E-Mail:
Get my new Windows 7 eBook (PDF) for $7 with 70+ Tips. Download Now!

alaskan-cruise

Alaska Vacation Help

Lee Moore from Irving, TX: “My wife and I did a cruise to Alaska on July 15 out of Seattle. Loved every moment! Sure a lot cooler than Dallas, TX. In Ketchikan, we took a floatplane trip – which I can highly recommend. The flight was into the Misty Fjords National Park. We even landed on one of the lakes and got out on land for a short time. Our pilot, the business owner was a lady with 20 yrs. plus experience in Alaska. Her name is Michelle.”

Read more on Alaska Vacation Help…

Alaska Photos

I’ve uploaded darn near every Alaska image in my personal inventory to an Alaskan Cruise Flickr album. I must, again, thank Pluggd for giving me the opportunity to upload both text and images while on the cruise liner (through an ample Internet connection). Sorry the markup is bulky here – I couldn’t find an easy way to strip ID and NAME attributes from the link tags.
Read more on Alaska Photos…

Victoria, Victoria

Alas, this week is winding down. We’re on our way to Victoria, British Columbia – that’s in Canada, for all of you who aren’t familiar with the name or territory. I’ve only been on the outskirts of Victoria, spending most of my BC time in Vancouver. I hear they have wonderful gardens in Victoria, actually – but I’m not sure if we’re scheduled to see any of ‘em. Ponzi’s signed us up for some kind of tour and “high tea.” Guess that means we’ll be riding around in a bus with our pinkis extended? I wouldn’t mind traipsing through Victoria’s gardens, actually – it must be a shutterbug’s paradise. There’s not a cloud in the sky this morning – nothing but ocean outside our stateroom window. We have a western view for the moment, and that scenery won’t likely change until the evening hours when we roll into port.

Read more on Victoria, Victoria…

The Alaskan Adventure Continues

The world could be ending right now and I wouldn’t know it. Sure, we have satellite television on board – but the time we’ve spent in our suite has been minimal. Internet access is a premium, so I haven’t spent much of my time catching up with the news online. I’m largely unplugged this week (ironic, as Pluggd is keeping me connected to the Internet for the duration of this voyage). Yes, this week wouldn’t be half as much fun if I wasn’t able to log on and post updates near real-time. And as far as I’m concerned, a couple of times a day is just about as close to “immediate” as you get on the high seas. We haven’t been boarded by pirates yet, though.

Read more on The Alaskan Adventure Continues…

A Morning on the Cruise

Despite weathering a relatively restless night, I feel refreshed. The bed was comfortable enough, with two twin mattresses akimbo, 250 count sheets, and soft pillows. However, my sense of balance kept me from enjoying a peaceful sleep. I think I’m finally getting my sea legs, though. At least, I hope! It’s most difficult to manage when I can’t see the horizon. The temperature outside? Chilly, but certainly tolerable with thicker clothing. Despite the cool climate, We opted to dine on the verandah for breakfast this morning – the view was oceanic and the company kept us warm. Ponzi and I have a private space just outside our stateroom. Despite the weak coffee, they did bring us heavy cream (per our written request). We’re now getting ready to enjoy our day on board, with Ponzi hot to attend a couple of classes (even though some of them are designed to teach you how to buy more junk that you don’t really need).

Read more on A Morning on the Cruise…

Alaska, Ho!

We’re finally aboard the Holland America cruise liner! Yes, right now – on a wireless Internet connection. Thanks again to Pluggd for providing the ability for us to get online and post updates. I’ve only been aboard for a couple of hours, but… I’m beyond impressed. Our room is absolutely amazing – and we’ll be able to eat breakfast every morning on our “private” verandah. We’ve got cocktails with the ship’s captain right before dinner – so the fun hasn’t even begun. No, seriously – Holland America is teh shiz. Puts Royal Carribean to shame! Oh man, everything’s so clean. I think this is the first vacation I’ve ever taken when I didn’t want to leave the room.

Read more on Alaska, Ho!…

Our Alaska Cruise Schedule

As noted in my cruise ship report, we have a general schedule for our Holland America [ms Oosterdam] cruise:

  • Sat: Arrive at terminal at 1:00pm
  • Sat: Depart from terminal at 4:00pm

Read more on Our Alaska Cruise Schedule…

The Gnome is Cruising Alaska

As revealed in last night’s report, I’m going on an Alaskan cruise in another week or so. Friends tell me that there are breathtaking photographs waiting to be taken of the Alaskan landscape – but can I rent (borrow?) higher-quality hardware for a week? The cruise is already going to be expensive to begin with. Here’s a fraction of the feedback I received this morning…

Read more on The Gnome is Cruising Alaska…

Flushing Phishing

Seems to me the answer to the problem is simple: ISPs should be proxying known phishing sites. I’d make it an “opt-out” toggle, as only people know know what they’re doing would be crazy enough to actually want to view a known phishing site. That’s the key: being able to identify a phishing attack. I suppose this has proabably been done before, but I haven’t seen a widespread deployment of such a service (which should be free, IMHO).

Read more on Flushing Phishing…