Check Out 2018’s Blues and Rock-Themed Cruises

Posted on 14 May, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Fans of blues and rock can head out to sea in 2018, simultaneously getting their musical groove and vacation on aboard three new themed cruises.

Cruise to the Edge 2018

Cruise to the Edge 2018 will be aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Brilliance of the Seas for five nights from February 3-8. Prog-rock’s biggest festival at sea will be hosted by YES as it sails from Tampa, Florida to Belize City, Belize and Costa Maya, Mexico prior to returning.

There’s also a complimentary pre-cruise party optional to guests.

Joining YES will be Marillion, Steve Hackett, Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy (honoring Keith Emerson and Greg Lake) and Marin Barre (of Jethro Tull), Saga, Anathema, Gong, Haken, Glass Hammer, Adrian Belew Power Trio, Lifesigns, Knifeworld, Stick Men with special guest violinist David Cross, Sound Of Contact, Moon Safari, IO Earth, Bad Dreams, Thank You Scientist and Baraka.

UK journalist and preeminent YES expert, Jon Kirkman, will also be joining the sailing.

Experiences onboard will include artist/cruiser photo experiences, Q&A sessions, theme nights and more. One main event will be CTTE Late Night Live with the opportunity to potentially jam with a headliner, watch fans and artists performing together, see a guest showcase or have your song selection played.

The Brilliance of the Seas beckons guests with a nine-deck atrium, glass-enclosed elevators, Solarium pool, Vitality Spa, rock-climbing wall and plenty of other venues and Prog Performances stages.

Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IV

From February 26 to March 2, 2018, Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IV will be presented by Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, Joe Bonamassa and Sixthman aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jade.

The four-day voyage will naturally showcase Bonamassa and others as the ship departs roundtrip from Miami, Florida to Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“We’ve had a blast this year and we’ve had a blast every other year…There has been some great music this year and we will carry it on to next year,” said Bonamassa, in a press release.

Besides Bonamassa, set to perform across multiple onboard stages are Black Country Communion (Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian), Los Lobos, JJ Grey & Mofro, Ana Popovic, North Mississippi Allstars, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds, The James Hunter Six, Matt Andersen, Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith, Marcus King Band, Greyhounds, Toronzo Cannon, Larkin Poe, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, New Orleans Suspects, The Steepwater Band, Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, Jack Broadbent, The Bros. Landreth and Juzzie Smith.

More are expected to be announced.

The Norwegian Jade will be newly refurbished by the time the music festival kicks off with musical group collaborations, a Black Country Communion reunion, artist activities and lots of live performances. The ship itself will feature new restaurants, bars, lounges and updated interior design.

Monsters of Rock Cruise 2018

The Monsters of Rock Cruise 2018 is scheduled for five nights aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the Seas roundtrip from Miami, Florida to Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee on February 11-16. The hard rock/heavy metal festival will additionally feature two pre-cruise parties.

Artists include Tesla, Queensrÿche, Thunder, Lita Ford, Winger, British Lion featuring Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Doro, KIX, Y&T, Vixen, Great White, Beasto Blanco, LA Guns, The Pretty Maids, Lynch Mob, Firehouse, Loudness, Michael Sweet (of Stryper), The Quireboys, Tyketto, Dangerous Toys, Junkyard, Keel, Raven, Madam X, Rhino Bucket, John Corabi, Autograph, Lillian Axe, Rough Cutt, Mitch Malloy, The Iron Maidens, Kickin’ Valentina, Jared James Nichols, Thee Rock ‘N Roll Residency, Atomic Punks and more to be announced.

Hosting the cruise and moderating Q&As and other events will be Eddie Trunk and comedian Don Jamieson (VH1’s “That Metal Show”), as well as radio host Nikki Blakk and Luc Carl (SiriusXM’s “Hair Nation”).

Additional activities will extend to artist photo-ops, Gong Show Karaoke, My Bloody Valentine Fantasy Ball, “So You Think You Can Shred” and Cooking with Rock Stars hosted by Lisa Tirone and more.

As a Voyager-class ship, Navigator of the Seas showcases the Royal Promenade and attractions such as a FlowRider surf simulator.

Fourth Oasis-class ship to be called Symphony of the Seas

Posted on 10 May, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean’s new 170,000-square-foot terminal in Miami will be home to two Oasis-class ships.

Royal Caribbean’s fourth Oasis-class ship will be called Symphony of the Seas and begin service in late 2018 from its new Crown of Miami terminal.

The 5,400-passenger ship will be joined at the new terminal by another Oasis-class ship, Allure of the Seas.

Since the debut of the Allure in 2010, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale has been the home of two Oasis-class ships and Miami none. The new 170,000-square-foot terminal in Miami is being built to accommodate the giant ships and to create an iconic presence at PortMiami, where Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has its global headquarters.

The Harmony of the Seas, now sailing from Port Everglades, presumably will remain there while the Oasis of the Seas continues at Port Canaveral, Fla. The Harmony entered service last spring.

The four Oasis-class ships would give Royal Caribbean the capacity to carry 21,600 passengers or more per week from the three Florida ports.

On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean also will announce an agreement with the government of the Bahamas allowing RCCL to build a pier at its Coco Cay private island in the Bahamas and make other upgrades.

In return, RCCL will expand a program for local vendors at Coco Cay, make a commitment to hire more Bahamians to work on ships and start a training program in the Bahamas for hospitality workers.

Never Lose Sight of What Defines Cruising

Posted on 3 May, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

The cruise industry is a bit of an oddity in that it’s exhibiting rapid growth while simultaneously showing relatively small market penetration. Lots more people are cruising than before, but that percentage of the population is still relatively small overall.

Cruise lines, of course, cherish their loyalists, but they most covet those who have never taken a cruise before.

The question is: Just how should they go about attracting them onboard?

Most recently, the hardware approach has been ever bigger ships while the software approach has been ever more pizzaz. But could a return to basics really be all that is necessary to effectively market to the uninitiated?

Surely, the bigger-is-better approach has worked to an extent; I’m not saying otherwise.

Just look to Royal Caribbean International’s latest and greatest: the Harmony of the Seas. As the world’s largest cruise ship, it has undoubtedly received tons of buzz globally, which has, in turn, translated hype into sales.

However, when I last interviewed David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings China about the brand’s new Norwegian Jo,y he reminded me of a simple point that resonates in the Chinese market as much as it does in the North American one—and quite frankly, internationally.

Cruise travel remains attractive because of its wonderful value proposition and convenience. The ability to affordably unpack once and visit multiple cities (and, in many cases, countries) within a single sailing is unparalleled in travel.

For decades, these core fundamentals were enough to attract people to cruising, but they were doing so at a slow pace. To pick up steam, the marketing message has been emboldened with even more.

Most cruise lines agree that the “go big or go home” approach is working, and their collective acceptance of that has made the entire industry more noticeable to the public.

When a cruise ship launches with bells and whistles—such as skydiving and surfing simulators, waterslides and water-coasters, zip-lines and other sky rides that put shoreside attractions to shame—people definitely take notice. Ultimately, cruise lines are competing with land resorts as much or more so than themselves.

Travelers generally consider shoreside options tried-and-true. The key is convincing them to take one of their precious weeks off and “chance” it on an unknown cruise instead.

That’s when cruise guarantees are brilliant.

A neon sign is great, but if it outshines the core message, it is not.

By all means, cruise lines should continue innovating with bold new features and touting them proudly. But they should also continue informing people about what makes cruising so great at its very core.

That’s where travel agents come in. They should never forget when listing off all the facts and figures of a new ship what most makes a cruise appealing: its value and convenience.

If the goal is to make a bolder statement with wild new onboard features, perhaps there is also a sexier way to share the basics too.

Cruise ads could really do a much better job at conveying the inherent package deal that exists on a cruise. Not only do guests get passage to several ports included, but they also receive accommodations and most meals, activities and entertainment rolled into the fare as well. These are significant details that need to be highlighted much better.

Norwegian Joy’s new go-kart racetrack, for instance, is an absolute blast and certainly a conversation starter, but let’s not forget that the discussion should also touch on the simple joys of a cruise as well.