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| Image borrowed from the 70000 Tons of Metal website |
With only twenty-three days until the next departure of the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise, I thought it was worth re-visiting a few old posts. This edition marks the first involving a new cruise ship, The Liberty of the Seas. This is a much newer, and much larger, ship than The Majesty of the Seas which has been used for previous 70000 Tons and Barge to Hell cruises. Switching ships is a good choice; the Majesty was tired, in need of some upgrades, and left something to be desired considering the price of tickets and what one would expect from a cruise ship experience.
The Liberty of the Seas offers more space, and with more space comes the addition of more bands by Ultimate Metal Cruises. (Ultimate Metal Cruises is the company responsible for 70000 Tons of Metal). Instead of forty bands, the cruise now boasts a lineup of sixty bands. In previous years, having thirty seven of those bands announced roughly three weeks before the cruise would have been sufficient, but having only thirty seven out of sixty announced suggests Ultimate Metal Cruises has not done much to improve on this front. This has been the overwhelmingly largest complaint in regards to UMC: a lack of timely band announcements. If other festivals can announce complete lineups months in advance, it is certainly not an impossible feat. In the first few months of 2014, it seemed as though UMC may have heeded this advice. As the next several months passed however, the same picture began to emerge.
Why ignore the requests of hundreds of customers, and potential customers? One can only speculate as to the true reason, but it does not seem to be the best strategy. That being said, it does not seem to make that much of a difference. There is still quite a large group of loyal cruisers who seem intent on attending each and every year. There are still quite a few who consider going on 70000 Tons anyways and accepting that band announcements are sorely lacking. One can always argue that it is the experience that matters, and not necessarily the bands on board. There is truth in this, but it is still irritating that the lineup takes so long to be completely released.
Whether Ultimate Metal Cruises has improved in other areas of customer service is something that I cannot comment on at this point. I would hope that they have, as there were many other areas that could have used a little bit of improvement the last time that I personally dealt with the company. While it is difficult to know the internal dynamics of a company, customers still expect high levels of honest service and information. Especially when paying the prices required to attend an event such as this. Truthfully, it is an expensive endeavor to attend 70000 Tons. The cost conscious metal head could likely attend a few European festivals for the total expense of attending 70000 Tons. (That is considering that the metal head in question is traveling from North America to Europe).
One thing that UMC has accelerated is the use of various promotional channels. Picking up any print metal magazine, you will probably find an advertisement for the cruise. Visiting any larger metal website, you will also likely find advertisements for the cruise. Other social media platforms have been utilized, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There is a YouTube channel dedicated solely to 70000 Tons of Metal. Using these platforms, from a business perspective, has become something that is becoming a bit of a necessity. The YouTube channel does occasionally have some neat features, including both interviews and promotional videos. Advertising for the event has also made its way into some of the larger concerts coming through town (at least where I reside) in the form of canvas banners placed in the venue. The ‘Pool Girls’ have been sent to various festivals to advertise the event. Personally, I just hope this amped-up advertising strategy can be given some true substance by executing a great event this time around.
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| Liberty of the Seas, borrowed from the 70000 Tons of Metal Website |
On a positive note, The Liberty of the Seas looks like a great ship. There are several dining options, although it is not clear which are included in the ticket price and which involve paying a cover or separate charge. (A quick glance at Royal Caribbean’s website suggests that the Steakhouse and Italian restaurant involve a cover charge). The mini-golf course looks like an appealing and entertaining way to spend some time, and the surf simulator could deal a healthy dose of hilarity. Cantilevered whirlpools, jutting from the sides of the ship, probably are not for those scared of heights, but look absolutely stunning for anyone else. The lineup (so far) boasts a pretty healthy mix of several different metal sub-genres. Like usual, there are quite a few fairly well known bands on board, as well as several that do not play too often or do not tour often to many of the countries that cruisers are drawn from.
The one thing that still surprises this metal head is that UMC has not worked out some kind of beverage package for alcohol with Royal Caribbean. This would be something that many cruisers would probably appreciate as alcohol on board the ship is probably still fairly expensive. It’s definitely not offered at any bargain, so for those who plan on consuming a lot, a beverage package would be quite beneficial and probably avoid some shock when it comes time to settle the bill at the end of the cruise. Adding an additional day or two to the total time would also be something to consider, especially with the addition of so many more bands.
Overall, it will be interesting to gauge the reaction to the 2015 edition of the cruise. While I cannot attend this edition, I know several people who are and whom will probably fill me in on what I have missed. Ultimate Metal Cruises seems to have made a few big steps in the direction of improvement. Because this cruise is so unique, it will likely continue to be a popular event. I guess one just has to accept that the final line-up might be a bit of a surprise and decide if that is a minor consideration in comparison to the overall experience.
Previous posts about UMC:
70000 Tons Official Website:
