Imagine being in a cruise ship lounge, surrounded by 1,000 face-painted KISS fans-and the real KISS. Or, imagine making small talk at the sushi bar with sports legend Ken Griffey, Sr. Or taking a scenic sail past the glaciers of Southern Chile as you sit in on a Q&A session with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. What do all of these experiences have in common? They're all available on theme cruises.
Nowadays, there are cruises organized around just about every interest, from country music to quilting to Harley Davidsons. Theme cruises have been around about as long as leisure cruising. Cruise lines began organizing themes to add entertainment value to long voyages. Today, they make up about 10 percent of all cruises, according to the Cruise Line International Association.
"There is probably a theme cruise for almost every interest," says Paul Lasley, co-host of Internet radio show OnTravel.com. But not every trend adapts easily to theme cruising. A 2009 Cougar Cruise attracted a group of about 300 older women and younger men, but Carnival Cruise Lines chose not to repeat it after it earned the company bad publicity. "The families on board weren't too appreciative of the cougars who were all trying to get hooked up," says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of cruisecritic.com.
On the other hand, a 2010 Twilight-themed cruise to Alaska attracted almost 600 passengers and spawned a series of vampire cruises. In theme cruising, success is all about bringing people together who share a common interest. "It's fun sharing a ship with passengers who understand and even share your passion," says Karin Muller of the Netherlands, who is looking forward to her second vampire cruise.
Intrigued? We've spotlighted three cruises, each with a different theme, that are trending big for 2013.
Top Chef: The Cruise
Key West, Cozumel | April 11-15 | topchefthecruise.com
For anyone who has watched a reality TV food competition and longed for taste-o-vision, this cruise is for you. One part drama, one part mouth-watering cuisine, plus memorable personalities makes the perfect recipe for this cruise based on the Emmy-winning reality show Top Chef. The best part? You get a chance to taste the creations whipped up to wow the judges.
The first-ever sailing of Top Chef: The Cruise gives up to 2,000 passengers the chance to watch some of their favorite chefs whisk, grate and mince their way through cooking challenges and demonstrations and then taste the results. All this while sailing round-trip from Miami with stops in Key West and Cozumel.
This full-ship charter aboard Celebrity's Constellation is hosted by two of the Bravo show's most-recognized stars, judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, and features 15 former cheftestants, including season six finalist Jennifer Carroll and season nine's Paul Qui.
Hal Roseman, president of Rose Tours, the company organizing the cruise with Bravo Media, promises cruisers quality time with the stars through planned events like Q&A sessions and a dance party deejayed by Top Chef Masters and acclaimed French chef Hubert Keller. There will also be opportunities for chance encounters with the show's personalities. "They'll be with them for four nights and five days," says Roseman. "The chefs will be around the ship."
Jennifer Esbensen of Spring City, Pa., has been on three of Rose Tours' New Kids on the Block theme cruises (the company's most popular cruise). She says that on those cruises, there was an itinerary chock-full of events to keep passengers busy, but also opportunities for run-ins with the stars. On the day she arrived for her second NKOTB cruise, she and her friends left the cabin door open as they settled in. "Donnie Wahlberg walked right into our room," she says. "You get to see a different side of them. You get to see them being silly and hear about their families."
Vamps at Sea
Alaska, Canada | Aug. 24-31 | vampsatsea.com
This Alaskan cruise departing from Seattle caters to fans of the sparkling vampire genre, in other words Twilight. This is the sequel to the successful 2010 Twi cruise, and organizer Linda Wolf expects a group of a few hundred passengers who span generations, due to the wide appeal of Stephenie Meyer's young-adult book series. Mary Cooper of Shirley, Mass., went on the 2010 cruise with her teenage daughter. The duo "enjoyed not knowing anyone when we boarded, then meeting people with the same interests and leaving the cruise with new friends," she says.
That's the major appeal of this cruise. In addition to meeting actors from the Twilight movies-Michael Welch, who played a Forks high-schooler, and Judy Shekoni, who played the leader of the Amazonian vampires, will be on this sailing-cruisers get the instant sense that they are among friends. "On a normal cruise, you can often feel lost in the shuffle.
On a themed cruise, you have specific individualized events that make you feel part of a community," says Charlene Ruell, who lives in Norwich, England
In case the pale skin and fangs don't give it away on costume night, Vamps at Sea cruisers will carry ID badges that get them into themed events closed to other passengers on Holland America's Westerdam. But everyone will be able to take advantage of all ship amenities and participate in shore excursions during Alaskan stops in Juneau, Glacier Bay, Sitka and Ketchikan and Victoria in Canada.
And for Twi-hard fans, Wolf has planned an optional three-night side trip before the ship departs to Forks and LaPush, Wash. that includes visits to sites described in the book.
Still photo from the TV show 'Soul Train.'
(Photo: Soul Train Holdings)
Soul Train Cruise
Mexico | Oct. 5-12 | soultraincruise.com
This cruise is a pure re-creation of the beloved music show Soul Train aboard Holland America's Westerdam. "Soul Train is more than music, more than a cruise," says Michael Lazaroff, executive director of Entertainment Cruise Productions. "It's an iconic piece of our culture."
The effort begins with an impressive lineup featuring timeless artists like Gladys Knight and Earth, Wind & Fire, as well artists from many of the genres featured over Soul Train's 35-year run, including Con Funk Shun's new-wave funk to Jody Watley's pop and Biz Markie's hip-hop.
Nearly 20 acts will play as the full-ship charter sails south from San Diego, with stops in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Lazaroff calls it "festival-style," with multiple shows and activities going on around the ship at the same time. There will also be a tribute to the show's legendary creator and host, Don Cornelius.
It's a chance to "spend seven days with 2,000 people who are totally dedicated to this concept, and share time on the ship with the performers," says Lazaroff.
Greg Brogdon, a passenger from Phoenix who was on the first Soul Train Cruise, is looking forward to spending a week with others who share the same fond memories of spending Saturday mornings with Don Cornelius and the musicians and dancers of Soul Train. "There's a bond you have over the music," he says. "Going on the cruise is about reliving that part of your life."
Brogdon is also excited about the access he'll have to some of his favorite artists. After the eight Smooth Jazz cruises he's taken with ECP, he knows that in addition to arranged opportunities to interact with the performers, he's likely to have chance encounters. On a previous Smooth Jazz cruise, he ended up sitting at the bar talking football with Kim Waters, a famed saxophonist. On another occasion, he got to have lunch with George Duke and his wife by happenstance.
It's easy to see why theme cruisers love having this access to beloved musicians and personalities. But what about the performers? How do they feel trapped on a boat with fans? "They love it," says Lazaroff. In general, the people who sail on theme cruises are genuinely interested in their work, and it gives the artists a chance to make meaningful connections with fans. "Plus, it's just fun to perform for an audience having a blast."
Source: USA Today (includes links to further information)
