Zac Brown Band gives away cruise holidays to 37,000 fans worth $40m
Attendees at a recent Zac Brown Band concert got more than they bargained for when they were gifted a free cruise holiday.
Over 37,000 country music revellers poured into Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, to see the Zac Brown Band on Sunday, August 2, and all of them were gifted the chance to claim a free trip on a cruise.
Brown, 48, announced the present to his adoring public ahead of performing the aptly named song 'Same Boat'.
According to NBC 10, he said to the screaming crowd: “I’m buying every single person here a cruise for two people on the boat."
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Brown called it the 'biggest giveaway in history' and is said to be worth a gigantic $40million.
He added: “This is the biggest giveaway in history ladies and gentlemen, right here at Fenway Park.”
The concert-goers were then instructed to text 'SameBoatBoston' to a unique phone number before 11:59pm on Sunday to claim their free spot on the cruise.
The Zac Brown Band had teamed up with their lead sponsors on their current tour, cruise company Margaritaville at Sea, to provide the giveaway.
“We were honored to work alongside Zac to help bring this incredible surprise to life for his fans,” Christopher Ivy, the Margaritaville at Sea CEO, said.
“This was an extraordinary way to thank the fans who have supported him throughout his career, and we’re proud to have helped make that incredible vision a once-in-a-lifetime reality.”
What will fans get on the boat?
It's reported that the free cruises can be claimed on certain voyages in 2027.
The song 'Same Boat' was created in collaboration with the late Margaritaville singer Jimmy Buffet in 2021 and also shares a name with a venue on board the Margaritaville cruise ship Beachcomber.
Described as the place 'where the music meets the ocean', Atlanta-born Brown helped design the marquee live-music venue.
The company's website says it's: "Inspired by Zac’s life on the road and passion for the sea, this artist-designed space blends southern soul with signature island state of mind.
"Every detail, from the handcrafted stage and artwork to the acoustics and menu, was shaped to reflect Zac’s signature style and the ship’s laid-back rhythms."
The Beachcomber is Margaritaville at Sea’s newest and largest flagship and its inaugural season comes next year.
Away from the boat-inspired bar and cosy booths of Same Boat, the Beachcomber has capacity for 2,716 passengers and 1,090 crew and boasts 13 passenger decks, 12 bars, 17 restaurants, 20 different kinds of unique entertainment and multiple pools.
'I didn’t believe it'
Sailing from Miami, the ship will be heading to slices of Caribbean paradise like St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas and San Juan.
Holidays onboard the Beachcomber currently range from four nights to eight, with the cheapest trip starting at $309 per person.
The most expensive comes in at a starting price of $1,399, but given the Zac Brown Band will actually be playing on that voyage, the price isn't so surprising.
While attendees at Usher and Chris Brown's gigs are getting treated to some rather raunchy dances, Zac Brown fans were left buzzing with their special surprise.
“They’re thinking, ‘what’s the catch?’ But then Zac’s like ‘No, this is what it is,’” Gianna Lemarier told WHDH.
“How often do you get something completely comped like that? This is amazing.”
Another attendee, Nathan Whitcomb, told WBZ: “Is he serious?
“I didn’t believe it. It didn’t seem real. It was just amazing. I’m still speechless.”
Topics: Travel, Cruise Ship, Music
Daniel Murphy