Genealogy Cruise Program Now Posted - Thu, 19 Jul 2012

The provisional program for the Unlock the Past Cruise (February 10 – 19, 2013) is now posted. It looks like a terrific program with about 150 sessions in the four lecture theatres in the Conference area of the ship. The conference area is reserved for our exclusive use on this cruise.

I’m personally scheduled to give 8 presentations:

• Evidence-conclusion modeling. What it is. How to do it. - You already know how important it is to record your sources, but it’s so tedious. Here are ways to streamline the process and make it work for you.
   
• Genealogy software: choosing & using - Are you using the right tools to help with your genealogy? The range of software is amazing. You’re bound to find a few for you in this quick rundown.
   
• Gensoftreviews: reviews and ratings of all the genealogy software - Did you know there are well over 600 computer programs available for genealogy? GenSoftReviews is the like TripAdvisor, but for genealogists. It uses user reviews to judge the quality of each program. Come learn how you can use GenSoftReviews to help you find and decide on new genealogy software to try.
   
• Jewish genealogy: what’s different and where to find it - If you are researching a Jewish connection in your family tree, here is everything that’s different about Jewish Genealogy that you’ll need to know, and the resources you’ll need to do it.
   
• Using life events and ages to solve genealogy problems - There’s a wealth of data in important event dates of your ancestors’ lives. The dates provide ages which not only allow consistency checking, but also help you solve problems.
   
• Warning! Data won’t transfer: GEDCOM transfers - Don’t lose the data you’ve spent hundreds of hours entering into your genealogy program. Learn about GEDCOM transfers, its limitations, and what you should do about it.
   
• Why Behold? - Are you ready for: Seeing all your data in one report; Instant organization; Multiple languages everywhere; Editing like in a word processor; Source-based data entry; Evidence/conclusion modeling; Virtual Merging. The template has been laid.
   
• Why genealogy is everyone’s solemn duty - We know you’re an avid genealogist, and you know genealogy is one of the best hobbies in the world. What you don’t know is why you and everyone else must do it. Here are two dozen aspects of genealogy that will inspire you. How many have you tried?

If you’re thinking of coming on this cruise, it leaves from and returns to Sydney, Australia, and visits New Caledonia and Fiji. It is Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas and was the largest cruise ship in the world when it was built in 1999.

Now is the time to book. One of the grades of cabins is already sold out. Once they’re all gone, it’s too late.

My wife and I will be staying in Sydney for a few days before and a few days after the cruise. We haven’t booked our hotels yet, but Jill Ball (Geniaus) has just posted helpful information for that.

If there are Behold users who are planning to go on the cruise, we’ll definitely get together. If you can’t do the cruise but live in or near Sydney, let me know and we can try to get together for lunch or supper while I’m there.