Hooked Up At Sea? Not So Much.
My wife and I will be leaving on a cruise to the Western Caribbean tomorrow, just in time for Fiona or Gaston to chase us into the Gulf.
I'm not going to worry overmuch about Hermine or Igor, although I have to admit it would be cool to be trapped in Hurricane Igor: "Igor, bring me the cyclonic winds!" "Yes, master." Cruising at the peak of hurricane season? No one ever accused me of being too bright.
When we first started cruising over 20 years ago, the ships were still pretty isolated. Once you pulled away from the dock, the only way someone could reach you was by calling Carnival or Royal Caribbean and getting connected through the ship's radio room.
Likewise, the TVs in each cabin played mainly tape loops of people onboard playing pool games and making fools of themselves in various bars and lounges. CNN was left at home. If WWIII broke out, you'd find out when you got back to Miami.
That's all changed now. Most ships have their own cell phone towers, computer cafes, and 165 channels of satellite television 24/7. Our ship is equipped with Wi-Fi in each cabin, so you don't have to miss a single email ad for penis enhancement or offer of five million British pounds from a dying Nigerian prince.
I'll pass. I'm turning my cell phone off as soon as our plane touches down in Orlando. My laptop is staying safe and secure in its usual home on my office desktop. And the only time I'm turning the boob-tube on is to catch the semi-final eliminations on Big Brother this coming Thursday (hey...there are priorities).
Bottom line, if anyone is following along with my various musings here at Technorati and back on my blog, they're just going to have to deal with a few withdrawal symptoms until I get back on Monday the 11th. I know it won't be easy, but if you just can't go another minute without hearing someone say something truly stupid or outrageous, I hear Bravo is running a Housewives marathon over the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy.
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