Craft Nectar

Amazing Cozumel Race

We arrived in Cozumel this morning to glorious sunshine and mariachi bands at the pier. After finding our hosts for the Amazing Cozumel Race, we were given all of the maps and information we needed to begin the race. All of the teams were asked to choose names and we chose Speedy Gonzales because it’s a long running family joke. All of the teams were piled into taxi vans and dropped off at an open-air shopping center. We had to count the differences in two pictures and add up a series of numbers to figure out the next destination on the map.

Throughout the rest of the race we were asked to decipher clues based on information we found in a museum, at a temporary tattoo stand (why yes, that is the Mayan number for 9 seemingly permanently etched on my ankle), a bracelet placed on Sophie’s arm, a clue placed inside an ear of corn and even snorkeling to find the name of a sunken ship among others.

The clues were fun and seeing the local part of Cozumel was wonderful. I told Bill that I thought every city should arranged such a “tour.” We did not win the race but had a lot of fun.

Art of the Navigator of the Seas

Before we boarded the ship I read something about Royal Caribbean having an art collection. Honestly I was envisioning one step up from dogs playing poker but in fact it has been an interesting part of our excursion.

The art, which is primarily in stairways and other public spaces on board, rotates. So as you’re heading to breakfast, you might notice that the painting that used to be on the landing of the stairs is now a large photograph. The changing of the art provides an interesting sense of exploration and it a nice discovery when you realize that it’s new. Not all of the art is to my taste but it’s nice to have lots of different art to view each day, especially as we are a family always prefers to take the stairs.

Last day at sea

Tomorrow is our last day and we are at sea. Bill and I will give the same lecture twice (once each to 2 different groups) followed by a trunk show. Students say that they’ve enjoyed the classes and the variety of projects. The Craftsy folks report that they hope to offer another cruise so stay tuned to see how you can enjoy the fun next time.

Jamaica

We arrived in Jamaica this morning. We ate breakfast in the Windjammer buffet Restaurant on the 11^th level of the ship. The restaurant features wrap-around windows so it was spectacular to watch the ship arrive at the port while we ate.  There were no classes today as many of the passengers went on excursions, including us.

We opted for a morning on tubing down the Martha Brae River and an afternoon of ziplining. The tubing was underwhelming as the river was too low for good tubing but the afternoon was fantastic. We spent 4 hours on 7 different ziplines through jungle areas and over rivers and fields. Although I don’t love heights, being tethered to something made me feel relaxed. It was crazy fun and checks something off of the list of things Sophie has always wanted to do.

The Jamaican people we met couldn’t have been more delightful and helpful. Of course everyone expects tips at every turn but their kindness extended beyond that. The conversation that will stick with me, however, came from a 23-yr-old Jamaican woman who said that her goal was to get a green card to go to the US so she could serve in the US Army. I don’t know any 23-yr-old women in the US who aspire to serve in the military, much less that of another country, so I found it very impressive.

Ice Dancin’

We returned to the ship in time for dinner. After dinner the Craftsy group went to the Ice Dancin’ show at Center Ice. Yes, this ship actually has a real ice rink on it. No photos were allowed but it was impressive given the size of the rink.

Towel Sculptures

The attendant for our staterooms is Angella, who clearly has been given expert training in towel folding. Each evening when we return to the staterooms we find her handiwork. She uses “found objects” from our rooms and clearly seems to have fun determining what to do with our towels. Three cheers for people who turn banal objects like towels into a cheerful moment in the day.

We left New Orleans yesterday on the Navigator of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship. As this is a unique experience I thought it would be fun to write a series of posts about the experience and to answer any questions you might have about it. Leave your questions in the comment area and I’ll do my best to respond.

Itinerary

We are at sea today and tomorrow and will dock in Jamaica on Tuesday. Classes are during the day and in the evening but are not held while we’re at port so everyone can go on excursions (more on that later).

The Sea

Yesterday cruising down the Mississippi was calm, but today there were 40 mph winds and white caps in the morning. Some people took a medicine for motion sickness but others were fine. Some parts of the ship felt calmer than other parts but the Janome guys, who have been on 3 cruises in the past 6 wks, say that today’s wave were not the roughest water they’ve experienced. The captain says that the waves will be calmer as we get closer to the Caribbean.

The Classes

Craftsy generously allowed me to bring my family so Bill and Sophie are also on board. Today was our first day of classes. On this cruise I’m teaching 2 sections of Improvisational Piecing and giving two lectures in the evenings with Bill after dinner.

In the class, I teach three different improvisational piecing techniques and the students learn how to make the Just Passing Through quilt from Modern Quilts Illustrated #4.

As the class is large, with 43 students, Bill helped out in the morning until everyone had mastered the techniques. Students range from never-made-a-quilt-before newbies to veteran quilters. Janome provides top-of-the-line machines in the classroom, which the students clearly appreciated.

No one in the class had ever done ANY improvisational piecing and even the traditional quilters told me it was “freeing” for them to do something so new and different. One student at dinner said what a treat it was to have an entire day sitting at a sewing machine followed by people making food for us.

Fellow Craftsy instructors Sue Bouchard, Pam Holland and Carol Ann Waugh are also teaching. The solids for my classes were provided to the students by Robert Kaufman so all the students need to bring are their small cutting mats, rotary cutters, rulers, and other sewing supplies.

Meals

The teachers eat and socialize with the students, particularly at dinner, which is a multi-course affair. Last night was casual attire but tonight was formal and it was fun to see everyone in their finest. Sophie was particularly excited to dress up but that excitement was secondary to the enthusiasm for the wide array of desserts at every meal. The staff has more amazingly accommodating of my very limited gluten-free, vegetarian diet and has made sure that my meals vary and are balanced. We ate breakfast and lunch at a buffet in one part of the ship and dinner in the formal dining room. There are various places to eat a faster meal, which is helpful given my teaching responsibilities.

Kids

There are 2,559 passengers on board, including a lot of families on Spring Break. Kids are divided up by age into 3-year increments. Kids 11 and under can be in activities all day with supervisions. At almost 12, Sophie is allowed to participate in the activities for 12-14 year-olds. Today she and 4 other girls went on a scavenger hunt on the ship. Last night she played games in the arcade with other kids. She’s excited about the rock climbing wall and dodgeball tomorrow.

Next up:

Staterooms, stuff to do on board (other than quilting) and answers to your questions.