by Jim Hauck

After initial plans to go to this amazing music, art and survival festival fell apart, due to obstacles life put in the way, the universe cleared a path and the plans to go were back on the board for a return to Burning Man after a personal 3 year break.

Early entry passes in hand, my partner and I hit the road following the amazing Sade concert in Oakland, pulling an all night drive to Black Rock City. Arriving around 830AM as the desert was warming up, while most of our camp mates at the Astropups had arrived the day before, it was amazing to see our private camping structure was built. I love arriving early to Burning Man and having the early part of the week to watch the city grow and develop before the final weekend comes. With the warmth of the day coming up the camp was just starting to stir for the first full day of building and preparing before the gates opened for the start of the event. The camp was assembled and after a full day of building the site we would call home for the next week was built and ready for the event.

The weather early in the week was warm both day and night, with day time winds bringing in the normal heavy dust storms with nights that were pleasant and allowed for enjoyable tours around the playa without having to bundle up. It was not until later  in the week that the temperatures at night would really cool off allowing us to pull out the fun fur costumes and use them to keep warm. Through the end of the week the playa would hang heavy in the air, like a cloud of fog (but it was fine dust) that sat there not moving, just reminding you that you are breathing it in and out of your body.

The art around the playa was as usual very amazing, but perhaps the most awe inspiring piece for me was the Temple of Inspiration. One of the larger temple installations I have seen, it was truly amazing to see. The temple included an Earth Harp, which was a giant installation of wires from a pedestal to the temple that were played as an instrument. Inside the temple on the first day we were treated to a beautiful playing of the chimes and gongs in the structure that were all rigged up electronically to a midi interface run by a computer – think of something like the old Wurlitzer Pizza Theater organs with the different instruments, but in a more sacred temple style. I captured some of the art in my Flicker photo stream and my partner John’s photo stream is even more complete with pictures of the art, so I suggest you take a look at the photos to get a sense of just some of the amazing things created in this desert city. Another amazing event was the Flaming Lotus Girls fire and fireworks show on Thursday night. The fireworks, colors and showers of sparks and colored flames were something I have not ever seen in another fireworks show and gave us a real treat. Another fantastic art piece was the giant Trojan Horse, standing many stories tall and lighted with red neon. The horse was wheeled out to the playa on Thursday night, and following the fireworks show at Flaming Lotus Girls, gave us another fireworks event ending with flaming arrows being shot at the horse and the entire structure was blown up and burned to the ground.

Events happen all day and night at Black Rock City and it is hard to take it all in. However, I am thrilled that one of my early nights out with some camp mates at Opulent Temple allowed me to hear one of my favorite groups; Infected Mushroom. With a live and DJ set, these guys rocked this temporary club for the night on Monday, creating a perfect launch for several nights of fun, exploring and dancing. And by temporary club I mean a space that can accommodate 10,000 plus people, with many levels of rigs and structure, flame throwing towers, lasers, and lights. Simply amazing that these clubs are built for one week of fun, delivering powerful sound stages for amazing entertainment.

One thing I make special note of is that early in the week the city vibe is cool, fun, and welcoming. This is the time of the older burners, those who go to enjoy the community and make the community happen. This feeling does change as the week goes along and by Saturday at 12:00AM when the gates close the city has transformed. This year with over 54,000 people attending the factor of weekend warriors was just as noticeable. The care for the playa, cleaning up after yourself, and the overall feeling of the event shifts to a party atmosphere. Costumes become less visible as people seem to be dressed in more street clothes, and the parties and dancing events at night become the focus.

Saturday night the entire event culminates with the burning of the man. Almost the entire city drifts out to center playa to see the man raise his arms, put on a fireworks show, and get burned. My crew of close friends chose to pulled chairs to just off the edge of the city and watch from a distance, seeing the spectacle take place and watching the man go down in flames. It is truly amazing to watch, even from several hundred feet away. This year we chose to call it an early night on Saturday and got up early Sunday morning to start exodus home before the full departure of the city got going. Many of our camp mates stayed to watch the burning of the temple on Sunday night before heading out, but we opted to be home and watch it from the live web cast instead. Called it being seasoned burners, or just wanting to avoid the crazy traffic, we surely made the right decision to leave and get home ahead of the crazy Monday morning departures.

Thrilled to have returned to Burning Man, I can say it was worth it all to do this event again. It is hard on the body with elements that take a toll on the best people. But Burning Man also can teach you so much about yourself and being part of a community. My camp mates are a fun and amazing group, taking on challenges and rising to make a safe and fun home on the playa. I am very happy I made the journey again and hope to get this back on my yearly travel plans for a few more years again.

If you have never thought about Burning Man as something to do – consider it. Find a group of people or theme camp to go with because it does make the journey a bit easier. If you feel you are ready for some transition or exploration in life, the playa is the place to do it. You can loose yourself, find yourself, and dive deep into who and what you are or you can just have a great time being a little silly and having a lot of fun.

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by Jim Hauck

Billed as the final Toybox and held at the big top at Luna Park, across the Harbor Bridge from downtown Sydney, this event is a one of a kind experience that over the years has brought people around the world together to experience something very special. Starting at noon, this party is all about the experience of the lights, lasers, magic, fun and music. It is a true feast for the senses unlike much else in the world.

Entering Luna Park, you head towards the far end past the amusements and up stairs to enter a small room with a dance floor. Kate Monroe was the opening DJ in the Taj Mahal room and she was playing a great warm up set of energetic house and vocals to get the crowd ready for the main room. This room continued to grove throughout the day with Paul Heron keeping a lively crowd on on this dance floor right up until the very end of the party. However, this was not the room I spent much time in and is really not the main feature of Toy Box.

Shortly after opening the party, the main room doors were opened and we entered a large auditorium that was decked out with amazing levels of light rigging, lights, mirrors, parabolic surfaces, cubes and all things reflective. The design of the rigging is itself a work of art. Lighting colors were kept cool and somber and played off the reflective surfaces as DJ Matt Bachl opened the party. The musical journey and the light show build throughout the first few hours. Matt’s music selections were right on target with great trance and vocal energy pushing the beats per minute up higher and higher through his set. He had the crowd and my group of enthusiastic friends bouncing and dancing all over the floor and eating out of the palm of his hand. Approximately 90 minutes into his set (or laser:30 as we called it) the room was darkened and smoked out and we knew the most exciting part of Toy Box was about to happen. Suddenly the room was popped to life as nearly a dozen full spectrum lasers kicked on for the night. Between Matt’s musical journey, the lasers and the crowd of friendly people, there was an ascension to the heavenly bliss of the Toy Box dance floor. After a rousing applause for Matt, Steven Hales continued the musical journey through the 8PM finish with favorite tracks including Evergreen and a closing show with Reach for the Stars. Steven provided us with a continuing perfect musical journey through the event, keeping us moving, dancing, sweating and smiling. In fact I challenge to say that I never saw anyone without a smile on their face during this party. The crowd, a full mix of younger and older, big and small, hairy and smooth, was having a blow out day at this final installment of Toybox.

Toybox is a rare event where everything feels orchestrated and coordinated leaving nothing to chance. The lasers fit the music, this music works with the lights, and even the musical drops become these amazing moments to grab the person next to you and stare in awe and wonder at the light show going on around you (check out the video I posted on Facebook to see what I mean). Throughout the party magical moments happen where popsicles are given out, tiny toy balls arrive, silly glasses show up, confetti throwers are passed around, and special overhead shows dazzle you and make you giggle (dancing chickens with KFC containers – too much fun). This entire experience ended with a 20 minute confetti storm that rained down upon us and ended with a confetti and streamer explosion that was a visual feast to literally blow you away. All of this while a glittered and sparkly performer was raised above us with a chiffon cape for lasers to be projected on singing Run (by Jamie Knight) and then into Reach for The Stars (by S Club 7). One word for the entire day was perfection – absolute perfection!

Sadly this was the closing chapter of the Toybox experience and I feel a loss knowing there will not be another one. This one of a kind party was a treasure that while it may have had problems in some years, grew to be an international celebrity and gem of the dance circuit. The loss will be profound in the dance calendar because no where else in this world will we have this union of fun and magic that was an adult play land, a true Toybox adventure. For those who never went to Toybox, the experience will now live in the recordings of YouTube videos, Facebook postings and photographed memories.

Thank you Toybox for shining through and helping us, for one last day, truly reach for the stars and making our dance floor dreams come true.

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by Jim Hauck

After a 14 hour journey to Sydney, we arrived Saturday afternoon, taking time to relax, eat, catch up with friends, and get situated in Sydney, the time arrived to head over to the big Mardi Gras celebration.

Queuing to enter the grounds moved very quickly and efficiently. Police with dogs as well as event security patrolled the lines but overall were welcoming and friendly for the entry. A minimal amount of pat down and search and we were in the grounds and ready to start a tour of the venues for the evening.

The RHI was our first and primary dance spot for the night. This is the largest dance area and the one with the main performance shows. The RHI was set up with a large and well elevated stage for the performances, moveable light rigging, and a set of LED video walls circled around and above the DJ booth. These LED walls would block a good view of the DJ most of the night and seemed to be used to mostly project simple graphics and nothing overly elaborate. The movable light rigging over the main floor was a great addition creating a constantly changing light scape. The stage had black curtains that were later opened for video during the performances.

Murray Hood warmed up the crowd in the main room and after our tour of all rooms gave us a great ascent into the musical fun for the evening providing vocals and groves to get you moving. Following Murray’s set the first performance was a production number to a Madonna medley and other than the strange use of an entry vehicle creating a very long build up to the routing, the overall performance was really well done. Justin Ryan was on next and played some great musical selections that kept us all singing along to the vocals. I think there was an opportunity to get some more energy out of the musical selections and tracks. Justin has great taste in musical selections however, and we should expect to hear more from this DJ. Following Justin’s set, Alexis Jordan came on singing her hit Happiness to a very enthusiastic crowd. Wearing a sparkling jacket and surrounded buy the large dance troupe, it was great to see her performance on a large stage following her debut at Sundance last summer and with plans for up coming White Party in Palm Springs. The next DJ up was Seamus Haji, new for me, with an interesting set of tracks, with mixed energy. Probably the most memorable track played by Seamus was a very soulful and sexy version of George Michael’s Father Figure. Following Seamus, the talented Wynter Gordon took the stage and energized the crowd with Do Bad Things to You.

We spent little time touring through the Hordern which has evolved to a deeper house party. This also large dance space was darker and decorated with a beautiful glass and mirror cube sculpture in the middle and is the primary space where lasers are added to the production value. On of the more interesting laser effects used created a fence like feeling stacked 6 beams high around the dance floor. Musically we did not care much for this venue but did enjoy a bit of the end of Frankie Knuckles set before Calvin Harris came on and started to talk over the PA (rule number one…never give the DJ a microphone). Seriously Calvin I did not need you to scream out and ask us how we are doing, it just kills the buzz.

Worth noting that in the dome, up coming deep house and sexy DJ Kam Shafanti opened the night to a very friendly crowd of bears. While we did not stay for the entire time, Kam was delivering a deep grove that was really getting folks moving. Also, friend and super star talent Bob Downe was hosting his all star show and retro-gras party in the forum to a full crowd.

Now you may be asking, what is this thing about “without the caps”? Well for some mysterious reason the party sold all bottled water without caps on it, making it hard to carry your water with you through the night. The claim was that people would throw the caps at the performers. Seriously folks, don’t you want your crowd to stay hydrated and healthy? Keeping a cap on your water or any other drink allows you to keep it with you and not slam it to get back on the dance floor.

With so much to do at Mardi Gras it is hard to catch it all. However, it was not an over the top experience this year. Being with good friends always makes a dance party fun, but it seems that many competing events and a less than stellar party in 2010 had serious impact on this years event and while numbers may have been up the shine on the event could still be polished up a bit.

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by Graig Cooper
San Francisco

Selling out a year in advance and chartering the largest passenger ship ever built, Atlantis’ 20th Anniversary Cruise was destined to be either epic or an epic failure. Fortunately, 5,400 seamen realized the former and experienced the vacation of a lifetime aboard the aptly named Allure of the Seas. While I was a virgin cruiser, I traveled among veterans who helped me make relevant comparisons to other Atlantis cruises.

Since this is the first Atlantis cruise aboard the Allure, I feel it is necessary to provide insight into the experience onboard as a whole and describe the unique features of the various party venues.

The Allure of The Allure

The host vessel itself generated equal parts excitement and consternation in the lead-up to the cruise. The ship is enormous with a capacity that nearly doubles that of previous Atlantis events. This raised two significant points of concern: (1) could the Atlantis production team successfully host multiple parties at once to compensate for the fact that no one venue could hold all of the ship’s occupants and (2) would the sense of community, integral to the enjoyment of an Atlantis cruise, be diluted from such a massive increase of space and population onboard the ship?

The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. In fact the ability to host multiple parties at once and rotate DJs among the various venues was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip. True to Atlantis’ marketing claims, the variety led to a welcome ability to choose which party suited your particular desires. Not only that, but being able to follow DJ Abel (most notably) as he rotated venues, offered an amazing opportunity to hear how his sound changes from one environment to the next.

In regard to the 2nd point of concern, the sense of community was ever-present, aided in no small part by the huge San Francisco contingent onboard. Yet meeting new friends from all over the world and running into them again and again was a daily pleasure.

The Venues and Party Highlights

Aqua Theater

Home to the Tea Dances, the Aqua Theater was the best dance venue on the boat. Imagine an amphitheater on the back of a boat, allowing both dancers and spectators to commune closely and enjoy the music. Further, those with staterooms overlooking this area could enjoy the parties from their balconies and views of the ocean and the evening sunsets could be enjoyed from just about anywhere in this space. A catwalk overlooked the dancers and housed the performances and the DJ decks. I feel the connection between the partygoers and the DJ at this space added to the success of the tea dances.

Ask Me Tell Me (Dog Tag Tea Dance) – EPIC!! Upon returning to my cabin, I said, “I think that may have been the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.” Many elements came together to make this party perfect – It was the first tea dance and is traditionally one of the most popular of Atlantis’ tea dances. It gave us the first real view of the scale of the ship and all on board. Everyone was elated from start to finish. The military themed tea dance took on new meaning with this year’s revocation of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the performance captured that perfectly. Wayne G, Wayne G, Wayne G. His set reflected and then carried the elation of the crowd higher and higher.

Classic Disco Revival Tea Dance – Abel is a circuit classic himself, so having him spin this party was the perfect choice. His set gave us the Disco classics we expected without being cheesy or cliche. Everyone was in the right mood to just have fun and be silly. And again, the performance, which was an adorable dance by the staff of Johnny Rockets, was fun and lifting.

The other two tea dances (a surprise one by Brett Henrichsen and the Final Rinse by Phil B) were also great, but not as memorable as the previous two. As I mentioned when discussing the Aqua Theater venue, the connection between the DJ and the audience added much to these parties.

The Aqua Theater also hosted one night party, an 80s video party by Guy Smith. This was definitely a different type of party and would have been hard to enjoy if you weren’t in the mood to be cheesy and ridiculous. Fortunately, I was and I had a really good time.

The Solarium

At the opposite end of the ship was this other big space outdoor (partially) venue, but of the four main venues, the Solarium seemed to have the most difficulties. That said, it also had the most to offer. The difficulties came mostly in dance floor integration and traffic flow. There was less of a dance floor and more of just multiple dance spaces. And working your way from the main entrance to the lower dance space required one to overcome multiple level changes (including a curved staircase), bottlenecks, and a water obstacle.

Flow issues aside, the space did offer the most for the most people. The multiple dance spaces (perhaps as many as 7) offered a comfortable environment for every type of dancer and the bar area upstairs was a good socializing and people-watching space. One could even dance in water if they chose and with only a partially open roof one could choose warmth and cover or to be exposed to the sea breeze. In fact, it was this split of being an indoor/outdoor space that gave the Solarium its single most memorable and enjoyable moment. During the Anthems party Guy Smith’s lasers captured the rain mist and created a breathtaking “glitter rain” visual.

As far as the parties in the Solarium, it is hard to distinguish one from the next. Anthems (Wayne G) was probably the best night, aided in part by the fun of dancing in a soft rain and the visuals described above. And the lowest point…well, if you’ve heard, yes, someone took a dump on the dance floor. I left to use the bathroom (where one should) and upon my return noticed that the spot we were dancing was cleared. Turns out, people just prefer not to dance near poo. Apparently a guy in a warrior kilt get-up, fell over (out), rose to his feet again, fell again and as his friends picked him up he evacuated on and they evacuated him from the dance floor. To say the least, it was a bit of a mood killer.

Studio B

An ice rink turned dance floor, Studio B housed the largest continuous dance floor on the boat and since it was a full indoor space, the lighting was spectacular. Of the DJs onboard, Studio B was ruled by Pagano. His sound of hard-hitting tribal beats was perfect for the space and kept the dance floor packed until morning.

Aside from Pagano, the only DJ who seemed capable of capturing the hard-hitting sexy sound necessary for Studio B was, of course, Abel. His set during the Demons portion of the Angels and Demons (white party / black party) night was sexy and driving, perfect for the space and mood of the night.

Blaze

The smallest venue, Blaze was typically reserved for the after-after hours parties, so I didn’t venture in there until DJ Abel’s final set to close out the week. While its size limits its use, the space itself was incredible. The sound was the best on the boat and our time in Blaze was one of the highlights of our trip.

While Brett Henrichsen did his Last Dance in Studio B, Abel began spinning to a small crowd (just me and 5 of my closest friends) in Blaze. It felt like he was working a private party for us and we were LOVING it. His sound was heavy on vocals and not as dark and sexy as his sound typically gets. At one point we decided to see how things were going in Studio B, but we walked in just as the sound went out. Sound issues plagued Brett and Studio B for a while and we made our way quickly back to Abel. Before long, Studio B closed and Blaze was packed. Abel’s sound shifted to accommodate the new feel of the room and we stayed til the very end.

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I’ll make a few quick comments on some other aspects of the trip. For one, I was pleased with the selection and quality of food at the Windjammer. Two, we didn’t get bags, just luggage tags. That was kind of disappointing. Three, there (still) wasn’t much in the way of harm reduction (no signage, no fruit tables, etc). But, every now and then an ominous announcement of “ALPHA ALPHA ALPHA” would signal (we supposed) that someone had fallen out. If nothing, this was a sobering warning of don’t let that be you. And, though I didn’t see them myself, I heard someone say that fruit trays were delivered to the dance floor during the White Party.

As I was writing this review, I received a mass email from Rich Campbell at Atlantis Events. They acknowledged making a mistake with the bags, noting they substituted them for the free cocktail hour they gave us one day. Nevertheless, he promised to send a gift to us all in the mail. He also discussed the traffic and flow concerns of the Solarium and promised they have improvements already in the works. People also raised concern that there was no poolside dance venue. Rich points out that there simply isn’t a fix for this as the pool area is too windy at night. However, he noted the success of the nighttime 80s party in the Aqua Theater and said they are planning to do more night dances there for future cruises.

Overall, the trip was truly defined by the family of friends we had onboard. We definitely represented the uniqueness, warmth, and versatility of our San Framily on the Allure and people from all around seemed to recognize and appreciate what San Francisco brought to the boat. Those who couldn’t make it, were acknowledged and greatly missed. And as great as this trip was, it could have been even better if only Andy and Fabio had been there!

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by Jim Hauck

The 2010 Atlantis Mexico Cruise has returned home and it was another event for the record books. While the RCCL Mariner of the Seas was not completely sold out this year, with a total possible passenger count of 3100, the crowd on board was there to have fun and enjoy a solid week of great music, entertainment and fun parties. These cruises are really an amazing week of experiences that build a very friendly community that smiles and enjoys the company of their fellow passengers on excursions, at meals and on the dance floor. Capturing the entire cruise experience in one review is challenging, so while giving the overall cruise a rating of 4.5 bottles of water, below is a review summary of each party with ratings for each party.

Sail Away Party – 4.0 bottles of water

The sail away party is one of only a few non-themed parties and is the kick off to the week of dance events. Starting with Wayne G in the Dragon’s Lair, the on-board dance club, the party started with a great level of fun and high energy. Wayne kept the energy alive at this party and at the same time Studio B, a converted ice rink which becomes a dance club on certain nights, was alive and kicking with DJ Abel. These parties, over time, have become unofficial underwear parties, which add a bit of fun and sexual energy to the dancing. To be honest, there is probably one thing that holds true at all parties, and that is that a Speedo or underwear are always appropriate dance attire.

Dog Tag T-Dance – 5.0 bottles of water

The first big outdoor dance, held pool side on the top deck of the ship, is the Dog Tag T-dance. Commemorative dog tags are given to all attendees and stickers are handed out representing each participants level of availability on the cruise. Certainly a fun party and a great outdoor party. Phil B played what I would call a classic T-dance set, full of high energy hands in the air vocal tracks that was the perfect sound track to the first warm sunny afternoon somewhere between San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. Truly the outdoor parties are the main reason to hit the cruises, dancing in the sun or under the stars like this just can not be beat. While not required, people do dress up for this party and you could see everything from full military to the skimpiest underwear and swimwear.

Urge Party – 4.0 bottles of water

Billed as a tribal, primitive party, this is also the first evening outdoor party and the first real costume party of the week. This year, the weather was not as warm as hoped and while the party started on the pool deck it did have to be moved inside about 2 hours into the dance to Studio B. The only regret to being moved indoors was not having the amazing lights on deck, the addition of the fantastic lasers by Kyle and Poncho and the video wall with Robert. However, in Studio B some lasers were added and the built in lights do add nicely. DJ Abel delivered a great set of driving music with sexual energy, but not a dark heavy set. One of the more memorable tracks of the evening was a mix of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” that was dropped down just as the Studio B time got pumping. The costumes for this party were fun mixes of warriors, Romans, tribal paints, sarongs and the usual underwear and swimwear.

Mardi Gras and After Hours – 5.0 bottles of water

One of the most fun parties of the cruise, this was also the first party to make it all night outside as the weather had finally turned warm. The was in my perspective one of the very best parties of the entire cruise. It seems to be about the right time in the week when everyone finally is getting comfortable and finds the time to smile and just have fun. Phil B had the helm for the night and drove a set of amazing vocals with a sexual drive and great energy. The music kept us dancing the entire night and well into the small hours of the morning. Costumes ranged from feathers, leather, costumers covered with E-L wire, and the best in swimwear and underwear. The party continued in Studio B after being on the deck and the energy continued with DJ Abel driving home a fun set to keep the vocal energy ad driving beats. A few disco classics were dropped in as well as that classic Abel trance sound with a drive that really stirs up the crowd.

Classic Disco T-Dance – 2.0 bottles of water

The Classic Disco T-Dance is usually a very fun party during the day and back up on the pool side dance area. Usually hitting the best of classic disco hits, it can be a fun and silly afternoon. The costumes are usually over the top with fun disco pants, platform shoes, hot shorts, and big wigs. The crowd was all dressed for a fun afternoon as we departed from Mazatlan and kicked in the music, with a warm sunny day and a nice breeze. DJ Manny Lehman had the lead on this party, but it just did not seem like he was enjoying himself or getting into the party. Rumor was that the monitors were having problems and that lead to some very challenged mixes. While I would usually stick it out until the end, I left this party early instead because I was just not inspired to stay on the dance floor for those expected disco classics.

Through the Looking Glass and After Hours – 5.0 bottles of water

This was my absolute favorite party. Replacing the previous Under the Sea theme party, it seemed that everyone could find a way to embrace this party and get into the spirit. The party, originally planned for Studio B, was moved back outside because of the warm evening, which was a great surprise and a nice treat. The entire pool deck was changed into a Wonderland theme, with some of the best decorations I have seen on an Atlantis Cruise. The crowd was in great spirits and so were we, with fun Tweedle Dee and Dum costumes, we joined all kinds of folks in the spirit with bubbles, fantasies and all kinds of great costumes. Wayne G delivered another one of the more memorable sets of the cruise with a bounce fun energy, full of great vocals and driving beats. The lighting and lasers drove the party to an amazing frenetic push and kept us dancing until near sunrise. Extra special footage with the video wall that fit the Wonderland theme just put the perfect touches to this amazing party. A couple great mixes of Lady Gaga and Madonna and Wayne’s All the Lover’s mix made for a night that was just perfect. The after hours party continued with Phil B in the Dragon’s Lair and the boys continued with that fun and sexy energy to meet Phil’s progressive and chunky sexy beats.

Divas 90′s Party – 4.5 bottles of water

The Divas 90′s party is a vocal fiesta of 90′s diva music. All those great hits danced to in the 90′s return as the party assembles on the pool deck and kicks off. This party, unlike others, has no costume expectations and no decorations and is all about the music, lights and lasers. The lighting and lasers for this warm balmy night made for a great accompaniment as DJ Manny Lehman and DJ Abel delivered all the greatest hits. While lighter in attendance the crowd was there for the long hall and the amount of singing along to all the hits was just amazing – we do love our divas!

White Party and After Hours – 4.0 bottles of water

The White Party is the final blow out of the Atlantis Cruise experience. Usually held on the main pool deck, the cooler than normal weather drove the party down to Studio B, which was decorated to the nines with white accessories, and additional lighting, lasers and the moved video wall from the pool deck. The energy was slightly different with the party inside, because the spectators have less options to hang around the top deck and watch the crowd, and there are less places to escape to during the party for a break. Wayne G opened the set with his high energy mixes and driving the crowd to a dance frenzy, followed by another amazing set from Phil B. What a combination of DJ talent, and then top it all off with Abel driving home the after hours in the same location, we found ourselves hit with so much great music, anthems, hands in the air moments and dark sexy driving sounds that it kept us dancing until just a handful of boys was left and the party was nearly done. Sadly, not being outside we missed that magical moment as the sun comes up on the deck and everyone cheers, but it was none the less a great time. The variety of costumes and gear was sexy and fun, with all kinds of sexy boys running around in their white best.

Final Rinse – 4.5 bottles of water

The final party of the cruise, called the Final Rinse T-Dance, and is the final chance to gather and share a moment on the dance floor, take pictures and say farewells to friends old and new. Held in Studio B, the stripped down party is about the people and moments together. Wayne G put a great set of anthems including Kele le roc’s “Shower You With Kisses” and the new mix of “I Promise Myself” (favorites from the RVT in London) as well as his recent release of Peyton and Baker Street, and had everyone feeling the final love of the cruise. A wonderful close to a wonderful week of fun on the high seas.

Summary and Recognition

Thanks to Rich Campbell (President of Atlantis Events) and the Atlantis Team, the entertainers, the headliners (Charo and Belinda Carlisle), the DJs (mentioned above), the lighting crew, Kyle and Poncho of Laseronics, Robert Montenegro for video, and the crew of the RCCL Mariner of the seas for making an amazing event come to life and welcoming us into their homes for the week. Most of all thanks to my traveling buddy and cabin mate, Steven Mueller, and to my friends from all over the world for adding to so much fun.

The community built on this ship is something that is wonderful and inspiring to everyone, and to paraphrase a quote from Rich Campbell, if we just bring a little bit of that home, what a wonderful world this would be. So I challenge you – if you have never participated in one of these cruise events, what is stopping you? All shapes, sizes, types, and ages are welcome on board and add to a rich tapestry that is an Atlantis Cruise.

Looking forward to the 2011 Mexico Cruise aboard the Holland America Oosterdam and hope to see many of you there too.

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