It’s the day to give the villains their due. They’re not evil, they’re just misunderstood! (Okay, some might be evil. Still.) And villains have the most fun and get the best songs! Mad scientists, dark wizards, angry cryptids, conniving minions, megalomaniacal plumbers’ relatives, whatever. Today any baddie is a goodie. (We ask that you please stick with fictional villains. The real life villains don’t deserve our attention!)

Qigong is a gentle, movement-based meditation that anybody can do to stimulate your ‘qi’, or energy for the day. Join Andrea Hildebran Smith for an hour of exercises from the Flowing Zen school of qigong. We’ll learn the Eight Pieces of Brocade series and enjoy practicing them together.

If you need information, well heck we have information! Come here for any JoCo Cruise-related questions or issues you may have. If you have questions or problems relating to the ship—your cabin, billing, etc—please go to the ship’s Guest Services Desk, located on the opposite side of the Atrium on Deck 1.

In historic fashion the uke players on the ship will be meeting and playing together each morning! All levels welcome! We are happy to teach.

HAL offers their Kids Club youth activities program for kids and teens 3-17 years old. See the HAL Kids Club page for details. Note that operating hours for JoCo Cruise are different than those listed on that page.

The port side of this restaurant is a dedicated "quiet zone" for our attendees who may wish to use it. Please no gaming, meetings, loud conversations, etc. Look for signs pointing you to the correct entrance and tables. (Note: JoCo Cruise's morning meeting with the ship's staff occurs in this space at 9:30am; it's usually finished by 10 am, but some mornings it may run a few minutes overtime. Thank you in advance for your understanding and flexibility.)

Spend some time with Community Care Officer Thera, she'll be so happy to see you! Bring your questions, concerns, and high-fives!

High Score, the ship's arcade, is open daily from 1 pm to 11 pm. All ages are welcome at all times. Pinball, multicades, Skeeball, and more!

Tolkien said the highest function of a fairy story was "the sudden joyous turn" in the face of sorrow. Why did he think so? Does it work for you? This Tolkien Reading Day, join a conversation about the trope in Tolkien and beyond. Readings by the host (unless you're eager).

The Main Dining Room staff need time to reset the tables for dinner service; we ask that you please wrap up your games and clear the Main Dining Room at 3 pm each day. Thanks! Plenty more tables all over the ship for gaming!

Because we are grownups and nobody can tell us not to, it's time to eat a bunch of delicious cake in the middle of the afternoon.

In this workshop, we look at tools to help you figure out where a story has gone wrong, and possible angles of attack to fix the problems. Plot structure, beta readers, and the dreaded writer's block can all help narrow down the weakness in a story and ultimately fix it.

HAL offers their Kids Club youth activities program for kids and teens 3-17 years old. See the HAL Kids Club page for details. Note that operating hours for JoCo Cruise are different than those listed on that page.

Happy hour! Drinks are 50% off!

Happy hour! Drinks are 50% off!

Make a paper charm and attempt to draw your name in Egyptian hieroglyphs on it, or a different word if you prefer. Reference a collection of English sounds and phonemes in hieroglyphs, examples, or a dictionary. Some info on the language and a translation activity also provided!

Let's celebrate the diversity of fellow Joconauts from around the world by sharing favorite snacks, interesting treats from travels, or fun local munchies! Don't forget to bring a goodie bag to take for later snacking. Packaged/wrapped treats are preferred.

Beekeeper? Bee-curious? Want to chat about bees and beekeeping in general? Join us to talk about bees, beehives, and what it’s like to keep bees in your back yard. Don’t worry — we won’t sting!

The Earth is hit by material all the time, and in this case bigger is definitely not better. Hear a planetary scientist involved with the DART mission discuss what we know about defending our planet from asteroids, what we don't know, and what we're doing about it.

Join in on a casual meetup where any and all non-binary folx are invited to gather and gab. Look for the big non-binary flag, host will bring stickers!

Join theater maker and amateur theater historian Blake Bolan for a guided tour through a selection of 19th, 20th and 21st century Western experimental performance legends and underground cult heroes, and explore why non-traditional works are still so vital today.

Remember sitting around a campfire with your friends and singing songs? Wanna try it on a boat? Come jam & sing folk, 70s & nerdy songs with others. No singing talent required! Bring your instruments & voices (skits?). Songbooks and guitar (& a faux fire!) to be provded.

The event title pretty well explains it.

What if your cat could tell you where it hurts — or thank you for helping? Science fiction author Mary Robinette Kowal shares her four-year journey with Elsie, a 7-year-old calico with a 130-word vocabulary, who uses Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) to express grief, coin phrases like "laser bird," and even self-report an undiagnosed ACL injury. Learn the science behind button communication and how to start this life-changing conversation with your own pet.

Learn to make an oragami turtle, and then string several up to create a mobile.

The Python Bee is a competition for two-person teams of coders, conducted in front of a live audience. Team partners write simple Python programs, one symbol at a time (alternating between the partners), all without seeing the screen! Awesome prizes and hilarity are guaranteed!

An introduction to the pattern-based style of bellringing called change ringing. You will learn patterns and start making music on handbells right away. Come give this real-time cooperative sport a try!

Magic, dance, comedy, art, juggling, storytelling, info dumping on special interests, deep aspirations, really just anything other than singing or playing an instrument, as there are plenty of other places for that this week ;) You want to show it, we want to see it- all ages!

Come join other poetry enthusiasts to learn about the world of speculative poetry (sci-fi, fantasy, science, horror, folk, myth, etc.). Host will share classic and recent poems, lead the group in writing exercises, and everyone will leave with a draft of their own genre poem.

Form teams and match your wits against fellow JoCoNauts in a fast-paced science quiz. I show pictures of animals, vegetables, minerals and more, you identify them. Fabulously nerdy prizes for the teams with the best score and the best luck!

Time for our annual virus update and Q&A. Hear the latest on viruses impacting humans/humanoids including measles, influenza, and COVID-19. We will also touch on the importance of viruses to our survival. Plan on a group discussion. Come with questions and/or knowledge to share.

Queer Desire is the ability to know the innermost wants and desires of the body/soma and to communicate those desires to partners and loved ones. Somatic exercises will be offered and facilitated by Mischa Gilraen, creatrix of AuthenticQueerDesires.com. Note: this event will include open, frank and judgment-free discussions of eros and sexuality and will also include an opt-in somatic practice where participants will have the opportunity to practice giving and receiving by making requests and offers for touch exchange that is non-sexual and non-erotic. Note: this event will include open, frank and judgment-free discussions of sex- and sexual-related topics, and also an opt-in somatic practice where participants will have the opportunity to engage in touch exchange that is non-sexual and non-erotic.

The starboard side of the Lido Marketplace will be designated the "quiet side" after 9 pm. Other than at the designated 24/7 gaming tables in the aft section, no gaming, no meetings, no loud noises, please. Take yer excessive noise over to the port side, please—or to the back deck, where the late-night pizza is!

If there were a liiitle tiiiny bayyyybeee Jonathan Coulton who was just sleeping sooo soundly, "Good Morning, JoCo" is what you would say to wake him up, so he could cheerfully start his day trying to escape from the terrarium where you keep him next to a scale model of the Gowanus Canal. "Good Morning, JoCo" is ALSO a daily live-to-tape late-night-format morning show filmed in the Rolling Stone Lounge. The late night format comes from filming it right after the main concert each evening, which is later at night. So listen here, join your hosts River Butcher and Daphne Always and their surprise guests—and their planned guests like StormCenter5 Host Storm DiCostanzo. Come to our live taping for blue jokes, stupid props, jargon related to television production that may or may or not be necessary, reshoots, people wearing gnome hats, and adult themes. We aren't checking ids, but don't yell at us if someone drops a swear that's related to a complex topic you're not ready to explain to an audience member in your charge. And catch the finished show the next morning! Presented in glorious 1080p at a blistering 3,000 kbps, Good Morning JoCo is a PG-ish delight for the whole family when viewed in your stateroom.

It’s time to have some fun with poetry. Do you have a favorite poem you’d like to share? Are you curious about poetry for two voices? Just want to read aloud? Let’s have a poetry reading and share some favourites. Please, no epic poems. Give everyone a chance!

Come get your demo starter set and play on the boat! For this event I will be teaching the game, doing deck building, and showing team designs. People who attend are welcome to

We have the ship turn off the lights overhead and clear away the deck chairs up here each night from 10 pm to 12 am, for those who want a more unobstructed view of the night sky. NOTE: the Observation Deck is only accessible via stairs, there is no elevator or other accessible entry method.

Blood on the Clocktower is a bluffing game enjoyed by 5 to 20 players on opposing teams of Good and Evil, overseen by a Storyteller player who conducts the action and makes crucial decisions. Depending on player experience we will play intro or advanced games!

And now, a word from JoCo Cruise Partner Drew... "This year on Wednesday, the 25th, we'll be throwing our annual Pride party, in March, at the Sea View Pool. The theme for this year is "Pride in Space." In terms of the moodboard it is, well, space—and also The Pride of Chanur because of puns and because the cover is fabulous.  "It turns out that people wear party clothes in space when they're in atmosphere—e.g. when attending a soiree aboard the General Systems Vehicle, the Empiricist—so I wouldn't stress too much about having the perfect thing to wear. But, I'll also note that in space-space people wear space stuff or are maybe aliens. "And, finally, I'll note: LIONESSES (THE HANI) COMMAND STARSHIPS IN AN UNEASY INTERSPECIES INTERSTELLAR COMPACT AND THINGS DO NOT GET SIMPLER WHEN A HUMAN, AN OUTSIDER, SEEKS REFUGE ABOARD HANI CAPTAIN PYANFAR CHANUR'S VESSEL."

Join us as we celebrate 20 YEARS of what is regarded as the worst fanfiction ever published online. Whether you've only heard rumors of this infamous work or have joined us for previous readings, all are welcome as we explore the legend of Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way.

Standup and improvised comedy about a variety of geeky topics. Includes previously unseen extra scenes from the LOTR movies and the yet to be produced "Book of Sauron" musical.

Add some extra funny to your day with stand up comedy performances from fellow JoCo cruise friends. Whether you're already a comic, or just always wanted to give stand up a shot, get together your best 3-5 minutes of (JoCo-friendly) material and show up!