Ship sailing with ‘70,000 tons’, 3,000 ‘heavy metal’ fans and 120 concerts on board

Despite the name of the festival it actually hosts, Freedom of the Seas, which weighs more than 154,000 tons (three times the Titanic), set out in this year’s edition. Miami it’s January 30 in Bimini, Bahamasto return to US shores again on 3 February. In total, five days and four nights were marked by the empire of thousands of loyalists, dominated by powerful electric guitars, powerful voices, black clothes and tattoos, and a daily concert marathon that starts at ten in the morning and ends at six. morning the next day. A delight for the 2,761 fans who pay for their tickets, while simultaneously enjoying the wide variety of entertainment and entertainment options offered by the huge facilities. For a time it was the largest cruise ship in the world.

We must add members to the number of fans and staff 60 groups and more than 1,300 crew members who make sure nothing goes wrong. The size of the Royal Caribbean shipping company allows groups to swallow everything, including 14 trucks with their supplies and equipment, without the slightest problem. A ‘little angel’ that is 338 meters long, 38 meters wide, has 15 decks and can cruise at 21.6 knots (about 40 kilometers per hour).

Metal adventure prices fluctuate per person Between $1,366 (approximately 1,250 Euros), if you are sharing a four-person cabin, More than $4,999 (approximately 4,500 euros) the most luxurious version of the spacious exterior cabins and the best location. To this amount should be added $464 (420 euros) for fees and surcharges. Alcoholic beverages or when you want to challenge Lady Luck alone at the casino inside Freedom of the Seas are not included in the price.

luxury facilities

angel garcia It is one of the Spaniards featured in the last edition. According to him, “a mid-high course, a bit expensive. Many of my friends couldn’t go this year. They brought it up after the pandemic. To be able to travel from Europe to Miami, stay there for at least one night, and then pay for the cabin, you need to save some money. You can share it with three people, but yes, it is for medium-high purchasing power”. Of course “luxury, because The facilities are high class. They’re awesome. Cabins are very good. The ship is one of the largest. There are facilities for climbing, playing basketball, surfing wave simulator…”.

Although free to eat, the cruise also offers the opportunity to enjoy other paid cuisine options and visit themed restaurants to try sushi, Argentinian barbecue or Italian recipe. Gastronomy variety is wide.

practically during several concerts are held at the same time on four different stages every day the cruise has. Each of the 60 bands perform twice, and the calendar is arranged so travelers can plan to see all the lineups. On the roof is the main stage, where you can enjoy concerts while the fans are sunbathing, bathe in any of the pools or in the jacuzzi. Scene of heavy metal fans enjoying immersion in bands’ performances death metal It’s really unusual.

Another setting is the Royal Theatre, a five-story room where the seats on the floor are removed so that attendees can watch the musicians up close, while the rest can choose to attend the performance by sitting on the seats in the rest of the factories. . The smallest stage is the Star room, which is a kind of club, more intimate and smaller, and finally, there is a third indoor stage, Studio B, on an ice rink, although it was covered during this trip.

The coexistence of the public and artists

With important bands and soloists throughout the history of the festival Heavy metal incoming Blind Guardian until Saxonpassing Halloween, To accept, gold, Michael Schenker, gamma ray anyone Anthrax. The 2023 edition counts among others with the legendary German guitarist. uli jon roth (former member scorpions), Finns night desireGermans Creative or Madrid group wormy. The relationship of musicians to travelers is inevitably much closer than a concert in a stadium or hall, as coexistence ensues. “There are no VIP areas, it’s really like everyone has a right of way. behind the camera”, states from the organization.

Ángel García underlines this aspect: “They do this with special qualities that you won’t find at other events. ANDYou are around groups, you dine with them, you go on excursions. This is a very different experience. They are waiting in line to get food. They let you take pictures with them, you talk to them, they sign autographs. It is a very special environment. You interact with all the bands…” explains this Spanish fan.

Contrary to popular belief, the musical offering on the ship, Heavy metal As a single breed, it is quite diverse. The style catalog (not that of a foundry) includes variants such as: death metal, thrash metal, gothic metal, folk metal, progressive metal, black metal… nuances, variations and styles despite repeated metallic nuances recognizable to all travelers. “Overall sound quality is good, but that’s not the real value; On the deck, in the jacuzzi, while bathing, it gives you a Caribbean vibe… It outweighs the sound, which is fine, but the ambiance around the stage is more valuable. You can move, you can get in the front row and come back”, says Ángel García.

During the cruise, some musicians give master classes for those who want to participate and perform. jam sessions And welcome and greeting It is common during the five days it lasts. In this way heavy On this voyage on the high seas, it stands as a universal language, a kind of Esperanto, a language designed to unify, to be understood by metal fans from all corners of the planet. They put together in the last edition Supporters from 71 nationalities: Vietnam, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Argentina, Lithuania, Egypt, Chile, Sri Lanka, Denmark, Brazil, Cyprus, Indonesia… The organization described this fact as “representation of the United Nations”. Heavy metal in the open sea”.

Friendships are established among the participants and a nice atmosphere prevails. Especially when it comes to Latinos. “You make friends for life. You have them forever. The Latin world suddenly meets in one corner of the ship. We take out the flags and take pictures.. It is done as soon as you enter the boat. It’s emotional because you meet people from other years,” says Ángel García, who has already participated in two editions of 70,000 tons. known as Ñ ​​corner

‘sold’ every year

Swiss businessman Andy Piller designed the ‘70,000 tons’ project and started development in 2011. Since then, the festival has not been celebrated for only two years due to the covid epidemic. However, every release is running out of tickets. Offers an experience with cruising Heavy metal Although it is like the main claim, it does not neglect the entertainment aspect. Freedom of the Seas has a karaoke room where fans try to emulate the treble and bass sounds of their favorite singers with varying success. One day there is a costume party and among the most popular events is a costume party. tummy tuck competition in one of the indoor pools always providing a great opportunity for the most experienced photographers and guaranteeing fun moments. And something much appreciated by travelers are the bars that are open 24 hours a day. “This whole environment makes it a kind of heavy metal disney. It is a special occasion for the people. heavy”, explains Angel Garcia.

The trip even has a nursery, so “let’s see what I do with the kids” is not an excuse if you want to have the opportunity to scroll through the decibels and represent the clear movement of the horns raised with your fist. fans heavy and ‘creation’ attributed to the lost Ronnie James Dio. Not in vain, a few kids participated in the last January edition, and some not so many. His oldest fan was 79 years old. Another interesting fact: Four out of ten people attending the festival were women.

There are more rides like this one dedicated to heavy rock. The current offer is wide. groups like kiss they have (next edition will be in 2024), megaset he also had and Bon Jovi He described the Mediterranean in 2019. Heavy metal. The existence of this and the rest of the metal ships confirms that the rock is still alive and sailing with all its sails, contrary to what has been claimed for years.