Well, it’s a normal cruise, but with a lot of nerds.
In February, I will be headed to the Caribbean on a Holland America cruise ship with the rest of the people signing up for JoCo Cruise Crazy II. I wanted to go last year but I heard of its existence too late and missed out.
It’s a 7-day cruise, with an entertainment package including performances by Jonathan Coulton, John Hodgman, Wil Wheaton, MC Frontalot, and other fun and nerdy folks. I am so excited I can barely breathe! I’m especially looking forward to the Paul F. Tompkins Memorial Moustache Formal and Fezstravaganza. I will need to acquire a suitable moustache for the event. I’m thinking something I can twirl while evil glints in my eyes.
There’s a 24-hour board-and-table-top gaming room for people who want to be playing Scrabble, Magic: the Gathering, or Trivial Pursuit at all crazy hours of the night. A karaoke night. And apparently at last year’s event, the attendees started organizing all sorts of other fun events on their own, like a Fancy-Pants Parade in tribute to the song by good ol’ Jonathan Coulton. and I am very much looking forward to all the awesomeness.
Plus, it’s a cruise. So, you know, food and booze and sunny beaches!
Any other Dopers want in on this? If anyone’s coming, I officially challenge you to a midnight Balderdash game. With beer.
A nerd cruise? What a great idea! My husband and I started going to our local comics convention last year and we loved it - we had a strong sense of, “My people! I’m so glad I found you!” I think you’ll have a fantastic time.
I have been considering making a steampunk wheelchair, just not as elaborate as some of the ones I have found. I’m just looking for the proper power chair to use. I already have a line on an antique chair that would be perfect for the seat part. Once I have both parts, then I can have fun with the actual designing. Im thinking of using one of my semidefunct laptops in the ‘lapdesk’ part with a tiny screen off to one side. I’m thinking that virtual keyboard might work out… anybody worked with one? Does it work in normal light?
You know, my attitude is that if their parents are the kind of people who’d enjoy a nerd cruise, and the kids are the kind of kid who’d enjoy a nerd cruise, then they’re probably not going to have much problem catching up from a missed week of school..
I’m just saying, there are all kinds of things to learn in life, you can’t learn all of them in school, and they’re going to be in school most of their life, while they’re not going to be on a nerd cruise very much of their life.
Well, I won’t judge you from removing your kids from school for a nerd cruise…but I’m not removing mine.
Fortunately, there are plenty of things for them to learn outside of school that don’t happen when school is in session. Including plenty of nerd activities. They aren’t missing out of nerddom simply by missing this cruise. It isn’t an either or thing. I can make sure my kids go to school when they are supposed to AND expose them to all sorts of other things.
(ETA: Plus, my son has no interest in nerddom that doesn’t involve shooting people on an XBox. And, while he doesn’t struggle in school, he doesn’t easily excel either. So yeah, kids of nerd parents aren’t always nerds.)
