Prog On The High Seas
Last autumn, the prospect of attending the sixth Cruise To The Edge progressive rock floating festival was highly appealing. As 2019 dawns, the Cruise’s allure increases.
However, a few weeks before Cruise’s scheduled departure on February 4 from Tampa, there’s a US government shutdown, as President Trump holds a Mexican standoff with the Democrats over his proposed southern border wall. Ultimately, to the relief of prog fans fearing disrupted air travel, Trump blinks first. For many Cruisers, a Florida trip represents an escape from the polar vortex that swept the US midwest. Meanwhile, February begins with parts of the UK at a pitiful standstill from light snow. Prog heads excitedly to London’s Gatwick airport on Sunday February 3, anticipating warm weather, a musical smorgasbord, and a week avoiding the Brexit tedium.
“Neal Morse himself is described by drummer Mike Portnoy as ‘The Britney Spears of prog.’”
Attending Cruise requires atypical gig preparation. Detailed plans need making for travel, packing and, crucially, how to see as many bands as possible, given that at times no fewer than five acts play simultaneously.
The Cruise 2019 statistics are dizzying: circa 2,000 fans, entertained by 35 bands involving “300 folks that make this city rock”, according to Cruise organiser Larry Morand. This year’s ship, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance Of The Seas, really is a floating city, staffed by almost 900 crew. To a cruise debutant, Brilliance’s scale is astonishing – it’s around 300 metres long, with 15 decks housing numerous restaurants and venues, including the 900-seat Pacifica Theatre, the Colony Club and the 11-deck Centrum atrium.
Around 60% of the fans here are American, with others travelling from Mexico, South America, Canada, the UK, continental Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia and New
