Page 82 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2018

The Love Boat
The Love Boat

A Honeymoon on the
A Honeymoon on the

Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise
Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise

Holland America’s ms Koningsdam, a.k.a. the LRBC Love Boat . Photo by © Joseph A. Rosen

By Claire Henderson their honeymoons. From a couple in their 30s ecstatic to be
Anyone who’s ever planned a wedding knows how among blues legends, to musician Ronnie Baker Brooks and his
many decisions must be made. For my husband Ryan and I, new wife Cassandra, to a couple all the way from Germany,
choosing the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise (LRBC) for our to LRBC CEO/Managing Partner Roger Naber and his wife
honeymoon was a no-brainer. We couldn’t wait! The 30th LRBC Keven (this was, at least, their first cruise as a married couple),
sailing seven days to the Eastern Caribbean, with ports in Fort love was in the air.
Lauderdale, Grand Turk, Puerto Rico and Tortola, and featuring As our ship, Holland America’s ms Koningsdam, sailed to
renowned blues musicians, was the perfect encore to our union. the Eastern Caribbean, we got settled in our state room. With
A few of the artists featured on the 30th LRBC included the smooth sheets of the king-sized bed, the ocean view from our
Buddy Guy, the Taj Mahal Trio, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, porthole window, the television playing live feeds of the on-board
Deanna Bogart, the Tommy Castro Band, Shemekia Copeland, stages and the excellent daily room service, we certainly felt
Magic Dick, Tab Benoit, Charlie Musselwhite and so many pampered. Upon dinner time, we also felt indulged. The cruise
more! Each artist played at least three times during the seven offers all-inclusive food, fine dining, room service and more. You
days, at venues including the main stage on deck, an indoor can get dressed to the nines every evening and enjoy a romantic
theater stage with stadium seating, an intimate hidden piano five-course dinner for two or stay in your cabin and order room
bar and others. I can’t think of another place where so many service while you snuggle up and watch your favorite movie.
talented artists can get together and collaborate. Whether You can always stay in, but the ship’s night life has a lot to offer
you’re a passionate blues fan who wants to rock out from dawn for a couple in love, whether it’s a themed costume party (held
until well past dusk or prefer to enjoy a romantic sunset with nightly), dancing away to some killer blues or sitting close in a
your honey while music floats by on the ocean breeze, the dark corner of the piano bar.
LRBC offers it all. The first port of the cruise was the island of Grand Turk,
To kick off a great honeymoon, we attended the cruise’s where we went on a snorkeling excursion full of fellow cruisers.
ritual “Virgin Party” where we all got lei’d! On board, we Sailing the warm sea on a catamaran and snorkeling on
were pleased to find that other couples were also celebrating Grand Turk’s longest reef, which drops down 7,000 feet, was

Taj Mahal toasts the recent union of LRBC Managing Partner Roger Naber and his new In one of the many venues on board, cruisers can cozy up to the piano bar.
wife Keven. Photo by © Joseph A. Rosen Photo by © Joseph A. Rosen

80 Blues Festival Guide 2018