On the first night of my first cruise, I went to bed so late that I’m embarrassed to say what time it was. When I headed back to my cabin, however, I left a promenade full of people still dancing. A spontaneous Elvis Tribute Artist show happened at about 1 AM, and thankfully Tim from Carnival was there to set up the PA so they could plug in (it only took him seven minutes!). I’ve heard stories about things like this happening on the Rock Boat, Cayamo, and other Sixthman cruises, but I was not expecting it on The Elvis Cruise, and it was an extremely good surprise.
If my boss asks, I stuck around at the show for so long because I felt responsible to witness this “moment of truth,” but truth be told, I’m a HUGE Elvis fan, and I knew the words to almost every song they performed. At one point, Kevin Mills got up and did a tear-jerking rendition of “Blue Christmas” that gave everyone an extra jolt of energy in the wee hours. Once I finally went to bed, I left very reluctantly. Though I’m a big fan of Elvis’ music, I’m not nearly the fan that The Elvis Cruise passengers are, and I truly admire their dedication. The thing that struck me about this show, though, was the reverence the tribute artists showed for Elvis Presley.
No single performer on this ship is here for glory or recognition; they’re here to celebrate Elvis. They don’t just cover his hits, emulate the snarl, and comb their hair into sweet pompadours – they harness Elvis’ spirit. Many of them grew up with Elvis’ music, knew Elvis, or even performed with him. It’s incredible to see the respect paid and the outpouring of love for this one man.
It makes for one REALLY great party and an awesome cruise, too. If The Elvis Cruise is any indication, this season is going to rock so hard!
-Becki
*(After writing this, I read Barb’s blog and realized she already talked about the awesome ETAs, but I thought it was an important enough sentiment to repeat.)
