Idolator: Cruises

Pink Floyd-Themed Cruise To Suck Even More Money From Fans' Wallets

Maura Johnston — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

It was probably only a matter of time: Pink Floyd finally has a cruise in its honor. The Great Gig In The Sea, which will set sail next May, is guaranteed to be a rollicking time, despite having zero performances by any members of the band during its three-day duration. (The cover band Think Floyd USA, which will become the first tribute band to headline Milwaukee's Summerfest later this summer and claims that David Gilmour is totally a fan, will instead handle performance duties.) The Bahamas-bound jaunt will also have "Pink Floyd themed experiences," although it doesn't seem like a planetarium is on board, so I guess the whole light-show idea is out. Anyway, since I always seem to be getting into Floyd-related fights around here, I'm just going to say that I hope the cruise organizers have the presence of mind to stock the inevitable Texas Hold 'Em room with miniature inflatable pigs in lieu of chips. [Great Gig In The Sea via RS]

Dance-Music Cruise Covers The High Seas In Polly Esther's

mjohnston — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:54:23 EST

Another addition to the ever-growing list of music-themed cruises is the Groove Cruise, which swaps out shuffleboard tournaments for an "Office Ho's and C.E.O.'s" party. From today's NYT:

Devotees have packed cruise ships to see artists ranging the FM dial, from mainstream stars like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kenny Chesney to blues and Christian bands, and the list of musicians scheduled to set sail is growing.

Yet those cruises attract a largely older audience, while the Groove Cruise, with its allure of club-heavy house music and high maintenance hedonism, attracts primarily dance fanatics who have graduated from college in the last 15 years and who can afford $1,350 for a five-day voyage (and $600 for a three-day cruise). ...

Since the first voyage in 2004, revenue has doubled each year, to $500,000; the number of attendees has tripled, to over 1,100 total participants over that period. These dance-obsessed cruisers have come from across the United States, Europe and Australia — 65 percent had never been on a cruise before; more than a third were returning for another spin on the Groove Cruise.

"Traditional cruises have very few alternative entertainment options for young people," said Mr. Beukema, who has been on 26 cruises. "If you don't want to see the Broadway revue or the magic show revue you're pretty much out of luck, and the on-board nightclub has a request D.J., so you'll hear one hip-hop song and then he'll kill the dance floor with the Macarena. We bring on some of the best D.J.'s from across the country and go all night."

How to know that these guys mean business about being "different": The lineup of events doesn't even list a Texas Hold 'Em tournament.

A Dance-Party Niche In The Cruise Industry [NYT]
Earlier: Come Sail Away: Idolator's Guide To Rock And Roll Cruises
[Photo: napkinnights.com]

Come Sail Away: Idolator's Guide To Rock And Roll Cruises

mjohnston — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:05:01 EDT

The popularity of the rock cruise, where you and a handful of your favorite band's fans shell out a bunch of money for the opportunity to cram into overpriced cabins and catch some shows, mystifies us a bit—when we want to get away from it all, we tend to go to venues where the only music is made by crickets, or wind, or our teeth grinding while we sleep. But more bands seem to be getting on board with this waterlogged trend, so we figured we'd look at four of the intentionally rocking boats that will set sail over the next few months.

The cruise: Jam Cruise.
Lineup includes: Derek Trucks Band, Galactic, Burning Spear, and an oddly high number of bands named after various foodstuffs.
Planned events: Yoga, "Tea Time With Gomez" (the band?), Texas Hold 'Em tournament.
Probable amenities: Hacky-sacks, good vibes, endless soloing.
You'll get seasick because: Thinking about all the food shout-outs at once—biscuits, Spam, green tea, bananas—will get your digestive juices pumping.

The cruise: Vince Neil's Motley Cruise.
Lineup includes: Vince Neil's band. (No, not Motley Crue.)
Planned events: "The Hooters Girls Girls Girls Bikini Contest," wine tasting featuring wines from Vince Vineyards, Texas Hold 'Em tournament.
Likely amenities: On-board detox center.
You'll get seasick because: Pounding a bottle of Jack Daniels before the boat hits choppy waters rarely ends well.

The cruise: The Rock Boat.
Lineup includes: Sister Hazel, Better Than Ezra, Collective Soul.
Planned events: Meet and greets, Texas Hold 'Em tournament.
Likely amenities: A 1999 calendar.
You'll get seasick because: Time travel really fucks with your head.

The cruise: Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Three Days" cruise.
Lineup includes: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Drivin N Cryin.
Planned events: None are announced yet, but something tells us that there will be a Texas Hold 'Em tournament.
Likely amenities: We're really hoping that everyone gets one of these.
You'll get seasick because: People are going to be yelling "Freebird!!!" the entire time.