Cobh: The Changeover

Dear Readers,

We are happy to introduce Laurel Angrist, our librarian for the second half of Summer Sea Term 2014.  Apparently, the changeover happened without a hitch.  Her first correspondence to us is below (with photos).  This is her first cruise, so please be gentle with her!


------------------------

Hello to all friends and parents of those traveling aboard the T.S. Empire State VI! As the new (as in, fresh-off-the plane) librarian for cruise B, I look forward to getting to know all of your kids in the coming weeks aboard the b-split training cruise. So far they are a lovely bunch with great sense of humor!

Those of us traveling on the 45-day B-split cruise arrived on the 25th in Shannon, Ireland and were bused right over to port to meet the ship, which looms large against the quaint little houses of Cobh. The cadets seem to have settled in nicely, with not a hint of jet lag on any of their youthful faces. I’ve spotted many of them at liberty exploring some of the port’s small museums and cultural attractions, eating fish and chips, and - this won’t come as a huge surprise - indulging in a pint of Guinness (or five). 

One of the more educational outings in port today featured a visit to the National Maritime College of Ireland, where a group of cadets had the chance to tour the school, which afforded a chance to test out an insanely realistic-looking bridge simulator for navigating ships under a range of weather conditions. The “rolls” felt very real even to the officers, and the trip seems to have been fascinating on the whole. The campus, which is right across the bay from us, also boasts a wave-and-wind pool for lifeguards practicing rescue drills. 

Cobh is lovely town, despite its unlucky history as the final departure point for passengers traveling aboard the White Star Line’s RMS Titanic. One of the more popular museums in town so far has been the “Titanic Experience Cobh,” which takes visitors on a realistic trip aboard the confines of the ship as if they were actual passengers. My entrance ticket was for one Elizabeth Doyle, age 24, who unfortunately was lost at sea. Although I have yet to gain my sea legs aboard a ship being steered by youthful cadets almost half my age, I will try not to look at this experience with any particular feelings of foreboding.

The weather has been more or less predictable since we arrived; it rains in the mornings and late afternoon, but we’ve had a good amount of blue sky during the day. Tomorrow is our last day in port before training exercises commence and I begin to open our library for book loans and evening movie hours. Please tell your cadets to stop by and say hi (I’m also taking movie recommendations) and be on the lookout here for more exciting news about our progress!

-- Laurel