I just filmed this video about an hour ago from the Lido Deck of the Carnival Inspiration while on Simple Man Cruise 2010. Don’t let Ship Envy happen to you. It’s kind of tough to hear me in the beginning (due to the ROCK CONCERT happening right behind me), so make sure your volume is turned up.
Ship Envy – Don’t Let it Happen to You
Still got another big night, and a full day tomorrow left on SMC 2010. This is awesome.
-Steve
1. Having every artist onboard in record time – no one flying into ports or chasing the boat as we pull away from Tampa
2. “Happy Birthday Rock Boat” being sung by thousands on the Lido Deck as Sister Hazel kicked off TRBX! And yes, there were confetti cannons.
3. Pajama night was in full swing. I doubt that you could classify the majority of “outfits” as legit PJs but hey, anything goes on The Rock Boat.
4. Watching all of our artists reunite and make new friends at the artist party. It was like the first day of summer camp, with beer.
5. Hearing the chatter and love for the TRBX memory book. Ash, Lauren and Steve made a lot of people cry, the good way.
6. Although not a huge fan of college football, it was very entertaining watching the ‘Bama and Texas fans taunt each other all night. I played squares, and lost. I am now really not a huge fan of college football.
7. I love the Rock Boat because no one wakes up before 12pm. Therefore we get to sleep in. I love the Rock Boat.
8. Watching Green River Ordinance host Bingo, when no one had played the game since 2nd grade. Can I get a X4? X4…anyone?
9. Gaelic Storm redeeming their Flip Cup champion status against The Bridges. It was close; too close considering they’re Irish and the girls had never played before.
10. It’s St. Patty’s day on The Rock Boat. Sixthman is wearing “Kiss Me I’m Sixthman” t-shirts. Either the best or worst idea ever. I’ll decide tonight.
My wife and I had the opportunity to sail on the new Royal Caribbean ship “Oasis of the Seas” this weekend. All I could think the entire time was that this was a “Game Changer” for the cruise industry. An industry born in the last 40 years after the introduction of the commercial airliner removed the demand for transatlantic transportation via cruise ship and offering Caribbean vacations became the best alternative for ship owners.
For those of you who haven’t heard about this new ship, it is heralded as the largest cruise ship ever built accommodating over 6,000 passengers and 2,000 staff. I know what you are thinking, hmmmm…..standing in line with 6,000 people to get on the ship, eat your meals, go to shows and get off the ship sounds great. I am with you and am not interested in being a part of any “most people in one line” competitions.
Royal Caribbean must have known that this would be a concern because they have developed some of the most innovative technology and ship design to make your experience of getting around without waiting in lines better than the other 20 ships I have sailed on that accommodate half the amount of people.
We were in our cabin 15 minutes after we got dropped off at the port and did not wait in one line. Onboard, they had touch screen tv’s outside every elevator that told you what was going on throughout the ship and how to get there. There were 7 neighborhoods on the ship to explore & restaurants everywhere you turned that never felt crowded. And when we left the ship Sunday morning, we were off in 8 minutes without waiting in any lines.
Why is it a “Game Changer”? Because it is the first ship to ever be the “Destination” as opposed to being a vessel to take you to “Destinations”. One could spend an entire week on this ship and still not experience it all and if it never stopped at a port, it would be just fine.
In my opinion, there are now only two types of cruises….Oasis of the Seas and every other cruise ship. I can’t wait to see how the industry responds to this innovation. It will change the game of cruising for the future.
Are we going to charter it? Not at this time. We would have to merge several of our cruises into one and I am not sure how the communities we serve would feel about that. Maybe one day……
Andy
Since I’ve been at Sixthman, I’ve been trying to come up with the best ways to tell our story to everyone. It’s kind of my job, and I love it. We’ve gotten a lot of incredible coverage in the media in the past, but the majority of it is from the “Hey, check out these fun music theme cruises!” angle, and Sixthman is so much more. For those of you who have been on the cruises, you know that they aren’t just a chance to enjoy some great music on a boat. They’re a time to meet other fans, often meet the performers, and bond with a community of people who enjoy life just as much as you do. I also hear that Sixthman is a great place to work, and that we have pretty good customer service.
As someone who spent over seven years in the independent sector of the music industry, watching musicians struggle to break even on the road, giving much of their music away for free because they know they’ll probably never make a living off album sales, my favorite thing about Sixthman is the opportunity afforded the artists. For the musicians who have performed on Sixthman cruises, they’re an event like no other, in which you reach out to new fans, celebrate with the long-time fans, and get to know other musicians who are just as passionate about their crafts. (Check out this video of Barenaked Ladies on CNBC talking about how they used Ships & Dip as a way to enhance their band-to-fan experience.)
The face of the music industry is changing, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead – it means the door is open for innovation. I believe Sixthman has created something beyond a concert, beyond album promotion, beyond any of the traditional avenues – it’s an experience fans and musicians never forget. I have already heard many stories from performers, employees, and passengers, but I want to hear more. I want to know YOUR Sixthman story so I can wrap my head around what we do, and be even better at telling our story to the world. Please send me your tales to beckicarr@sixthman.net
Thanks so much, everyone! See you on the ship!
Becki
