Last year I spent an immeasurable amount of time aboard ship working on the daily diaries of my adventures during the cruise. This year I plan to provide some short video clips during the cruise and save the full daily diary write-ups for after the whole experience......ie: Meister needs more time in the sun with a drink in hand and less in front of the laptop! Never having made a video before I have been practicing and have included the first attempt at the end here, which is more about practicing editing that it is the lame content....lol.
The Monsters of Rock cruise began in 2012 with it's initial voyage and has grown in popularity over the time since it's inception. This year we have jumped ship, you might say, moving from the MSC Poesia to the larger vessel of the MSC Divina which it still sold out well in advance! Themed cruises are becoming a veritable force in the vacation market and I've heard and known friends who have set sail aboard other rock and metal voyages. Shiprocked which has been in operation since 2009 switched cruise lines in 2014 and hosts mainly more modern bands. 70,000 Tons of Metal, setting sail in January 2015 for the fifth voyage, has something for every rock lover from heavy metal to black metal . These music themed cruises are not just for this side of the pond as there's the Sweden Cruise, originally setting sail in 2004, once again setting the pace in yet another example of how Europe outdoes North America for rock festivals. Sweden Rock Cruise featured smaller line ups of about six bands and graduated to two voyages per year by 2008. Full Metal Cruise II in April 2015 sailing from Barcelona Spain sold out in just over two hours!! Then of course there's the major headliner bands getting into the act with things like The Motley Cruise which ran one time in 2008 and The Kiss Kruise coming up on its fourth year in October 2014, although there are some "Rules of Engagement" for this one that say no autographs or photos as you see KISS wandering about the ship. Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise is in it's fifth run as we speak and Motorhead is even getting in on the phenomenon with the aptly and awesomely christened Motorboat setting sail in fall of 2014. Although I understand that Lemmy has again 
postponed the European tour due to health, let's hope he's fully mended for this one. I was surprised to find out that aside from these cruises that I've discovered being in the rock and metal circles, there's also things like Cruise to the Edge for progressive rock fans and The Moody Blues cruise based around that band, both of these latter cruises are operated by the same group that rolls out MORC keeping the MSC Divina busy in the open seas for these successive events. A country music cruise sets sail for a whopping seven days in January 2015 and the New Kids on the Block even have their own cruise that's been running since 2009! Who's next....Barry Manilow??
Whatever your musical poison may be, these cruises are an exceptional experience for the passenger and I would imagine, the band as well. The price is of course higher than your standard "newlywed or nearly dead cruise", but if you consider what you get it's well worth every cent. Take the cost of one concert with meet & greet and the cost of a regular cruise and compare it. On the ship you have approximately 30 (in the case of MORC at least) bands to choose from, each playing two sets or concerts. The entire thing is one huge meet & greet and the artists are walking around the ship taking in other bands performances and interacting with their fans. I say the price evens out fairly well.There is of course many more themed cruises than mentioned here as well. I recommend that you search out some of the options and as a music lover, plan yourself the vacation of a lifetime......for me that will always be The Monsters of Rock Cruise, but it never hurts to check out the competition.
The Meister ("LIKE" The Meister on Facebook)
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