1
MEXICAN CARIBBEAN EDITION By Kevin Wierzbicki The event was called Cruise to the Edge but for many passengers attending the floating mu- sic festival the experience could just as easily be summed up as a journey beyond the edge, over the top and off into the stratosphere. Having sailed from Miami with legendary rock band Yes aboard along with a dozen other acts including Queensry- che, Marillion and Saga, Cruise to the Edge was pretty much paradise for fans. But to put a cherry on top of all the musical fun, the barely one-year- old Italian-themed host cruise ship MSC Divina brought festival-goers to sunny Mexico for a two- day layover in Cozumel as well. The headlining band for Cruise to the Edge was English progressive rock band Yes, they of such hits as “Roundabout” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart.” The cruise name is actually a play on the title of the classic Yes album Close to the Edge, an epic that the group performed in its entirety during each of their two shows in the ship’s the- ater. Other concerts took place all over the ship, as did meet-and-greets and “storyteller” events where fans could ask questions and snap photos in an inti- mate atmosphere. There was never a dull moment for the thousands of progressive rock fans aboard the Divina as events were scheduled almost non- stop from shortly after breakfast till past midnight. Everyone certainly got their exercise as a typical day kept fans hopping: Attend a pre-lunch talk by cruise host Jon Kirkman, speaking about his book Time and a Word – The Yes Interviews, maybe buy a copy and have it autographed; pop round to the photo op with Queensryche, Saga, Italian band PFM, rocker Pamela Moore and others, all lined up and ready to schmooze with fans; take in a concert by Renaissance and later visit with the band’s lead singer Annie Haslam as she shows her art; zip from keyboard wizard Patrick Moraz’ sto- ryteller event to a poolside concert with British hit makers UK then move on to a lounge show with young progressive band The Pineapple Thief. Tru- ly the music and associated action never stopped, but alas, fans couldn’t live by rock alone; they also needed tequila! While live music was always being played somewhere on the Divina during daylight hours, the schedule was light in the morning and early af- ternoon for the two days that the ship was docked in Cozumel, giving Cruise to the Edge passengers a chance to disembark and explore the island or beyond. Some rode by ferry to Cancun to indulge in a little shopping while others headed to the Riv- iera Maya and attractions like the Mayan ruins at Tulum, the eco-tourism park at Xcaret and the un- derground caverns (“cenotes”) near Playa del Car- men. With Cozumel being recognized worldwide as an excellent place to snorkel and dive though, many cruisers were anxious to take to the local wa- ters. “I brought my mask and stuff because I spe- cifically want to go to the reefs,” said David Svobo- da, cruiser from Minneapolis. “I’ve snorkeled off of Jamaica and the Bahamas and I can’t wait for the Cozumel “three reef” excursion.” But in the true “spirit” of rock’n’roll, lots of cruisers signed up for the tequila tasting seminar, held at the Jose Cuervo Tequila Factory located at the Discover Mexico Park. For this adventure participants start- ed by taking a good look at a patch of blue agave plants growing on the park grounds; these are the plants that tequila is made from. Then they took a tour of Discover Mexico’s museum to see Mexi- can folk art ranging from whimsical pieces like col- orful wooden coatimundis to Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) dolls to an almost psychedelic painting of Pancho Villa. After the museum visit participants watched the amazing Papantla Flyers perform the “voladores” ceremony; this is an ac- robatic feat you just have to see to believe as the Flyers, attached only by meager straps, swing and twirl to the ground from atop a tall pole. When the tour moved to the Jose Cuervo facility, everything excursion-goers ever wanted to know about tequi- la was explained over generous samplings of three varieties of the liquor and the whole deal finished with a “perfect” margarita dusted with chili-infused salt. Possibly because of the free-flowing tequila the tour also let participants indulge in the most savory of all Mexican cultural experiences; an all- you-care-to-eat buffet featuring local delicacies like pork and beef tacos, beans and rice and various salsas. Back on board the Divina artist Roger Dean, fa- mous for designing many of the Yes album covers, was allowing fans to watch as he put the finishing touches on a new work while speaking about his interactions with Yes and other rock groups. Steve Hackett, formerly of Genesis, regaled the crowd in a storyteller session and Queensryche (spotted earlier at the Cozumel Starbucks) set up on the open-air stage by the pool and played a raucous set as the ship said goodbye to Mexico. And while the sea remained calm, the ship was rocking all the way back to Miami. For more information: www.cruisetotheedge. com SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2014 · 7 FOOTPRINTS Area Maps Queensryche guitarist Michael Wilton The April 7-12 cruise brought festival- goers to sunny Mexico for a two-day layover in Cozumel as well. YES members answer questions from fans Cruise to the Edge: Rock stars sail into Cozumel
