If you’re a hobbit fan with an un-Bagginsey love for adventure, new company Trilo3y Voyages claims to be making bookings for Royal Caribbean Tolkien cruises, with stops in Bermuda, Belize and probably Validor.
A press release we received last night promises Trilo3y will:
answer the question that concerns over 55 million global fans: “What’s next for Tolkien Fans?” by producing four annual fan conventions at sea.
However, as with anything that uses numbers in place of letters in their name (even you, Qu3stlove) I’m not sure Trilo3y is to be trusted–lack of media attention and their oddly vague press release make me fear these voyages won’t actually be available anytime soon. However, the concept of having cruises for specific fandoms isn’t new. Weezer has its own Carnival cruise, meaning that from February 13th-17th of this year there were exactly zero Weezer fans on land. Even the Maximum Fun podcast network offers their BoatParty.biz Atlantic Ocean Comedy and Music Festival on a cruise ship.
If Trilo3y Voyages is in fact a legitimate company now accepting bookings for 3 to 5 day cruises, then the programs offered aboard the floating convention seem designed to satiate even the most ardent of Tolkienheads. The website advertises appearances with actors like Bruce Hopkins and Sara McLeod, lectures from Tolkien experts, gala balls, and something called the Middle Earth Marketplace. In true Shire fashion, meals will probably also be huge, amazing, and frequent.
I did call the listed booking number to see about scheduling my passage to Middle Earth, and was greeted not by the credit card scam I had feared but instead a lovingly recorded message inviting Tooks et al to embark on their dream voyage.
Trilo3y, if you are indeed a real company then step up your website game friends, Weezer is beating you! If you’re not, then Middle Earth fans should bogart (or baggins) Weezers’ ship– Tolkien may be dead but at least he’s still relevant.
(via Trilo3y Voyages and The Hobbit Archive 15)
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