Thanks to the Axes Cruise team for making our first music cruise an experience to remember.  Our expectations were high given past cruise experiences and having seen reviews and photos of other music themed cruises.  That said, Axes & Anchors was unique and far exceeded our lofty expectations!  You might ask why, well here you go:

• Performances

Every band had two performances when including Axes & Anchors and the Guitar Gods Pre-Sail Concert with very little scheduling conflicts considering the number of performances. Not to mention the talent on the ship included Yngwie Malmsteen, Breaking Benjamin, ADELITAS WAY, GUNZO and Randy Rhoads Remembered to mention a few!

• Artist Workshops and Q&A Sessions

In addition to performing, the artists, managers and photographers offered over 30 workshops ranging from guitar, bass and drum workshops to vocal and performance clinics.  Q&A sessions were held where fans were able to ask artists questions that fans don’t get to ask even at the ever so pricey concert meet and greets!

• Private Session Auctions

Axes & Anchors Auctions provided passengers an opportunity to win unique experiences with their favorite artists. The auctions ranged from private lessons to sharing a meal with select artists.   We were fortunate enough to win the auction for an hour private drum lesson with Brian Tichy. Needless to say this was one for the books as the lesson was the first drum lesson for our eight year old son, Scoob! Imagine getting your first drum lesson on a cruise by the one and only Brian Tichy who has toured/recorded with Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Foreigner and Slash’s Snakepit to name a few and who is also co-creator of Bonzo Bash, Randy Rhoads Remembered, Hurry! and The Ox & The Loon.  Brian was great and by the end of the lesson Scoob was playing a rock beat and also learned a fill!

• Fan Jams

Where can a fan jam with his/her rock idols?  The answer is at the Axes & Anchors fan jam!  Definitely one of my favorite parts of the Axes & Anchors experience!  Seeing so many of the artists jamming with amateur musicians and mingling with the rest of the passengers was priceless and where many a friendship was made!

• Photo Ops

There were three photo op sessions on Axes & Anchors which provided fans the opportunity to meet the artists and have photos taken with every performer!

• Guitar Gods Pre-Sail Concert

The Guitar Gods Pre-Sail Concert was headlined by Yngwie Malmsteen with support by Steve Vai and Gus G and even included an appearance by Nicko McBrain.

• Axes & Anchors Family

One of the best parts of Axes & Anchors has been the friendships made throughout the experience. It started with sharing our pre-cruise excitement, was strengthened during the on-board experiences and has continued upon completion of the cruise with everyone including the artists sharing pictures and memories via Twitter, Facebook and our Axes & Anchors Post Cruise Depression Support Group

To sum it up, the inaugural Axes & Anchors Cruise was a once in a lifetime experience that we look forward to making an annual tradition \m/
Thanks again!
Scoob and The Jaslows