EARLY
EARLY Let's get this party started
Andy Levine played in a band called Waterdog with Jett Beres and Ryan Newell from Sister Hazel. He wasn’t very good, but he booked all the gigs so they let him stay in the band. When the band dissolved in the Spring 1994, Andy began promoting concerts for a local Gainesville club called Richenbachers. Sister Hazel was starting up and Andy had a great relationship with the band so they decided to work together. In 1996, Sister Hazel released an independent album and sold 10,000 copies in 90 days, leading them to sign a record deal with Universal Records. From the beginning, Andy and the band invested heavily in connecting with their fans and organized an official street team to help spread the word about Sister Hazel. In 1997, the band earned a #1 song, “All For You”, which propelled the album to Platinum status. As the band toured, the street team, called “The Hazelnuts”, continued to grow.
Sister Hazel
Promotional shot of the band.
Sister Hazel
Mark and Ryan from Sister Hazel with Andy Levine
Waterdog
Waterdog with Blues Traveler
Waterdog
Andy's band, Waterdog, which included Jett Beres of Sister Hazel, and Sixthman's current CEO, Anthony Diaz.
Waterdog
Andy's band, Waterdog, which included Jett Beres of Sister Hazel, and Sixthman's current CEO, Anthony Diaz.
Sister Hazel
Sister Hazel's "...Somewhere More Familiar" album.
2001
2001 Getting the game plan together
During a weekly message board chat with the Sister Hazel street team, fans requested a weekend hang with the band since they had been working so hard to promote them. Andy relayed the message to the band and they simply said, “lets do it”. Andy didn't know where to start, but while traveling on a flight from New York to Atlanta, fate placed him in the seat next to a travel agent who suggested a cruise. So... we did it! We invited 400 fans on a cruise over Labor Day for what we dubbed, “Rock and Roll at Sea". We had no idea what we were in for, but it was a ton of fun. It was while we were stopped in Key West on that trip that Andy decided he wanted to build a business based on bringing fans and bands on vacation together. The cruise returned, and we soon set our sights on chartering an entire ship for the next year so we could make it a real festival. We called Edwin McCain, Pat McGee, Cowboy Mouth and asked them to join us in 2002. If they could bring 400 fans each, we could fill an entire ship. We began getting prices from cruise lines to rent the ship on September 10th, 2001. The next day, the world changed and a cruise was the last thing we could think about. When we picked conversations back up with the cruise lines, prices had dropped significantly. We still had to come up with $750,000 to rent a ship, and none of us had the money. So we built a website and asked 1,000 fans to put down a $99 deposit, and then took our plan to a local Atlanta businessmen who loaned us the money. We were on our way!
- The Rock Boat I
The Rock Boat
Otherwise known as "Rock & Roll at Sea"
Carnival Jubilee
August 30 - September 3, 2001
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat
Sister Hazel on stage in the main lounge.
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat
Piñatas on the Pool Deck.
The Rock Boat I
The Rock Boat
2002
2002 First full-ship charter
We launched the first Rock Boat and sailed out of Tampa on Labor Day Weekend. We made so many mistakes, but we had over 2000 guests and a festival was born. We even ran out of beer and had to borrow some from another Carnival ship when we were in the Bahamas. Pat McGee led an all night jam playing covers, and Edwin McCain delivered a Braveheart speech while standing on the bar, inspiring the bartender to stay open.
- The Rock Boat II
The Rock Boat 2
Carnival Sensation
August 29 - September 2, 2002
The Rock Boat II
Guests hang out on the plank in the pool between shows.
The Rock Boat II
Sister Hazel fans unite on board.
The Rock Boat
Ken Block of Sister Hazel on the pool deck, before we had an actual stage.
The Rock Boat II
Pat McGee on the Pool Deck.
The Rock Boat II
Late night collaboration.
The Rock Boat II
Chuck Carrier on stage.
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat II
Sister Hazel makes an appearance at their fan club meet-up.
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat
The Rock Boat II
Andy with Gnorman the Gnome.
The Rock Boat
Brian Fechino of Pat McGee Band.
2003
2003 This may just be a good idea
We couldn’t wait to announce the next Rock Boat. We invited a lot of the same bands and Tonic jumped in on the fun. The event grew a little, but it didn't sell out. It was a lot of risk and work, so we had a meeting afterwards to vote whether to keep it going or shut it down. In the end, we determined that we'd give it one more year.
- The Rock Boat III
The Rock Boat III
Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth.
The Rock Boat III
Francisco Vidal and Edwin McCain share the stage.
The Rock Boat III
Guests get ready for the Safety Drill, which used to require wearing life jackets.
The Rock Boat III
Despite being full-festival style these days, The Rock Boat used to require wristbands to get into some of the main lounge shows. Shows were assigned based on guests' dinner time.
The Rock Boat III
Guests get their posters signed at an artist meet & greet.
The Rock Boat III
Collaboration finale.
The Rock Boat III
Ken and Drew of Sister Hazel.
The Rock Boat III
Ryan Newell & Brian Fechino jam.
The Rock Boat III
Guests line an upper deck, looking down on the show below.
The Rock Boat III
Carnival Sensation
August 28 - September 1, 2003
2004
2004 Narrowing our focus
We put The Rock Boat on sale in November of 2003 and it sold out within a few weeks. The hard work and patience had paid off. Gavin DeGraw joined us for this sailing with 20+ other artists. Zac Brown performed on his first cruise with us after winning a Battle of the Bands contest in the Southeast. We were learning so much about producing a vacation rather than just a concert. We didn’t have to vote anymore about whether to do it or not. The Rock Boat was here to stay, and we even ventured into producing a similar festival at a ski resort in Colorado, and called it The Rock Slope.
- The Rock Slope I ·
- The Rock Boat IV
The Rock Slope
Steamboat Grand Resort
March 20-23, 2004
The Rock Boat IV
Carnival Imagination
October 7-11, 2004
The Rock Slope I
Rock Slopers from a land far, far away.
The Rock Slope I
Welcome sign at the Steamboat Grand Resort.
The Rock Slope I
Guests hang out in the hot tub.
The Rock Boat IV
Guests report to their muster stations for the safety drill.
The Rock Boat IV
Chardy crowd surfs.
The Rock Boat IV
Zac Brown becomes a late night staple on the Promenade Stage.
The Rock Boat IV
Artists wrote lyrics on guitars that were part of a silent auction benefiting Lyrics for Life.
The Rock Boat IV
Our CEO Andy, trying to look official.
The Rock Boat IV
The Rock Boat IV
Will Hoge's first Rock Boat.
The Rock Boat IV
The Rock Boat IV
Pre-Party at the hotel pool.
The Rock Boat IV
A fancy cucumber creation.
The Rock Boat IV
Toga Party by Toons.
The Rock Slope I
The Rock Slope I
Sister Hazel
The Rock Slope I
2005
2005 Caught in the eye of the storm
The Rock Boat was set to sail out of New Orleans at the end of September and sold out months in advance. We decided to add a 2nd Rock Boat in January of 2006, thinking we would have one event every 6 months. One month before we were scheduled to sail, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and Carnival rented our ship to FEMA so they could use it to house relief workers and families that had lost their homes. The Rock Boat was cancelled. We were sure we'd go out of business. Even though the cruise line owed us our charter fee back, we were still out all the money in marketing, artist fees and a year's worth of general operating costs. After a trip to Miami, Carnival agreed to pay us all our unrecoverable expenses and allow us to stay in business. Guests were calling us saying, “keep our money... just don’t go out of business." This is when we realized we were in the community business, and that was a defining moment for sure. In an effort to make the best of a bad situation, we invited guests and artists to Atlanta during the weekend we were supposed to be on the cruise, and 500 guests traveled to "Rock For Relief," a concert with most of the bands scheduled to play on board. We ended up raising $55,000 for Hurricane Katrina Relief that weekend. At the end of December, Andy got a call from the Barenaked Ladies manager asking if we could help them host their fans on a cruise. We said “We’ve been waiting on your call.” We also decided that we would no longer represent Sister Hazel as a management client, but help them find a new manager and continue being their partner on The Rock Boat.
- The Rock Slope II ·
- The Rock Boat V (cancelled)
Rock For Relief · Rock Fore! Dough
The Rock Slope II
Steamboat Grand Resort
March 17-20, 2005
Rock For Relief
Sister Hazel spends the day in Atlanta's Piedmont Park playing kickball and other games with fans.
Rock For Relief
Zac Brown performs at Park Tavern in Atlanta, where displaced Rock Boaters gathered to raise money for Katrina victims.
Rock For Relief
Francisco Vidal performs at Park Tavern in Atlanta, where displaced Rock Boaters gathered to raise money for Katrina victims.
Rock For Relief
Sixthman Jen pitches during the Rock For Relief kickball game.
Rock For Relief
Cowboy Mouth performs at Earthlink Live along with other Rock Boat artists.
Rock Fore Dough
Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish.
Rock Fore Dough
Rock Fore Dough
Rock Fore Dough
Rock Fore Dough
Rock Fore Dough
Edwin McCain takes the stage.
2006
2006 Turning it back up again
The Rock Boat was hosted in January out of Galveston, TX due to the port of New Orleans still being closed from Hurricane Katrina. We allowed guests who had been booked on the cancelled TRB V to transfer to TRB VI, and ended up with a great crowd on board. One day, we hit some bad weather on the way back from Mexico and had to move all the shows indoors. The band Wideawake stole the show by playing in the Atrium as guests lined the railings of 7 storeis and stayed there for 2 hours. On the last night of the cruise, Sister Hazel kicked off a jam and every artist from the lineup got up and played one song. It went 'til 6:00am as we pulled back into Galveston. Sister Hazel brought their new manager on the cruise and he liked it so much he asked us if we could do a cruise for his other band Lynyrd Skynyrd. This was an exciting time for us, but the idea of doing 3 cruises in a year totally freaked us out. Each one was like giving birth - just as painful and just as rewarding.
That summer, we took The Rock Boat on the road for the first time and produced a bus tour called The Rock Bus, featuring two of The Rock Boat's most popular acts from that year, Wideawake and Zack Brown Band.
- The Rock Boat VI ·
- The Rock Slope III
The Rock Bus · Rock Fore! Dough
The Rock Boat VI
Carnival Elation
January 14-19, 2006
The Rock Slope '06
Steamboat Grand Resort
March 29 - April 2, 2006
The Rock Boat VI
Wideawake creating magic in the atrium after we missed a port, and their outdoor show was rained out.
The Rock Boat VI
The year we discovered the atrium as a venue.
The Rock Boat VI
Carbon Leaf lost their luggage. Luckily the ship had tuxedo rentals, so the band was stuck with that until we reached our port. Which we missed.
The Rock Slope II
Ready to hit the slopes.
The Rock Slope II
Sister Hazel signing someone's jeans.
The Rock Slope II
Snow Bunnies.
The Rock Boat VI
Gaelic Storm PJ show.
The Rock Boat VI
Barry from Carbon Leaf and Chardy McEwan of Pat McGee Band jamming.
The Rock Boat VI
Guests chill out in the hot tub, despite the rainy weather.
The Rock Boat VI
Crowd gathered on the Pool Deck for Marc Broussard's show.
The Rock Boat VI
Ken Block's acoustic set.
The Rock Boat VI
Sister Hazel ended their last show in the main lounge by leading the entire crowd into the atrium, which culminated into a huge jam, complete with confetti.
The Rock Slope II
Having fun in the massive hot tubs.
The Rock Slope II
Showing off some fresh Sharpie ink.
2007
2007 Going in some new fun directions
Going from one cruise a year to three in one month was overwhelming. Lynyrd Skynyrd went first followed by the the Rock Boat and then the Barenaked Ladies. We pulled it off and both Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Barenaked Ladies committed to doing it again because they loved it so much. That was a huge moment to see all three events become annual festivals instead of just one-offs. That’s when we really knew we had a business we could build. Within a few months of completing these festivals, John Mayer agreed to do a cruise and we decided to start another festival of our own, Cayamo, a singer-songwriter based event conceived by Ken Levitan who managed Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller.
- Gimme Three Days ·
- The Rock Boat VII ·
- Ships and Dip I -
Rock Fore! Dough
Gimme Three Days
Lynyrd Skynyrd hosts an autograph session.
Gimme Three Days
Heather Luttrell collaborates with Zac Brown.
The Rock Boat VII
Emerson Hart and Drew Copeland.
The Rock Boat VII
Captain Ezra. (Better Than Ezra)
Gimme Three Days
Lynyrd Skynyrd's first Q&A with guests.
Gimme Three Days
Family Photo.
The Rock Boat VII
Guests watch a band on the pool deck stage.
The Rock Boat VII
Cowboy Mouth's last show of the trip, complete with a drum circle finale.
The Rock Boat VII
Sonia Tetlow and Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth.
The Rock Boat VII
Marc Broussard, Andy Levine, Chris Stacy, Ryan Newell and Jett Beres.
The Rock Boat VII
Carbon Leaf calls numbers for Bingo.
The Rock Boat VII
Zac Brown signs a guests' guitar at a meet & greet.
The Rock Boat VII
Artist collaboration on the final night.
The Rock Boat VII
Impromptu jam at the piano on the Promenade Deck.
The Rock Boat VII
Scott Munns plays on the Atrium Stage.
The Rock Boat VII
Collective Soul participates in an autograph signing.
Gimme Three Days
Ken Block of Sister Hazel with Zac Brown Band.
Gimme Three Days
Excited for Lynyrd Skynyrd to take the stage.
Ships and Dip I
Carnival Legend
January 15-19, 2007
Sixthman's first try at back-to-back cruises.
The Rock Boat VII
Carnival Legend
January 11-15, 2007
Gimme 3 Days
Carnival Fascination
January 5-8, 2007
2008
2008 SOS we did too much
With 10 months to prepare, we felt that producing 5 cruises in one month was doable. In the end, it nearly brought us to our knees. The funny thing about our experience is that we were constantly in a position with our guests where we were asking them for a chance to make something right. While it took a huge emotional and physical toll on all of us, that experience had a profound impact on how we would prepare, staff and anticipate our guests' needs in the future. It’s almost like we had to go through that to see what we were made of. It also allowed our guests to see what we were made of. We never gave up and did not rest until all our guests were back on track. We still reflect back on this year as the one that defined what our recipe needed to be in order to grow without compromising the quality of the experience. Our new cruises this year, Cayamo and Mayercraft Carrier, proved to be great experiences and both signed on again for the following year. At the end of 2008, Sixthman had outgrown the little yellow house we used as an office since 2004, and moved into a bigger space next to the Zoo in Atlanta.
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- The Rock Boat VIII ·
- Ships and Dip III - ·
- Mayercraft Carrier ·
- Cayamo
Rock Fore! Dough · Sixthman Sessions
The Rock Boat VIII
TRB Family Photo.
Mayercraft Carrier
John Mayer takes the stage on the Pool Deck.
Cayamo
Keith Sewell and Lyle Lovett.
Simple Man Cruise 2008
Sometimes even Guitar Heroes play Guitar Hero. Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd battles against a young fan.
Sixthman Sessions 2008
Our first Sixthman-hosted songwriting retreat took place in Augusta, GA.
Ships and Dip III
Fans prepare for Barenaked Ladies to take the stage.
Cayamo 2008
Banjos and bananas.
Cayamo
Fans enjoys an atrium show.
Mayercraft Carrier
John Mayer on the Pool Deck.
Simple Man Cruise
Guests pose for a photo with Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Simple Man Cruise
Lynyrd Skynyrd fans ready to sail into the sunset.
The Rock Boat VIII
Our very first "sessions" collaboration set, just for Rock Boat Alumni.
The Rock Boat VIII
Stephen Kellogg finishes his set in the crowd.
The Rock Boat VIII
DJ Marc Broussard.
The Rock Boat VIII
Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket with fans.
The Rock Boat VIII
Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel hosts a flip cup tournament with Josh Kelley.
The Rock Boat VIII
A crowd fills the atrium for a show.
The Rock Boat VIII
Zac Brown makes an appearance in the finale collaboration.
The Rock Boat VIII
The Rock Boat VIII
Artist vs. Artist Trivia
The Rock Boat VIII
Drew Copeland and Josh Kelly host a flip cup tournament.
Ships and Dip III
Ships and Dip III
Ships and Dip III
Cayamo
Carnival Victory
February 4-10, 2008
Sixthman Retreat
Sixthman staff pyramid.
Sixthman Retreat
Sixthman staff group photo.
Mayercraft Carrier
Carnival Victory
February 1-4, 2008
Ships and Dip III
Carnival Victory
January 27 - February 1, 2008
Technically the second Ships and Dip, though Barenaked Ladies decided to call it the third.
The Rock Boat VIII
Carnival Imagination
January 19-24, 2008
Simple Man Cruise 2008
Carnival Imagination
January 10-14, 2008
2009
2009 Now we groovin'
We applied our lessons from 2008 and were able to execute the Simple Man Cruise, The Rock Boat, Ships & Dip, Cayamo and Mayercraft Carrier to our standards. We had only worked with Carnival in the past but selected Norwegian Cruise Line to host two of our cruises this year. The idea of going to a new cruise line was daunting but our team did an excellent job. Getting to work with two different cruise lines helped us learn much quicker and would end up being worth the extra work to build relationships and understand two styles. This was also the first time we jumped up to bigger ships, going from 2,200 person capacity ships to 2,800 person capacity ships. Our team used the term “huggable” to describe the difference between the smaller ships and the bigger ships. We felt like somewhere in the 2,500 person range, it lost a little bit of intimacy. Since then, we've mainly used the smaller ships because it felt like more of a "huggable" family.
That fall, we added one more new event to the roster with The Elvis Cruise, a partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises.
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- The Rock Boat IX ·
- Ships and Dip V - ·
- Cayamo ·
- Mayercraft Carrier ·
- The Elvis Cruise
Rock Fore! Dough · Sixthman Sessions
Cayamo
John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett.
Mayercraft Carrier 2
John Mayer greets fans.
The Rock Boat IX
Aslyn and Zac Brown sing their duet, "Trying to Drive."
The Elvis Cruise 2009
Elvis Tribute Artists represent the various stages of Elvis' life.
Shps and Dip V
And the crowd goes wild.
The Rock Boat IX
Wideawake performs during the Presidential Inauguration.
Mayercraft Carrier 2
John Mayer on the Pool Deck.
The Elvis Cruise 2009
Fans swoon as performers pay tribute to The King.
Ships and Dip V
The Rock Boat IX
All Rock Boat artists singing "We Are The World" as the grand finale.
The Rock Boat IX
Stephen Kellogg perfects 'the lift' after performing "Time Of My Life."
The Rock Boat IX
Sister Hazel performs an "Island Set" as we sail away from our port stop.
The Rock Boat IX
Backstage antics with some artists.
The Rock Boat IX
Guests celebrate Rubiks Cube Night.
The Elvis Cruise 2009
Carnival Inspiration
November 12-16, 2009
Mayercraft Carrier 2
Carnival Splendor
March 27-31, 2009
Cayamo 2009
Norwegian Dawn
February 28 - March 7, 2009
Ships and Dip V
Norwegian Jewel
February 1-6, 2009
Barenaked Ladies' third event despite the "V" name, and Sixthman's first charter with Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Simple Man Cruise 2009
Carnival Destiny
January 8-12, 2009
The Rock Boat IX
Carnival Destiny
January 17-22, 2009
2010
2010 Getting stronger in more ways than one
After holding at 5-6 festivals a year in 2008 and 2009 to build our foundation and process, we had the opportunity to take on new events in 2010. We moved all but two cruises to Tampa and spread them out over 5 months to give ourselves a better chance for success. We brought the VH1, Zac Brown Band and Kid Rock cruises to life for the first time and we also ventured into lifestyle cruising with a Jillian Michaels Cruise. One highlight during this year was when Kid Rock decided to get on the Ship’s PA System at 1:30 in the morning to invite all the guests up to the pool deck for a party while he DJ’d for 3 hours. We also achieved a milestone by celebrating the 10th Rock Boat, which was still going strong as our flagship event.
- The Rock Boat X ·
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- Cayamo ·
- VH1 Best Cruise Ever ·
- Kid Rock Cruise ·
- Malt Shop Memories ·
- Sailing Southern Ground ·
- Ultimate Wellness Cruise ·
- The Elvis Cruise
Sixthman Sessions
The Rock Boat X
Sister Hazel and Sixthman celebrates 10 years with a giant "X" cake.
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise 2010
Kid Rock and his fans on the inaugural sailing.
Cayamo 2010
Guests dancing on the pool deck.
Simple Man Cruise 2010
The infamous Simple Man Cruise bellyflop contest.
Malt Shop Memories Cruise
Malt Shop Mike on deck.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever
Lifehouse turns their rained-out pool deck show into one of the most unforgettable moments of the trip by taking over the Atrium.
Sailing Southern Ground
Guests pose for the "Zamily" photo.
Jillian MIchaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise
A guest from the Red Deck Wars team at an outdoor cycling class.
Cayamo 2010
Brandi Carlile in the Stardust Theater.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever
Sixthman says relax. The staff celebrates '80s Night.
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise 2010
Sixthman staff gets ready for the first ever Kid Rock Sail Away show.
Cayamo
Lyle Lovett.
Jillian MIchaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise
One of the youngest passengers participates in a group workout with Jillian.
Jillian MIchaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise
The Deck Wars Pep Rally & Sail Away Party.
Jillian MIchaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise
Guests take part in a group workout on Great Stirrup Cay.
The Rock Boat X
Sixthman staff dressed up for St. Patrick's Day.
The Elvis Cruise 2010
Carnival Fascination
November 4-8, 2010
Jillian Michaels Ultimate Wellness Cruise
Norwegian Star
October 21-25, 2010
Sailing Southern Ground
Carnival Inspiration
September 2-6, 2010
Malt Shop Memories Cruise
Carnival Inspiration
May 13-17, 2010
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise
Carnival Inspiration
April 29 - May 3, 2010
VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2010
Carnival Inspiration
April 15-19, 2010
Cayamo 2010
Norwegian Dawn
February 21-26, 2010
Simple Man Cruise 2010
Carnival Inspiration
January 21-25, 2010
The Rock Boat X
Carnival Inspiration
January 7-11, 2010
2011
2011 Moving in the right direction
Kid Rock and VH1 returned for their 2nd year and we were fortunate to be able to start partnerships with 311, KISS and Turner Classic Movies to create new festivals. 311’s fans crashed our servers for the first time ever during their presale signups, but the band and their excitable fans created the most amazing, energy-filled atmosphere for any Sail Away Show we had ever witnessed. KISS attracted fans from 30 countries and performed a 2 hour "unmasked and unplugged" set for their first Sail Away Show. Our first film festival with TCM gave us a chance to work with Celebrity Cruise Line and earn our first non-music driven sold out cruise.
After our spring events ended, we worked with our new sponsor, Cabo Wabo Tequila to plan Sixthman's Summer Road Trip, our second-ever bus tour. We loved the idea of bringing some artist favorites from the cruises to guests in their hometowns!
- The Rock Boat XI ·
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- Ships and Dip 4 - ·
- Cayamo ·
- 311 Caribbean Cruise ·
- Kid Rock Cruise ·
- VH1 Best Cruise Ever ·
- Rombello ·
- The KISS Kruise I ·
- TCM Classic Cruise
Sixthman's Summer Road Trip · Sixthman Sessions
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock takes the stage for the Sail Away show.
311 Caribbean Cruise
Nick Hexum of 311.
Rombello
Michael Franti on the Pool Deck.
Cayamo
Guests dance as the sun sets on the Pool Deck.
Ships and Dip IV
Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies.
The KISS Kruise
A KISS fan sunbathes in full makeup.
The KISS Kruise
A guest shows off their KISS Kruise tattoo.
Rombello
Guests stay cool in the pool for the afternoon Pool Deck shows.
311 Caribbean Cruise
311's Sail Away Show.
311 Caribbean Cruise
311's Sail Away Show.
311 Caribbean Cruise
Andy gets the crowd pumped up.
311 Caribbean Cruise
The 311 Cheerleaders.
The KISS Kruise
KISS face painting - one of the many activities available onboard.
The KISS Kruise
KISS plays an unmasked, acoustic set as we sail away from Miami.
The KISS Kruise
Rockin' the KISS sunglasses during the Sail Away show.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever
Danny O'Donoghue of The Script judges the cannonball contest.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever
Colbie Callait performs on the Pool Deck.
VH1 Best Cruise Ever
Yacht Rock Revue.
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock look-a-like contest.
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock poses with fans.
Ships and Dip IV
Barenaked Ladies on stage.
Ships and Dip IV
Kevin Hearn of Barenaked Ladies.
Cayamo
Cayamo family photo.
Cayamo
Simple Man Cruise 2011
Viking Kappy.
Simple Man Cruise 2011
Sail Away group with Kappy the Viking.
Simple Man Cruise 2011
Alumni group shot.
Sixthman Summer Road Trip
Sixthman Summer Roadtrip Crew in Chicago. Chuck Cannon, Tim Brantley, Trailer Park Ninjas and Sixthman.
Sixthman Summer Road Trip
Tour bus dance party.
Sixthman Summer Road Trip
Sixthman Jen with longtime Rock Boater, Gail.
Sixthman Summer Road Trip
Featuring Bronze Radio Return, Chuck Cannon, Tim Brantley, and Trailer Park Ninjas. With stops in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Chapel Hill, DC, Boston, NYC, Philly, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Nashville.
TCM Classic Cruise
Celebrity Millennium
December 8-12, 2011
The KISS Kruise
Carnival Destiny
October 13-17, 2011
Rombello
Carnival Inspiration
September 29 - October 3, 2011
VH1 Best Cruise Ever 2011
Carnival Inspiration
April 28 - May 2, 2011
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise 2011
Carnival Triumph
April 7-11, 2011
311 Caribbean Cruise
Carnival Destiny
March 3-7, 2011
Cayamo 2011
Norwegian Pearl
February 13-20, 2011
Sixthman's first trip on The Pearl.
Ships and Dip 4
Norwegian Dawn
February 6-11, 2011
Simple Man Cruise 2011
Carnival Inspiration
January 20-24, 2011
The Rock Boat XI
Carnival Inspiration
January 6-10, 2011
2012
2012 The missing puzzle piece
In the summer of 2011, we were approached by Norwegian Cruise Line to become a part of their family via an acquisition. After months of discussions and negotiations, we agreed to become a Norwegian owned subsidiary in February of 2012. We produced 8 cruises in 2012. It was less than 2011, but our roster was strong - The Rock Boat, Simple Man Cruise, KISS Kruise, 311 Cruise, Cayamo, TCM and Kid Rock Cruise were all solid, recurring annual events. We wrapped up our 3-year stint with Graceland, our partners for the Elvis Cruises, and also enjoyed the adventure of bringing the 1st Weezer Cruise to life. This year, we were finally able to bring The Rock Boat back to New Orleans, after our "unfinished business" there in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina.
- The Elvis Cruise ·
- The Weezer Cruise ·
- Cayamo ·
- The Rock Boat XII ·
- Kid Rock Cruise ·
- 311 Caribbean Cruise ·
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- The KISS Kruise II
Sixthman Sessions
The Rock Boat XII
Pre-Party: Guests parade through the streets of New Orleans led by a brass band.
Cayamo 2012
Guests perform in an elevator.
Kid Rock Cruise
Fans gather for Kid Rock's show in Redneck Paradise.
The Weezer Cruise
Sail Away Weezer Show, featuring Greatest Hits and the Blue Album.
The Rock Boat XII
Sixthman teams up with the St. Bernard Project and cruise guests to help rebuild houses in New Orleans before setting sail.
The Rock Boat XII
Celebrating the first-ever Sixthman sail away shot with Cabo Wabo Tequila.
The Rock Boat XII
Pre-Party: Guests parade through the streets of New Orleans led by a brass band.
The Rock Boat XII
Jett Beres of Sister Hazel takes part in the first ever TRB Grilled Cheese-Off.
The Rock Boat XII
Guests volunteer with St. Bernard Project the day before we leave New Orleans.
The Rock Boat XII
Guests earn a Track Jacket on their 10th TRB sailing.
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock takes the stage.
Kid Rock Cruise
Guests enjoy Kid Rock's beach show from the ocean.
Simple Man Cruise VI
Members of Lynyrd Skynyrd judge the bellyflop contest.
Simple Man Cruise VI
Dale Rossington gets ready for her vow renewal ceremony with Gary, a surprise event to guests.
Simple Man Cruise VI
Lana Turner hosts a Halloween pumpkin carving contest.
Simple Man Cruise VI
Detroit artist, Jeff Shea, tattoos guests on board.
The Weezer Cruise
The Weezer Cruise
The Weezer Cruise
The Weezer flag emerges from the crowd.
The KISS Kruise II
Norwegian Pearl
October 31 - November 4, 2012
Simple Man Cruise 2012
Norwegian Pearl
October 27-31, 2012
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise 2012
Carnival Destiny
April 26-30, 2012
The Rock Boat XII
Carnival Elation
March 1-5, 2012
311 Caribbean Cruise 2012
Carnival Destiny
May 10-14, 2012
Cayamo 2012
Norwegian Pearl
February 5-12, 2012
The Weezer Cruise
Carnival Destiny
January 19-23, 2012
The Elvis Cruise 2012
Carnival Fascination
January 12-16, 2012
2013
2013 The beat goes on
Norwegian made investments in the Norwegian Pearl to make it more “Music Cruise Friendly” and we moved all of our cruises over in 2013. It was nice to be such a priority on board and be able to work closer with the ship to deliver a world class experience to our guests and artists. While our guests preferred the Norwegian Pearl, there were little things that they missed from other ships we had used. We worked quickly to identify those things and fill the gaps to make it a better vacation overall. We realized the ship had 1200 crew members and we only showed up with 80 staff to work alongside them for each Sixthman sailing, and finding ways to allow them to be more engaged made a huge difference. There are 14 of them for every one of us, so we appreciated them having the enthusiasm needed to make our festivals happen. This year we added two new festivals to our lineup - ALABAMA Festival at Sea and our first bluegrass event, Mountain Song at Sea.
- Cayamo ·
- TCM Classic Cruise - Jan ·
- Mountain Song at Sea ·
- The Rock Boat XIII ·
- 311 Caribbean Cruise ·
- Kid Rock Cruise ·
- Simple Man Cruise ·
- ALABAMA Festival at Sea ·
- The KISS Kruise III ·
- Rombello
The KISS Kruise III
Kids meet & greet with KISS.
311 Caribbean Cruise
311 and their fans during their first-ever nighttime pool deck show.
ALABAMA Festival at Sea
Randy Owen of Alabama at the ALABAMA Sail Away show.
Simple Man Cruise VII
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackberry Smoke collaboration.
The KISS Kruise III
KISS Sail Away Show, acoustic and unmasked.
The Rock Boat XIII
NEEDTOBREATHE performs on the Pool Deck.
311 Caribbean Cruise
DJ Soulman keeps the vibe lively on the Pool Deck.
Cayamo
Artists perform a tribute to Levon Helm.
The KISS Kruise III
Kids dress up for the KISS look-alike contest.
The KISS Kruise III
Kids meet & greet with KISS.
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock's island set on Great Stirrup Cay.
Mountain Song at Sea
Guests dance.
Rombello
Guests dress up as the official Rombello bird for a costume contest.
311 Caribbean Cruise
Guests enjoy a show from the hot tub.
311 Caribbean Cruise
Guests dress up for Costume Party Night.
The Rock Boat XIII
Finalists in the very first game of Boozical Chairs with Stokeswood.
The Rock Boat XIII
Love Hope Strength sails to register guests as bone marrow donors.
Simple Man Cruise VII
Rickey Medlocke and Johnny Colt of Lynyrd Skynyrd have dinner with winners of a pre-cruise recipe contest.
The Rock Boat XIII
Sister Hazel performs "Washy Washy, Happy Happy" with NCL staff.
Simple Man Cruise VII
Lynyrd Skynyrd performs the Sail Away show on the Pool Deck.
Kid Rock Cruise
Kid Rock plays a beach show at Great Stirrup Cay.
ALABAMA Festival at Sea
Alabama fans play Battleshots on Great Stirrup Cay.
Mountain Song at Sea
Horseshoe tournament on Great Stirrup Cay.
Rombello 2
DJ Soulman starts a full blown mid-afternoon dance party while it storms outside.
Rombello 2
Norwegian Pearl
November 1-5, 2013
The KISS Kruise III
Norwegian Pearl
October 28 - November 1, 2013
Alabama & Friends Festival at Sea
Norwegian Pearl
October 24-28, 2013
Simple Man Cruise 2013
Norwegian Pearl
October 20-24, 2013
Kid Rock's Chillin' the Most Cruise 2013
Norwegian Pearl
March 6-10, 2013
311 Caribbean Cruise 2013
Norwegian Pearl
March 1-5, 2013
The Rock Boat XIII
Norwegian Pearl
February 24 - March 1, 2013
Mountain Song at Sea
Norwegian Sky
February 1-4, 2013
TCM Classic Cruise 2013
Celebrity Constellation
January 21-26, 2013
Cayamo 2013
Norwegian Pearl
January 13-20, 2013