Virtual Cruise
If
you're stuck at a desk, dreaming of touring the world, MarineTraffic.com is the best time-wasting
website out there. The map shows live locations of commercial
ships currently at sea (within certain areas covered by their
system.) For example, the screenshot I snapped and included here
shows how many ships are in various portions of the Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean as I type.
I
zoomed in on the Yucatan and could see the ferry traveling between
Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, along with several cruise ships (blue)
and cargo ships (green) docked at the ports. If you ever get sick
of that kind of exploration, you can also pick a specific ship off the
menu and find its location, destination, ETA, and speed. Don't
worry if you can't find your ship, though --- I tried to look up
Carnival Elation, on which we will be sailing this winter, with no
luck, then realized that it must be in the middle of the Gulf somewhere
and out of range of AIS receivers.
Do your backyard chickens
prevent you from traveling? Install a homemade chicken
waterer and leave
home without worrying.
Want
to be notified when new comments are posted on this page? Click on the
RSS button after you add a comment to subscribe to the comment feed.
