Music cruises riding a wave of success

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Be it on land or sea, if there's one thing

Sammy Hagar loves more than shooting tequila and playing rock 'n' roll, it's throwing an unforgettable party for his most dedicated fans.

Indeed, after nearly a week of getting "drunk off their asses" during the second annual Are We Having Any Fun Yet? cruise this March, about 750 loyal Hagar supporters will stumble off the Carnival Pride ship to meet the Red Rocker at the dock in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. From there, the next stop is Hagar's Cabo Wabo Cantina for afternoon tequila shots and an exclusive concert from the singer/liquor entrepreneur and his band the Wabos.

"We march (the fans) to the Cabo Wabo through town," Hagar says. "It's kind of like a parade. A couple of thousand locals join in and everybody is singing songs like 'Cabo Wabo' and 'Mas Tequila' -- it's awesome."

Along with such acts as Lynyrd Skynyrd (Gimme 3 Days),

Tim McGraw (Country Cruise Getaway), Sister Hazel (the Rock Boat) and Barenaked Ladies (Ships and Dip), Hagar is one of many acts this year linking with a major cruise line to earn extra cash while taking a break from the road.

A MOVABLE CONCERT

In early January, a time when Skynyrd doesn't usually tour, the group teamed with Sixthman, an Atlanta-based company focusing on creating and developing music-driven events, for the sold-out Gimme 3 Days music cruise to the Bahamas.

Ross Schilling, Skynyrd manager with Vector Management, says the partnership was a win-win for the band and its fans. "It was quite comparable to what Lynyrd Skynyrd would make on a per-show engagement in the United States," he says. Plus, "it really gives your fan base a whole new perspective and a really good vacation at the same time."

Along with three live performances from Skynyrd during the three-day cruise, 2,200 fans who bought tickets ranging between $599 and $1,999 for a two-person cabin were treated to additional concerts from 38 Special and a number of other acts.

Unlike Hagar's cruise, Gimme 3 Days was a full-ship charter, meaning it wasn't part of a larger, nonmusical cruise. Sixthman co-founder Tod Elmore says the company rents boats from Carnival Cruise Lines and pays headliners a flat guarantee with a potential for additional revenue.

One challenge in orchestrating a music cruise is getting acts to commit in advance, which is why Sixthman scheduled Gimme 3 Days, the Rock Boat and Ships and Dip early in the year, when touring is generally slow. "We need a 12- to 14-month lead time," Elmore says. "It's hard for an artist to commit that much time in advance unless they know that they don't have much else going on."

BIG UNDERTAKING

Carnival VP of group sales and administration Cherie Weinstein says the cruise line has seen an increased interest in music-themed cruises during the last four years. But Weinstein cautions acts who are entertaining the idea of chartering ships for live performances.

"It is a large financial commitment," she says. "You're not just putting a concert in a venue. You can't have the 'if you build it, they will come' attitude. You've got to market, market, market and push, push, push."

The cost of renting a Carnival ship depends on the size of the boat, time of the year and number of days, but Weinstein declines to give a price range, saying only that "it's very, very large dollars."

That said, Schilling says the Gimme 3 Days cruise grossed $1.5 million in cabin sales alone, a number that excludes alcohol and merchandise sales.

If there's a company that knows a thing or two about full-ship charter music cruises, it's Jazz Cruises, which currently hosts six on Holland America Line and Carnival. "Every single one has been a sellout," executive director Michael Lazaroff says.

This year's Latin Music Cruise, which sailed in late January, was hosted by Arturo Sandoval, and later in the year Marcus Miller will host the North Sea Jazz Cruise.

Prices are about $4,000-$5,000 for a double-occupancy cabin. The past six Jazz Cruises each have grossed approximately $4.5 million in cabin sales, and the success of the concept is backed by the company's high customer return rate. "We have a 60 percent business repeat level," Lazaroff says. "When it's a full-ship charter, everyone is there for the same reason, and there's a tremendous camaraderie."

Reuters/Billboard