Sailing with the stars: 12 music, celebrity-themed cruises

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Celebrity and rock cruises aren't new, but they have been returning back to full force after disappearing during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020.

Cruise ships are offering customers the chance to tap into flower power, joke with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, get sci-fi with Star Trek cast and transport back to the summer of '99.

Here's a rundown of some of the celebrities you can sail away with this year.

Rock Legends 11 -- Feb. 22 to 25

This rock cruise has been going since 2011 and has featured The Who's Roger Daltrey for the past few years. This year, Daltrey has been replaced by Sammy Hagar and The Circle, who is joining Bret Michaels, Rick Springfield, Billy Gibbons, Collective Soul, Jefferson Starship, Canned Heat and others. Set upon Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, this cruise departs from Miami with stops in Taino Bay, Puerto Rico. Tickets for this cruise are currently sold out, but there is a waiting list.

Jay & Silent Bob Cruise Askew -- Feb. 23 to 26

After starring in films like Clerks, Dogma and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have built up a cult following. The group of actors, which includes Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Brian O'Hallora and Jeff Anderson, is taking their act onto the high seas at the end of February with a trip from Miami to Nassau. This cruise is set aboard the Norwegian Pearl and scheduled to include live podcasts, stand-up comedy, live music and script readings of Mallrats and Clerks III.

Emo's Not Dead Cruise -- Feb. 26 to March 1

Emo's Not Dead was a bit hit with fans in 2022 and has returned after a brief hiatus. Pop-punk heroes Yellowcard are the headliners. Other bands include Sleeping With Sirens, Mayday Parade, Story of the Year, The Devil Wears Prada and Senses Fail. This cruise is scheduled to depart on Feb. 26 on the Norweigan Pearl cruise ship, with a port of call in Great Stirrup Key in the Bahamas. In addition to emotionally-charged live music, the cruise is also offering on-board events like drinking triathlons, dodgeball tournaments and a version of the newlywed game.

Star Trek The Cruise -- Feb. 22 to Feb. 29

In it's seventh iteration, Star Trek The Cruise is set on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. This cruise offers Star Trek fans an immersive experience shared by a star-studded crew and passionate Star Trek fans with one-of-a-kind shows, interactive events, Q&As with favorite actors, panel discussions with leading scientists and experts, trivia sessions, karaoke and nightly themed parties. The cruise is scheduled to sets off from Port Canaveral in Florida on February 22 and make stops in Aruba and Willemstad, Curacao.

Keeping the Blues Alive Cruise -- March 18 to 22

Old school blues fans can check out Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea, which is returning for a ninth time and features guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, Grace Potter, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and John Oates. In addition to a packed lineup of live performers, the cruise is set to include unique collaboration sets, panel discussions, autograph signings and acoustic morning sets. This cruise, set on the Norwegian Pearl, departs from Miami on March 18, making a port of call in Cozumel, Mexico.

Seth's Broadway Cruise -- June 23 - June 30

Seth Rudetsky is launching a cruise from New York to Bermuda with several Broadway stars including Christopher Sieber, Mean Girls star Erika Henningsen and Kyle Selig. Rudetsky is a musician, actor, writer and radio host of Seth's Big Fat Broadway and Seth Speaks on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's On Broadway. Rudetsky has recruited several stars for his inaugural cruise. The trip departs Cape Liberty in New Jersey on the Celebrity Eclipse and includes a two-day port of call in Bermuda. In addition to a live cabaret, the cruise will also include master classes, singing and a chance to perform in a final concert.

Flower Power Cruise -- March 21 to 28

Celebrity Cruises is returning with their fifth Flower Power Cruise this year, which features '60s and '70s staples The Rascals, Tommy James and the Shondells, the Four Tops, the Family Stone, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, the Yardbirds and the Cowsills. The cruise, which will depart from Miami on March 21, has ports of call in San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Croix. Touting the love generation-theme, the cruise will also include theme nights like the Bell Bottom Ball, Groovy Costume Party and a Psychedelic '60s Dance Party. Guests will be able to interact with musicians and celebrities during panel discussions, game shows and wine tastings.

Summer of '99 cruise -- April 18 to 22

Creed, the rock band from the 1990s, is set to headline two back-to-back cruises alongside fellow rockers Tonic, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Buckcherry, Vertical Horizon and the Verve Pipe. In addition to a full schedule of concerts, the cruise is offering specialty Creed-experience packages which include shooting hoops with lead singer Scott Stapp, painting with guitarist Mark Tremonti, karaoke with the band and flip cup games. Both weeks of this cruise, set on the Norwegian Pearl, are scheduled to visit the Bahamas during the five-day trip.

Golden Fans at Sea -- Sept. 14 to 23

Even though the Golden Girls has been off the air for decades, it still lives on in the hearts of fans. The Golden Fans at Sea cruise launched in 2020 and has stops in Mexico and the Bahamas. Guests for this year's cruise include Melinda McClanahan, actor Rue McClanahan's sister, television producer, director and screenwriter Sam Zimmerman, the The Golden Gays, a NYC-based group of Golden Girls Drag Queens and Marsha Posner Williams, a producer of The Golden Girls.The trip, set on Celebrity Cruises, departs from Barcelona, Spain, on Sept. 14, with stops in Nice, France, Corsica, Sardinia, Malta and Naples, Italy.

Headbanger's Boat -- Oct. 28 to Nov. 1

Headbangers Boat, headlined by Lamb of God, is offering a heavy metal experience set amongst the luxury of a cruise vacation. The Headbangers Boat is scheduled to depart from Miami with a port of call in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. Fictional band Dethklok, which features Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small, is also set to perform alongside Chimaira, Poison the Well, At the Gates, Soulfly, Exodus and Unearth.

Hallmark Christmas Cruise -- Nov. 5 to 9, Nov. 17 to 21

For fans who simply can't get enough Christmas cheer, Hallmark is launching a Christmas Cruise celebrating their ever-growing collection of holiday movies. This cruise began in 2023 and has already sold out of the first week of bookings. People who signed up for initial Hallmark Channel Christmas Cruise pre-sale and didn't get a chance to book before Sail 1 sold out will get a chance to book first in August. Hallmark Channel stars may vary between sailings, and each cruise will have its own unique Countdown to Christmas movie premiere.

Rock the Bells Cruise -- Nov. 13 to 17

After a big 2023, the Rock the Bells Cruise has announced it will return in November. Last year's cruise to the Bahamas included artists like Pete Rock, Lil Jon, Just Blaze, Rick Ross, Big Boi, Slick Rick, DJ Jazzy Jeff and more than a dozen others. This year's lineup hasn't been announced yet, but the cruise is set to take off in November and visit Great Stirrup Kay and Nassau, Bahamas, from a Miami port.