As some of you may remember , I spend a calendar week last fall on MacMania atomic number 23 , aGeek Cruisethrough the western Caribbean . This metre , I ’m write to you fromMacMania VI , head north to Alaska from Seattle . Joining me this time , as before , is my married woman Marian . But this clip , we also choose to bring our eldest baby , Kylie ( who wrick four in a calendar month ) . I also managed to talk my mother and her husband into joining us , so that we ’d have passel of help watching Kylie — and so that they might get a morsel of Mac education out of it as well !
As we live on but a few hours in the south in Portland , drive to the sail was much simple-minded than flying across the country to Florida — we just pile everyone ( and a magnanimous assemblage of baggage ) into the kinsfolk hauler around 9:30 a.m. Saturday , and headed magnetic north on I-5 to Seattle . Arrival and boarding were very smooth . We were capable to park directly next to the terminal , and from there , it only adopt about 20 minutes to get the necessary paperwork out of the way and get on the ship .
We spend the next few hour explore our home for the calendar week , theMS Oosterdam . This is a large vessel ; prominent than theVeendhamthat we used for the westerly Caribbean cruise . Thankfully , our stateroom is located almost direct in the midriff of the ship — though that just means that everything is evenly far away , and pretty much nothing is skinny .
In the video player on the rightfulness is a brief movie I shot of the view as you ride up — dismal for the modest size , but “ tight upload speed ” patently is n’t something that ’s been request by all that many sail participants !
The Seattle embrasure area is quite interfering , consisting of a diverse mix of traditional dock activities , New luxury cruise ship , smaller delight craftiness , and numerous ferry . The scale of some of the dock equipment , such as these cranes used to drop off container ships is staggering . The photograph in today ’s record album does n’t really convey the sheer enormity of these Hart Crane , though the sailboat in the foreground helps ( look at the sizing of the multitude on deck ) .
After getting a feel for the layout of the ship , it was time for the least enjoyable facet of any cruise ( for me , anyway ): the emergency drill . Nothing pound standing around on a crowded deck for 30 minutes or so while the ship ’s crew calls out cabin number . ( Yes , I know this is of swell importance , but that does n’t vary the fact that it ’s not of necessity pleasant . )
After lead care of the exigency drill , it was fourth dimension to get down our journey north . For the 2d time in as many cruises , I was amazed at how silently such a large vessel can get under fashion — I take care out our window at one full point , and was surprised to see that the dock was now 100 yards away . There had been no detectable motility , and in our cabin at least , we had n’t heard any locomotive noise . It was as if this immense ship had just teleported itself away from the wharfage . As we moved towards capable water , we slew past another sail ship , theGolden Princess , as seen below .
Googletells me that theGolden Princessis a bit large than theOosterdam—15 metrical unit longer and 12 foot broad — but carries 800 more passengers ! By comparability , theOosterdamis unquestionably a low - density ship , which is fine by me . We stood outside for a while and watched the urban center of Seattle slip behind us , offering some nice views of its skyline as it did so .
Between departure and 7 p.m. , we explore the far range of the ship , marveling at some of the pile . The Oosterdam features four external meth elevators midships — they zip you from deck of cards two up to deck nine in seconds , offering some astonishing views as you go .
There are also four swimming pools , though the one out on the back deck probably wo n’t get a lot of use , give the strong winds and not - exactly - warm air temperature carry for much of the sail . Beyond the kitty and lift , you’re able to find everything from a gambling casino to a Hold’em poker room ( which I definitely hope to test some eve ) , stacks of places to shop , a nightclub , a kid ’s zone , outdoor basketball and volleyball court ( surrounded by netting , of course , as 30 knots of fart can send volleyball flying alooooooongway ) , a culinary demonstration way , a large theater , and in all probability a half - dozen more place to expend some money , interact with others , or just kick back and loosen up .
At 7 p.m. , we had the Geek Cruises quetch - off meet - and - greet in the Crow ’s Nest , a great elbow room that pose up high near the obeisance ( front ) of the ship . Neil Bauman , Insight Cruises ’ president , noted that this is the 37th Geek Cruise , and point out that Randall Schwartz has been on all 37 of them . ( Randall is a fellow Portland resident and Unix adept extraordinaire . He help oneself Neil with the expert end of the conference . ) Neil also introduced a number of other multi - cruise attendees , many of whom were on at least their 5th sail .
The prospect from the Crow ’s Nest was quite nice , as the sun was put in front of us through some scattered cloud hanging low to the water .
Though only my second such meeting , I ’ve found both functions useful as a way to get to know the attendees prior to the start of sessions , which serve make the sessions feel more personal and less schematic . My first school term is coming up shortly , so I spent the oddment of the eve going over my slides and take on with my daughter ( who seems to be having a blast so far ) .
