I’m a huge country music fan. HUGE. When we sailed on the Carnival Breeze a few weeks ago, I was thrilled that we were able to participate in a Carnival LIVE concert featuring Lady Antebellum – they are one of my favorite groups!

Their 90-minute concert was just like the one you’d see in a big arena at home – except in a much smaller setting – the theater’s capacity is only about 1,200 people. They sang all of their hit songs and even performed their own version of the classic “Islands in the Stream” as a tribute to being in the Caribbean – it rocked.

They even brought two little girls in the audience on-stage to sign ‘American Honey’ with them, they were just precious. The smiles on their faces is something I won’t forget – what a moment!

Things to Know About Carnival LIVE

On Carnival LIVE sailings, the ship has an extended stay in one of the ports for the night of the concert. For us, we were docked in Cozumel until 1 a.m., the band played that night in the ship’s theater. (Bonus, if you aren’t interested in the concert – you get extra time in port!)

When booking your cruise, you have the opportunity to purchase concert tickets (much like booking an excursion), including the option to upgrade to VIP tickets, which includes meet and greets and a seat in one of the front rows.

Depending on the artist, tickets range from  $35 to $60 for general admission – bargain! VIP tickets are available for $125 to $250, offering seating in the first four rows, an artist meet and greet, a souvenir photo with the artist and a commemorative concert pass. (Seriously a great deal – you just can’t get that at home.)

The night of the concert, we had dinner in the dining room with the girls and then took them to Camp Carnival for a night of fun (including face painting!). My husband and I stopped off for a pre-show drink (or two) and then made our way to the theater. Easy, convenient and a great experience, too!

Experience Carnival LIVE in 2015

The 2015 lineup of Carnival LIVE shows is building up to be even bigger and better – the spring lineup includes Rascal Flatts, Smokey Robinson, STYX, Journey and another of my favorites – Little Big Town.

The entire 2015 list of performers is set to be released in the coming months and I’m not-so-secretly stalking the site for updates. As soon as I learn more, I’ll be sure and share the news with you.

What Carnival LIVE concert would you like to see?  

 

** My family and I were guests of Carnival Cruise Lines. Thoughts and opinions here are 100% my own. **