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The National Review Institute Cruise
It was great to be cruising again, and to be on an NRI cruise. Although neutral observer and I have been on a few NR cruises, this was our first NRI cruise. The difference? The NR cruises had a lot more speakers and panel sessions. Even with the reduced number, we had a lot of fun and learned a lot. First of all, we had a near-continuous Ricochet Meetup underway. I don’t have the ten-Ricochetti dinner pictures, so someone else will have to post those. Here we go:
Left to right, we have Stad, neutral observer, Bob Herring, GLDIII, and Red Herring. The picture was taken at the bar (no shicker there) by the stylish main atrium:
Of the seven dinners, we had three guest speakers. First, here’s GLDIII discussing building one’s own airplane with Charles C.W. Cooke:
Our next guest speaker was none other than Andrew McCarthy. Here is neutral observer trying to figure out how to ditch me and head to Andy’s cabin:
Finally, we had not only dinner, but breakfast that morning with Veronique de Rugy:
Charles was his usual reserved former British self, but Andy and Veronique were a lot more open and animated when they discussed their passions: the law and economics, respectively. The three also shared many personal stories, some hilarious, others more somber. Bottom line? All of the guest speakers were approachable, very warm, and personable.
As for the Ricochetti, let’s just say there was a challenge to break the limit on our beverage packages, which included alcohol. I’m sad to report neither I nor neutral observer was able to break it (too old, I guess). Fellow Rico-shipmates can leave their excuses in the comment section . . .
Oh, the parties! There was a kickoff cocktail party, a cigar smoker, and a farewell cocktail party. Here is a picture from the farewell party (again, fellow cruisers – post your pics!):
Here we have Mrs. GLDIII, GLDIII, Stad, neutral observer, Red Herring, and Bob Herring.
The bottom line? Cruising is back in general, and it looks like the NRI cruises are returning. No word on a regular NR cruise, but it’s a possibility if they can rope the NRI President, Lindsay Craig into doing it. Oh! She’s a sweetheart, and was ready to join in the fun even though she had a job to do. I highly recommend NRI cruises, as you get to meet and hear from people who have done or are currently doing great things.
Okay, fellow shipmates – post your pics!
(Pssst. @roblong and @jameslileks, you missed a good one!)
Published in Meetups
<ducks>
Don’t know what you’re on about. Fathers can still say that. Those who don’t are apathetic or weak. The part I’m talking about is the promise of a beat-down for those who creep on kids. That’s not abnormal.
You can think it’s creepy if you want. You can think the sky is creepy if you want. Many people think lima beans and Brussels sprouts are creepy. Some homosexuals think heterosexuality is creepy. (Hence the term “breeders” for example.) But “underage” has a definition and what you declared to be “underage” was not factually correct.
I hope James is invited in the future, and if that happens it will probably be because the cruiser management received such comments.
Young marriages were very common in the past in the US too, and still are in many places such as Brazil.
Not necessarily. That song came out in 1960. Georgia, for example, didn’t raise age of consent from 14 to 16 until 1995. And Hawaii didn’t raise it from 14 to 16 until 2001. Which still means that 16 would not be “prosecutable porn.”
Those might be “bathing” suits but they’re not “swimming” suits.
That’s my point. Other than that I used the present tense about prosecutable p0rn. Times change, cultures change, but human sexuality doesn’t.
Depends how you mean it. Young people reaching sexual maturity at early teens now vs mid-to-late teens in the past, would seem to change human sexuality somewhat.
That’s pretty mild compared to other songs:
And neither of these songs are close to being prosecutable under our current interpretation of the 1st amendment.
Stray Cat Blues would likely not be recorded today, even by the alleged bad boys of rock.
*goes to look up “Stray Cat Blues”*
You’re not lying.
I have had the same feeling about paying all that money for a German riverboat cruise after living there for 5 years and driving all over the same routes.
Guilty.
[hard-core porn flagged]
All those in favor of killing the “Age of Consent” sub-thread raise your hands . . . we have a winner!
Folks have said we should have aired grievances with National Review. Some folks did do that in private. The speakers were not all from National Review. They were William Allen, who I swear is Walter E. Williams’ twin in ideas, wisdom, and wit, Charles CW Cooke, who we dined with and was great company, Veronique de Rugy, a witty libertarian economist, John Hillen, who spoke mainly on foreign policy, Rich Lowry, who only was there a few days, Andy McCarthy, John O’Sullivan, who is always a special treat, Peter Travers, and Jimmy Quinn. The other speakers had to cancel because of illness.
Who would you have wished we had said something to and what would you have wished we said? (There are some conversations that follow my rule, “what is said on the cruise, stays on the cruise.” I am not a gossip.)
For the record, this was my third cruise since the Covid restart and I returned healthy after all of them. I never once had to wear a mask. My scales broke before the cruise and I haven’t had a chance to buy new scales so I can’t brag that I didn’t gain weight, but my clothes still fit. I even ended the cruise with $80 of unspent military “onboard credit.”
Once in every great while, I come across a comment on Ricochet that makes the whole place, and everything that has gone before or may come since, totally worth it. Thanks, @charlotte!
For ricochet’s NRI cruisers:
@stad , @neutralobserver , @gldiii ,@alsparks , @fredcdobbs , @robertherring , and any others likely to cruise in the future
The meetup night was great fun and I would like to see it become a preplanned tradition. For the next cruise, I would like them to plan a ricochet meetup night and table. The registration form could have a box to check for those who wish to sit together for a ricochet meetup. That way, TCAVA and NRI can plan ahead. The table(s) for that night would be noted on the seating chart on the back of our credentials. If Rob or James is on the cruise, either or both could be included and it would count as a speaker night for us. Charles CW Cooke is always on these cruises. Peter Robinson has been a speaker in the past. We found out Veronique de Rugy is/was a ricochet member. This also might generate interest in ricochet. The Sky Princess staff did a great job setting aside a side room with one long table for all of us. Kudos to TCAVA and NRI for making it happen.
This is the work of genius! Kudos, Red!
And de Rugy was tremendous fun. Did I tell you how she ended up having breakfast with us?
No, you didn’t. I bet it is a good one. I looked at the pics I posted of us at the social and wondered what were were talking about. We sure looked happy. Did you notice the two funniest speakers were the two economists?
Sounds like fun. I’ll look forward to it.
This is what happened with Veronique. One morning, I told my wife to go ahead and grab breakfast while I searched for a table. Finding one, I sat and waited for my wife to show. I finally spotted her, and waved my arm to get her attention. I suddenly realized there was a woman standing between us – Veronique de Rugy! She saw me waving and plopped down in the seat across from me. My wife sat seconds later. “It’s not what you think,” I told her.
Needless to say, breakfast was very entertaining, and we had a very stimulating conversation. I live for serendipity . . .
They are in the early stages of planning a summer Alaska cruise with optional land tour at the end. Bucket list. I have emailed them a request to preplan a night where we can request a “meetup” and sit together with a ricochet speaker or two depending on the number of us who sign up. Based on my detective skills, I suspect the ship would leave out of Vancouver since it would be a one way cruise because of the optional land tour to Denali. The 2024 schedule does show bus transportation from Seattle to Vancouver to those who want to fly in there. The number of days of the optional land tour and dates determine the ship. Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and Zaandam will sail out of Vancouver in 2024. (Volendam, not Zaandam, doing Canada that summer). We will be all in for both the cruise and Denali since we have a year and half to budget how we will spend our Social Security vacation fund. @rushbabe49 mentioned trying to meet up with us pre-cruise. As soon as it is formalized, we can add a ricochet post you can bookmark.
Looking at the Princess website, it seems like their Vancouver round-trips are 5 day cruises, as opposed to the standard 7 day offerings of past NR cruises.
Not sure about that.
And I’m from Fairbanks, and often take day trips to or around Denali since my job often requires it. I’m definitely not interested in a 5 day cruise, much less an optional land tour to Denali.
I’m willing to brave downtown Seattle, which has gotten very bad, to get to and from the cruise ship. I’ve also visited Vancouver pre-Covid, and it’s probably still acceptable.
But 5 days? Not sure it’s worth the trip down.
Not on Princess but HAL. I suspect 7-day on Noordam based on tidbits of info but nothing confirmed. They must be getting close to finalizing. Nri has my request for a preplanned meetup ricochet members can opt in to do and to sit at a ricochet speaker’s table for the meetup. We will see. I hope it happens rather than impromptu arranging on the ship. Ricochet members and spouses were well- represented on the last cruise.