Over the past few years various musical acts have reinvented themselves as modern-day Julie McCoys, by offering their fans the ultimate vacation experiences with their own themed cruises. Kid Rock teamed with Carnival Cruises for a lost Grand Cayman weekend at sea; the Backstreet Boys will set sail on a "fan appreciation cruise" this December; John Mayer went cruising with fans in 2008 and 2009 (while wearing a Borat-style "mankini" thong, yet); VH1's somewhat misleadingly named "Best Cruise Ever" launched with Three Doors Down this past spring; oldies veterans like Frankie Avalon and Lesley Gore set sail on the nostalgic "Malt Shop Memories" cruise last May; and other recent musical cruisers have included Air Supply, the Zac Brown Band, and Jill Sobule. The Holland America cruise line will even soon offer travel packages featuring on-board entertainment from former "American Idol" contestants.
However, with the exception of 2005's one-off Xingolati cruise to Mexico with the Flaming Lips, indie-rock fans have been stranded on the shore, with no cruise packages tailored for their discerning tastes. Until now, that is.

Now 400 lucky indie tourists will soon be able party in style on the Bruise Cruise, a three-day music-festival-at-sea featuring a hipster lineup sure to make waves: the Black Lips, Vivian Girls, Strange Boys, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, and Turbo Fruits. These up-and-coming indie acts will play on-board gigs during Bruise Cruise's journey from Miami to the Bahamas, as well as at an island party in the destination of Nassau.
Other Bruise Cruise activities with include a morning "puppets & pancakes" show with Miss Pussycat, open-bar cocktail hours, miniature golf, and a soul party dance-off. Wow...pancakes, cocktails, indie rock, and puppets? Sign us up!
The Bruise Cruise Festival hits the high seas February 25-28, 2011. For more info, go to http://www.bruisecruisefestival.com.
