stingrock23 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I know it's been a while, but this should have been posted a few weeks ago. I guess it just takes a kickball night to get me to post this, but either way, here goes. So the band 311 put together a cruise for all the hardcore fans, which I am one of. I've been a fan for a good long while, and every two years they host a special "3-11" day concert on March 11 of each even year. For some reason they picked New Orleans to host this special gathering, and other than a few times where something cam up, the show was always here. And that's one thing that you can say about this band: Even though they're not necessarily on the charts anymore, they still put on great live shows for their fans. And this cruise was no exception. It left out of Miami on 3-3-11, ventured to Grand Turk, then came back. It was a nice little 4 day cruise with lots of entertainment. There were 5 or 6 other bands, 3 dj's, and 2 comedians performing over the course of the 4 days. I gotta say, if you're gonna do a cruise and don't have any kids, do a cruise like this. There was nothing formal, just a few days of fun-filled madness. I really think this "sailing" broke the record for alcohol consumed. I heard the boat had to re-stock while in Grand Turk. Just proves again that this was a total blast. So the boat left Miami, and 311 played an outdoor show to all, on the Lido deck. They then played an indoor show the next 2 nights, each open to half the boat. That first show was a blast, and my dumb self drank too much that first night, so the next day was a little more rough that I'd liked. They played a 2 hour show the first night, then other bands played, and the comedic duo of Doug Benson/Graham Elwood did a show the first night. Definitely enjoyable. Over the next few days, the band (311) did 2 indoor shows, each open to half the boat, then did a Q & A session on the 4th day. The other bands played throughout, and there was another comedy show the last night on the boat. The band also took time out of their schedule to take pictures with every single person on the ship. They took a picture with ever cabin over the course of 2 days. I can't imagine having to smile so much, but they did it and really enjoyed the experience. A friend of mine was on the ship. Normally he wears a Saints-themed Halo suit that he made to wear to the Saints games. This week, he stumbled around as Bernie Lomax. Absolutely perfect. Bobbed just like Bernie, and didn't break costume and even threw out Mardi Gras beads during the cruise. I definitely will say that this was a cruise unlike any other. So much fun, the people on the ship just had a blast. The first full day at sea was "Wear something supporting where you're from" day, so there were tons of jerseys all over the place. There were flip cup games, belly flop contests, and a basketball tournament where P-Nut was on one of the teams. Just a lot of fun. A few other observations and reports: While docked in Grant Turk, some idiot decided to jump off the side of the boat. He hurt himself, and wasn't allowed back on the ship. Moron. Grand Turk has maybe the biggest Margaritaville ever. I've been to a few and have never seen any this big. Huge bar/restaurant with pools and cabanas, and a Flo rider. Again, this was a party ship. I was surprised that there were 5-10 kids on board. I wish I had parents like that. Or, maybe not. Venus Williams was on board. Apparently she's a big fan of the band. She even did karaoke one night. There was a guy with Mickey hands. So this could be theme-park related. Sort of. Not really, but who cares. This cruise will happen again, so if any of you are fans, I really recommend it. I had such a great time. Onto the pics. As we get ready to board, tons of people ready to party View of downtown Miami from the ship Feels so good to be onboard. Waited 5 months for this. And time for the 1st drink. I'M ON A BOAT! Setting up stage on the Lido deck, and other fans starting to get on the boat. Back in the room to discover some nice gifts. Donkey Style! Band coming on stage for the first outdoor show Leaving Miami with the band playing. Doesn't get much better than this More band. Damn, I love these guys. While on a bathroom break, which was a must at this point, I looked back to see this. . And there was a hot tub back there. No time machine, though. this was an hour or so later, and I was definitely drunk at this point. And this Viking still loves Brett Favre. Plenty of drinks at this point. I got 2 bottles of rum delivered, and while expensive, nowhere near as expensive as the rest of the drinks purchased on board. the guys we ended up watching the show with. I may look sober, but don't believe the hype. On day 3 we made it to Grand Turk. This was the view from the ship for us. Slightly different for the idiot who decided to jump. Felt good to be on dry land. My body was still swaying, even when we got back home. I am a Donkey Baller. And this website involves donkeys, right? Much bigger than Orlando's Some banana concoction. Normally I don't drink something like this, but hey, what are donkeys to do? We could schedule times on the Flow Rider. Yeah, I'm a parrothead. Deal with it. Getting ready for the Q&A with the band. And is that a TPR shirt? The band at the Q&A Q&A was over, and the crowd got a little bit sadder. Normally this guy is in a Saints-themed Halo suit. This trip, he is Bernie Lomax. Pic with Doug Benson. Really funny guy, and really enjoyed his time on the boat. He'll be back for the next 311 cruise. One of the bands hung out with Doug and he promised to go onstage, so here he is, onstage with "The Movement". This was on "wear your robe night". Needless to say, there were a lot of people wearing white robes that night. Venus Williams doing karaoke on the boat. She isn't just a tennis player. one of the reasons I did this. This band does so much for their fans, I'm just lucky to be a part of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I think I mentioned it on Facebook, but it's worth repeating......this looks frickin' AWESOME! Glad you guys had a great time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downunder Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Nice report Jason. I wonder if this is just a scam so 311 can spend more quality time with their groupies without having to tour. But seriously, looks like so much fun. I'd be down for that kind of cruise with The Pussycat Dolls. A similiar cruise involving The Village People would probably be of interest to a large contingent of TPR members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisthabomb Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Looks like you had an awesome time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger01 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Nice trip you had there! What sort of songs did the band play? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the ghost Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 ^ I'm pretty sure 311 is a reggae punk band, right? Anyway, that looks like an awesome time. Its awesome that bands do things like this, although I am relatively surprised a cruise ship let this happen, lol. I worked at a waterpark in California with the Irvine Verizon Amphitheater next to it and it looked like a smoke cloud had formed over the top of the amphitheater. No joke it was so much it made the water park smell like marijuana and people left the park early due to the smell... good times, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 ^Themed cruises like this are VERY popular, and usually sell the ship out at higher than normal prices. I remember looking into the Backstreet Boys cruise (don't judge!) and it was insanely expensive and you weren't guaranteed to see a performance! This looks like a really well done 'band cruise'! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wood Dragon 1988 Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Honestly, I've never really wanted to do a cruise before, but this looks insanely awesome. 311 seems like the perfect band to cruise with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrock23 Posted April 17, 2011 Author Share Posted April 17, 2011 I think since so much alcohol was consumed/money was made, Carnival allowed us to do pretty much anything. If you're gonna cruise without kids, something like this is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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