G.O.T. Balloons
G.O.T. Cruise 2009
Click here to download the G.O.T. Cruise 09 Flyer in pdf format.
We’ve been getting calls and emails from people about classes, teaching and other convention type activities aboard the ship so I thought we should explain our vision and what we expect the G.O.T. Cruise to be like for those who join us as G.O.T. Cruisers.
First and foremost, we want this to be a time of fun and fellowship. Our vision when we first came up with the idea for a balloon cruise was to have it be a floating jam. There are plenty of great conventions already out there and we don’t want to compete or take away from any of those. Conventions are a lot of work and take months of planning and while I respect those that take the time to plan them, I don’t want to devote that much of my time to coordinating a vacation. Mrs. Stretch and I have always wanted to go on a cruise and we thought it would be really fun if we had some friends onboard to share the experience with us. The first G.O.T. Cruise in 2007 was just that, a really fun trip with a bunch of twisted friends. We want future cruises to stay that way.
On the first cruise we had a jam room that we had access to on the "at sea" days. We met on those mornings and had one class in the morning. The class was very relaxed and attendance was not required. Some came and some didn’t, but everyone had fun. After the class everyone was free to do what they wanted. The jam room was open and people could come and go if they wanted, or they could go and play on the ship and enjoy other shipboard activities. Several of us met again every evening before dinner to jam and play some more before heading off to have dinner together. Like the class, this was optional. No schedules, no pressure, no rules, just fun.
Everyone who was on the first cruise loved the format and suggested that we don’t change anything. Mrs. Stretch and I agreed because we loved it and that’s what we wanted from the beginning. This will be the format for all future cruises because we want them to be a relaxed, fun, floating jam. We will continue to have the classes, and will have others teach as appropriate, but we are not actively looking for teachers and will not have more than one class per day on the "at sea" days. Depending on the length of the cruise, there will be either two or three "at sea" days, so we will not have a need for more than a couple of instructors. We will see who signs up for the cruise and decide who we want to ask to teach a class. If they don’t want to teach they don’t have to, we don’t want anyone to feel pressured to do anything they don’t want to do on the cruise. If nobody else wants to teach then I will teach the classes. It is truly all about having a fun, relaxing time on the G.O.T. Cruise.
That said, if you want to join us then head over to the Booking Information Page to find out how to book your cruise. Once you have your cruise booked email us and let us know so we can add you to our G.O.T. Cruisers list and know how many will be joining us. After you’ve booked your cruise let us know if you are interested in teaching and Mrs. Stretch and I will decide who the teachers will be and let everyone know.
Cap’n Stretch the Twisted,
a.k.a.
Stretch the Balloon Dude
