Welcome aboard the Texas Country Music Cruise! I’m so happy to have such a strong lineup for our next cruises. My name is Eric Lenington and I am the Music Director for the cruise. I was a touring bassist for a little shy of 20 years, most of which was on the TX circuit. My focus moved to promotions after my kids were born, and I’m happy to continue work in the TX Scene.

SOCIAL MEDIA – I hope I can rely on y’all to post a few times a month about the cruise. If you create your own content for it email us and we’ll share it in our feeds. TCMC SPRING 2024 VIDEO AND POSTERS: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vovf3evca3crz3rj0qq17/h?dl=0&rlkey=o7f48vvy2slydhny3ct1y3eo4

The Texas Country Music Cruise is a private group within the general population of the ship. Everyone involved (audience members, crew, musicians) are booked as normal passengers on the ship. We are required to follow all protocol and procedures passengers are required to follow. 

Each individual will need to check in on their Royal App or royalcaribbean.com as early as 6 weeks before the cruise. Check in deadline is 1 week before the cruise. 

Your Royal Caribbean passenger number will allow you to check in online before the sailing and purchase shore excursions or drink packages. TCMC rents concert space and hires personnel from the ship for our private shows to TCMC patrons. The ship runs on a very tight schedule, so we only have the venues for the allotted times they have allowed us. We always push hard for as much time as the ship allows us, and we do our best to maximize utility of that time. Shows need to end on schedule to allow hired stage personnel to finish their jobs on time. Ship’s hands are required to cap their hours, so we can’t go over.  

ALL TCMCers (staff, musicians, and crew) are required to board the ship in the same manner as the other cruisers. Traveling internationally by cruise ship has many of the same requirements as international air travel. Boarding will feel similar to boarding an aircraft.  

TOUR MANAGERS: We will need the full legal name and birthday of each person in your group. Once a cabin is assigned it is impossible to change both names without cancelling your booking and rebooking at a much higher last-minute rate. Because of this we need one person per room to be room captain and not cancel. I know bands have frequent personnel changes, so chose room captains that are dependable, long serving members of your organization.  We’ll need Room Captain names before we lose our group prices, which occurs around 4 months before we sail. 

ID requirements: Passport. If no passport you can board with a Driver’s License AND your birth certificate.

“US Citizens require a passport book with a minimum of 6 months validity post the return of your sailing and the corresponding visa required for entry and exit from the country. 

It is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality. If your name has changed since your document was issued (e.g., marriage or divorce), it is required that you update the document with the new name or provide an official supporting document (e.g., a state, county or province issued marriage license, divorce decree or legal name change document) of the name change. All documents must be the original or a notarized copy. Additionally, if you are using an identification (e.g., driver’s license) and a citizenship document (e.g., birth certificate), then BOTH documents must match the name on your reservation. Otherwise, it may result in delay or possible denial of boarding.” 

Boarding:

Terminal 10 address: 1028 Harborside Dr. Galveston, TX 77550

We’ll be set up at 10:45am at the terminal to help you get aboard. Use the two X ray machines on the left side of the screening area because those are larger and fit guitars. 

Log into your royal account to print and attach your luggage tags. These luggage tags will have your cabin number which allows them to be dropped at your cabin door. Luggage drop off is at the beginning of the Pier 10 loading area. Bring a few dollars to tip the porters or carry your tagged bags into the garage door area and drop them with the loaders. Don’t drop your guitars or pedal boards.

IMPORTANT: any gear you are bringing can not be checked through the ship’s porter service due to customs regulations. Guitars and pedal boards and any other gear must be carried ON and OFF the ship. DO NOT GIVE YOUR MUSICAL GEAR TO THE PORTERS. Check your personal luggage onto the ship. 

 We recommend bringing folding carts to help. All equipment will have to fit through airport style security scanners. You’ll be able to roll your pedal boards up, put them through the scanner, fold your cart up, put it through the scanner, then retrieve everything on the far side. Tour managers or drivers should take vehicles to long term parking after dropping off the rest of your band at Pier 10. The check in process is similar to boarding an airplane.  

Parking info: https://www.portofgalveston.com/91/Cruise-Parking–General-Information   We will reimburse each band one parking pass. Email your receipt to info@texascountrymusiccruise.com with your venmo info and we’ll venmo you the amount. (let us know if you need it another way).

Band Check in: From 3pm-4pm go to the conference rooms to meet our staff, get goodie bags, and receive details for your shows. We’ll hand out checks.

Disembarking: The night before we leave the ship, if at all possible, leave your big personal bags outside your door the night before with the provided tags. The ship’s staff will take them to the luggage area outside of customs. You’ll be able to pick up your suitcases after going through customs, where there are porters with carts available in to help. You’ll need to CARRY YOUR GUITARS AND PEDAL BOARDS off the ship. Don’t check your equipment through since it won’t have customs clearance and can lead to huge fines.

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Backline:

 We will be providing full backline. Loading large equipment through the general terminal is prohibited. We will be loading in backline through a required cargo company that takes gear through the cargo dock. We will be bringing a monitor rig with wedges, drum set with snares and brass, guitar amps, bass amp, stands, mics, 2 electric guitars, and a bass. Bands should bring guitars and pedal boards only. These items can be stored in the conference room.  

Equipment list:

guitar amps:

Drum set:

bass amp:

board:

Monitors: