Howard Payne University’s Alumni Association hosted a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s “Liberty of the Seas” recently for alumni and friends of HPU. The cruise took guests from Galveston to Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. Guests were offered a special rate to book with the HPU group.

Traveling with the group was Dr. Denny Megarity, assistant professor of chemistry, and his wife, Dianna.

“It was a great experience,” said Dianna Megarity. “Denny and I have been on several group cruises and this was one of the best.”

The cruise included a variety of entertainment such as comedy, magic shows, ice-skating performances and a Las-Vegas-style show.

“We enjoyed watching certain members of our group become a part of the evening’s entertainment,” said Randy Yeakley ’83, vice president for development at HPU. “We were blessed by the devotionals Dr. Dan Crawford ’64 brought on our days at sea and enjoyed coming together for dinner to catch up with each other on each day’s events and excursions. I would definitely do this again.”

Margaret Routt Howell ’76 and her husband, Tom, also joined the group.

“The cruise was so much better than I ever expected it to be,” said Margaret Howell. “It was fun getting to meet other alumni and share stories of HPU. It was a pleasure to meet the current HPU president, Dr. Bill Ellis, and I enjoyed getting updates on many of the professors I had while attending the university.”

The HPU Alumni Association is planning another group cruise for the summer of 2018.

“While the specific date has not yet been determined, the tentative plan is to offer HPU alumni and friends a trip to Alaska’s Inside Passage,” said Yeakley. “The size of the group that went to the Caribbean was perfect given it was our first cruise together. However, with the advanced notice and Alaskan destination, our hope is that even more in the HPU family will be able to go.”

For more information or to offer thoughts regarding the Alaskan Cruise, contact HPU’s Alumni Association at 325-649-8048 or visit www.hputx.edu/alumni.

Pictured above are participants from the recent Howard Payne University group cruise to the Caribbean.