This year's event features a solid line-up of 60 legendary metal acts, including Anthrax, Dying Fetus and Overkill, covering the entire gamut of metal subgenres; black, death, folk, gothic, heavy, power, thrash, Viking and more.
It's TIME! Onto the ship! Into the Pit! You'll be seeing @testament SOON! #70000TONS #SOTD https://t.co/yBBJ88gsbx
— 70000tons (@70000tons) February 2, 2017
The cruise is scheduled to last until February 6, when it will return to the US. The organizers describe the adventure as a potentially life-changing one, in which they spend five days and four nights at sea mingling with their favorite artists.
I am disgustingly jealous of everyone on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise.
— Maria E. Floyd ⭐ (@cloud9point1) February 3, 2017
The event is the brainchild of Swiss concert promoter and tour manager Andy Piller, who conceived the idea in 2006 after observing cruise ships from his apartment balcony in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since 2011, the cruise has journeyed to a number of different destinations across the Caribbean, attracting around 3,000 headbangers from up to 70 countries around the world every year.
While traditionally heavy metal festivals are synonymous with flaming campsites, mud, terrible food and hard liquor, the 70,000 TONS cruise liner is said to be "luxurious," offering metallers the opportunity to drink in a variety of bars, eat in proper restaurants serving pizza, sushi, steak and more, warm up in hot tubs, chill out at an ice skating rink, ape their heroes in karaoke contests, while away sunny hours by the pool, play poker and blackjack, enjoy spa treatments, get in training for mosh pits at the gym, play mini golf, get up to some rock climbing and have their favorite band's indecipherable logo inked on their body at a specially built tattoo parlor, and even a kindergarten for metal kids to play in. A veritable bargain for a mere US$370 per ticket.
That was a nice stop in Jamaica at Margaritaville while cruising on @70000tons! Can't wait to go to Haiti next. 😮#70000tons #metalcruise pic.twitter.com/e8H7qRRysM
— Ashlee Schwab (@AshleeSchwab) September 27, 2016
The popularity of 70,000 TONS OF METAL has spawned numerous imitations, including the Monsters of Rock Cruise, Barge to Hell and Full Metal Cruise.
There are also a number of artist-escorted shore excursions, allowing revelers to spend a resort day in Labadee, Haiti or go kayaking in the company of band members drawn from the ranks of Devil Driver, Death Angel, Trollfest and Omnium Gatherum.
One can only hope the combined might of 3,000-plus energized, alcohol smudged metallers headbanging at once doesn't sink the ship.
