Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas sailed from the Port of Miami on February 25th with over 300 participants on KLENK-IEP’s fourth Caribbean cruise.
Rein Luning had an idea for a cruise where Estonians and friends of Estonia from the world over could gather, make new friends, and have informative and entertaining sessions, all while enjoying a Caribbean vacation. The first cruise, in 2015, was a roaring success, and Rein and Anne Luning have been at the helm of every cruise since then.
This year, for the first time, Estonians were in the majority with two-thirds of the participants visiting from Estonia while one-third of the KLENK group called Canada or the US home. Some of the passengers were meeting family for the first time. Aavo Kõiv, of Jupiter, Florida, who was on board with his sister Karin from New Jersey, met with their cousin, Aili Kõiv, from Tallinn. Aavo wrote, “I will always treasure the interesting time, especially over dinner, with three family members whom I hadn’t seen in seventeen years and the remaining six whom I met for the very first time: a total of three generations!” Aili commented “Our family enjoyed it as a special time to meet relatives who live far away. An extra bonus was a fantastic cruise and Estonian events. It was also interesting to talk with some Estonians who have lived in the United States for the past fifteen to twenty years.”
Ain Haas, who was a presenter and demonstrated historical Estonian musical instruments traveled with his extended family group of nineteen! The family traveled from Indiana, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina to be together. His niece designed a blue t-shirt emblazoned with a viking ship which read: “PEREKOND HAAS, ESTO CRUISE 2024”. Ain shared that they ate dinner together each evening at two long tables during which they would share tales of their adventures at each of the ports.
Many of the Märt Agu folk dancers and Veronika Portsmuth choir members, who performed an exclusive program created for the cruise, brought along their children and extended family as it was winter break for the Estonian schools. Not everyone was part of a large group but it didn’t seem to matter. There were always small “reunions” going on as friends found each other at the “Sala Kõrts,” the Estonian food chat by Lia Virkus and Katrin Veski, or the informative presentation by Valjo and Airi Tooming on Estonian security policy. When it was time to head home, everyone did so with memories of new connections made and friendships renewed.
Sue Kopperman
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