Going on a cruise had never been on my bucket list and country is not my music of choice.
I'm not overly fond of crowds, deep water or confined spaces. But last month I found myself in a queue of cowboy hat-wearing passengers lining up at Circular Quay to board Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas for a seven-night floating country musical festival called Cruisin' Country.
Yee-ha, y'all.
And you know what? I actually enjoyed myself. Cruising isn't for everyone but I quickly learned to go with the flow.
Your day basically revolves around food and, on Cruisin' Country, music. Many passengers, especially those with a drinks package, would add a third critical element: alcohol. I recall with amusement the man at one of the bars at 11am or so, saying he was having his daily "morning coffee" - an espresso martini. He wasn't alone.
Choose Your Cruise
Choose Your Cruise is a South Australian, family owned and operated festival cruise company that specialises in music-themed holidays. They chartered the Brilliance of the Seas for several back-to-back cruises departing from Sydney. When I boarded the ship, passengers from Rock The Boat were disembarking.
Another cruise (blues, rockabilly and '60s rock themed) was leaving Sydney the day we returned. It's a well-oiled machine, really: passengers and artists off, new passengers and artists on and supplies replenished, and back out to sea in a matter of hours. The logistics of it all are quite remarkable.
Cruisin' Country's line-up included James Johnston, John Williamson, Beccy Cole, Gord Bamford (Canada), Casey Barnes, The Wolfe Brothers, Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont, Amber Lawrence, Hurricane Fall, Petric (Canada), Bill Chambers, Ashleigh and Brett Dallas, Kevin Bennett and The Flood, Kevin Welch, Hayley Jensen and Darlinghurst.
During the week I chatted to several staff members. One was just three weeks into a nine-month run. That they can remain as consistently friendly, upbeat and helpful as they are, working long hours and living in their workplace, is a credit to their professionalism.
Cruise life
It's quite surreal boarding a massive ship and knowing it is going to be your home for the next week. Just you, the ship and the open ocean - and the several hundred passengers you're now living with. I was a fish out of water but there were staff members everywhere, happy and smiling and keen to answer questions.
Once we were settled we made our way to the communal buffet dining area, Windjammer, piled a plate high with food, found a table and started people watching. What a feast for the eyes. Country music fans aren't shy when it comes to fashion - in fact, they're not shy, full stop. Many greeted friends from previous cruises.
All meals at Windjammer, Park Cafe and the main "formal" dining room are included in the ticket price. You can also book and pay for lunch or dinner at Giovanni's Table, Chops Grille and Izumi, and book a seat at daily Chef's Table events.
I was surprised by the quality and variety of the food at Windjammer's buffet. There is so much to choose from at each sitting: fruit, hot and cold meals, pasta, desserts, burgers, salads, snacks, vegan and vegetarian options ... the list goes on. You can dine inside or out - my preference was the sunny and open rear of the boat with a good cross breeze.
There are automatic hand sanitisers everywhere onboard as well as staff members pumping sanitiser onto your hands.
We were fortunate to have a balcony room (thanks, Choose Your Cruise). I don't know how I would cope with a windowless interior room, but they are more budget-friendly. Chatting to a seasoned cruising couple at dinner one night, I was told that the new-generation ships offer a real-time "virtual balcony" room with a screen projecting onto a wall of the cabin.
Our cabin was well-equipped and surprisingly roomy, with plenty of cupboard space and a two-seater couch.
It took me way too long to figure out how to work the shower.
A staff member is assigned to your cabin and you can call them at any time to, say, grab an ice bucket or an extra towel. Nothing is too much trouble and they clean your cabin daily.
We enjoyed chatting with our neighbour while scanning the ocean for dolphins from the balcony. You might have heard of him and his daughter, Kasey. Bill Chambers. Nice bloke.
I was told The Brilliance of the Seas was a relatively small ship compared to the likes of the towering Ovation of the Seas. Multiple decks, a two-storey indoor auditorium, a cinema, a night club, several bars and lounges, 12 dining options, three pools, a rock climbing wall, mini golf, a basketball court, a gym, a shopping precinct, a day spa, and an adults-only pool and bar area called the Solarium. Ocean-facing glass elevators and plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows brought the outside in.
We stopped off at the tiny island of Lifou as well as Noumea, New Caledonia, but I was happy to return to the ship at the end of the day. It had become familiar. A home away from home.
Live and loud
The music kicked off almost immediately and didn't stop for a week, with the cruise app letting us know who was playing and where.
Taking into account I'm no country music aficionado, as mentioned earlier, I tended to go with the flow when it came to watching bands. In other words, if I was sunbaking or ordering a drink at one of the many bars and a band set up nearby, I'd sit and listen to them. Some even made an impression.
The Bloom Sings Linda Ronstadt show, for instance. Bloom (Amanda Canzurlo) has a stunning voice and a deliciously dry sense of humour.
Newcastle band Hurricane Fall always drew a big crowd, and their set list included a belting version of Better by The Screaming Jets.
Last year's Toyota Starmaker Loren Ryan is one to watch, and I enjoyed sets by Petric, Darlinghurst and Ricky Albeck & the Belair Line Band, but the name on everyone's lips was James Johnston, a Wingham local making his mark on the scene in a big way. Talk about a high energy set.
You could meet the artists at specific meet and greets or just say "g'day" while standing in line at the buffet.
I didn't attempt line dancing but scores of other passengers did.
The two all-star finale concerts in the Pacific Theatre were a fitting end to a well-organised schedule of music events, and a fun holiday to boot (scoot).
The writer was a guest of Choose Your Cruise (chooseyourcruise.com.au)
