Re: MacMania 8
(From Pat Fauquet)
My husband and I will be going on MacMania 7. We are really looking forward to it!
I went on MacMania 5.5 in Feb 2006. The whole trip was a wonderful! First, it was both Mac and Photoshop, so the faculty list was filled with the people whose books I buy and whose classes I attend at Macworld and Photoshop world, except there are only about 30 of us in most classes! I really enjoyed not only the classes, but the opportunity to get to know the faculty. Of course, my fellow cruisers were also an interesting group. I learned so much during the cruise!
As for the ship, it was VERY nice. For that trip I was traveling with my sister and a very good friend. We shared one of the most expensive suites on the ship. It was huge and beautiful! This time, we will be in a "Better Outside Cabin" because Ron has always wanted private deck space. Must have been his 20 years in the navy with no portholes even! You won't be spending much time in your cabin, so think of it as the place to sleep and shower.
As for the food, it was very good. The supply was unlimited, the menus were interesting and varied. Desserts and pastries were outstanding!
As for shipboard entertainment, I am not much of a swimmer these days, and out days at sea were filled with classes I did not want to miss. That also kept me out of the casino, out of movies, and I only managed to attend a few of the nightly stage productions. Instead, I loved the after class gatherings and events and hanging out in the library with my fellow cruisers was also lots of fun.
Internet is EXPENSIVE. Be realistic about how much time you will spend online and buy your minutes ahead of time. The Internet is slow, but for me, very necessary. I will be plunking down $250 for 1000 minutes!
We are already saving money for MacMania 8. I have no idea if Ron will take classes next time, but I cannot imagine a cruise without classes these days. He can just sit and read or watch the waves. I have trouble just sitting through a movie, so the classes make at sea time lots of fun!
Pat
(From Philip Booth) I second
(From Philip Booth)
I second Pat's comments. I was on the Mac Mania V that was last November. The seminars that Neil Bauman produced were great. The Ship was very good, service was great and the food was great and available almost all the time.
The Mac Mainia cruisers eat together and Neal tries to move folks around so you are not dining with the same folks during the trip. The two excursions that I signed up for were also very good. Holland America Line tends toward the older passenger so the Ship's activity were not to my tastes, but since we were in the Mac Mania sessions that was not an issue. The members of my cruise also gathered in the Library since that was the intenet café. As has been reported, it is expensive and slow but if you need it it is usable. One morning Rob Grifiths and I shared a table in the library. He was updating the MacWorld blog from the ship and preping for a presentation. You don't have many chances of getting a private lesson in Apple Script with Sal Soghoian.
If you are concerned about being on a ship, just think of it as a hotel that moves. Investigate the port excursions or just take a cab into the center of the cities that you will visit. I have not regretted the expense.
You can read my cruise blog for more.