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One of the fastest
growing trends in the cruise industry is the theme cruise market.
These include music cruises, comedy cruises, movie theme cruises,
and lifestyle cruises just to name a few. Many of these themes are
produced by the cruise line in conjunction with a standard cruise,
but the majority of them are now being produced by resale clients
that contract the entertainment etc. and create a one of a kind
experience for the traveler that books their cruise.
 At Worldwide, we
have delivered over 20 full ship charters for the theme cruise
market and also several on a group basis. Chartering a ship offers
the most flexibility as you can change anything and everything,
including the itinerary and the entire onboard program. As a large
group it is still possible to create and deliver a theme program,
however, you must work within the parameters of the scheduled
cruise. The key to producing the group is the hardware and
itinerary. Based on what type of “private” features are required,
we would select only the ships and itineraries that would work.
Once that is determined, the real work begins: inventory
management, venue blocking, and other special provisions to create
the private atmosphere even while being a subset of the ship. We
are your partner in this from start to finish and provide you with
our expertise in this small, but growing, part of the cruise
industry. Many of you have read our reports of one of the longest
tenure music charters, The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, which
we have been proud partners with for over 10 years and 20 charters.
As mentioned earlier, the charter is a completely different delivery
than the “partial charter” or large group. Please continue to read
for the insight on the group delivery.
I recently returned
from a program that operated a theme cruise on Royal Caribbean’s
Independence of the Seas. This particular program featured several
musical acts, comedians and guest speakers. They entertained over
800 of their guests on this Caribbean cruise that called on Grand
Cayman, Falmouth, and Labadee.
Having worked on
several full ship charters, I have learned many things in regards to
production on cruise ships. As discussed above, delivering a group
rather than a full ship charter presents different challenges as we
don’t have autonomy of the ship or the venues. For this reason,
when we produce these events, it is very important to select ships
that will have the proper venues and availability to achieve the
performances while still staying within the normal programming of
the scheduled cruise.
For large scale
programs, it is my opinion that Royal Caribbean has some of the best
hardware. Specifically the Voyager and Freedom class of ships which
represent 7 ships in their family. These ships all feature the
Studio B ice rink which is convertible to a hard floor to create a
great atmosphere for band shows. We were able to use this venue for
full attendance rock concerts, dance parties, and cocktail
reception. This is truly a unique venue that RCI has. Another
bonus on these ships is the large conference center which can be
reserved for the duration of the cruise with proper planning. These
rooms can be arranged into a single large room and up to 4 smaller
rooms, each with private entry and designated A/V support, phone
lines, etc. These large conference centers are great for group
registrations on the first day of the cruise and can then be
converted into rooms for entertainment or meetings. The main
theater can also be utilized around scheduled events and feature the
latest in audio visual support. On this particular program, we
utilized the main theater in the afternoons and some late nights to
avoid conflicts with the scheduled shows on the ships. These ships
also feature some of the most spacious staterooms and suites at
sea. The ability to have various types of accommodations from entry
level interior staterooms to the largest suites is important when
planning a resale event. At over 3000 guests, there is ample
inventory in every type of accommodation. This particular program
featured 2 to 3 private shows or events daily as well as several
secondary events. We were able to create a truly private
environment even though we were not chartering the entire ship. We
can also assist in working to customize shore excursions, VIP
transfers and pre and post hotels.
If your event
requires a full ship or just a smaller venue, we have access to
ships from under 200 guests to over 4000. Worldwide will negotiate
pricing and terms of contract to meet your needs as well as service
your program with a single point of contact for all of the details.
This includes billing and accounting, onboard programming of your
event, dining arrangements, and special needs just to mention a few
aspects. We also provide a truly unbiased purchasing source that
can propose the ships that can handle the event to ensure a
successful event.
At we have
developed the relationships not only with the cruise lines, but also
with several third party companies that specialize in additional
sound and lighting, electrical contracting, and warehousing and
customs clearance for any additional needs required to produce
events that offer everything a land festival can offer with the
additional benefit that of a luxury floating venue, gourmet dining
and various ports of call. On all aspects, we can assist in the
custom delivery for a successful event. Feel free to contact our
office for more information on building a theme cruise or charter. |
