We did a short "regular" cruise once and it's "meh". I did eat a lot of smoked salmon and bagels since the sandwich place had the stuff. Heh. Mmm. Capers too. We dined one night in the formal dining room and didn't care too much about it. Great folks working that room and very professional but the last thing I want to do on vacation is put on fancy clothes and sit in a dining room more than once.
But we finally "got around to" joining these folks three years ago, missed it last year, and won't be missing it again anytime soon.
http://www.therockboat.com
I had emails from Andy at Sixthman from his AOL account or some such the first year and thought "we should do that" back when they were 250 people in a back corner with a stage on a regular cruise ship and Andy was by himself with no staff other than hiring sound guys and renting a stage.
Sixthman has grown considerably since those days and was bought by Norwegian last year (so we'll see if they totally screw it up) which solidifies a very long relationship between the companies.
Meanwhile we noticed Andy is still sailing on the boats and still making sure the concert and the experience are top notch for music lovers. If this one isn't your thing, they've got a ton of different styles and themes of music now.
He really is a music fanatic. He loves producing concerts and mixed that with the cruise ships for a very unique experience.
You can't even pay for the concert tickets to see all the bands that have joined them over the years for the price of a cruise ticket, and while none of the ships are the newest and fancy "activity based" ships with the rock walls and stuff (they actually remove the old school water slide and cover the pool for more concert venue space on the main deck of the Norwegian Pearl but they do leave a section of pool open and a few hot tubs - get there early and you can watch a band from the hot tub if you like. I prefer a table at the second story bar with a bucket of beers myself if not standing on the main deck).
You start the first afternoon with concerts, go to bed, wake up the next day around 10 after being at concerts that last well after midnight, and do it all over again. For a week.
Four stages always playing and some smaller venues with solo artists everywhere you go on the ship. Intimate little gigs in bars, sometimes packed to standing room only, sometimes thirty or forty people. Main deck, forward lounge, and theatre are all set up as big stages. Smaller stages in every bar and atrium. Music playing everywhere. Total immersion. Don't like this band, walk 100 yards to the next one.
Many of the guests on board are lifers and have sailed all fourteen times. Others are newbies like we were, after saying we'd do it "someday" for 12 years. Shouldn't have waited.
It's a blast. On the last one we went on, the tenders back from the silly NCL private island (full stage set up and folks floated or lounged on the beach chairs to yet another two concerts while drinking overpriced drinks) some guy started a famous rock songs sing along that lasted the entire way back to the ship. Hilarious when folks forgot words, etc.
We also met "Bob". Bob is an IT manager from the Midwest. Sometime in the last 15 years Bob has become a legend of the boat. People walk around with buttons on that say they're "friends of Bob". Bob likes everyone. And music. Bob was instrumental in the starting of the sing-along. Bob and I also talked at length about his job interview coming up about ten hours after we were scheduled to dock. He's just a super nice guy and everyone loves him. We now are members of the FoB and we will look forward to seeing him again. On the last night on board we were standing in the theatre and it was packed for the last night's event. We got there late.
The Sixthman folks were shooting video that night and having open holes in the crowd near the front just wouldn't do. One taps us and says "two?" "Yep!" "Follow me!" And leads us to the fourth row and two open seats. We are amazed and thankful and now partially deaf (it is rock concerts after all!) and we look to our left and... It's Bob! We high five Bob and yell (Hello!) a greeting with a smile (no way he heard it!) and totally jam for the rest of the concert.
Yep. I like cruises. But they need to have something kick ass on board like that. 20-25 bands, four main stages, stuff playing everywhere.
Hell, we got a concert in the elevator from one of the bands one night. They played a lady's favorite song for her birthday on the spot. Acoustic style. Drummer using the elevator walls for percussion.
Love love love it. Here's hoping Andy and Sixthman continue to have great success with their new owners.
Then the thought of 6000 people all in one boat vomiting rears its ugly head. That's why I would need a cabin with a balcony.
One of the couples we were with blasted that song every afternoon after we picked up the ball. We all danced on the salon roof. Good times!
