A lot can happen in ten years. Friends are made, families get started, and children leave home. For us, 4 days at sea with 400 music fans in the fall of 2001 spawned a community that inspired other bands and brands to take to the water altering the course of a small company. The last decade kept us at sea for 153 days discovering who we were meant to be, as we pioneered the music vacation on a ship and brought communities together. Behind us, the achievement of leading 35 full ship charters hosting over 70,000 guests enjoying a total of 376,000 vacation days at sea. Ahead of us, we're applying the lessons we've learned towards our quest to be the best in the world at bringing like-minded people together on vacation.
We were witnesses to amazing musical and human moments while drifting through the ocean. My favorite quote still is the one from a guest who called me after her vacation to tell me that she had begun keeping a diary of her trip but decided to stop after two days because she realized her friends would never believe what she was writing. That became the bar which we strive to raise since that moment.
So we stop for minute to take it all in, celebrate with each other and express our gratitude to all the guests who trusted us to look after them on vacation. While we have not done our best work yet, we are so proud of our accomplishments and to be a part of beautiful things with all of you.
This summer newsletter highlights just a few ways we've grown - we have 3 new events that just launched, and we're still going strong with our flagship event. Can you believe we're currently planning our 12th Rock Boat? Thanks for staying with us through the years, and thanks for letting us make your vacation special.
- Andy Levine
Here at Sixthman, we like to keep things interesting and unpredictable, so we have added 3 brand new cruises this year that are sure to entertain kids of all ages and tastes!
First up in September is Rombello, a place where great live bands go to play! You won't be able to nail down a genre for this cruise, as we have everything from rock to pop to Americana on board. The cruise features Slightly Stoopid, Michael Franti and Spearhead, G Love & Special Sauce, and Citizen Cope. They are joined by Jukebox the Ghost, Rhett Miller, Brett Dennen, Big Gigantic, Gaelic Storm, and many more. From morning(ish – we know you want to sleep in on vacation) until late into the night, you'll enjoy live music, theme nights, pool games, and more activities. You'll also spend a day in gorgeous sunny Cozumel to re-charge your party batteries. Don't miss this one!
Next up... you wanted the best, you got the best! For all the KISS fans in the world, we have The KISS Kruise: Wet Wild & Rockin' sailing in October. This one will include an acoustic, no-makeup sail away show on the Lido Deck, a main theater indoor KISS show, a Q&A with the band, the biggest Halloween party the ocean has ever seen, and much, much more! The KISS Army has never partied like this before!
Last but certainly not least, especially for our film buff Sixthman extended family, we have the TCM Classic Cruise sailing in December. Hosts Robert Osborne and Ben Mankiewicz will be on board, along with other special guests. Films will be played all around the ship during the day and night; cruisers can escape into the magical world of the silver screen, becoming Deborah Kerr or Cary Grant, falling in love at sea... This is our first partnership with TCM and our first partnership with Celebrity Cruise Lines. We are very excited to expand our vacations to include this exciting event!
Rombello, September 29 to October 3, 2011 – rombello.com – Tampa to Cozumel on Carnival Inspiration
The Kiss Kruise, October 13 to October 17, 2011 – thekisskruise.com – Miami to Half Moon Cay, Nassau on Carnival Destiny
TCM Classic Cruise, December 8 to December 12, 2011 – tcmcruise.com – Miami to Key West, Cozumel on Celebrity Millennium
If you've been on The Rock Boat, VH1 Best Cruise Ever, the 311 Caribbean Cruise, or Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise, then chances are you saw the Trailer Park Ninjas. They're a mix of three talented performers, who throw a party like it's 1999.
They cover an array of music, from Neil Diamond to Snoop Dog, and everything in between. Based out of Columbus, Ohio, these three met on the road. All members of different bands, they realized they were always passed out at the same afterparty; it made sense that they should play music together.
So, how did they get involved with Sixthman? Drummer Dan Edmondson shares his recollection, "We camped outside the Sixthman office and refused to leave until they gave us a cruise. That and the $1000 we gave Kappy finally got us on one! Thanks Kappy!" Which is pretty similar to the actual story, wherein Edmondson performed with Oval Opus on past cruises, and just kept in touch with everyone at Sixthman when Trailer Park Ninjas became cruise-ready.
But what really makes these guys so memorable is their outgoing personality, their responsiveness to everyone around them, and their dedication to throwing the best party on board. When asked about their favorite moment on a Sixthman cruise, Edmondson responded, "On the 311 Cruise this year, we hosted Bingo and about 700 people showed up. They had to simulcast it into two other rooms! We've had such a blast doing bingo. Other than that, late nights in the casino bar on all the cruises have been amazing. The energy is second to none and we love all the awesome people we get to meet and party with every night on the cruise."
As far as future plans for TPN, "we will continue to do what we do," says Edmondson. But in the meantime, "the best way to reach us is to just come to our other gig. We moonlight at Hunk's just outside Columbus on Sunday nights. It's not totally nude but almost." And just maybe we'll see them again somewhere, sometime, on another Sixthman event.
The sound that fills the atrium as you step foot on the ship. The stage on the Lido Deck that looks like it took days to build. The speakers that hang in the main theater so it literally ROCKS. The late-night promenade party that still sounds good as the sun comes up.
These moments (any so many others) are all thanks to our incredible production team that works longer hours, and sweats more, than even the biggest rock star in the midst of their greatest show (even Fred Leblanc).
Here is a glimpse of the different roles that help make every sound happen, on time – and every band happy, all the time - all over the ship.
Production Manager - Rodney: This guy manages the big picture and is constantly troubleshooting to make things seamless to the guest. Never met him? Not many have!
Rodney's team consists of at least two other key members - Matt & Ingrid - helping manage requests from bands, track schedule changes, communicate with Sixthman's team, and work with the ship's staff.
Hospitality Manager - Doug: His responsibility includes working with all the bands & stage crews to ensure they are all kept hydrated – with water and other delicious beverages. A typical cruise order: 200 cases of water, 300 cases of soda, 30 cases of beer (to start!) and all the coolers and ice to go with them.
Ship-Side Production Manager: He (or she?) leads all the production from the ship's side, working hand in hand with our team to provide power, help extend cabling to different areas, get video feeds for sports, and the most important job - load and coordinate the confetti cannons!
Gear Crew: This team of guys labels every piece of each band's equipment, manifests it for customs to approve, and makes sure it's where it needs to be for every show. We have anywhere between 100-200 individual pieces of gear that they are moving between stages.
Stage Managers & Stage Hands: Each stage is "owned" by a Stage Manager, and a team of about 12 Stage Hands is split among them. This team sets up and breaks down each band. The Gear Crew will also use their help when moving bigger bands from stage to stage (aka Kid Rock Lido Deck show to the Main Lounge).
Without all of these roles, your experience as a cruiser, and artists' experience as a performer, wouldn't be nearly the same. So, if you see a black Sixthman 'Crew' shirt, a guy pushing a piece of gear, or someone behind a sound board, make sure to shake their hand or buy them a drink!
- Expect face melting / screaming / lots of jumping
- Don't forget to eat! Thank goodness for 24-hour room service
- No shoes, no shirt, no problem... err just remember your bathing suit
- Mind the three A's... Alcohol, Aspirin, All-you-can-eat
- If you forget your cameras, don't worry! Our photographer, Will Byington, does a great job of capturing the best cruise moments!
- It's totally ok if you never see the inside of your cabin - sleep is overrated
- Sunscreen...the lobster look is so last year
- It's ok to eat soft serve every day...multiple times, especially if it's the chocolate/strawberry combination
- If you're a gambler always hit on 16 at the black jack table (especially if Andy Levine is on the table)
- Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
- Beware of the condition commonly known as Boat Dumb
- Drink an Emergen-C every morning. Trust us, you'll thank us after the cruise
- Remember to Promenade... It can get you anywhere you need to be on the ship
- It's not a MUSTARD station, it's a MUSTER station... and you actually should know where yours is
- Stay up late! You won't want to miss the impromptu late night performances
- Make friends with everyone around you!
Sixthman staffers have listed some of our favorite moments onboard each ship. See if you can match these moments of magic with their cruise.
1) Michael Franti asked everyone to put on their Carnival robes and show up in the main lounge for a "white out" show.
2) Larry Geller shared his stories and hosted the vow renewals for couples that are still very much in love after many years together.
3) Chuck Cannon finished his show on the Magnums stage, and without missing a beat, walking off stage and pied pipered his way up the stairs, down the hallway and into the atrium to jam with Shawn Mullins and friends. The music never stopped!
4) The opening deck show! The crowd was absolutely deafening as the band came out. That's no surprise; since this was the most people we have ever put on a boat!
5) The Mixology class was hosted by a rambunctious redhead, who did so many shots, we were worried she wouldn't be able to play her set that night! Luckily, she's a professional, and gave the performance of her life.
6) What started out with an iPod and 5 people playing shuffleboard, turned into 40 people having a dance party. The craziest late night shuffleboard game ever!
7) Guests were surprised with this year's Lucky Lady contest when the hottest grandma of them all rocked the boat with her out of control dance moves. She danced all the other contestants off the Lido deck.
8) Group High Fives after Finishing a 5k! This was an amazing moment caught by all onboard, as the full ship pulled together with high fives and cheers to motivate their team mates as they finished their 5k.
9) Sixthman staff and band members flash mobbed the Lido deck with "Thriller" for the Halloween theme night.
10) A Fireman romantically proposed to his girlfriend during the main show in the Paris lounge.
A) Ships and Dip
B) Kid Rock Cruise
C) Cayamo
D) The Rock Boat
E) Simple Man Cruise
F) Sailing Southern Ground
G) The Elvis Cruise
H) Ultimate Wellness Cruise
I) 311 Cruise
J) The Vh1 Best Cruise Ever
Answer key: 1:F, 2:G, 3:C, 4:I, 5:E, 6:A, 7:B, 8:H, 9:D, 10:J
We're celebrating 10 years of awesome vacations, and what goes better at a celebration than a toast? We asked all our Facebook friends to tell us what they want us to toast and these were our favorites.
"To the atrium show that closed out TRB-VI, the never-ending jam session with cruisers lining the rails around the upper floors of the atrium and to the 'Where's Waldo' picture that someone took from the top deck that hangs in my house as a reminder of that amazing night!" - Kristen A
"To John and Carl Mayer doing stand up on the MCC2. I'll never look at a deli meat tray the same again." - QH
"To the whole ship jumping up to the beat on the Lido Deck show of the 311 Cruise. To the most amazing feeling of unity and the best vacation EVER!" - Megan C
"To a perfect day filled with beautiful weather, drinks, concert hopping, drinks, good food, drinks, party on the promenade, drinks, and gambling in the casino with drinks. THE BEST CRUISE EVER!!!" - Sheila W
"To Red Hats, Cowboy Hats, being the last ship to leave Miami, and to PARTYING ‘TIL THE SUN COMES UP!" - Rizky R
"Here's to the Elvis Cruise, And a ship called the 'Fascination,' Where the 'rockin and the rollin' beat, Is beyond your imagination." - Linda S
"To Katie Herzig's atrium performance on Cayamo 2010 when almost every performer on the boat joined in on Wish You Well. It was so profound that I still think about it." - Sharon P
In honor of our 10th birthday, we are celebrating our guests! Please take a minute and tell us what you treasured the most about your vacations with us. Tell us about any enduring friendships, amazing moments with artists, or any other awesome memories you have. Submit your stories at this website, and the best ones will be chosen for a yearbook full of the wonderful moments that make your cruise special. Yes, you can have a copy of the book, too! We'll have more details about it this fall. Thanks for sailing with us!
