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I just returned from the Jubilee At Sea Cruise – and it was an awesome time! A few weeks before going, in an effort to see if folks from some of the talk lists and forums were going, my question started a huge debate over whether folks going on a Christian cruise were being ripped off. Several people including at least one former group member were adamant that the Christian cruises were taken by folks that didn’t ‘have a clue’ of how much they were being ripped off. Several other folks, me included had done a lot of homework and decided it was worth the cost. A lot of folks fell somewhere in the middle of those two factions.

So when on the first day of my cruise, I ran into several folks that had never been on a Christian cruise but had been on multiple non-Christian ones, I wanted to get their input as the week went out. I also met several couples who had been on both other Christian cruises and non-Christian cruises. These couples ranged in age from mid-twenties to upper sixties. Denominationally we had Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist and non-denominational. I thought we should get some very varied comments and insights talking with these individuals as the week went by.

First, I’ll tell you a little about the cruise itself – we had Monday-Friday with some of the best preaching I had heard in years. Ralph Sexton Jr, Tom Hayes, Joe Arthur and T.D. Burgess preached messages like I grew up hearing in old fashioned camp meetings. They preached the word of God straight down the middle, never in an abrasive fashion but always straight and clear with what the Word said.

And the music was tremendous – I know if I start naming individuals and groups, I’ll forget someone but I’m going to try not to. I make no secret of the fact I’m a fan of the Perrys and they did an extraordinary job on each set. My favorite set of the week was on Wednesday night as Matthew did his tribute to Anthony Burger on the anniversary of Anthony’s death. Matthew did a tremendous job and I know Anthony would have been thrilled to hear how much this student had learned from him.

And the Mark Trammell trio was in top form as the guys plus Steve Hurst were singing as good as I’ve ever heard them. The new CD is awesome and one you need to look at getting. Karen Peck and New River have a new release, ‘The Difference Between Now and Last Night’ and if it doesn’t top the charts I would be surprised. Most of us need the message that God is there and He can change things, this song truly gives us that message. Brian Free and Assurance sang as a trio as Jeremy Lile hasn’t joined the group yet but they did an awesome job. I talked with Brian a few minutes and he is very excited with the sound Jeremy is bringing to the group. I hope to get to hear them soon!

Safe Harbor had a great sound and many people who have not heard them before wanted to hear more from their group. The Dixie Melody Boys were fantastic! Each guy carried his part well and with enthusiasm. Their interaction with the crowd was great. On their last set of the cruise they were joined by many former DMB members who were on board, Devin, Dustin, Otis, Derrick and they brought the house down!

Hope’s Call and Soul’d Out both were great and had a lot of followers on the boat. Dr. Joe Arthur not only preached but could be found on stage playing the guitar with The Primitives, The Rochesters and the Smoky Mountain Boys. Triumphant, The Greenes, and Jeff & Sheri Easter were in top form as well. There were many other artists there, The Allens, The Browns, The Jody Brown Family, The Dills, Faith Trio, The Galloways, The Joyaires, the Pfeifers, The Toney Brothers and many more. Tim Lovelace and Jerry Goff handled the MC duties. Every day was full of preaching and singing as well as the time for shore excursions. I know I’m missing some of the groups but when you have that much preaching and singing in one location it is hard do remember it all.

On Wednesday, I met up again with the couples that had cruised before but never on a Christian Cruise. I asked their take on the over all cruise and if they felt it was worth the extra money. “Absolutely yes! We have enjoyed our other cruises and for travel alone they are wonderful but on this cruise we have met many Christian friends we will stay in touch with. We have been fed from the Bible and our souls blessed by the music. There is no doubt in our minds we want to take other Christian Cruises” said the couple from New York. The other couple who had only taken non-Christian Cruises until this pointed added, “We have been on at least 6 non-Christian Cruises, at least once, sometimes more, on each cruise I’ve seen or heard things that I wasn’t comfortable with my children seeing/hearing. The atmosphere of Christian brotherhood is more important that money is. We don’t have money to waste but to us it is worth every cent we spend.”

The couple who had been on both non-Christian and Christian cruises before this one summed up a lot of what was said, “If all I want is to be on boat and to go to the Bahamas or Mexico, it doesn’t matter which cruise I take. But if I want fellowship with other Christians and a small glimpse of what heaven will be like, this type of cruise is the one that can give me that – as the commercial says it is ‘priceless’. And that is how we would categorize these cruises – totally priceless.’

But one of the most amazing comments came from a crew member; I had watched her night after night standing near the lounge and watching the groups perform. I asked her how she enjoyed the Christian Cruises. “I wish they all were Christian Cruises. For the most part the people are much easier to deal with, there is never anyone upset about losing too much money or needing to be helped to their cabin because they have had too much to drink. But more importantly, I became a Christian as a result of one of these Cruises. I had previously had Christians on other cruises approach me and ask about my salvation but I didn’t listen a lot. I wondered what they were doing coming out of a bar or casino trying to tell me I needed Jesus. But a few years ago, on a cruise like this a lady noticed I was listening to the preaching and music when I got a chance. She approached me and asked if I knew Jesus as my savior. I didn’t but she showed me how I could and I accepted Him and asked His forgiveness. You will find that even the non-Christians who work on the cruise lines normally like the Christian cruises better than the non-Christian cruises.”

A steward who is also a Christian said, “The people on the Christian cruises seem to truly care about us. They ask how we are doing and stay to actually listen to what we say. Now that doesn’t mean all people on the Christian cruises are like that but there are many more like that on the Christian Cruise than on the non-Christian. And even though these cruises cost more, the people are more likely to tip better for any extra services too.”

Now I looked at the Carnival site and I came up with a minimum price for a similar cruise in March of 2007, it was $539.00 per person. The minimum price for the Jubilee at Sea was $775.00 that is $236 per person more. That is just under $50 per day more. For that $50 you get several concerts and preaching services that you would not get on the other concerts. That is not an outrageous amount.

That $236 pays for many things – you sign up under a group and each group has to sell so many tickets to have their cabins/cruise paid for – normally 3 per person. A group with 4 members that are all married would need to sell at least 24 cruises to have their cruises paid for. Also, the cruise line does make $$ off the alcohol and they seek to recoup part of that in the higher charge. Now some argue that means you are paying for alcohol, but in reality is means you are paying for it NOT to be sold. Lastly, there is a tour group that gets these together and signs the ‘dotted line’ guaranteeing expenses will be met, and they get a cut of that too. But why shouldn’t they, they take the risk of booking this entire ship, they organize and book the talent, while making sure many things go well. So they get a cut of the pie.

When you look at the actual figures, it appears that two of the three people needed for group member pays the actual cruise cost for that individual, the third one pays a part to Templeton and part to keeping the ship ‘non-alcohol’.

I have to agree with the person who said it depends on what you want from the cruise as to whether it is a good value for you. If you goal is to have Christian fellowship and come away refreshed both spiritually and physically, then a Christian cruise is by far your best bet. If you want to enjoy gospel music and good preaching – again this is your cruise. If you just want a place to go, some time relax and you aren’t looking for the uplifting Christian atmosphere, then a regular cruise may be more your cup of tea.

A few tips if you are going on your first cruise:

1) If you drink a lot of soft drinks – buy the Fountain card as soon as you arrive on the boat. It can be used in the dining room and at all the drink bars on the boat. This card covers all your soft drinks, as many as you want. Room service is the only place it isn’t used.
2) Some folks say it doesn’t matter if you get an interior room or an exterior since you spend so little time there – I disagree, you don’t know when it is day time on the interior rooms, you will think it is 7 or 8 am and it will be NOON. Get the outside room, it costs a bit more but it is worth it. Now if you intend to stay up all night and sleep late – the interior room may be more your cup of tea.
3) Get a room either forward or aft rather than in the middle – it makes it easier to know where you are in relationship to the other floors if you know you are in the front or the rear.
4) The cruise line provides you with a list of shore excursions – on ports where you time is short this is important because they have worked with those giving the tours to make sure you are back when you need to be. But in ports where you are all day long – you may find a better deal on your own, we did. Use your common sense – if it seems too good to be true – it may be, several folks found that to be true. But if it just seems reasonable – it could be a good deal.
5) Lastly, be sure you allow time in all your running around to enjoy the preaching as well as the singing on board, that is what you paid the higher price for, to hearing the preaching and singing. Don’t get so busy running around at port you miss it.

Now let’s get ready to go cruising!!!!

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