Caribbean

SQL Cruise Caribbean 2013 Detailed Schedule
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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2013 Detailed Schedule

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Just What Does Happen Aboard A SQL Cruise?

Until now the details surrounding the actual events aboard SQL Cruise Caribbean 2013 have been shared only with those attendees (Cruisers) and Technical Leads who are on the Norwegian Epic with us this year. However, we have been fielding a great number of questions about just what does happen on a SQL Cruise. Be it the training events, team-building activities, or free consulting time (we call this our “Office Hours.”) In order to address these questions and give insight into just what the typical week aboard SQL Cruise looks like we are publishing the schedule we’ll be following on this year’s Caribbean training week.

It’s Not Too Late to Experience SQL Cruise

We still have 3 seats open for the Caribbean event and it’s my understanding that there are staterooms still available aboard the NCL Epic. Our personal cruise consultant at Norwegian Cruise Line, Alex Gonzalez, is fully-aware of the availability for both the staterooms and our classrooms. If you’re able to get to South Florida on 1/26/2013 you can still join us! For details on the specific SQL Cruises offered in 2013, including itineraries, cost, and dates please visit our 2013 Cruises page.  Abstract information on the sessions offered for each SQL Cruise in 2013 are available here.

Furthermore, we do have another SQL Cruise in 2013 departing from Seattle with experiences in Alaska and Canada. Explore the site for more details on that event. There are still seats available in that session as well.

Are You Adventurous and Looking for More than Just Sitting in a Classroom for a Week of Training

If you’re adventurous and are ready to take the next step in your SQL Server, Powershell, or Business Intelligence training (or just want to take advantage of free consulting time with leaders in the industry while getting rejuvenated at the same time) you can jump directly to our registration page and find out how you can join us in 2013 aboard SQL Cruise.

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Caribbean SQL Cruise Agenda 2013

Download our 2013 Caribbean Agenda PDF

 

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 7 – Bahamas Day

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Day Seven on a SQL Cruise is always bittersweet for me.  It reminds me of the waning days of summer camp as a child; which is fitting because it’s that Summer Camp Feel I try to foster for the experience of our Cruisers while on a SQL Cruise.  On Day Seven you know that it’s almost over and you try to put as much attention into the absorbing each event and nuance you can from the day while doing your best to ignore those nagging thoughts over all the packing, rushing, and goodbyes that are coming your way over the course of the 12 hours that close out the evening and start the final day of the cruise the following day.  The staff that were so accomodating throughout the week will be doing their best to gently push you to the door the following morning.

Setting aside these thoughts and feelings it was time to kick off our final day on the cruise.  This was to be the only day that we had both class and a shore excursion.  This SQL Cruise I did my best to avoid stacking too many activities in the schedule for a given day.  In the past I felt that perhaps I forced too much group time, class time, and not enough personal time onto my SQL Cruisers.  This cruise was to be an experiment in letting them spend more time on their own or in small groups.  This day, though was planned out from start-to-finish.

We met slightly earlier than we had been throughout the week since we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas at noon.  Brent presented on his final topic – performance tuning with Solid State Drives – taking us literally and actually inside the SSD thanks to him hacking apart an old Mac Air.  We learned of the benefits (despite the risks of a higher-than-average failure rate) of moving to SSD and I’ve been won over.  I’d love to move to SSD for tempdb storage after this presentation however that is a fight I need to take to my Server Engineers.  Unfortunately, those who do hold the purse strings in our organizations have difficulty looking beyond the immediate costs associated with SSD when it comes to the long-term savings through increased productivity and energy savings that SSDs can provide.

Once Brent was done and I made final (sad-face) announcements for SQL Cruise I dismissed class for the last time.  Many of us met up again for various excursions ashore in The Bahamas and for my family and I it meant leading a large group of SQL Cruisers to Atlantis Resort.  We were joined by Ryan Adams and his wife, Jennifer; Patrick Lynch; Brandon Leach; and we caught glimpses occasionally of DeWet Erasmus and his girlfriend Chan Davies.  Though the water was a bit cold at the Atlantis aquapark we did have a great day riding the rides, discussing work, and fostering the concept of networking while outside the confines of the normal work/training environment.

Once we returned to the Norwegian Epic many of us assembled for one last meal together at the Teppenyaki hibachi restaurant on board.  This is a standing tradition going back to the very first SQL Cruise and it allows us all to meet informally one last time and review what we discussed in class and experienced on board SQL Cruise.  It’s a nice, relaxing close to the week.

After many of us completed our packing once dinner was complete we found ourselves in a final Office Hours aboard the Epic.  Discussing blogging, training, presenting, consulting, and technical questions – working through many issues I hope in the process.  It was nice to hear that like many Cruisers before, many in this group of Cruisers would look forward to the opportunity to join us again on a future SQL Cruise.

I look forward to making that happen.

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 6 – Back in Class… On the Boat

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Today was our marathon day of classes: we covered performance tuning concepts with Kevin Kline, bad habits to avoid in SQL Server with Aaron Bertrand, and Brent Ozar provided a very well-received session covering analysis of your SQL Server Plan Cache.

The day started early for me as they always tend to on the SQL Cruises.  I knew that I’d be able to hit the back deck of the ship where we’ve been holding Office Hours and find Brent though.  He takes “early-riser” to a new level.  We had a great conversation about the future of SQL Cruise, the current class of Cruisers, the state of SQL Server, coffee, and technology.  I’ve not had the opportunity to pull Brent aside to talk much on this SQL Cruise and it was a nice hour or so having this discussion and watching the sun crest over the Caribbean Sea to our Southeast.

I excused myself so Brent could finish up his prep-work for the Plan Cache BI presentation and joined him and the Cruisers for the presentation.  Brent was nervous about this presentation since he doesn’t typically do demos and this was a new presentation for him.  He did a great job and the comments I’ve since heard from the Cruisers place this one near the top of the heap for this SQL Cruise.

After a break for a group lunch we collected back in the conference room and dove into Aaron Bertrand’s session on Bad T/SQL Habits to Kick.  I really enjoyed this session because it highlights many of the things I have done in the past or sometimes still find myself doing ashamedly.  There were definitely many points made that I still see in my day-to-day administration work when I review ISV code and architecture!  I was surprised a bit at the unwillingness of the Cruisers to admit they still do some of these things themselves.  Either that, or it’s because we simply have an amazing group on board this time around!  (We Do!)

Kevin wrapped up the day with his performance tuning presentation.  Usually a full-day precon, he dove into one of the modules for us in great depth and it dovetailed nicely into all the presentations we’ve had to date on this SQL Cruise.  Kevin was definitely a hit with all the Cruisers and I look forward to him hopefully presenting for us again on a future SQL Cruise!

After class we were able to enjoy the waning sunlight and take in a bit of Office Hours time before heading back inside to group up for various dinner arrangements.  Many of us met again for the 7-pm The Second City show.  For those of you not familiar with The Second City it is the improvisational comedic guild that gave rise to such talents as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Steven Colbert, Rick Moranis, and Eugene Levy.  They take suggestions from the audience and incorporate it into their show.

Thanks to Yours Truly they gave the audience insight into a day in the life of a group of Database Administrators.  (A nice call back for me because I recall getting a different troupe to do likewise on our very first SQL Cruise.)

Oh, and don’t worry folks… it seems as though from the performers and audience alike NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WE DO.  Unless it involves jiggling wires to make things go faster – and we all know that’s the job for a Server Engineer.

 

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 4 – St. Thomas Day

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Day four found us with our second land day of SQL Cruise Miami 2012.  As a group we decided to take the lead from someone who had been to St. Thomas a half-dozen times in the past…

We decided to not go to St. Thomas.

Yes, we hailed a taxi – all thirteen of us – and made our way to the opposite side of the island from the cruise ship docks and the host of trinket and jewelry shops for a ship of a different kind; one that would take us to St. John for our final destination: Trunk Bay.  This may have been my favorite stop on all of the SQL Cruises so far though it’s a close vote with our snorkeling trip in Ketchikan, Alaska last year.  Odd how both these trips involve snorkeling and 5,000 miles in opposite directions.  Brent Ozar was our tour guide on this stop of SQL Cruise Miami 2012.  We made our way from St. Thomas via ferry service to St. John then hailed a second taxi to the U.S. Virgin Islands National Park and Trunk Bay where we were able to take in the white sand beaches, warm breezes, and the aforementioned snorkeling.

I had never seen water as blue as I saw in Trunk Bay.  I doubt I ever will see that trumped.

It was a nice break from the classroom that we would be returning to on Day 5 when we would have Brent, Kevin, and Aaron all presenting.

After returning to the ship we met up for consulting and networking time at our SQL Cruise Cocktail Party.  Topics covered were resume building and interviewing horror stories along with all the technical trappings that come with being a DBA.  We also took the opportunity to celebrate Aaron Betrand’s birthday.  Happy Birthday Aaron.  Hopefully it was a memorable one!

 

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SQL Cruise Caribbean 2012 Day 3 – We’re in Class on a Boat… Again

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The Training

Today was kicked-off on a professional development note by former SQL Cruiser from Miami 2011 (as well as PASS President Emeritus) Kevin Kline.  Kevin provided us with a compelling discussion on Leadership Skills for the Database Professional in a very interesting venue – the Cagney’s Steakhouse restaurant on board the Norwegian Epic.  One would think that to be an odd venue but you could argue the point that anywhere on a cruise ship is an odd venue… but it just simply works and works well.  Kevin’s presentation included some great discussion points between cruisers and the presenters on board.  It’s a joy to have Kevin aboard SQL Cruise and particularly satisfying to have him come with us as a presenter.

After lunch it was Aaron Betrand’s turn.  Aaron, SQL Server expert with SQL Sentry, a veteran presenter from SQL Cruise Alaska 2011 is presenting twice on this cruise and his first session was one of the favorites from that last cruise to Alaska – What’s New in SQL Server 2012.  This session was the best-received and most engaging in Alaska.  I was quite surprised that the classroom discussion wasn’t to the same level here as it was in Alaska.  The last cruise this same presentation ran to almost 3 hours when class interaction factored-in.

I really enjoy Aaron’s company and was glad that SQL Sentry was able to spare him again on this cruise.  He’s welcome any time.

The Contest

Once Aaron was finished with his presentation he moved into Game Show Host mode.  Aaron’s company, SQL Sentry, presented their Hairy Execution Plan Contest – their spin on the Hairy Chest Contests you’ll often have the misfortune of encountering on board a cruise ship vacation.  The contest came down to two submissions: Steven Ormrod and DeWet Erasmus – each a strong candidate for hairiest plan.  The winner was DeWet Erasmus all the way from South Africa who will be receiving a one year license to SQL Sentry’s Performance Advisor and Event Manager products.

Thank you SQL Sentry and congratulations to De Wet Erasmus for winning this Cruise’s SQL Sentry Hairy Execution Plan Contest!

The Evening

Finally we moved on to a relaxing evening at sea.  Carl Brosseau and his family, Bill and Mickey Sanscrainte, and Brandon Leach were able to take in the Cirque du Soleil show along with my family then whiled away the evening discussing work and any other tangential topics that geeks invariably move towards.  It’s been a great SQL Cruise so far and we are anxious for our first day in port tomorrow in St. Maarten.  I know I’m looking forward to taking photos of things other than pasty SQL Professionals presenting sessions at sea!

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