Down Mexico Way
THE WEEKLY STANDARD’S second annual cruise is now underway. We left from San Diego harbor just after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Then, despite the fact that we’re in the Pacific Ocean, we switched over to the Mountain time zone, which made Sunday morning a little strange. What made it stranger was the fog. Just after 8:00 a.m., the MS Oosterdam sailed into a thick bank of the stuff. Visibility was about zero, the ship’s horn sounded every couple minutes, and I was having Skull Island flashbacks. Nonetheless, we’re steaming southward on a track about 40 miles off the coast of Mexico and, despite the fog, the seas are calm and flat, with the occasional whale spouting off to port.
We started Sunday with a lecture by Fred Barnes, who talked about the George W. Bush, the nature of his relationship with official Washington, and the character of his presidency. Lots of deep insights into the mind of the president. Also, secrets of the Barnes mystique were revealed (hint: watch the use of semicolons in his writing). Afterwards there were panel discussions on the state of the Republican party, the prospects for the new Supreme Court, and the future of the blogosphere and the New Media.
The Oosterdam is a pretty swank ship and the food so far has been top notch. Our first port of call is Cabo San Lucas, where the shore excursions sound quite excellent. You can ride horses on the beach or motor around the desert on an ATV or any number of other exciting adventure-type activities.
And of course, there’s the onboard entertainment. On Saturday night the craps table opened for business. On the way to the casino after dinner, one Standard staffer, who will remain nameless, tried to distract me. “Come on,” he said, “we’ll start with blackjack, make some money, and then use that at craps.” I wouldn’t hear of it. We threw the dice until after midnight.
And I don’t want to brag, but this cruise has just started and I’m already up a Hamilton.
If you want in on the action, we’re already planning next year’s cruise. Send us an email at [email protected] with your name and address and we’ll let you know all the details. (And no, we won’t use your email for anything else.)
More to follow, tomorrow.
–Jonathan V. Last
