The Rock Legends Cruise V will set sail in January of 2017 on a full ship charter aboard the Independence of the Seas.
In an enterprising business model, the ship is chartered by the Native American Heritage Association (NAHA) with proceeds benefitting Native Americans living on reservations in South Dakota.
Pamela J. Myers, president, NAHA, told Cruise Industry News that the model for raising money was evolving past direct mail and baby boomers.
“The generation of baby boomers has music in common,” she said. “It has grown into this big and organic event.”
Myers explained that her marketing was mostly word of mouth, and she was booking performers that passengers asked for.
“They tell me what bands they want, it’s really their cruise,” she added.
$250 from each ticket goes directly to charitable causes, she said, in addition to various auctions and raffles held aboard the ship. The price tag for the charter is believed to be around $2.6 million, according to Cruise Industry News’ estimates.
Myers said the ship charter and music booking process starts about 18 months out. She also expected to be fully sold out well before sailing.
She credited Royal Caribbean’s ships with being well-suited for musical performances, of which passengers can expect over 60 on the January sailing.
Among the performers confirmed for the 2017 sailing: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, REO Speedwagon, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Thin Lizzy, Don Felder, The Marshall Tucker Band, John Mayall, Todd Rundgren, Leon Russell, Nazareth, April Wine, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Rick Derringer, Paul Barrere & Fred Tackett, Derek St. Holmes, The Weight Band, The Artimus Pyle Band, Gary Hoey, Carolyn Wonderland and Two Wolf.
