Anyone who’s had a long conversation with me will find out two things that I love. Cruising and rock music. They’re my favourite things and bring great happiness to my life.

I’m a front-row girl, and when my favourite bands come to town, you’ll find me camped out at the gate very early to secure the ‘rail’. I’ve flown interstate and overseas for big gigs, so it was a no-brainer to finally get on Rock The Boat to combine my two loves!

SuperCruise 2022 was a little different, combining two music genres on one massive ship – Rock the Boat and Cruisin’ Country aboard Ovation of the Seas. I’m a rock girl through and through, but I don’t mind a bit of country that’s done well.

I was excited to see The Angels for the first time finally, and I know from previous shows what a great frontman Adam Thompson is, and I was looking forward to his show ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Being a huge AC/DC fan, Dirty Deeds (Australian AC/DC tribute) was also at the top of my list, as well as ‘Simply the Best – Rebecca O’Connor’s Tina Turner show.

I boarded on day 1, not really knowing what to expect. But, pretty quickly after checking out my cabin and getting my first pina colada, I realised the pool deck was full, and EVERYONE was in party mode. There was no easing into this; it was ON! Everyone was excited about what was to come, and it was glaringly obvious. Chatting, laughing, embracing after three years for those who have done so many previously, it was an electric atmosphere in which I knew that even though all of these people were strangers, I’d know a lot of them by the time we returned to Sydney.

I think this is the part that you can’t really explain. The ‘family’ feel of all the passengers. You ALL have something in common on these cruises so you can talk to anyone and get along because you already have some common ground.

The music kicked off straight away – a DJ on the pool deck to get the party started. Later that night, Dirty Deeds were the headline show in the Royal Theatre, and they were a GREAT act to kick off the main shows.

I’ve seen about a million AC/DC tributes, and these guys really impressed me. They nailed EVERY track, and ‘Angus’ was phenomenal. After that, I caught the last two songs of the Credence Clearwater Revival Show, which I immediately put in my calendar to see their next show, then Simply The Best – Rebecca O’Connor’s Tina Turner show blew me away. You could mistake her show for the real thing. Her voice was fantastic, but how she channelled Tina with her energy surprised me. She wasn’t just someone singing Tina Turner songs. I think I enjoyed her show as much as I would have enjoyed a real Tina Turner show. Her guitarist was my favourite musician to watch – he was living his best life, and you could see it in his face as he supported his lead singer and engaged with the crowd.

I realised from the first day that the organisers knew what they were doing booking these artists. They were high-quality acts. I’m a pretty harsh critic, and I was very impressed!

As the days went on, I made new friends and discovered new musicians I’d never seen before. Some of my favourite experiences of the cruise were the impromptu jams and singalongs, long after the official acts were over for the night, with various musicians from the bands. Scroll to the bottom for a jam video. Arvos by the pool with live bands to entertain were a fun way to ease into the night’s festivities.

The Schooner Bar was a focal point between big shows and always had a packed dancefloor with talented acts playing pub favourites. I don’t think I ever saw it not full. Musicians from other bands would join the Schooner Bar shows for a song or two, which always drew excitement from the crowd. It was the scene to my favourite moment of the cruise. It was a dress-up night, ‘What I wanted to be when I grew up’. There were quite a few ladies dressed as nuns, and I was sitting on one of the stools enjoying the show when they started playing The Angels ‘Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again’. We all know the words we, the crowd, sing in the chorus. A lady who would have to have been 75+, dressed as a nun, singing along with the band, turns to her friends as they danced and screamed, ‘No way, get ******, **** off!’. I just loved her!!! She was having the time of her life!

I absolutely loved how much fun everyone was having. It warmed my heart, especially after the last few dreadful years we’ve all had. We all deserved to have an amazing time, and we did. The dress-up nights were a great laugh, and it was interesting to see how inventive people could be. I definitely will get more involved with the dress-up parties next year!

Sorrento’s Pizza Bar was the place to be at 2 am after the last of the gigs had finished. I’ve been craving the pizza from there since I returned home! It is the best pizza this side of Brooklyn. Other than that, sharing the night’s gigs with fellow passengers made some pretty special times. Of course, the usual suspects would turn up like clockwork – the late-night crew.

By the end of the week, everyone had a bunch of amazing stories, a heap of new friends and memories that would last a lifetime. I really tried to get up for breakfast but only managed once. I squeezed every bit of fun and experience out of this cruise and needed my beauty sleep when I finally returned to my comfy cabin. Although, I did end up having pizza for brekky a few times around noon! Having a music festival on a cruise ship makes everything so enjoyable. Considering the fact that most multi-day music festivals are in paddocks with portaloos, this is definitely how to do it! There’s nothing you have to do except choose what to eat and figure out which gig to go to. This is a music festival done in STYLE!

For Rock the Boat 2023, I’m looking forward to a bunch of acts. Jimmy Barnes, of course, and Jon Stevens is a class act. I can’t wait to see Adam Thompson back this time with Chocolate Starfish, Dirty Deeds, The Australian INXS Show, Mason Rack Band, the 70’s British Invasion, the Stevie Nicks show, Adele and Amy Winehouse show, Haxan, Leica Louise is back again, and Bourbon Street which I hear are fantastic but couldn’t make the last cruise. George Kapiniaris is bringing his comedy show too! Rock the Boat will be back on Royal Caribbean but this time aboard Brilliance of the Seas, which is the perfect ship for this cruise.

If I can promise you one thing, you won’t regret booking this cruise. If you are a music lover, you simply have to. It’s the best time you’ll ever have! But you’d better be quick to book, or you might miss out. Secure your cabin below. If rock isn’t your genre, check out the other music cruises we have! Call us to chat, email me directly at sharon@deluxetravelandcruise.com.au or click the links below to book.

– Sharon Summerhayes, Deluxe Travel & Cruise