Plast Malanka at sea attracts 145 participants to Caribbean cruise (02/22/04)

Plast Malanka at sea attracts 145 participants to Caribbean cruise

by Christine E. Kozak

ABOARD THE TRIUMPH IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN - On Tuesday, January 13, 145 revelers brought in the Ukrainian New Year in quite a unique fashion: aboard the Carnival cruise ship Triumph.

A very special Plast Malanka (Ukrainian New Year's Eve dance) was held in the ship's elegant Club Rio, complete with an orchestra and special performances by Erko Palydowycz, Jurij Popel and Jurij Hrabec.

Organized by Zenia Brozyna, owner of Zenia's Travel Club, and sponsored by Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization USA, long-time Plast members, their families and friends sailed deep into the warmth of the western Caribbean. The seven-day cruise made stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman; and Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

While all passengers enjoyed the usual array of port-of-call excursions, Zenia's Travel Club also offered an optional excursion just for the Ukrainian group. By ferry, the group made its way from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen in Cancun. Boarding two air-conditioned buses, excursion participants sped along the scenic coast to Tulum, one of the most significant archaeological finds on the Yucatan Peninsula. After a private guided tour of the Mayan ruins, the group enjoyed a refreshing swim in Mexico's turquoise waters of Xel-Ha, a natural lagoon water park.

The next stop was the beautiful island of Grand Cayman, where the group snorkeled above the coral reefs, swam with stingrays, toured the island and shopped in the many beautiful shops lining the streets of Georgetown. The last port of call was Ocho Rios in Jamaica, which gave travelers the opportunity to go river rafting, kayaking, climbing Dunn's Falls, swimming with the dolphins and shopping, the favorite pastime for many.

Back on the ship one could hear Ukrainian songs and laughter mingling with that of other ethnic groups. The Ukrainian travelers were surprised to learn that they were not the only Ukrainians on board. The Triumph employs a staff of over 1,100 people, 90 of whom were young Ukrainians from various parts of Ukraine. Many of these employees happily engaged in conversation with fellow Ukrainians, noting that this made them feel a little less homesick. They were also happy to see how proudly the group displayed the Ukrainian heritage when on one given night all of the group members dressed in colorful Ukrainian embroidered shirts for all to admire.

Aside from all of the tourist attractions and cruise activities, such as the dining, the jazz clubs, the casino and the Las Vegas-style entertainment, the most unique aspect of this cruise was the camaraderie - the fact that tour group members were among friends. This was a large group of Ukrainians enjoying each other's company, a family if you will, forming new friendships or getting reacquainted with the not so new. At times one felt the entire ship was filled with Ukrainians, and it was a good feeling.

The Plast group aboard the Triumph ranged in age from 8 months to 85 years young. This Plast-sponsored cruise attracted members from the New York area, Passaic, N.J, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, N.Y., Phoenix, Ariz., Philadelphia and North Port, Fla., and all agreed this is one trip they will always cherish while awaiting the announcement of the next group cruise that Zenia's Travel Club organizes to some other distant sea.

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