B List: Jam Cruise Preview – Tips For First-Timers

For those attending Jam Cruise 10 this is a very exciting time. We’ve got less than one month until the MSC Poesia departs Fort Lauderdale filled to the brim with talented musicians. Over the years a community has developed of not only those who continue to pick Jam Cruise as their musical adventure each January but also the musicians who embrace the cruise’s “anything goes” ethos and win invites year after year.

When I headed off for my first Jam Cruise in 2010, I didn’t know what to expect. My mind was blown within a few hours of departure, yet it took me a few days to get my feet under me. I would’ve loved tips from Jam Cruise vets to help guide me on my way. With that in mind, for this week’s B List we’ve asked a long-time cruiser, a Jam Cruise staffer and several musicians who have done the trip before for advice that they would give to first-time cruisers.

Keller Williams (Keller and the Keels: Pool Deck – January 10 @ 1:45PM | Theater – January 11 @ 11:15PM

  • Pace yourself. It’s not a sprint but a marathon
  • In the unfortunate event of high seas, don’t drink too much in the theater shows. The indoor motion mixed with alcohol can be bad.
  • Don’t play tennis in crocs.
  • Don’t forget to sleep.
  • Learn to love pizza and hot dogs.
  • Be liberal with sunblock and shade.
  • Don’t take your kids.

Anders Beck (Jam Cruise 10 Special Guest)

The advice that I was given before I departed for my first Jam Cruise was that “it is a marathon, not a sprint.” I ignored this advice and treated it like a “sprinting marathon” and had one of the best weeks of my life. Here’s a few tips to make sure that you feel the same way…

  • Once you get the layout of the boat figured out, it’s not that big. You can get from one show to another pretty quickly, even just to check it out and pick which one you like better.
  • Make sure to see at least one sunrise. When was the last time you saw the sun rise over Cuba or Haiti from the middle of the ocean? Hmmmm? It’s freakin’ beautiful and the light is amazing (plus, there’s a good chance i’ll be there to serenade you on dobro). Jam Cruise is built for “playing through”…
  • After sunrise go get breakfast and pretend you just woke up.
  • Sleep when you’re tired. For a little while at least. Sure you might miss something, but there will be something equally cool happening when you awake!
  • Make sure to go explore the islands that we stop at. Sure, it’s all about the music on Jam Cruise, but exploring Haiti and Jamaica is about the coolest set breaks you could ask for.
  • Don’t be late getting to the port or back to the boat. Seriously!
  • Finally, take time to make new friends. The boat is filled with some of the coolest people on the planet, as far as I can tell, and it’s certainly worth getting to know everybody around you. Sounds obvious… and maybe it is, but it’s certainly worth mentioning, I think.

Annabel Lukins (Cruise Director – “Julie McCoy”)

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QmkgZAk5fk[/youtube]

  • Pace Yourself. Jam Cruise is a marathon, not a sprint. You might want to race straight from the start but you’ll burn out fast. Stay up late but not that late. Sleep! Drink water and eat every meal. You’ll be much more prepared to rock out each night.
  • Knock on your neighbors’ cabin door and make friends with them. The relationships made on Jam Cruise last a lifetime. Our community has become so tight that it’s simply one big family spending a special holiday together every year. But the friendships build over the year because we just miss each other so much. So make a new buddy next door or down the hall or dancing next to them…
  • Spend a lot of time in the Jam Room. The Jam Room, created because musicians approached us years ago asking for a place they could jam with their friends in different bands that they never get to play with, is one of the most unique experiences not only on board, but in jamband history. Never before and never again seen moments happen late night, artists who have never shared the stage before let loose and feed off each other to create complete and utter magic…

PAGE TWO = Mike Dillon,  Jefferson Waful, Skerik, Kyle Hollingsworth & Steve Allen

For more tips be sure to read the FAQ and ask the users of the Jam Cruise Forum.

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11 Responses

  1. steve allen sounds like not only the smartest person this side of the sun, but also devilishly handsome. Like a cross between George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Yoda and Norm from Cheers.

    Can’t wait for the boat!!!

  2. Good luck on the High Seas and remember!
    Red in the morning, sailors take warning.
    Red at night and Heady delights!

  3. L*ook for the free beer hour.
    *Watch from the top of the ship at least once as it’s a great angle
    *Listen to the banter in the bathrooms as it’s HILARIOUS.
    *Get to merch early unless you’re a medium
    *Make yourself go to the restaurant at least once though it may get in the way of spinning
    *Silent auction can be surprisingly cheap. I have a Lebo painting accordingly
    *Forget the pace gig. But do get some sleep the first 24 hours or you’re wrecked for two days following the flights etc.
    *You really can’t be told how it is. Like trying to describe a taste. But you’ll rebook when you get off I guarantee

  4. i second waful’s idea of bringing christmas lights. i always string them up in my room and then i put a piece of paper in the card holder that turns out the lights, so lights are on all the time in my room. i also bring a small mp3 player/speaker (doesnt take much) for the room and keep some downtempo electronica going all the time. it really helps to have soft light and soft music going in the room when you come back for a pit stop, and much easier to set up when sober(ish).

    some of the best things about jam cruise arent on the schedule. the friends and people you meet are a huge part of it. also there are acoustic performances around the boat that are unannounced in the early morning hours that are amazing to be a part of.

  5. I agree with the note to visitors get familiar with the boat and interior quite fast. It took me less than two days to research all the decks, restaurants, spas and wellness rooms. It was so much easy to accommodate knowing where is what

  6. Great article, but I disagree with Keller on one thing. Bring your kids!!!! They will love it and have the time of their lives.

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