HAPPY ANCESTORS’ EVE!

April 22, 2026

Hey, cruisers!

I know a lot of us have been spending some time (okay, maybe it’s been a lot of time) celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek since we kicked off the year-long party aboard Star Trek: The Cruise IX. Now that the calendar’s well underway, we’re approaching April 22, which happens to coincide with one of my favorite Star Trek holidays: Ancestors’ Eve. Sure, it’s something Neelix made up on Star Trek: Voyager, but because it’s about honoring the legacy of those who came before—and are important to—you and your family, and not necessarily the marquee names that everyone knows about, it’s always had a special place in my heart.

In the case of Star Trek, a few names come to mind.

Of course, we must start with the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry. While his name is of course well known to us, non-Trek people (including the patient and well-meaning partners who accompany many of you on the cruise every year) may not immediately understand or appreciate Gene’s influence on us—and the world!

Then there are Bjo and John Trimble, the fans who launched a worldwide letter-writing campaign to save the show from cancellation after its second season. Sure, NBC only gave it one more season, but that third season allowed the franchise to amass enough episodes to enter syndication. That meant millions more viewers could watch reruns, giving the franchise the clout to expand into movies and spin-offs. We’re only able to sail together because they united fans first.

I think about Lucille Ball, whose studio, Desilu, took the financial risk on Star Trek when no one else would. Without her business savvy and belief in the “Wagon Train to the Stars,” the galaxy would be a much quieter, laugh-free place.

I also think about the trailblazers like Nichelle Nichols, whose impact wasn’t just on the screen, but in the real-world halls of NASA, and our returning Star Trek: The Cruise captain, George Takei, whose tireless advocacy and bravery in telling his story continues to inspire. They paved the way to make a Star Trek future celebrating Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations is possible if we want it to be.

Ancestors’ Day is also about the architects of the world we inhabit. There’s Matt Jefferies, the designer and aviator who didn’t just draw a spaceship called Enterprise; he created a character. Then there’s Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana, the writer who penned the TOS episode “Journey to Babel,” which introduced us to Sarek and Amanda and gave us the blueprint for Vulcan family dynamics. She also gave us the TAS episode “Yesteryear,” taking us back to Spock’s childhood. To my mind (meld), she effectively built the Vulcan heart, and the heart of Star Trek.

Finally, there are our Ancestors of the Living Room—those parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings and cousins who sat us down and said, “You have to see this.” They are the ones who passed down the battered paperbacks, the VHS tapes, and the sense of wonder that led us all here.

As we look toward our massive 10th Anniversary sailing in 2027, it’s the perfect time to reflect on whose shoulders we’re standing on. Which Star Trek “ancestor” are you celebrating this year?