A concert cruise — what more could you ask for? The sun and sea, food, drinks, a casino, the spa and, most importantly, the music! Theå Motley Cruise was the party of all parties! The Carnival Imagination sailed out of Miami Jan. 24, for five days and four nights of partying with Vince Neil, Ratt, Skid Row, Slaughter, Lynam and EndeverafteR, along with over 600 fans. The bands mingled with fans throughout the cruise, at the pool, the casino and on deck after hours.

There were two full concerts on board, as well as a party in Cozumel where the Margaritaville was rented exclusively for the Motley Cruisers for three hours. Drinks were included along with a jam with Vince Neil and Slaughter.

Slaughter opened the first concert on board, followed by Ratt. Slaughter put on a great show, in spite of a few problems with the sound. Mark Slaughter has an amazing vocal range, sounding and looking just as good as ever.

Then came the band people were waiting for – Ratt, made up of four of the five original members, including Steven Pearcy. For over an hour, they played everyone’s favorites. The 17-song set list included “Lay It Down,” “Lovin’ You’s a Dirty Job,” “Lack of Communication,” “Back for More,” “Wanted Man” and ending with “Round and Round.” Many fans were disappointed, though, by Pearcy’s lack of accuracy in song lyrics. It seemed they knew the songs much better than he did!

The second concert was on the last day of the cruise. Skid Row opened with frontman, Johnny Solinger from Dallas. He said they’d passed the test – they’d drunk right along with everybody else the whole cruise and were still able to get up and perform. Which they did. The crowd loved them and, by then, thought of them as friends, since the band had partied with everyone the past few days. Highlights of their set were “Youth Gone Wild” and “I Remember You.”

Vince Neil, who looked and sounded great, started his show with “Live Wire.” He obviously enjoyed performing, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Songs included “Wild Side,” “Dr. Feelgood,” “Piece of Your Action,” “Kickstart My Heart,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks That Kill” and “Girls, Girls, Girls” (of course with plenty of bikini clad girls!).

Every night, there were late shows by Lynam or EndeverafteR. It was a great party! I definitely won’t miss the Cruise next year, and you shouldn’t either.