Elvis has left the building….and is now on a cruise ship!

“Really???The King is not dead” ??? I hear you cry!

Well….actually yes, the real Elvis Presley as you will probably be aware passed away or ‘left the building’ in August 1977, however to celebrate the year that he would have been 80 years old Fred Olsen Cruises are putting a themed cruise dedicated to the memory of Elvis, his music and films.

It’s a fact that there are still millions of Elvis fans throughout the world and sources say that there are also around 80,000 impersonators of  the King across the globe. I’m pretty sure that Fred Olsen are aware of this and would have conducted research in to the popularity of this theme before dedicating a whole sailing to fans of the King.

So what can you expect from the ‘Elvis at 80’ cruise?

For a start the US state of Tennessee is completely land-locked and until they invent a ‘cruiseplane’ that can both sail and fly (probably something which the inventors at Royal Caribbean are working on already), the original Graceland is out of reach.  Fred Olsen have gone for something much more accessible to the UK public and have chosen to sail to Aarhus in Denmark where there is a replica of Graceland in the nearby town of Randers (you learn something new every day).  Here there is not only a replica of the Elvis’s Memphis home, but it is filled with original Elvis memorabilia including film posters, vinyls and photographs.

Can you tell which is the original Graceland and which is the replica???

(answer at the bottom of the blog)

A

B

You can get an insight in to how Elvis lived and walk amongst the lavish decor and see his elaborate wardrobe.

There is also a 1950’s style American diner where you can stop for lunch, & play Elvis tunes on the jukebox. They may even sell deep fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches – a favourite  snack of the King himself. Mmmmmm!

And what will the Fred Olsen on board entertainment team be offering to guests to ensure a true floating Elvis experience?

There are 2 ‘award winning’ Elvis impersonators on board ready to entertain the masses. Both are named Ben. Ben Thompson and Ben Portsmouth. 2 very experienced entertainers drafted in to give you authentic Elvis performances during the cruise.

There will also be Elvis themed discos, screenings of his films and a huge knees-up to be had at a rip-roaring Elvis party at sea.

This cruise may not be everybody’s thing, but as I said at the start, the King’s popularity is not waning just yet and his music is fun and takes people back to a time of youth, good times and great memories.

Prices for this sailing on the Braemar are currently starting at £499 per person for a 5 night cruise departing  from Harwich on April 13th 2015 (based on 2 sharing). That’s a pretty good deal considering you’ll be pampered by the attentive crew and get all your food for which Fred Olsen have such a fantastic reputation. They also offer the cheapest drinks package at sea at just £10 per person per day for beers, wines, soft drinks and selected spirits.

So if you’re a fan of the King and fancy a right royal knees up this could be for you! Leave a comment below if you’re interested.

PS The answer was B-the 2nd photo was the original Graceland.