Transatlantic travel - your thoughts please

[rootsfinder]

Hello -

I would love to sail across the Atlantic and experience a bit of what my ancestors went through when they immigrated to America. Anyone else feel this way about their immigrant/emigrant ancestors? This is just a little survey to satisfy my curiosity.

1. Would you like to cruise between UK and one of the colonies to follow in the footsteps of your immigrant ancestors? (perhaps I should be asking on a North American-based board!)

2. Have you considered luxury cruise and decided it was too expensive?

3. Would you like to experience life onboard in steerage -- even just for 15 minutes?

Thanks! If I had the money I'd launch my own no-frills transatlantic cruise line :-D

Modified to add:
I had lots of ancestors to immigrated
Yorkshire to New York in 1842 via Hull and 1856 via
Sweden to New York in 1901 via Hull and Southampton
Germany (via Le Havre) to New York
Ukraine to Canada

... and none of them stayed in the port cities (as far as I know) - it was the Midwest they were after (apart from the Ukrainians who settled on the Saskatchewan prairie)

The oral history of the 1842 journey is they traveled by boat via the Great Lakes to Chicago. Mom, dad and 6 small children. What a journey!

[AnneMc]

Hello Rootsfinder:

I travelled the Atlantic long before I decided to do family research.  I came from England with my parents by ship to Canada.  We travelled on the Empress of Britian.. It was the last crossing she made as she had been sold to a Greek shipping company if I remember right.

I was only 9 years old when we came across but I remember it well.. I really enjoyed the crossing and thankfully I was not sea sick all though my mum was but mum gets air and car sick anyway so we were not surprised at that.

It was much better sailing than that of early ancestors travelling to the new world. 

It only took us a week to travel from Liverpool to Montreal, Quebec not like weeks the ancestors took... Don't think I would have liked to have travelled on the early ships.

Hope to go on  a cruise on day.

Cheers
Anne

[sallysmum]

Hi Rootsfinder
There are a couple of rellies who travelled whom I would like to emulate.  Firstly Great Aunt Maud who emigrated to the states in 1905.  She followed her husband who was already out there, with a toddler in tow.  I guess she would have travelled steerage and I wonder how she got on.  It must have been tough keeping her daughter amused and safe.

Secondly great grandmother grew up in a Welsh fishing village. She married a soldier and travelled all over but particularly, she travelled to Natal, South Africa.  She had at this point 3 children in tow and went onto have another one out there.  I would love to know how she coped - did she find the whole prospect of travel exciting, daunting or a down right fag.  Indeed she did enough of it on the little info I have so far, maybe it was was a challenge from the life she knew and grew up with, she would have been with other service wives so within her sphere it was the norm.

Like with all my rellies, I try to experience what life was like for them - from going down lead mines to sailing as they did so I would like an insight as to how they travelled be it steerage or other.

In answer to Q2, no I have never considered a luxury cruise.  I love the sea too much and want to experience its moods - something one cannot do on board a luxury liner -  you need a much smaller craft!
Sallysmum

[goggy]

Having done some of what you ask abouy,here's a few comment's.
I was a Merchant Seaman,started at age 16 on my local river,the Mersey,as 'shovel engineer',Stoker,Engine  Handler,Deck hand,and best tea brewer on Sand Dredger's.Was in receipt of Seaman's Ration's,twice as much as my Mother got for a family of eight.
Had previously had training to enter R,N,also worked on small boat's,oar's+sail variety.Worked in the Rope making industry,Wire+Fibre,so wasn't TOO thick!
As a seaman used 2 gallon bucket for ablution's,with Butcher's soda(?)soap and  'dish cloth' towel.All signed for!
Travelled to Jamaica (memorably)on a WW1 ship converted to oil firing from coal,in the cabin next to the steering gear,not much sleep!
On the way home,3 hurricane/tornado's,overheated engines needed ice water soaked rag's as coolant to every bearing,fire's under deck plates added a bit of spice now+then.
Have taken Training Cruise in a sailing ship for my big 50,not quite as bad as earlier traveller's or seamen,but very similar in hour's of work(ALL!)feeling's of absolute delight in being at something Ienjoyed.
While you have the fitness and wherewithal,do it !There are historic ship's and place's around the World to visit,walk around,and get the smell of,that may do you as well.
Oh,you did strike a nerve!!
               Goggy.

[sallysmum]

As a seaman used 2 gallon bucket for ablution's,with Butcher's soda(?)soap and  'dish cloth' towel.All signed for!
Travelled to Jamaica (memorably)on a WW1 ship converted to oil firing from coal,in the cabin next to the steering gear,not much sleep!
On the way home,3 hurricane/tornado's,overheated engines needed ice water soaked rag's as coolant to every bearing,fire's under deck plates added a bit of spice now+then.

Second thoughts, a luxury liner with ensuite and 5 course meals is quite enticing....
Sallysmum

[rootsfinder]

Checking in on this thread -- thanks for all the input

[Berlin-Bob]

I would love to sail across the Atlantic and experience a bit of what my ancestors went through when they immigrated to America.

There was a program on german television last year, about this.

They tried to emulate the experiences of emigrating to America in the 19th. century.

Apart from a few modern navigation and communication devices for emergencies, everything had to be "as was"

I kept an article from the Stern magazine about this. If anybody is interested, I'll send them a copy (in german) or, if there is enough interest, I'll try and summarize it here.

Bob

[Nick Carver]

My g grandfather was a sail maker on a ship that sailed from Hull to San Francisco regularly. Apparently it was not uncommon when rounding Cape Horn for the boat to be blown back further in the direction they had come than to make forwards progress. Not sure if I would like to repeat that exercise. I am a keen sea kayaker and have seen film of canoeists off Tierra del Fuego and to be frank, it scared me witless at the wave conditions they endured. A boat would be marginally better, but an engine would be essential!

[yn9man]

I have at least 6 g grandfathers who were sea captains. Other relatives also spent time in / on the water. My father also went to sea at any early age.

When growing up and listening to my g grandfather's sea stories I always thought I would like to experience what he did. I have several pages of his journal / diary of his first trip at  sea.

After reading I didn't believe, think or feel I had the fortitude to undergo what he did.

And besides I have found I get terribly seasick. 

yn9man