Theme of the Seas

Suppliers and businesses use ships as springboards to satisfy enthusiasts’ hobbies and passions.

Theme cruises are becoming more than passing fancy—so much so that a Wisconsin couple sold their stove just to be part of one. They might have to rely on take-out for the time being, but it was worth the theme cruise in question: Hogs on the High Seas, an annual motorcycle theme cruise that was started six years ago by Dean Anderson and his wife, Debbie. They run their operation from Waynesboro, VA, just outside Charlottesville, and their bike-themed cruises have sold out each year, often a year in advance.

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Like other theme cruises, the decision to start their business grew out of the need to fill a niche. Motorcycling is a sub-culture all its own, and its following is legendary. Several yearly motorcycle rallies, such as Sturgis in South Dakota, attract more than 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts each year. These road rallies can become expensive when combined with all the extras like lodging and meals. The Andersons saw opportunity.

“The price gouging was getting out of control,” says Dean Anderson, referring to the cost of hotels, restaurants and other incidentals. “We thought a cruise was a good avenue to pursue.”

Their logic has paid off. Each seven-day cruise, which costs $1800 per couple, is carried out on a Royal Caribbean ship and draws about 2,000 passengers. This past November’s cruise was held on Mariner of the Seas and, as is typical, the first thing to go overboard was the dress code, Anderson says. On a Hogs on the High Seas cruise, passengers don motorcycle attire (cut-off shirts, jean shorts and leather chaps seem to be the favored attire). “Even the waiters in the dining rooms dress like we do,” he says.

Obviously, driving a motorcycle or chopper around on deck is prohibited, so other activities are planned, such as the topless hombre contest, the belly wacker (flop) contest, the tattoo contest and, for the hirsute, the best beard contest.

Motorcycling and cruising couldn’t be farther apart in terms of culture, but their merging underscores how theme cruises can provide an outlet for like-minded people to share in a common thread. They are also a great moneymaker for travel agents and cruise lines who charge as much as $300,000 to completely charter a ship.

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