I wrote a few weblogs for Macworld during our journey to Alaska last week. Here they all are, in order based on our cruise's destinations:
- MacMania VI sails from Seattle
- Breezing to Juneau
- Cruising with Leopard
- Juneau, you know
- Going on a glacier safari
- A cool dive in a dry suit
- Ketchikan if you can
- Homeward bound
- Cruising for cameras
I had a lot of fun on the cruise, though I felt I didn't have as much to offer the attendees this time (as I couldn't discuss Leopard, which was the original plan). For anyone who might be contemplating one of these, I can say that they are quite a lot of fun, for two reasons. First, it's a great way to get some quality instruction in reasonably small class sizes. There's also a lot of out-of-class contact with the speakers, including dinner each evening. Second, the cruises themselves can be fun. I'd never been on a cruise ship before last fall's Caribbean excursion, so I'm quite new to the whole thing. I think cruises are a great way to see a number of places quickly and relatively inexpensively--which can help determine where you'd like to go back for a longer, more personal stay in the future.
For instance, my wife and I both loved our time in Belize last fall, and have added it to the list of places we'd like to visit for an extended stay. From the recent Alaska cruise, I really liked Sitka--so much so that I hope to return their this winter (yes, winter) for some dry suit scuba diving. Winter is their dive season because the water is much clearer and there's much less kelp to deal with.
For one price on a cruise, you get to see four or five locations, and all your food and lodging are included in the price. If we had tried to book a vacation that covered Tampa, Key West, Guatemala, Belize, and Costa Maya, by the time we covered airline tickets, ground transportation, hotel charges, and food costs, we would've greatly exceeded the cost of the cruise. Now, the time on the water itself isn't necessarily exciting--if you were on a normal cruise. But you're not; you're on a Geek Cruise, so those otherwise bingo-filled sea days are instead filled with Mac education and camaraderie with your fellow Mac heads.
And no, I'm not on the payroll nor do I get kickbacks for talking up the Geek Cruises :). I just think they're an innovative, fun, and interesting way to combine Mac education and a vacation in one shot. I'm not sure when I'll next get to go on one (we do try to rotate the "duty" among the entire staff), but whenever it is, I'm looking forward to it!