the exhibits were excellent—rooms showing the ships, the ocean passage experience, the inspection process at Ellis Island, and how the passengers left Ellis Island to meet family, sponsors, or return to the home country. I didn't have time to watch the theater shows—one was a 30-minute film "Island of Hope, Island of Fears" about the Ellis Island experience. I quickly toured the third floor too, but had to leave on the 3:20 p.m. boat in order to be back in Queens by 5 p.m.
Unfortunately, the long wait in line really curtailed my time at the Center. But it was a great hour of reading, learning, and seeing the Ellis Island experience firsthand.
This was my first time on the New York subway. I bought a one-day MetroPass for $7 and could have gone all over the system if I had time. Going back was during rush hour, and the cars filled and partially emptied several times.
Linda and I went to a restaurant down the block from the hotel for dinner. We celebrated my birthday with a big lemon meringue dessert that we shared.
Library Research as My Kind of Tourism
Saturday, October 25, demonstrated that for me, sightseeing isn't limited to traditional tourist attractions. I lucked out and dodged the rain that day to do some genealogy research at the New York Public Library. Linda didn't want to go out, so I braved the subway again and found my way to Grand Central Station and walked the three blocks to the NYPL at 5th Avenue and 42nd Street.
The imposing building, with its marble floors, tall square columns, numerous hallways, and distinctly "old world" feel, created an impressive setting for my scholarly pursuits. This was one of those buildings with lots of marble floors, tall square columns, many hallways, many rooms (each with a number), and a real "old world" feel to it. The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy is in Room 121 on the first floor.
The efficient system allowed me to look up items in the NYPL catalog on the computer, fill out a call slip, hand it in to the staff, and wait just two or three minutes for the item to be delivered at my table spot. The staff was very patient, friendly and helpful, and expert at what they do.
The computers had both the CATNYP library online catalog and access to electronic resources including Ancestry Library Edition, HeritageQuestOnline, Footnote.com, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, America's Historical Newspapers, Times of London, 19th Century Masterfile, New England Ancestors, New York County Histories Online, Origins Network and Burke's Peerage & Gentry Online.
The copying process was slightly cumbersome—I needed to buy a copy card. They cost 30 cents, but you have to put $1.00 from a bill on the card. I didn't have a $1 bill, so I had to go to the opposite corner of the building to get change (in a machine), then come back and load my card.
I imposed on one of my neighbor researchers to take a picture of me at my "place"—Table 3, Seat 24. In three hours, I got quite a bit done in resources that I might not find in a San Diego area library.
I had hoped to find the book Colonial Families of Long Island, New York and Connecticut by Herbert Furman Seversmith, published Washington DC, 1953. The NYPL had 6 volumes of it, and I checked out Volume 4, which contained information about my Lewis family. Unfortunately, it did not have information on the LaTourette family of Long Island. I copied the table of contents for all volumes and the Lewis information.
Next on my list was the LaTourette family—I copied pages from LaTourette Annals in America, by Lyman E. LaTourette, 1954. This small book seems to be the only one available for this family.
I checked Martin, Putman, Knapp, Seaver, Bresee, Scism and a bunch of other surnames and didn't see anything that I hadn't seen before. Then I remembered my Jeffrey Jones family of the 1600's in Huntington LI that went to Elizabethtown and Woodbridge NJ in the late 1600's. I found a book The Long Island Ancestry of William Jones, of Woodbridge, N.J. by Oliver D. Drake. An interesting book, but no mention of my Jeffrey. Drat. I hate it when that happens.
It was raining when I left the NYPL feeling good about my day. I ducked into the Bryant Park subway station right by the library and caught the 7 train to Queensboro Plaza, where I had to go outside and walk three blocks to the R train. I was back by 4:30 and we went to an early dinner at Pop Diner. They have a 16-ounce Angus Ribeye steak that is great!
Caribbean Islands: Sun, Sea, and Culture
The cruise portion of our journey brought Linda and me to four distinct Caribbean destinations, each offering unique character and attractions. We were at sea for five days out of New York City. There were genealogy-related events while at sea and in the evenings after dinner. Linda spent a lot of time in the sun and the pool on board the ship.
St. Kitts (Thursday, October 30) presented a vista of colorful buildings against mountainous terrain as our ship docked. We were up early because we had a hosted breakfast with Barbara Vines Little at 7 a.m. and an on-dock time of 8:20 a.m. for a tour to the St. Kitts Scenic Railway. There were eight of us at the breakfast in the Coral Dining Room but we had little time to talk about genealogy.
We went off on our three-hour tour on an 8 mile-per-hour rocking narrow gauge sugar cane train, traveling mainly past the back yards of St. Kittians, many of whom waved as the train passed, especially the school children. An onboard choir provided entertainment, adding a festive atmosphere to the scenic tour. The railway provided a unique perspective on the island—not the polished tourist areas, but the authentic residential neighborhoods where people lived their daily lives.
We were back to the dock by 12 noon, and Linda stayed in town to shop a bit while I came back to the boat for lunch. I ate lunch with Joanne from Oregon and Lorna from New Zealand, who are both TMG devotees. They extolled the virtues of TMG and I am truly convinced that it's a very powerful program that the user can bend to his or her will, but is it worth that effort? We shared research experiences and Linda joined us a bit later. She went to the pool and I explored the boat a bit more – walking the deck and exploring different rooms.
St. Kitts emerged as a genuinely poor island, but the warmth and friendliness of its people left a lasting impression on me. The narrow roads and left-side driving presented challenges for those of us accustomed to American traffic patterns, but these quirks added to the exotic appeal of the destination.
Antigua (Friday, October 31) proved slightly larger than St. Kitts and offered its own aquatic adventure. After breakfast, we went off on the Stingrays and Snorkel tour on the north side of the island, passing through the small town of St. Johns and into the countryside, arriving at a beach where we boarded small flat-bottom outboard motor boats.
The boats took us about a mile out to a fenced-in pen with a smooth bottom and sting rays swimming within the pen. We used snorkels to swim along with them. Some of the staff handled the rays and let everyone touch them. We took some underwater pictures. The experience of interacting with these gentle animals in their natural habitat created memories that transcended typical beach activities, though this was 3 hours for about 45 minutes in the water.
The drive to and from was pretty quiet—there was no tour guide, just a driver. I talked with several folks about genealogy on the way back.
Antigua shared St. Kitts' characteristics of narrow roads, left-side driving, friendly people, and economic challenges, but its larger size and the specific nature of the stingray encounter gave it a distinct identity in our overall cruise experience.
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands (Saturday, November 1) offered yet another aquatic adventure. The day started in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands) harbor with breakfast in the Horizon Court restaurant (usually scrambled eggs, bacon, English muffin or roll, banana, pear halves, and a Danish—hey, we had to get our money's worth! I need energy...).
Then we were off before 9 a.m. for our "Bumpy fast ride" on the top of the waves to Buck Island where we snorkeled in Turtle Cove (there were two turtles there—they spent most of their time on the bottom hiding from snorkelers) and Shipwreck Cove (where I didn't see the shipwreck, but others apparently did). Getting there was a lot of fun—two young ladies driving a 30-foot Zodiac boat (500 hp twin outboards)—we got a little wet crashing through the tops of the waves at 30 mph or so.
The water was fine, but it was rough in Shipwreck Cove. Linda had a hard time climbing back onboard the boat. We were back on the cruise ship by 12:30 p.m. and I went up to lunch (cheeseburger, fries, cookie) and ate with Lee and Gene. I was grungy and sunburned, so I went to the room and took a shower and put some coolant on my head and shoulders. Linda went to the pool.
St. Thomas presented a more developed character than the previous islands, with more extensive residential areas and superior road infrastructure. The right-side driving felt more familiar to us as Americans, and the greater number of day trip opportunities reflected the island's more established tourism industry. However, I noticed "slackers" around the tourist shopping areas, suggesting some of the social challenges that can accompany tourism development.
San Juan: Colonial Charm and Modern Complexity
Our final stop, San Juan, Puerto Rico (Sunday, November 2, arrival through Wednesday morning departure), offered a different experience entirely. As a cosmopolitan city, San Juan presented a more developed urban environment than the smaller Caribbean islands. The bilingual population reflected Puerto Rico's unique status, and the mix of road quality—ranging from poor to good—demonstrated varying levels of infrastructure investment across different areas.
The hotel accommodations in San Juan came with significantly higher price tags than we had anticipated, though the free bus system provided a n economical transportation option. Taxicab fares, at approximately $15 for a three-mile trip, fell into the moderately expensive category, consistent with many tourist destinations.
We visited the typical San Juan tourist sites, including the El Morro fort, the San Cristobal castle, and Old San Juan. San Juan represented the bridge between the laid-back Caribbean islands and our return to mainland American life, offering familiar comforts while maintaining distinct cultural character.
My Reflections on Sightseeing and Travel
Throughout our journey, several themes emerged that transcended specific destinations. The contrast between disabled accessibility in different venues proved notable—New York City tourist sites demonstrated excellent disabled-friendly design, while the subway system presented significant challenges. Linda had her walker, and we found that the cruise ship's accommodations struck a reasonable balance, with our cabin door just wide enough for the walker and staff willing to assist with meal planning to accommodate Linda's allergies.
The physical layout of cruise ship tourism created both advantages and limitations. While the ship provided comfortable accommodations and transported us between islands efficiently, I observed the logistics of moving 3,000 people through disembarkation, customs, and immigration processes, which revealed the industrial scale of modern cruise tourism.
The weather, ocean conditions, and my personal physical responses to travel all shaped our sightseeing experience. Our "rocky" cabin on the 14th deck's aft section created discomfort during rough seas. We're in the top aft portion, and the motion was disconcerting—some side-to-side and some up-and-down, though no pitching or rolling. The jittering of the boat made me nauseous in the morning, and I was sleepy in the afternoon during some of the conference sessions.
Cultural observations accumulated throughout my journey. The warmth and friendliness of Caribbean islanders, despite often difficult economic circumstances, created positive impressions. The narrow roads and left-side driving in former British colonies added adventure to our ground transportation, while the varying levels of economic development across islands provided me with perspective on historical and contemporary factors shaping Caribbean societies.
My observation was that very few researchers at the NYPL were working in the closed stack books, and hardly anyone was browsing in the open stacks. There were a few researchers in the microform room using the film and fiche machines. Perhaps 80% of those in the genealogy library area were on the Internet in the free-to-access databases.
This sightseeing journey successfully combined traditional tourism with my specialized genealogical interests, creating a multifaceted experience that satisfied both my desire to see famous landmarks and my need to access historical resources. From the Empire State Building's observation deck to Ellis Island's immigration exhibits, from underwater encounters with stingrays to railroad journeys through island backyards, the varied experiences created a rich tapestry of memories that transcended any single category of travel.
I can say that combining genealogy research with Caribbean tourism is that it created an unforgettable experience. Linda and I enjoyed the cruise immensely, even with the challenges of accessibility and my occasional seasickness. The opportunity to visit Ellis Island—a place so central to American genealogy—and then relax in Caribbean waters was the perfect combination of work and pleasure for this genealogy enthusiast.
It was really good to get home again and sleep in our own bed, even though we woke up at 3 a.m. with jet lag!
Note that the video used some of my photographs that were in the report and this blog post.
Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.
Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver
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