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EVENT

MacMania 4.5 Cruise

Type: event
Location: Western Mediterranean, Rome, Monaco, Florence, Pisa, Barcelona, Tunisia, Palermo, Naples
Participants: Randal Schwartz, Christopher Breen, Jack Davis, Bill Durrence, Janet Hill, David Pogue, Sal Soghoian, Neil Bauman
Alias: MacMania 4.5 Cruise, MacMania 4.5, MM 4.5

  • MacMania 4.5 Cruise

  • In June of 2006, the Geek Cruises voyage "MacMania 4.5" set sail through the beautiful Western Mediterranean.
  • This cruise got its unique fractional name because both MacMania 4 and MacMania 5 had already been announced and scheduled two years in advance (as was typical for these events). When Macworld magazine requested an additional cruise in between, we named this incredible voyage MacMania 4.5.

  • Elite Speaker Lineup

    • One of the most amazing things about coordinating these voyages was how easy it was to book such a high-caliber list of presenters. Unlike the exhausting standard conference grind, getting top-tier people to join us was never hard—who could say no to a luxury Mediterranean cruise surrounded by brilliant colleagues, teaching eager attendees, and bringing family along?
    • The cruise brought together some of the most influential figures in the Mac community and digital creative fields:
      • Christopher Breen — Renowned Macworld editor and tech journalist.
      • Jack Davis — Elite designer, digital artist, and co-author of the seminal Photoshop Wow! books.
      • Bill Durrence — Renowned professional photographer and Nikon school instructor.
      • Janet Hill — Exceptional Apple education division instructor (who would later marry Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak in 2008).
      • David Pogue — Renowned New York Times columnist, tech author, and creator of the Missing Manual series.
      • Sal Soghoian — The legendary product manager of Automation Technologies at Apple (father of AppleScript and Automator).

  • Key Itinerary & Memories

    • Day 00: Pre-Cruise Party: The festivities kicked off before setting sail, gathering our group together to socialize and prepare for the voyage.
    • Day 01: Bon Voyage: We boarded our vessel and departed, kicking off the technical lectures and photo workshops.
    • Day 02: Monaco: Exploring the luxury and dramatic cliffs of Monaco, capturing beautiful architecture and coastal vistas.
    • Day 03: Florence & Pisa: Ascending the Tuscan countryside to photograph the historic plazas of Florence and the leaning tower of Pisa.
    • Day 04: At Sea: Dedicated training sessions, teaching, and editing workflows.
    • Day 05: Barcelona: Exploring Antoni Gaudí's monumental architecture and the vibrant streets of Barcelona.
    • Day 06: Palma de Mallorca: Wandering through the Gothic cathedrals and cobblestone alleys of Mallorca.
    • Day 07: At Sea: Deep-dives into digital photography and software workflows.
    • Day 08: Tunisia: A striking visit to North Africa, exploring the stunning blue-and-white clifftop village of Sidi Bou Said and the ancient archaeological ruins of Carthage.
    • Day 09: Palermo: Taking in the historic plazas and bustling Sicilian atmosphere of Palermo.
    • Day 10: Naples, Pompeii & Sorrento: An unforgettable excursion exploring the preserved ruins of Pompeii under Mount Vesuvius and the dramatic, lemon-scented cliffs of Sorrento.
    • Rome: Kicking off or concluding our journey in the Eternal City, photographing the Colosseum, Vatican, and historic ruins.

  • Migration & Photo Archive

    • Flickr Migration Project — Migrated 2,476 photos from MacMania 4.5 across 15 distinct flat, prefix-free albums to Flickr, preserving this wonderful voyage forever.

What links here

🔗Janet Hill
These facts are as Randal recalls them, but much time has passed for most of this. If you find a factual error, please email realmerlyn@gmail.com.