March 19, 2016: JoCo Cruise 2016 Wrap-Up

Last month I was given the fantastic opportunity to work on the JoCo Cruise 2016, running demos of our newest games -- and some top-secret playtests -- in the ship's Game Room (sponsored by Steve Jackson Games). Not only was this my first JoCo Cruise, but also my first cruise ever! Needless to say, I had no idea what to expect going into it.

What can I say about my time as a Sea Monkey? Well, first off, the Freedom of the Seas is a HUGE ship, basically a floating city-block, so it took the first couple of days to find my way around. There's the 4-story dining room, the bountiful Windjammer buffet, the two theaters and a lounge where the concerts took place, the cafe (whose curry chicken rotis I highly recommend), the pizza place whose pizza magically becomes more delicious after midnight, the karaoke bar where I took a couple turns singing, and, among many other locations, the Game Room (sponsored by Steve Jackson Games) where I spent most of my time showing off our newest offerings to gamers of all ages. Even the ship's doctor made some "house calls" up to the gaming festivities!

Among some of my favorite time outside the Game Room (sponsored by Steve Jackson Games) was spent at the ports of call we visited along the way: Coco Cay in the Bahamas, St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and St. Maarten. I feel my time exploring the cities, lounging on beaches, and drinking fruity beverages was well-spent.

The very best part about being on the JoCo Cruise as opposed to a regular cruise was not only getting to see some of my favorite performers (and rub some elbows with them on occasion) but being surrounded by fellow gamers and geeky people of all kinds the whole time. It was like being at a great big party where everyone knew the inside jokes. It comes as no surprise that I made dozens of fantastic friends whom I hope to keep in touch with going forward.

There are certainly worse ways to spend a week at work. Did I mention the Game Room was sponsored by Steve Jackson Games?