“The Rock Boat gives fans an up-close and personal experience with their favorite artists and is a great way for the bands to say thanks to all their fans,” said cruise producer Andy Levine. “Because of the overwhelming response from last year’s Rock Boat cruise, we chartered an entire ship for 2002. Half the cruise is already sold out!”

In addition to cruise fares, there are additional fees for VIP concert surcharge ($99), federal tax ($22), ticket service charges ($20) and dinner waiter/cabin steward gratuity ($39). The VIP surcharge gets attendees admission to one concert from each artist, a launch party with the artists and an official cruise T-shirt.

The ship departs August 20 from Tampa, Fla., and returns September 2. Key West and Nassau are the two stops on the itinerary.