From the Top Shelf #67
A Few Notes
There are some experiences that are hard to describe until you have actually lived them. You can talk about them. You can show the pictures. You can tell the stories. But somehow, something still gets lost in the telling. Live music is like that. There is the anticipation before the first song. The moment the lights come up. The first few notes of a song you know by heart. And then there’s that moment when you look around and realize everyone else is feeling it, too. You can’t really explain that feeling. You have to be there.
This is something I heard often after our first Top Shelf Country Cruise. Guests came onboard knowing they were going to see artists they love, but many told me the experience was different from what they had imagined. It wasn’t just the music. It was seeing artists up close. Running into friends around the ship. Discovering a performance they didn’t expect. Hearing a song in a completely different setting. And realizing that the people you came with, or the people you met along the way, had become part of the experience too.
There’s a difference between watching a show and being part of something. And I think that’s what makes experiences like Top Shelf Country Cruise so special. The music is at the heart of it, but the memories happen all around it.
Sometimes they’re planned. And sometimes they are the moments you couldn’t have predicted.
That’s exactly why, this week, I wanted to hear from people who experienced Top Shelf firsthand. Meet the Sin City Cruisers. They are one of our Top Shelf Cruise Crews and they are going to tell you what it felt like to actually be there.
Because sometimes the best way to understand an experience isn’t to hear someone describe it. It’s to hear it from someone who lived it.
So I’ll leave you with this:
What’s a live music moment you’ll never forget – and what made it so special?
Until we’re all back onboard,
-Ellen
Meet the Sin City Cruisers
Friends, Country Music & Their Top Shelf Country Cruise Adventure
Some friendships are built over decades. Others grow along the way. And, sometimes, a group of people simply discovers that they really enjoy doing life together. That’s the story of the Sin City Cruisers. They are a group of friends from Las Vegas, with some having known each other since childhood and others joining the group along the way. A few are neighbors, and when schedules and budgets allow, they love to travel together.
But traveling is just part of what keeps this group connected. They BBQ. They party. They gamble. They enjoy classic cars. They get together whenever they can. Mostly, they simply enjoy spending time together. And they have a philosophy that I particularly love: make the most of the time you have. As they told us, they’re getting older and that makes the time they spend together even more important. Now they’re adding another adventure to their list: Top Shelf Country Cruise ’27.
The group has been cruising for years, but this will be their first time sailing with Top Shelf Country Cruise. They are looking forward to trying something new and, of course, they are especially excited about all the country music and entertainment waiting for them onboard.
They are also huge country music fans, which makes Top Shelf feel like a pretty natural addition to their travel adventures. I love that they’re not coming onboard simply because they want to take a cruise. They are coming because they’ve found something they love doing together and they’re always looking for the next adventure.
And that’s exactly what we had in mind when we created Cruise Crews.
Calling All Cruise Crews
The Sin City Cruisers are exactly the kind of group we had in mind when we created Cruise Crews….a group of people who already love being together and are always looking for the next adventure.
Cruise Crews are groups of 8–12 Top Shelf guests who are sailing together in ’27. You can be a group returning from ’26, longtime friends, neighbors, family members or simply people who decided they wanted to experience Top Shelf together. Every Cruise Crew needs a Crew Chief, a creative name and 8–12 members who are all sailing on Top Shelf Country Cruise ’27.
Cruise Crew Perks
As a registered Cruise Crew, you’ll receive:
- $150 onboard credit per stateroom to use toward specialty dining, beverages or spa experiences
- The chance to be selected for an onboard Meet & Greet with one of your favorite artists
- A custom Cruise Crew door magnet featuring your crew’s name
- And more surprises designed just for Cruise Crews
So if you’re already planning to come back with your friends, why not make it official? And if you’re coming on your own, start thinking about who you’d love to have beside you. Because the Sin City Cruisers have figured something out: the best adventures are even better when you have your people with you.
Ready to create your Cruise Crew?
From Our Top Shelf Family
Last week, we asked:
What’s a live music moment you’ll never forget – and what made it so special?
Your answers reminded us of something we’ve talked about many times: sometimes it’s the moments you simply couldn’t have planned that become the ones you remember most.
Andrew Lund
When Andrew looks back on Top Shelf Country Cruise ’26, he remembers being excited to see all of the artists, but one artist surprised him more than anyone. He had seen Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery and Lee Brice in concert before. While all three delivered, Lee Brice completely blew him away. From the theater performances to the interview, the pool concert and the meet-and-greet, Andrew found himself connecting with Lee’s stories and music in a whole new way. “His stories and his music resonate very well with me and he has become my favorite country artist.”
And then there was another moment that made the week unforgettable. Andrew and his wife renewed their vows while Parmalee serenaded them with “Take My Name.” For Andrew, those moments and the countless opportunities to hear live music throughout the week made the decision to come back an easy one. In fact, they didn’t wait until they got home. They were first in line to sign up for Top Shelf Country Cruise ’27 while they were still onboard.
We’ll see you next year, Andrew!
Darlene Henry
Darlene’s answer came with not one unforgettable moment, but three. Her first was Keith Urban. Darlene and her husband, Ray, were sitting in the front row of the accessible seating section when Keith came into the audience during his performance. Keith ended up right beside Ray, and the two shared a hug. Someone captured the moment on video and sent it to them. Darlene says her husband, now 81, has shown that video to absolutely everyone – and couldn’t be happier.
Her second favorite was Parmalee, whose personal stories and behind-the-scenes videos made her feel like she really got to know the band.
And then there was Scotty McCreery. “He is so happy all the time – smiles while singing, relates to the audience, truly loves what he does.” Darlene said Scotty’s happiness was contagious. “He made all of us happy because he was so happy.”
And her final note says it all:
Can’t wait till 2027!
That’s What Being There is All About
I love reading responses like these because everyone experiences the same week a little differently. For one person, it’s an artist they’ve never seen quite this way before. For another, it’s a moment with someone they love. It might be a song, a story, a surprise encounter or simply the feeling of being surrounded by people who are there for the same reason you are. You can’t always plan those moments. You just have to be there when they happen.
What separates a great concert from a truly unforgettable live music experience?
To me, a great concert is when you hear the music you love and get to sing and dance along. It’s awesome! But a truly “unforgettable” live music experience goes a step beyond with elements of surprise that you never expected. Examples that have made it unforgettable for me: 1993 when Garth didn’t just play Texas Stadium, he was secretly wired and literally “flew” around the stadium getting close to fans even in the upper tiers, Jason Aldean singing hits from supergroup Alabama because that was the first concert he attended as a kid – all of us in the crowd went wild over Jason’s covers, and Blake Shelton surprising us during his concert by wearing a cowboy hat with a fake mullet as he sang his early hits when he really looked that way! Hilarious, and so much fun! Anything that feels spontaneous or a little off the wall is unforgettable.
– Lorianne Crook
There’s nothing like having the entire venue energized by the thought of what’s to come, and especially NOT knowing what’s to come. The recent mega concert for Alan Jackson’s final show was just that. The stellar lineup was well known in advance, so that had the crowd fired up. Then came a huge surprise. Lo and behold, out walks George Strait! That’s a lasting memory for sure. Here’s another example. I’ll take you back to my younger days. The year 1972 in Knoxville, Tennessee, my wife Karen and I scored tickets to see the Rolling Stones. Our tickets were 8th row center. The concert is getting ready to start, so we’re thinking “Here comes Mick and the gang”, but no! There was a surprise opening act, the iconic Stevie Wonder ! What an unbelievable way to launch a concert. After more than 5 decades, I remember it like it was last week.
– Charlie Chase
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