Queen of Cruises doesn’t let grass gather under her feet

By Darragh Doiron
The Port Arthur News

March 21, 2008 05:12 pm

— URSULA LEFKOWITZ
Queen of Cruises: She’s been on 47 cruises on Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland American Line and the Norwegian lines. The ships have names such as Song of Norway, Voyager of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.
Occupation: Retired from Irving’s Jewelry
Community connection: Member of North Port Arthur Rotary Club and other civic groups.
Fast fact: Lefkowitz is known for promoting Christmas tablecloths that support parties at Hughen Center.

Queen of Cruises doesn’t let grass gather under her feet

Rotarian Ursula Lefkowitz has some set of sea legs. Nicknamed Queen of Cruises, she’s just docked from her 47th cruise.
“You meet so many interesting people,” the Port Arthur woman said.
Nancy Currie accompanied Lefkowitz on a March cruise that hit the Yucatan Peninsula. Her description of on-the-go Lefkowitz included a land-based image.
“She has been always been a great mentor for me and I often said, when I grew up I wanted to be as active a senior citizen as she. No grass grows under her feet and she is always doing something,” Currie said.
In 1976 Lefkowitz and her husband, Irving, made their first “bon voyage.”
“Once you go on your first cruise, you just get the bug. We just loved it,” she said about the venture in to the Caribbean.
The next year they convinced half the neighborhood to go on another.
“There were five couples and one single,” Lefkowitz said.
She and Irving operated Irving’s Jewelry and enjoyed nine respites at sea. When he died, she kept up the tradition.
Of all the cruise activities and side trips that go with an at-sea vacation, Lefkowitz said she enjoys people meeting the most. She’s made lasting friends. But on her recent trip, she knew enough travelers to keep her agenda full.
“I didn’t meet anyone interesting this time because there were so many Port Arthur people there,” she said.
Because it was her 33rd trip with Royal Caribbean, Lefkowitz got an upgrade to larger quarters.
“That cabin has spoiled me for anything else,” she said.
Fifteen years ago in St. Thomas, Lefkowitz met a woman at a shop called Mr. Tablecloth and that meeting forged a Port Arthur community tradition. Each year she buys an embroidered Christmas tablecloth that a lucky Rotary Club ticket holder will take home. The project helps Hughen Center students who can’t go home for the holidays have a party. If she doesn’t actually cruise to the area, she gets a cloth delivered to her.
Nancy Currie said Lefkowitz turned gave her the cruise bug. She’s been on 11 or 12 cruises, but can’t catch up with her friend.
“She has been on more than I can count and even talked my husband into going with us. He immediately became addicted,” Currie said.
“I really became a close friend of Ursula's after Irving died in 1985. I was running the Jefferson City Shopping Center Merchants Association and Irving was president so he and I became good friends. When he passed, Ursula kind of adopted me as a surrogate daughter. They had a cruise planned for October, but he passed away in May, so Ursula invited me to go with her. Since it was already paid for, I packed my bag,” she said.
Currie also credits Lefkowitz with connecting her with Rotary.
“She was the first woman to join North Port Arthur Rotary and got me in with her. She has enjoyed Rotary as much as Irving did and has probably recruited more members since joining in 1989 than anyone before or since. She is definitely a Senior on the Go,” Currie said.
Cruise lines are famous for fabulous food, and Lefkowtiz said it can be a challenge to enjoy a lot without over indulging.
“You don’t have to eat and drink everything the first day. You don’t. There’s a tomorrow,” she said.
Wait, she has more advice.
Ursula’s Cruis Tips:
• The shows are usually good, but if you want, you can leave and “pay your respects” to the casino.
• Try a class, such as napkin folding or dancing. If you don’t want to participate, just watch.
• Sit by the pool, but keep in the shade. She sees passengers who get “nice and burned.”

Lefkowitz is promoting the North Port Arthur Rotary’s 33rd annual fish fry set for 4:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, March 28, at Memorial High School Cafeteria on Stadium Road. Ticket holders may dine in or take out. For tickets, call 982-1962 or get them from the Port Arthur YMCA and Energy Country Ford.
Contact this reporter at ddoiron@panews.com.