And Brand X!!  Likewise!  My wife hates prog!! 

But it starts from Tampa, and I don't fly. Bum!

And Brand X!!  Likewise!  My wife hates prog!! 

 My wife isn't a big prog fan either. We have another cruise booked in April. I told here we should switch it out for this one. Her reply" That would be....NO!" So she said "no" to Yes. ; )

Hackett/Haken/Riverside/Morse/Spock/Soft Machine????

Holy crap!

My wife has no appreciation for prog either, but she's always wanted to go on a cruise.  I think I smell a win/win coming....

And there's The Neal Morse Band debuting their new LP, The Great Adventure.

Super jealous of all who will be in attendance. 

Me too.

Fischman wrote: My wife has no appreciation for prog either, but she's always wanted to go on a cruise.  I think I smell a win/win coming....

My wife and I went of CTTE in April 2014.  A couple of cautions are in order, especially for people who enjoy "normal" cruises:

So two of my big reasons to cruise (i.e. great ports of call, and wonderful dining), were less than I would have normally expected.

Nevertheless, there are 5 days of music, usually from noon to midnight, taking place on many stages throughout the ship. The musicians tend to mingle with the masses, so you'll be able to say hi, get an autograph, and maybe eat breakfast or lunch with some of your favorite acts.  Think of it more as a floating music festival --not a classic cruise experience -- and you'll have fun.

My wife, also not a big prog fan, enjoyed it. But when she got overloaded with too much music, she was often content to hang out on our stateroom's balcony, reading and drinking wine, and watching the ocean roll by.

Time to get a new wife! 

^ Micky you should write a book--  you're the Anthony Bourdain of prog rock.

Yeah .I would not even go to the bathroom .

Cruise ship? Could be cruising through the city of Din and I would not notice or care .

Okay. I will say it again...man! What a line up! 

Good thing I can not afford these things. I'll gladly skip them.

There needs to be more, MORE, and MUCH MORE stuff with the younger generation on the stage. I find this old folks home wannabe show, a bit depressing, and not something i want to go see. 

If we are going to be "progressive", then let's do this right, and bring in folks that are carrying on the tradition, not the redo's from yesterday, many of which were not even close to the real thing anyway. AND, if we do not show up, then we're not "progressive music" fans, but just fad-fans for a band or two. Shame on us for showing it!

Of all of these, the only one I would pay to go see live ... is Rachel Flowers! Gimme another piano version of something from Keith/ELP and I will be a happy man ... but seeing these folks trying to recapitulate a day in life 50 years ago, after a while just does not turn me on anymore! Pretty soon it will be the Genesis reunion, because they will get billions off it! And pretty soon, MP will rejoin DT because their material is not as strong as it was before. And then, NM might help SB become a bit better and more interesting again ... 

I'll be dead by then!

Should be called the "I'm Too Old for This" cruise.

*spits coffee on monitor*

I might be the Anthony Bourdain of prog... but dude.. you are the James Joyce of prog. 

hmmm...  I'd be more worried about stocking hand sanitizer, sh*tting in plastic bags and eating packets of ketchup.....

They are putting on a cruise ,with has beens for old farts who like them.

Old farts who wants to watch the bands all day, eat and run and miss as little as possible.

They really should offer 10 course dining all night seating.Full day snorkel trips or Disney adventures.

And for icing on the cake for the old farts,bring in all kinds of new bands they don't want to see.

Honestly,they have no idea what they are doing.

  

Nah ... more like the end of "progressive music". When the children don't care enough, and the bands listed have no teenagers screaming for attention, you know that it's time has come.

How many teenagers do you know, who can drop several grand on airfare and a cruise.??

Overdosed on the cruise ketchup,did you Kantner.??

How do you stay home, if you get sick on a cruise ??

Although I'm not particularly old I obviously sound like an old fart I know, but old farts know more than inexperienced kids anyway. Robert Crumb is an old fart and he would hate a lot of things I love. But I can understand where he is coming from, so I'll leave the hateful rant towards "modern times" to him:

From the opening of The Litany of Hate

...‘I’m such a negative person, and always have been. Was I born that way? I don’t know. I am constantly disgusted by reality, horrified and afraid. I cling desperately to the few things that give me some solace, that make me feel good.

I hate most of humanity. Though I might be very fond of particular individuals, humanity in general fills me with contempt and despair. I hate most of what passes for civilization. I hate the modern world. For one thing there are just too Goddamn many people. I hate the hordes, the crowds in their vast cities, with all their hateful vehicles, their noise and their constant meaningless comings and goings. I hate cars. I hate modern architecture. Every building built after 1955 should be torn down!

I despise modern music. Words cannot express how much it gets on my nerves – the false, pretentious, smug assertiveness of it. I hate business, having to deal with money. Money is one of the most hateful inventions of the human race. I hate the commodity culture, in which everything is bought and sold. No stone is left unturned. I hate the mass media, and how passively people suck up to it...

-all this mostly rings true to me, but of course I wouldn't go back to a time where women were treated like sh*t, and I wouldn't have been given the opportunities that allowed me to become who-and where I am (plus I would take a bath once a week instead of every day). But still... I get the nostalgia and sentimentality for bygone times because I am such a person myself.

I understand why people can be not interested in hearing old stuff that just doesn't speak to them, but if they're lucky, they will also get older and enjoy hearing what they heard when young.  

I would never go on a cruise (I can't swim for one very big reason as well as some health issues that have been mentioned)...But why should bands that have had ups and downs and will enjoy playing for interested audiences and make a little money off of what they have done (much harder to do that these days), and a few newer ones besides, if it expands their potentially purchasing audiences?

After all, you whippersnappers, if it wasn't for the older bands breaking the ground, it is arguable that what you love might not have seen the light of day.  

Just like anything, if you don't like it, don't do it, right?

And stay off my lawn.    

Slartibartfast wrote: BTW despite my cruise comment I'm pretty sure it would be the best cruise I've never been on.  Hanging out with fellow fans and possibly meeting the artists would be a lot of fun, and you could ru uu uun, run not too far awaaaay.  You wouldn't get away.

I love cruising, and while CTTE (2014) didn't have the quality of food or ports of call that all the "regular" cruises did, it WAS one of the best cruises I've ever been on.  Five days of music from roughly noon to midnight.  And after midnight, amateur musicians cranked out the classic prog tunes while the original authors watched from the audience! At any one time, multiple bands were playing all over the ship.  It was hard to decide where to go or who to listen to! I ate breakfast with members of bands, hung out at the pool with Tony Levin, got my pictures with him (and all of Stick Men), Patrick Moraz, John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, the Electric Asturias, Sound of Contact. Hanging out with a couple thousand like-minded (and similarly aged) prog lovers and bands was five days of bliss! I'd do it again in a heart beat (finances permitting). The latest lineup (IMHO) is not as good as it was back then. I've kind of been waiting to see another killer lineup before I sign up again.

I feel icky just thinking about it... Floating about on a big boat (in the open seas- rivers etc are ok..) with lots of people I cant get away from.. and I paid far more money than I can afford..uggg… that's just cruises in general before any considerations of music.. it really is my idea of hell..

Damn it, there are lots of fields, parks and open spaces in which to hold this sort of thing! Places that don't go up and down or loll from side to side... 

Don't get me wrong, i'd be very happy to see some of these bands and artists but I prefer smaller events and a more diverse line-up (on dry land..)

progaardvark wrote: Are these one of those ships that dump their poop in the ocean or do they transfer the poop when they reach a port?

I do think it's quite funny getting Riverside at sea and Fish on an ocean wave.

will there be a Discarded Syringe Night ?

Wish I'd thought of that...  

Hi,

Let's see if we can wake up this ol'man! I would go panhandle some loot or gofundmeknickers somewhere 

IF:

Steve Hacket -- Brought his Genesis friends and did Selling England by the Pound ... WITH Peter Gabriel, not that copycat! Hopefully the boat would not sink with too many Genesis fan-boys!

Mike Portnoy -- IF his 4 other ex-buddies from Dream Theater also came along for him to play something other than ... what's already been played! Just tell DT that they do not have to be too loud so we can hear Jordan and John also play!

Adrian Belew Trio -- I would stay asleep, but it looks like a blonde will spend her time with me, and I would go to our room with a drink or two. Can't ignore her! 

Riverside -- I think I would like to see this one. 

Soft Machine -- Only if they grow up and bring Robert Wyatt along, and put on a show that is "Different Every Time" ... and show us how much fun it was, and can be!

Spocks Beard -- Do I have to get out of bed? I like them, but I'm tired!

PFM -- If they brought the folks from the first 5 albums with them, I would want to be there. I did not dislike BL, and his Acqua Fragile was really good, but not a whole lot since that time, has stood out for me.

Fish -- Should be nice, as he is a very good performer, and knows what he is doing. I would expect a show that would border on the realm of a VdGG or PH kind of show. Even if it was just him and an accoustic guitar it would be good. Maybe even doing a couple of the old Marillion songs!

Rachel Flowers -- Definitely! The best and the most exciting of all of them for me. Live and die with the very best in music, showing us all ... what music really is, instead of some idealistic hocus pocus described as "progressive".

Lastly ... the boat did not make me sick for the first day and miss two or three of these shows. As for the ports and visits ... I'll be right by the pool getting a slight tan ... as far as wishes for folks to see? I no longer have any "hopes" for these things but Mike Oldfield would be fun with 4 folks behind him, doing a few things. Ryuichi Sakamoto should be invited, and all he needs is a piano, and he will have us waltzing all over the floors, ceilings and walls! And if two other mates show up, we can have a ping pong party afterwards! Terje Rypdal ... and please invite Dave Darling for a twosome again! Maybe another ECM person with. Egberto Gismonti, if he still does concerts ... just bring your guitar my friend ... there are enough pianos all around if you want to play one! Charlie is not around anymore, but Jan might feel a bit too old to blow a few more notes ... but welcome to my living room with a guitar would be an evening no one will ever forget!

Marillion was on it one year, that would have been good one. Soft Machine and PFM, I mean WTH are they going to sound like but a project band.

I have read some stuff about the experience, so you mean the non-buffet restaurants on the ship are closed?

No. All the main restaurants (non-buffet) were open. The food quality and service were not the typical "fine dining" you can get on a regular cruise. There were so many bands playing with so few breaks in the schedule, that when a break in the action occurred around dinner time, everyone crowded into the dining rooms at the same time, and overwhelmed the kitchen and staff. We did it one or two nights (out of five) and then opted for more casual, less crowded eats elsewhere -- usually off peak hours.

Angelo wrote: CttE - wheelchair galore.

You got a problem with people in wheel chairs??? Are they not allowed to have a good time? Shame on you!

Ok that makes sense. We have only done Med cruises on the monster ships like Allure of the Seas so I suspect these cruises are on smaller boats so can be easy for dining halls to get crowded.

Does not matter the genre of music, if there are 70's bands playing there will be old people in the crowd.

They will be here in the West Coast later this year ... I think there is a show here in Portland and I plan on being there.

Yup, I already have my tickets for the Seattle show.

I like the lineup; Steve Hackett and Riverside make it worth the go (seeing both live was awesome), and I've been tempted to go for the last three years (still am).

But I don't especially like cruises that much, and been to the Carribean..   I think if they did an Alaska or Mediterranean, that might be the draw that would finally get me to purchase that ticket.

The problem with visiting interesting ports of call is that you'll want to get off the ship, but then you'd miss a lot of the bands and other musical activities on board. To give you an idea of the density of onboard activities, here's the schedule from the 2014 CTTE...