Even though I was not able to personally attend the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise this year, I have been keeping a close eye on some of the comments and feedback posted online. Curiosity for how a bigger ship, and twenty more bands, would work kept me interested. So far, there have been a lot of cruisers saying that sixty bands are too many and that the ship is too big.
Having sixty bands would make it complicated to see every band that you want to see, as that could be difficult with forty bands. It is easier to give up seeing a band or two to do something else when there are only forty bands. Bump that number to sixty, and you are likely to give up seeing a larger number of bands. This is also completely dependent on each individual’s preference, and which bands are in the lineup. Obviously, if there are not as many bands an individual considers “must sees”, it becomes an easier choice to decide which sets to catch. This seems to be the major complaint about the number of bands, besides the usual “I wish this band had been onboard”.
My personal opinion is that sixty bands is a good number. Many of the large European festivals have at least sixty bands, a similar number of stages, and run for a similar duration. With bands onboard 70000 Tons playing two sets, it likely is possible to see your picks at least once, provided you do some planning and don’t drink so excessively that you end up passed out in a chair somewhere. That being said, this was the least enticing lineup I have seen for a 70000 Tons cruise, but that is entirely personal preference.
As for the ship, and the complaints about it being too big and suggestions of going back to the old ship: please don’t go back to the old ship! Having attended Barge to Hell, the ship itself was a big disappointment. The Majesty of the Seas left a lot to be desired. It was run down, and overall not the grandiose type of experience that I had come to expect from talking with various people who had been on cruises. It certainly did not hold up to what is always depicted of cruise ships in advertising, photos or reviews. Plus, the food was awful.
Liberty of the Seas, to me, is a vast improvement. There are so many options for activities and dining that were not available before. Photos, while sometimes deceiving, make it a much more attractive ship. The pool area looks so much nicer, mini golf looks like fun, and it looks better maintained. Hopefully the food was much improved as well. Overall, I view Liberty of the Seas as a draw to encourage attendance, but it seems many attendees felt that it lost the intimate atmosphere.
Another suggestion has been put forth to extend the cruise by a day. I like that notion. It would allow for more time to catch various bands, more time to relax and recharge, and more time to experience everything on board. Someone in the official forums mentioned that Andy (the face of UMC) had said that in order to extend the cruise by an extra day, the cost would go up about 25%. So, I doubt this is something that we will see in the future. Attending 70000 Tons is not a cheap holiday to begin with, and more people would likely balk at a price increase. Ultimate Metal Cruises probably does not have the leverage needed to negotiate with a company like Royal Caribbean on the issue either. I do however like that Andy posted an apology to the bands that had been rescheduled, and is publicly welcoming feedback from cruisers. After some of the public relations issues that had been festering for years, it seems like a step in the right direction.
I’m excited to see some of the reviews that will inevitably be posted, and to see what is in store for the next edition. Fingers crossed I will be able to give this another shot in the near future.
