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October 29, 1999Frequently Asked Cruise Questions
Q: Why a cruise? A: More and more magazines and non-profit organizations are organizing celebrity fund-raising cruises; combining decadence with a passion for free speech and comics is a natural. Q: What kind of comics programming will there be? A: All the guests have agreed to participate in programming. For example, Kurt Busiek will give writer’s workshops, and Jules Feiffer will give slide shows. There will be Q&A sessions and panels. There will be plenty of programming. Q: How accessible will the creators be? A: You can’t follow them into the bathroom, but otherwise they’ll be damned accessible. You’ll be able to sign up for dinners with your favorite creators. They’ll undoubtedly hang out at the bars, on the deck, and in conversation pits. We want to create a nice, informal atmosphere where we can all talk to each other. Q: Will Neil Gaiman sign my Sandman books? A: Do you think Neil Gaiman has nothing better to do than waste his valuable time signing your Sandman books? You’ll be lucky if he gives you the time of day. And don’t even think about touching his leather jacket! Of course you can get books signed! Bring all the Sandman, Spirit, and Love & Rockets you can carry. Who knows, if you bring a sketchbook, you may even come away with some nice drawings. Q: Are the creators going to be as smart-alecky as that answer? A: Only Gary Groth, who's writing this and needs to vent a little to keep it interesting. Everyone else will be disgustingly polite and well-behaved. Even garrulous. Especially Neil. Q: What do the different price levels signify? A: The ship has nine -- count ‘em, nine -- deck levels. The more money you spend, the higher the level you occupy. Just like life. All the rooms are reasonably spacious. When you get to categories 11 and 12, you’re talking about larger cabins and private verandahs. Q: What does the ticket price include? A: Every damned thing you could want except booze, soft drinks, shore excursions, and personal expenditures at the mall. It even includes your whole tip for the trip. Q: When I’m not hanging out with Frank Miller or Gilbert Hernandez or Will Eisner, what can I do? A: When you’re not lying around the pool and drinking, you can watch movies, take in Vegas-style shows, go swimming, jog on the track, get a massage, gamble, and eat like three horses. Q: What’s there to do at the three ports of call? A: Why, do you think you’ll be bored? There are many shore excursions available (in addition to just wandering around, taking in the local culture, and eating at great restaurants): sightseeing, fishing, scuba-diving, snorkeling, sailing, etc. These can all be arranged onboard at the Shore Excursion desk. Q: If I’m coming alone, will a cabin or mates be assigned to me? How does that work? A: You can book a cabin alone (paying the single rate) or book as a single share in which case they will do their best to match you according to sex, smoking preference, age, etc. It could be worse: we could give you Joe Matt as a roommate. Many cabins, normally reserved for families, can accommodate a 3rd and 4th passenger; this is how we arrived at a low "Starving Artist" rate. Q: Do I need shots? Passport? A: No shots, but, yes, you’ll need your passport. Mexico is a different country. Q: Is the ship kid friendly? A: Very. They have a camp for various ages of children. Q: I’ve never been on a cruise but I thought they were cheesy excursions for doddering old retirees who think Perry Como is the cat’s pajamas. A: Evidently not. All the brochures feature pictures of hip, young, tanned, toned, athletic, good-looking, smiling, happy yuppies. We think you’ll be quite at home. We know our guests will be. More questions? If they’re about creators, comics programming, and the CBLDF, don’t hesitate to call The Comics Journal at 1-800-657-1100, or contact the Fund directly at 1-80-99-CBLDF or cbleistein@cbldf.org. If your questions are about cabins, prices, booking, cruise activites, and all that stuff, you should call our friends at The Cruise Authority at 1-800-448-1830. They’re the cruise experts and they’ll take care of you.
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The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. For additional information, call 413-268-7776 or e-mail the CBLDF staff. 271 Madison Avenue, Suite 1400 Web design and site maintained by Eric Griffith / Squished Frog Productions. |
