VOL. 2, NO. 10

OCTOBER 2026

It's October and as of the writing of this email, we are still sweltering. We're also still swarming with cruise ships and there's news about the bridge, so let's hit it.

Inbound Our Position

A schedule of events for September 2026 is overlaid on a photo of a ship docked at a harbor, listing recurring events, cruise ship visits, and various community activities.

FYIs:

Heads up for this month

- Freedom of the Seas Weekend: Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24. Chairman's reception will be Friday night on the Admiral's Veranda. The SNA breakfast will happen Saturday morning in the Wardroom and the full awards dinner will take place on the fantail Saturday evening.
- STEMebration falls on actual Halloween this year. Contact Sue and/or Mike N & Anna if you'd like to sign up to volunteer. There are PLENTY of opportunities!

Cruise ship schedule

- Usually we only highlight days on which we'll see two ships, as they're the most challenging to navigate, but we want to bring your attention to the note at the bottom: we still have twenty-four (24) ships headed our way this month. You will need your patience pants for parking.
- The info we have comes from the cruise terminal and is always subject to change.
- You can find the ship schedule here, but rumor has it that schedule is not always updated.

Ship's public events list

- - This list is current as of the date of the publication of this newsletter. As with the ship schedule, ours can change without warning. You can find the information on it in our Google calendar, which should be available on the spiffy new screen mounted on the starboard side of the volunteer lounge.

Vincent Thomas Bridge

We've been seeing nightly closures of the bridge from Sunday - Thursday for the last couple of months. In November, the bridge will close entirely for almost a year and a half.

The current expected closure is scheduled for November 7, 2026 to February 29, 2028. Plan accordingly when heading for IOWA.

More Information

Wardroom Round Up

The chiefs are back with news from a variety of angles. Here's what's up with IOWA's exec team.

CEO Jonathan Williams

Team,

We are starting to see things turn. Attendance is growing, our event business is growing, Life of a Sailor is coming to life, the ship is looking clean, we are seeing new volunteers, the entire team is engaged in guest service, and the Freedom of the Seas Pavilion is moving forward. We are starting to see wins, and we have a lot to look forward to.

As we move forward, I want to remind everyone what winning looks like. It is not just hitting an attendance number, meeting a budget, or completing a project. It is also how we work together every day and whether each of us is doing our part to move the organization forward.

Winning means communicating directly with each other, not around each other. It means not getting caught up in gossip, assumptions, or blame. It means using Salesforce and our systems so information is shared and available to the people who need it. It means following through on what we say we'll do and speaking up early when something isn't working.

It also means continuing to learn. We all need to develop new skills that help us better balance, prioritize, and organize ourselves, not only for our own benefit, but for the people around us who depend on us. It means being honest with ourselves and each other, and reaching out for help when we need it.

It means focusing on what matters most, organizing ourselves around those priorities, and letting the things that do not move us forward fall by the wayside. It means taking action instead of allowing things to sit.

This is why we developed our Playbook and what it stands for. It is not just a set of policies or procedures. It is how we agreed to work together, make decisions, communicate, take responsibility, and move the organization forward.

We also need everyone helping us grow the business and raise awareness. Engage with the community. Talk about what we are doing. Look for opportunities to bring people here, support our programs, attend our events, donate, volunteer, or become involved.

We need your help promoting what is happening here. You are on deck every day and see things that the marketing team may never see. Take pictures and videos. Share stories. Post them on social media and tag us. Some of the best stories about this ship and this organization are happening right in front of us every day, and we need everyone to help tell them.

Winning also means being willing to embrace new experiences and new ways of doing things. Things are changing because they need to change. That does not mean everything we did in the past was wrong. It means we need to keep learning, adjusting, and improving.

I want people operating with personal accountability. I don't want every decision coming to me, and I don't want to manage everyone's work. We created the Playbook, spending authority, and clear responsibilities because I want people to make decisions, own their work, and solve problems at the right level.

But empowerment and accountability go together. If something isn't being addressed, commitments are repeatedly missed, or a problem is hurting the organization, I will step in when I need to. I am not afraid to hold people accountable, and none of us should be. That is not about blame. It is about doing what we said we would do and not leaving the problem for somebody else.

We have been through a difficult couple of years. Attendance declined, revenue declined, we tightened spending, reduced hours, made staffing changes, and changed the way we operate. But we are starting to see things move in a better direction, and that should give us confidence.

Now we need everyone to lean in and own where we go next. No one person or one department is going to do this alone. We have to work together, support each other, communicate better, and solve problems instead of adding to them.

Your pride in this ship should show in how you care for it, how you represent it, how you support each other, and how willing you are to be part of the solution.

Culture is not something I can create by myself. We all create it every day by how we communicate, how we treat each other, what we tolerate, whether we follow through, and whether we choose to help solve a problem.

That is what winning looks like to me.

Thank you for being a part of the next evolution as one ship, one crew.

Jonathan

CIO David Canfield

I am returning to the office after being away for a week, spending time with my daughter who was home on leave. Many of you know she was stationed on the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), she has been transferred to the "Blue Team", a cyber defense command in Norfolk. I am super proud of her and also super excited that she will now be able to more effectively volunteer (remotely) and assist us with our own cybersecurity.

This week I want to send a special shout out to @Alison Spack. Alison produced and installed blue rack curtains in the "Life of a Sailor" berthing on the 3rd deck. These curtains look fantastic. It is especially meaningful to me as that particular berthing (A-Gang) was where I lived while serving aboard the Battleship in the 1980s. Most people do not know that A-Gang was the only berthing on the ship that still had rack curtains when we moved the ship to Los Angeles in 2012 -- those original curtains were moved to the main deck port side (where the video bow plays explaining berthing) Thank you Alison for your tireless work to improve the guest experience aboard the battleship, and for sprucing up my old home! Bravo Zulu! Well Done!

I also want to give a very belated shout out to Niel Stoddard -- I was dealing with many things leading up to the crew dinner and awards, which is by way of explanation and not excuse -- I did not engage the way I should have for my departments, and unfortunately I missed the opportunity to give Niel the public recognition he deserves for his exceptional 3D printing work, especially in the Sim Plot experience. Neil's efforts brought a level of realism to the space and the interaction which could not have been accomplished without him, and I am both professionally and personally grateful.

Moving on, I want to thank the entire crew for embracing the new systems we are bringing online, from the crew portal to the "Life of a Sailor" reveal and the increased use of Salesforce, Redmine, Backoffice, and other internal systems. Your adoption of these systems streamlines our processes, increases efficiency (even though it might not seem like it at times), and improves the guest experience. Thank you for taking part.

Short note this week as I am burning up on re-entry and plowing through mountains of email. Thank you all for being part of this amazing crew -- and thank you for letting me be part of it as well

All the best

David

CFO Ross O'Brien

Welcome to another NFL season and the end of summer. Fall (or autumn, if you prefer) arrived Tuesday, September 22nd, at 5:04 PM. Honestly, I’m not disappointed to put this past summer behind us.

Of course, the end of summer also heralds the beginning of “insurance renewal season”. Okay, that’s clearly made up. Nonetheless, we’re currently renewing several policies, including liquor, molestation, D&O, and some generic liability policies. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to be calling on Gerald Webb for assistance reviewing the applications. Shhhh, don’t tell him.

Someone I can mention by name is Bob Abelson, who is researching various programs for non-profits to issue bonds. (Yes, the same Bob Abelson who I heckled from the stage of the Crew Dinner.) Thank you, Bob!

Gerald and Bob are “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to illustrating the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience contained within our Volunteer Crew. I’ve stopped being surprised to find out people’s “back story”.

If you have a hidden accounting or finance talent and are willing to share it with Nui and me, please let us know.

Many Thanks,

Ross

CHENG Mike Getscher

From the desk of the Chief Engineer

Another riveting, but very brief note from the world of engineering and capital projects.

(I took a rare weekend off following the annual HNSA Symposium we completed two weeks ago.)

Pavilion news: after several weeks of meetings and emails, we may have arrived at a reasonable solution for the “slope stability” problem on the construction site. The short version is this…the dirt on the site is known as “unsubstantiated fill,” essentially non-uniform and unscreened, and known as a poor choice for structural load bearing. It is simply a pile of dirt which was somewhat compacted.

This type of fill soil is incredibly common, but being that we’re next to the water, the possibility of this pile of dirt sliding out from under the building is very much on the minds of the consulting engineers. Typical engineering choices to solve this would normally include much larger piles, a wall system and “tiebacks” into the soil further inland. But we have a few other options such as soil replacement or less invasive structural elements, and it is this we are working through in the coming week. Fingers crossed, as this is critical with respect to money and timing.

In other good news…the grading permit is now ready for pickup, and the fire hydrant relocating effort is also approved.

The Engineering team continues work on normal fare to include cofferdam, painting etc. But they’ve also been testing and repairing “float alarms” in the deep spaces aboard the ship. These are float switches down in shaft alleys, each engine room, boiler rooms and all deep spaces on the ship. Hence the various minor alarms that you may have heard this week. If we’re sinking, we want to know…

Another annual HNSA Symposium is in the books…and it was a good one! Our new friends at LST-325 are wonderful to work with, and the City of Evansville Indiana is beautiful. With visits to the Evansville Wartime Museum, an incredible dinner at the Gerst Haus restaurant, more than two days of presentations, and a concluding Awards Banquet overlooking the Ohio River, a good time was had by all. Capping off the week was a river excursion aboard the LST, a D-day veteran. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Picture attached.

Now we’re off to Halifax, Nova Scotia and the HMCS Sackville for the 2027 Symposium!

Again, we’re busy so we’ll sign off here…

As always, I am grateful to be here,

Mike

EDITOR'S NOTE: Mike really appreciates feedback on these posts. If you have any questions for him or you'd like to share anything with him, please drop him an email.

In the J.O. Jungle

You've seen them rushing off to meetings, staring slack-jawed at computer screens, and wearing the OOD lanyard from dawn till dusk. They are your managers and directors, and in case you've wondered what they do all day, we sat them down and forced them to share.

September 2026 Highlight Reel

What's the latest on IOWA?

Moser and the engineering team are still loving their Wednesday maintenance days and getting a TON done. Chief says:

- Now that the barge work is largely complete, the flight deck has become our main focus. Our goal is to complete the resurfacing before the Freedom of the Seas gala on October 24th.

- Power reductions are mostly complete. We will continue to look for areas to reduce power consumption as we anxiously await our next power bill.

Kyle Aube and the development department said farewell to Community Engagement Coordinator Glenys Rich, who has moved on to other endeavors. Her contributions will be greatly missed.

What They're Planning For October 2026

Moser and the engineering department can't stop till they get enough... and maybe not even then:

- The hull preservation and cofferdam work is an ongoing occurrence and will never stop. We have attached the cofferdam to a new section of the hull and will continue plucking away.

- Continue prepping and painting areas of the superstructure as weather and volunteer dedication allow.

Here's what Kyle Aube and development have in their sights for October:

- Freedom of the Seas Weekend 10/23-24

- STEMebration on 10/31 - please contribute dollars or supplies if you can!

Comms recruited a few friends and had some fun with the next episode of Authorized Personnel Only. It'll be out mid-month. In the meantime, if some truly debilitating set of circumstances deprived you of the chance to see the last one, check it out here. We take you along as we free stuck up and over flags from the aft stack. If you're afraid of heights, this episode may not be for you.

A hello from Nui and the accounting world:

Our annual Form 990 tax filing has been completed. This is another major annual requirement behind us, following the completion of our annual audit earlier this year.

As we move into the final months of the year, I will pay more attention toward year-end preparation while continuing our regular responsibilities and ongoing improvement projects. Accounting & Finance will continue to review our accounting processes, policies, and chart of accounts with the goal of making our work more efficient and our financial reporting more useful.

It is hard to believe we are already in October and heading into the last quarter of the year. We have a couple quarterly filings coming up. We usually start working on an annual budget in October as well. This probably will be another busy month for us.

On a personal note, I have a vacation coming up in November that I’m really looking forward to. Sometimes having something on the calendar to look forward to gives us that little extra push to get through the busy days. Whether it’s a vacation, a weekend away, time with family and friends, or just a quiet day at home, I think it’s important for all of us to have something outside of work that we can look forward to.

I hope the weather this month is a little cooler and more enjoyable for all of us.

To wrap up this section, Sue Schmidt ladies and gentlemen:

October will be winding up with 2 major events:

- Our Freedom of the Seas Gala on Saturday, October 24*

- The Halloween STEMebration on Saturday night, October 31**

* We could use a few hands to assist with set up and decor for the Gala starting at noon on the 24th.

** Our annual STEMebration is active, wild, and fun! We need roughly 40 people to pull it off, so please join us. Costumes are encouraged, but we'll take you however you are most comfortable. We are also soliciting candy donations. The candy bin is located in the Volunteer Center.

Reach out to Sue. Thanks!

Saved Rounds

**YOU** Tube

Calling all crew. When you're out and about aboard the ship, stop and snap a pic or shoot a quick video of the unique and/or unusual things you see - be it something that catches your eye, a guest enjoying the experience, or a shipmate grinning at you.

The public is fascinated by insider content. Let's give it to them.

And when you capture this fun stuff, we've got a few options for you:

Post it to your socials and tag or collaborate with the ship
Drop it into this folder and let the comms team know so they can share
Email the team via the button below (socials@labattleship.com) and they'll get it out

(All content will be credited to its maker.)

The more buzz we can create around what we're doing, the more we'll attract visitors. We like visitors. They're the reason we exist!

Who Needs A Vacation?

Marathon Petroleum, one of our most venerable sponsors, has donated a 7-night stay in MEXICO to us! We have an auction site live, so jump in and start bidding on your well-earned vacation. All proceeds from the auction directly support the ship and our operations.

Modern building with a sign reading Harbor Commissioners VOTE, featuring glass windows, a large anchor sculpture, and people walking outside under a blue sky.

JUMP INTO THE BIDDING

Tentative Schedule for the Holiday Season

Marathon Petroleum, one of our most venerable sponsors, is auctioning off a 7-night stay in MEXICO! Proceeds from the auction are coming the ship's way, so jump in and bid.

Caught Doing Something Right

- Ron Duval: Rocking the customer service action from security. Go hang out with him and learn how it's done because he makes everyone feel beyond welcome!

Over And Out

If you got this far, you are awesome and you know what's next. Click the button below for something fun (then let the marketing team know what you thought) and thanks for reading!

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