Review Fix chats with Stefan Lawrence, Creative Director for the Fan2Sea Cruise. Preparing for its maiden voyage aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas from January 19–23, 2017 from Tampa, the cruise will have stops in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. The pop culture fan cruise will feature a program consisting of world-class panels, nightly parties, movie marathons, themed dinners and intimate meet and greets with creators, artists and entertainers.
For More on the Cruise, Click Here.
Review Fix: When was the idea for this experience born?
Stefan Lawrence: The experience was born out of the desire to really give fans the best possible experience. I think everybody’s familiar with the huge crowds at events like San Diego and New York, and whereas we find those events fun and exciting, there’s also a level of crowd fatigue that can set in. What if we could do an event that had a limited number of attendees but still kept the quality of the invited guests at a really high level? That way you can have all the fun of a con, but without all the queueing and jostling for space. And when we started to think about all the fun we could have programming the rest of the ship with movie marathons, gaming, trivia, etc. etc., we got really excited. Instead of sleeping out all night, you can be having fun all night. It’s the ultimate comic con vacation where you get to party with 2000 like-minded fans.
Review Fix: What makes it special?
Lawrence: There hasn’t been a comic con cruise of this quality before. We’re fans too, so we’re making sure to stack the lineup with people who are making great stuff right now. For instance, everybody in the office is a huge fan of Stranger Things, and we couldn’t be more excited to have a panel with the stars of that show. We’re running all the big panels in our Broadway-style theater twice, so that nobody has to worry about missing something they’d like to see. Plus, the intimate scale means that meeting your favorite celebrity or creator will be easier than ever.
Review Fix: How forthcoming have creators been to being a part of it?
Lawrence: Everybody we’re working with have been really happy and excited to participate. We’ve made it clear that this is their show too – if there’s a panel they’ve always wanted to do, we’re working with them to facilitate it. I think the fact that it’s a cruise helps – they know that they’re going on vacation, not just to a convention.
Review Fix: Any surprises planned?
Lawrence: We have so much that we haven’t announced yet, including a couple of guests that are going to blow your mind. Plus, we are working with the talent to offer panels and shows that you won’t see anywhere else. If you’re going to go on a cruise, why would you want to see the same old panels? We’re looking to take advantage of our setting and our facilities to really blow the doors off in terms of what you can expect. And the small scale means that we can do things that just wouldn’t be possible in a big convention setting.
Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone have this adventure with you?
Lawrence: Great guests. Luxury cruise. One-of-a-kind experiences. Two thousand new friends to party with. It’s a big geeky slumber party.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Lawrence: Keep watching our Facebook and Twitter feeds for all the latest guest, panel and entertainment updates. We expect this to become the experience that guests look forward to all year long. I know I’m looking forward to it.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Lawrence: it’s more affordable than you think – your ticket includes your lodging and your meals for 4 days and nights. Take a look and compare it the cost of attending a land-locked convention – I think we’re actually offering a tremendous value for a high-quality con experience.
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