Crossing the Date Line

[mr green]

Apart from getting a day older, or younger, is there any Official Ceremony when sailing over the Date Line? If there is, what happens? :confused: john

[PurpleCow]

I don't know about a ceremony when sailing past the Internationl Date line, but in 2001 Bill and I lost our wedding anniversary when we flew to Austrailia. We left on the 13th and arrived on the 15th. Our anniversary is the 14th. So while we've been married for 22 years, we've had only 21 anniversaries!

[joeinsb]

I had a neighboor who was a musician aboard a cruise ship in maybe the 40s, who showed me photos of the initiation rites that went with crossing the date line. There was King Neptune, and a bunch of newbies dressed stupidly and doing outrageous things (I guess it was kinda like hazing).

 

I doubt if you could get away with that today.

 

And just in case one of you curious CC-ers is wondering what ship it was and when, forget it. The story was related to me about 50 years ago and I don't have a clue. But I did see the pictures...

[melika091900]

I don't know about a ceremony when sailing past the Internationl Date line, but in 2001 Bill and I lost our wedding anniversary when we flew to Austrailia. We left on the 13th and arrived on the 15th. Our anniversary is the 14th. So while we've been married for 22 years, we've had only 21 anniversaries!

 

LMAo

thats funny...

 

congratulations on 22years ,, were going on 6 1/2

[RevSmith]

Yes, Poseidon or Neptune sometimes pay a visit to the pool area and there is a price to pay...but it is announced and always fun.

[Capt_BJ]

One who crosses the date line by sea may be invited to join the Domain of the Golden Dragon

 

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;jsessionid=t9gmqq63060b?method=4&cid=1911342676&gwp=8&curtab=2045_1&sbid=lc08a&linktext=Line%20Crossing%20Ceremony

 

and a certificate can be issued

 

http://www.usni.org/webstore/shopexd.asp?id=17314

 

these ceremonies are still permittedd on Naval and Coast Guard vessels .... at the Commanding Officer's discretion

[Big Al B.]

I'm not positive, but I believe the King Neptune things were for those crossing the equator.

[BND]

I'm not positive, but I believe the King Neptune things were for those crossing the equator.

 

I think you're correct. My DH is a navy reservist and spent time on active duty and I remember him talking about this. The date line gets you nothing as far as I know except for gaining/losing a day depending on which way you're going.

[kitty9]

You're confusing crossing the International Dateline with an Equator crossing. I've done three equator crossings and for each one, the captain dressed up as King Neptune and found 10 volunteers who agreed to go throught the ceremony at the pool. It was fun, plus we all got certificates that we were established seamen.

 

Crossing the dateline on a cruise is really a pain. You have to make up all that time, so you have to change your clocks three times in one day. It really messes up your body's internal clocks.