One big reason it was easy for me to sign up was they offered for the first time a 12 month no interest payment plan which made it easy to budget. Hope they bring that back, I see On The Blue also had that payment plan.
One big reason it was easy for me to sign up was they offered for the first time a 12 month no interest payment plan which made it easy to budget. Hope they bring that back, I see On The Blue also had that payment plan.
Agree, that was a nice option.Originally Posted by JohnG
Interesting, I went on the very first CTTE 2013, and 2014 when they also stopped in Ocho Rios Jamaica.
When we got off the boat we went to sit on the beach -immediately a guy started hassling us to buy weed and beer from him. We were like "its our first time here man, don't ruin it for us." Not that people didn't buy weed, because the rest of the cruise you could smell it. But we also did not want to end up in a Jamaican jail either. Then we walked into town, and a dude walks up to my friend and puts out his hand to shake it, and drops a nice bunch of buds in his hand, while a cop is walking up and down the street. He tells him to take it back "there's a cop right there" He says- oh man thats my sister! The last straw was after actually getting a very nice lunch, we were leaving there are folks with tables and tents trying to sell their wares. I bought a Jamaican hat with dreadlocks as a gag for my son, and as I was leaving someone at another table starting giving me shit because I hadn't bought something from them???. We couldn't get back on the boat fast enough. So when I heard the security threat had risen, I wasn't surprised at all. I personally would never want to go back...
^ When we went in the early/mid 2000s, the beggar/panhandler situation was so bad in Ocho Rios, that the excursion going ashore went into a cordoned off area that had a small boutique/market area, and a Margaritaville. No contact with the beggars. I remember one local, who intercepted us right off the boat, a young woman, who wanted to give us a guided tour. I felt bad for her, because she was probably legit, and trying to earn a living, but how can you be sure?
I have been to many islands in the Caribbean, but never Jamacia, so I was kind of looking forward to checking it out, but I have heard other stories like yours from people who have been there, so maybe it was all for the best.
Similar here. We do the four payment installments (also interest free) and couldn't do it if we had to pay all of it up front. Probably can't really afford it even with that, but it is manageable this way.
Caveat: my good buddy went to a resort in Jamaica later, and said he had a great time, and no problems. But I don't think he left the resort either. After going on a few, I think many of the stops on Cruises are not nearly as nice as they should be, and mainly tourist traps. Ironically, we had a much better stop in Grand Cayman, but i think they have trouble now as well.
I went to Grand Cayman once many years ago. We went around quite a bit of the island and to me it appeared to be one of the most well-off islands I visited. Everything was clean, modern, and just seemed to be in better shape in general. That was a long time ago though, and things change.
^ Afaik, Grand Cayman is a place where wealthy Americans and businesses offshore money for the purposes of avoiding taxation.
When I was there, it seemed like a place that wasn't focused on tourist/island/party vibe like the other islands on our itinerary. It seemed like the focus was on something else.
True, it seems like every other building in the downtown was a bank. They had a pretty good reputation for harboring cocaine money back in the day too, although I don't if that is still the case.
It has just been announced that IQ will be aboard for CTTE 2025. THAT is a big deal!
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Booking day for alumni is today. We just signed up. Loving the lineup so far.
The lineup is phenomenal for 2025. Beardfish, IQ, Haken, Steve Hackett, Leprous, Moon Safari, Pendragon, Gazpacho, Aristocrats, Magic Pie, Saga, Caligula's Horse, Kyros, Trifecta, Thank You Scientist, Karmakanic, and some others. And there are still other announcements to come. There is an assumption that we are still short a headliner, even.
We are back in again for our fifth cruise. Adding The Aristocrats sealed the deal for me. And we finally have alot of bands not seen here in the US on the ship like IQ. No brainer really.
I was one of the few asking for The Aristocrats and can't believe Larry listened. Having Bryan Beller of the MORC must have been a big factor.
I fully intend to make my first Cruise To The Edge. I take it they're already taking reservations for next year?
If you have been on a previous cruise you get first dibs on re-booking. Alumni sign up started today. Not sure when general public sale is but you might keep an eye on their website or facebook page. Last year sold out fairly early.
^ Thanks Steve. I am going to lock in.
We booked first thing. The lineup is fantastic. Had British friends who were on the fence make the last second decision to book when they saw IQ. They are huge Marillion fans and were going to pass, but with Pendragon, IQ, and others on the lineup they decided they couldn't skip. This year is different for me as the people I've gone with in the past (one has been to all six I've attended with me and the other made the last two) are taking the year off. They are just a bit younger than I am and have kid and other life stuff that made it harder to go. My wife has talked about going and as a teacher (newly retired from school, but still working a more normal job with flexible days off) this is her first time she could, which lined up nicely with us still getting to book first thing. It is a good value, but also it is really expensive, so booking right away to get the appropriate cabin is huge for our budget. This is at least the third one that I'm going on where at some point it wasn't going to be a thing. Until it was. lol I'm really happy with the lineup for my own tastes, and for the types of prog my wife likes it will be a good one for her. She will likely pass on a few shows I catch during the trip, but there is a lot she will like which is perfect.
I know it is expensive - and this time very well could be the last for a few years for me/us - but it really is a great experience and I'm glad we can make it.
I'd be shocked if you didn't love it.
My wife is not much into music at all, but goes and loves it. She will usually attend the laminate shows with me, but other than that hangs out with other girls on the boat that she has gotten to know. She really gets into the theme nights and some of the other special events. I never thought I would get her to go on one of these things in a million years, but she went on one and had such a good time that we are now on our 3rd.
Regarding the cost. If you break it down I still think it is a value. If you saw all of those band separately let’s say on average $50 to $100 a ticket you are looking at a couple of thousand dollars right there. Add in all the food you can eat and 5 nights of accommodations and travel to 2 different ports it is really a deal compared to what you would pay for that all individually.
I agree about the value, but I always note the cost is high because it is. If we couldn’t pay in installments I am positive we would have made fewer trips. This will be my 7th and the cost has doubled, basically, for the low end since 2014. As folks on the bottom end of the income bracket onboard I find it hard to take when people don’t think it’s a legitimate issue (not directed at you). Often, those same folks are flying around the world to see different festivals. I like to acknowledge the expense while also noting it is a good value if you can swing it.
I’m really excited about my wife going. It will be a slightly different trip compared to the first several I did, in particular. It is a great lineup for her tastes, but she will definitely pass on seeing some shows and sometimes I will go alone and other times we may catch a sit down dinner or spend more time on shore. After six where I ran between as many shows as possible, I’m okay with a more relaxed schedule if that is what happens. She’s a newly retired band teacher and likes some prog a lot, so it should be a blast. Also, she’s far more personable than me so she’ll have no issues with hanging without me.
Saw that. This is HUGE!
I totally get it regarding the affordability. This is only my 3rd so have not seen the price rise that you have. My wife and I have done a lot of regular cruises over the years and CTTE is about double or more of what a regular Caribbean cruise would cost. My wife and I are both retired, but were lucky to have well paying jobs and we started planning for retirement in our 30’s, so have some level of disposable income now in our 60’s. That being said, CTTE is out of the price range of many people and I totally understand that.I agree about the value, but I always note the cost is high because it is. If we couldn’t pay in installments I am positive we would have made fewer trips. This will be my 7th and the cost has doubled, basically, for the low end since 2014. As folks on the bottom end of the income bracket onboard I find it hard to take when people don’t think it’s a legitimate issue (not directed at you). Often, those same folks are flying around the world to see different festivals. I like to acknowledge the expense while also noting it is a good value if you can swing it.
I’m really excited about my wife going. It will be a slightly different trip compared to the first several I did, in particular. It is a great lineup for her tastes, but she will definitely pass on seeing some shows and sometimes I will go alone and other times we may catch a sit down dinner or spend more time on shore. After six where I ran between as many shows as possible, I’m okay with a more relaxed schedule if that is what happens. She’s a newly retired band teacher and likes some prog a lot, so it should be a blast. Also, she’s far more personable than me so she’ll have no issues with hanging without me.
Regarding running around to different shows. When I went on the first one in 2022 I had everything planned out of who I was going to see when. By the first afternoon the schedule was thrown way off and that kind of flew out the window. This year I decided to just be more relaxed about everything. We did the sit-down dinners for quite a few nights. We also did a snorkeling trip one day and tooled around the island the next day. Yes, I missed a few performances, but it was not that big a deal. In the end I got to see at least one performance by pretty much everyone I wanted to see, so it was all good.
For the first four, when it was just my friend and myself, we hustled to everything possible and it was awesome to catch so much stuff - many performances by bands you cannot catch in the states. Had never done anything like it and really was a set of amazing experiences. The last two (we took 2018 off during that firs run) we had a third friend on who is a huge music fan but a tick less of a prog dork - though Marillion is far and away his favorite in any genre. Since we are all really good friends and sometimes do trips together it ended just a bit more social than in the past. It will sway a bit more that way this time and I’m more than happy to go that way. It will be fun catching a real meal, etc.
We also were diligent about retirement saving as soon as we started real jobs. Sometimes you take advice from friends and it really pays off. We are still working for a few more years since we are in our 50s, but being off of a school schedule is really nice after over 30 years.
Riverside, Big Big Train, and Pure Reason Revolution now added. If an A+ wasn't good enough for you, how about A++?
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