Reply To: JCCC4: Post Mortem (Feedback Thread)
Background: This was my first JCCC, my first cruise, and actually my first vacation since I was a kid. I came on my own, and I’m definitely someone who has trouble going up and saying “Hello” to new people (How can some people just do that?! It’s crazy!). I thought the whole cruise was great, and I’ve signed up for next year.
On the game room: I brought 4 games, and I still found it tough to start games with people. The problem is that, however inviting people are initially, once a game has started, they can’t add new players. I definitely think having a sign-up sheet or a schedule for new games would be a good idea. Or what about some sort of speed-gaming, like speed meeting – e.g., between 9am and 11am a new game will start every 15 minutes. Or have a rectangle taped out on the floor marked “stand here to start a game”.
I liked the reviews of the food that were taped to the game room wall; we could do the same for games, and in particular, identify the games that take a strict 30 – 40 minutes to use up those blocks of time between events when I didn’t have much to do, but knew I couldn’t start a game that might stretch to 2 hours.
On the JoCoTel: I arrived at the Embassy Suites on Saturday evening, and knew there had to be sea monkeys around somewhere, but I had trouble finding them. When I did find what looked like the right group, I had trouble approaching. Without going so far as having pre-registration, I know there was at least one piece of paper (with the wifi code) handed out at check-in – could another be added welcoming sea monkeys and telling them where to meet? Maybe include a temporary, write-in, name badge?
On badges: From other comments here, it seems that the ambassador and “Hi” badges might not have quite worked as intended. What about having a badge to identify first-timers or others who are looking to be included in things so the veterans know who to be extra welcoming to (or is that what the “Hi” badges were for)?
On excursions: The sea monkey-specific excursions worked great – it just seems natural that you’d want to share your excursion with the people you’re sharing the cruise with.
On twit-aar: An essential tool for staying in the loop, especially for new sea monkeys, David Rees be damned (although his new TV show looks great).
On Sara Watkins: A tour-de-force. Her and her brother, along with Paul F Tompkins, was easily my favourite show of the cruise (it was also great to see Pomplamoose in person, having seen all their videos).
On cupcakes: What was up with that weird, chemical-y, frosting on the cakes on the promenade? @chicazul’s cupcakes were much better. I was shocked – no, OUTRAGED – to find that boxes of them were being thrown away after day 4. If I’d known there were that many available I would have been jamming them into my face from the start.
Overall: A++++++ Would use again.