Okay, in all fairness, I missed Kid Rock arriving at the port and the madness that ensued…because for the first time in a while I was one of the first on the ship instead of the last.

And I missed all of the excited people getting their picture taken with the man himself, but I heard it was a blast. That aside, I have had AT LEAST ten super moments since we’ve set sail. I could not be more excited about this cruise, these guests and the next four days- and the sun has not even set!

10. First info desk shift- biggest problem? The Friday lap dance class filled up in under an hour.

9. Going under the bridge. I got to see it. For the first time. Pretty neat. Everyone on the lido deck cheered.

8. Everyone on the Lido deck cheering. They cheer about EVERYTHING. These are some of the happiest people I have ever seen. I hope we get out the confetti cannons because that will be mind blowing.

7. Meeting some of the passengers I have been talking to all year and celebrating the cruise with them. They were some truly awesome people and I can’t wait to meet more of them (and hopefully give them more free booze.  Free booze = Happy people!)

6. Life Jackets. Just ask Barb.

5. Crazy Train in the Candlelight. Enough said.

4. Jill Bessey Being the LAST ONE ON THE SHIP. Ha ha Kappy! You lose.

3. The vibe on the Lido deck even before the sail away show. Did I mention how much I love these people?

2. KID ROCK playing the sail away show. SURPRISE!!!! The show was AMAZING and I am pretty sure everyone’s face was rocked the f off!

1. 2000 shots of Jim Beam!!! Ever seen 2000 REALLY happy people? Yeah, I have.

So, four hours in and I already have a top 10 list. Jealous yet? This is going to be one hell of a cruise and you should really be here with us chillin’ the most! Since you’re not, keep an eye on the blog (if you can stand it) and we’ll be sharing the next 1000 over the top and kick ass moments.

-May

As many of you probably already know, Elvis was one of the biggest icons in during the ‘50s and ‘60s.  He changed music and is regarded as the king of rock ‘n’ roll.  As Jack Soden, President and CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, once said, Elvis is unique – timely, but timeless… ubiquitous all over the world, in every culture, every language.  The story of Elvis, his unique charisma, the sound of his voice, connects with people.”  So what’s the gap?

There is an ongoing debate in the world of Elvis Presley fans that sounds a little something like this:  “I absolutely love the Elvis tribute artists!  They bring so much life and energy to the music and truly pay tribute to Elvis and his art.”  Then, there is, “No more ETA’s!  I only want to hear from people that personally knew Elvis and can share real life stories and experiences with him.”  You can read this thread to get a better idea of the conversations that happen around this topic.

We experience this sort of thing constantly with the many different events that we have on sale today.  How do you keep an event fresh and attract new guests, yet still bring back guests who want more of the same?  It’s a balancing act and we’re excited for the opportunities and challenges this brings because it will only help us grow, but it’s tough not being able to please everyone.

Sixthman is all about bringing like-minded communities of people together, and although these different groups of people are, no doubt, passionate fans, they sometimes have different views and expectations of how they envision their vacation.  So, how do you bridge the gap and make an unforgettable cruise for everyone?  What’s your take?

-Mike

And we’re back.

Well, I’ve been here the whole time, because I got left behind…but I’m not bitter!

The majority of the Sixthman team has returned from Tampa, FL where they spent the past weekend on the VH1 Best Cruise Ever.  In case you missed out on all the fun, here are the articles that were written while at sea.

• From the Middle of the Ocean – From Carolina Liar
• Best Moment Ever – from Melissa
• A-MAZING – From Lisa
• Firsts – from Mike
• Goonies are Good Enough For Me – from Becki
• First time for Everything – from Calli

We’ve started to have some articles from guests and the press roll in too (I bet they’re still getting their land legs back):

• Here are about 1000 pictures from the event on TampaBay.Metromix
• A Quick Review from the Tampa Examiner

If you were on the cruise, hopefully you had a great time!  Got any great stories to share?  Post them in the comments.  If you WEREN’T on the cruise (like me), then you’re probably feeling pretty left out right now.  Sounds like the bar has been set quite high for the next round of cruises, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Kid Rock Cruise, you’re next.

-Steve

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Not to back track, but my “moment” on Best Cruise Ever came last night. There have been countless times on this sailing where I’ve just been amazed at what’s happening around me. Whether it’s a fan/artist interaction, a kick ass show or a new seating plan coming together flawlessly, they’re all awesome. But my favorite has to be in the Paris Lounge last night during Shinedown’s show. In that venue, we have a section reserved for friends and family of the band to enjoy the show, giving them a comfortable place to sit, while doing our best to keep the “VIP”ness limited and under the radar. Similar to our guests are coming aboard for a vacation, we love to invite our artists to have their families and friends join them to get a little mini vacay out of it themselves. During this particular show we had a booth reserved for Lifehouse and a few other bands. The show got started and the section began to fill up. Shinedown was bringing the roof down, almost literally. Out of all of the past Sixthman events I have been a part of, it may have been the most insane show I’ve seen in that room. They made a room of 1000 people seem like they were playing to a crowd of 50,000. The energy was there, the crowd was into it and the band was playing their heart out.

So you might think that was my “moment”, and it is probably a close 2nd, but a brief conversation with a member of Lifehouse, just put the icing on my Best Cruise Ever cake. Lifehouse showed up during the 3rd or 4th song and took a seat in the booth we had reserved for them. By the end of the 4th song I felt a little tap on my shoulder and it was one of the guys asking if they could go downstairs into the huge crowd of guests. I was a little stunned but “yes! Of course you can go down there!” The whole band piled out and ran down the steps into a massive crowd. They didn’t look for a VIP section, or the front row, they just climbed into the group and found a place alongside their new friends, and enjoyed being a fan for once. I know this might seem like a tiny moment, and one not felt by many. But I can tell you that the look on those guests faces when they looked over to see Lifehouse rocking out with them to one of their favorite bands was priceless and unforgettable. We talk a lot about Sixthman tearing down the walls between artists and their fans but seeing an artist do it themselves was as refreshing and inspiring. And my Best Moment Ever on the Best Cruise Ever.

See you on land tomorrow. Can’t wait to share the rest of these stories we’ve made!

Melissa

I almost couldn’t write this blog because I am just speechless about this cruise.  It has been amazing.  The bands have been amazing.  The guests have been amazing.  VH1 has been amazing.  Sixthman has been amazing.

And following up on Calli and Mike, there is another first on how the production of this cruise went down.  If you’ve seen our Freestyle Officing video, you see that we’re trying new things around the office.  Including our new warrior position (we have yet to come up with a more official name for the position).  The warrior of a cruise is responsible for the vision and really making the event come together.  And this is the first cruise we’ve done with a warrior.  That warrior just happens to me.

I was nervous at first.  It’s a lot of pressure to have an entire event rest on your shoulders. But here, on the last day, I realize there was no reason to be nervous.  Not only has everything gone well, but I’ve even gotten to enjoy some of my favorite songs from my favorite band onboard, Finger Eleven.  I am getting the chance to feel the experience just as much as run it.

There really isn’t any other word I can use to describe this event.  It’s amazing.  And I am proud to have been a part of it.  And it’s great to know that I’ve got 27 people that have my back.  Sixthman is amazing.

-Lisa

Photo by Will Byington

As you might have already read in Calli’s blog there are a couple of firsts happening here:  This is our first time working with VH1, our first time working with most of these artists, and we also have a ship full of first-time Sixthman guests.

Working with VH1 has been so much fun!  They have worked really hard with us to help create this amazing experience over the past year, and you can see their excitement as it all comes to life.  We’re equally excited, but get an extra boost when we see our partners experiencing what actually happens on board the ship – it’s unbelievable.

The same story can be told for the artists.  They are fired up to be here and you can see it come out in every performance.  The emotion and energy is high and it translates right over to the guests.  For the past 2 nights, I’ve had the pleasure of ushering in the main lounge for the 3 Doors Down shows.  Not only are they amazing, but so are our guests.  Tons of respect is being given on from all sides.  Seriously, Brad from 3DD was able to walk right off the stage and into the crowd with no worries.  Maybe that sounds like a small thing, but I think it portrays just how comfortable everyone is feeling in their new community.  It’s a beautiful thing.

I think it’s safe to say that EVERYONE is already having the vacation of a lifetime and we’re only half way through.

So we started out yesterday out of Tampa, and just in the hotel lobby there was already a bit of something fun in the air.

We were checking in at the same time as the guys from Shinedown – and as 3 Doors down were heading out the door – and we were getting some good advice on how to sign posters from guys who sell stuff on ebay. It was pretty funny.

The Sixthman crew got us over to the ship around noon and we couldn’t stop laughing at the size of the ship and what we were about to get into. We made our way up to the top deck to get ready for the night. At that point ran into all the guys from life house and started talking about how we could all do some shows together in the future.

The crazy thing about the cruise is we get to hang and check out all these band we would have never gotten a chance to unless we were doing a long term tour so this gig is turning into something better and better by the minute.

Around 5pm we kicked off the start of the cruise on the top deck of this cruise liner and it just went off! Everyone was singing along and we were in the middle of the ocean.  I never thought we would be doing a full band show like this ever.

The night really didn’t end after that we caught a parachute show and Life house and some how managed to hang with everybody on the boat. I managed to get to bed around 11, and the other guys I don’t think have made it back to there cabins yet.

Tonight we play an acoustic show and break down where all the songs came from should be fun and this all takes place in the middle of the ocean!

-Carolina Liar

From our Info Desk Manager, Calli, currently sailing witH us on VH1 BEST CRUISE EVER!

My first Sixthman cruise was in 2009 before I was even employed by the company. It was the annual Cayamo Songwriters cruise. I had never experienced anything like it. I felt like a five-year-old going to Disney World for the very first time. I saw artists I love day after day, played on the beach during port day and genuinely had the time of my life. I was so sad to come home!

After getting hired (thank you Sixthman!) I got to experience my first cruise as a Sixthman employee. I had no idea what to expect. I wondered how I could possibly enjoy a Sixthman cruise as much while working as I did while playing. It was the annual Simple Man cruise and I found out very quickly that it’s absolutely just as wonderful on the other side of the fence. The Simple Man folks have been with us going on five years now. The guests know us well and know what to expect from a Sixthman event. It was evident to me that they had grown to feel like family to all of us and to each other. Again, I was sad to go home. To put it mildly, I have a very fulfilling job.

Another first for me is the VH1 Best Cruise Ever. In fact, it’s a first for most of us! This is our first time working with the awesomeness that is VH1. Also our first time with our Amazing host, Three Doors Down. And as for the guests, it dawned on me today that most of them have never attended a Sixthman event.  For the Best Cruise Ever, I have the super cool job of “owning” the Sixthman Info Desk. This means that I was on board at around 11:00am setting up. Making sure we have all those little tidbits of information that our cruisers need to know when getting around the ship. What I noticed almost straight away was that a lot of the guests aren’t familiar with Sixthman as a company or how we operate or how we absolutely LOVE making sure you guys are taken care of.  I saw more than a few raised eyebrows when I handed over an extra program or beer koozie . Or when a guest was lost and one of our dedicated team members said “follow me” and escorted them to wherever they were going.  It makes me proud, to say the least. I work for a stellar company with some stellar values.  I can’t wait to see the evolution that will happen over the next few days of this event.

So, VH1 Best Cruise Ever cruisers, as your first day wraps up, I hope you’ve had the best first day of a vacation EVER. Get ready for three more days of awesomeness! We’re so happy to have you and we can’t wait to see you all again on your next Sixthman event. And we will.

First Time Blogger,

Calli

Now that Spring Break is over, I thought I would share a poem I received from a good friend last year.

Lifting and Leaning

There are two kinds of people on earth today. Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the good and the bad, for ’tis well understood. The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the happy and sad, for swift-flying years bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man’s wealth, you must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life’s busy span who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.

No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the world’s masses are ever divided in just these two classes.

And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I ween, there is only one lifter for twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner who lets others bear your portion of worry and labor and care?

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Now get back to lifting….Andy

“The universality of tattooing is a curious subject for speculation.” - Captain James Cook, 1779

“Show me a man with a tattoo and I’ll show you a man with an interesting past.” - Jack London, 1883

People tattoo themselves for many reasons: religious, personal, aesthetic, or just to remember a specific moment in time. After the explorer James Cook first saw tattoos in Tahiti in the 1760s, they started to become fashionable in Europe, with sailors tattooing anchors and loved ones names. The practice spread over the years as we all know, and now you’re lucky to find someone who doesn’t have ink.

You wouldn’t be able to count the number of tattoos on Sixthman staffers on one hand, and you certainly couldn’t find two of the same tattoo here in the office. We all have our unique stories behind the ink, from the “Hello, I’m 18!” tattoo, to the roller-derby-team-unity tattoo, to the this-took-me-10-years-to-design tattoo. One thing all tattoos have in common, though, is permanence.

“So what?” you may be asking.

Well, a couple of guests have given Sixthman the ultimate compliment of becoming a permanent fixture on their skin, and we couldn’t be more honored. To know that Sixthman provided a vacation so memorable that no photo album or mental picture could do justice, to see that we gave a guest an experience that deserved an everlasting spot on his skin, means the world to us, and shows us that we have been doing our job right.

Collectively at Sixthman we understand the thought and commitment that goes into a tattoo. It can often be a painstaking decision process: What is the design? What colors should I use? Where will it go?

We know you took care in putting that ink on your body, and we do our best to take as much care times 2,000 (for each guest!) into making your vacation so amazing that you want to remember it for the rest of your life.

Don’t worry, we don’t expect all of you to tattoo the Sixthman logo on your foreheads or anything, but we do hope that your experience with us is so awesome that you want to preserve the memory – whether it be in photos, journals, new lifelong friends, a newfound musical obsession, or even on your skin.

What would it take for you to get a Sixthman tattoo? Do you already have one that we don’t know about? Any fun tattoo stories? Regrets?

-Becki

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