Life for travelling musicians and bloggers can be tough, especially if they are packing for a creative cruise journey. After considering getting in and out of cabs, checking into hotels, transfer between airports, and eventually loading the stuff on the ship’s gangway to get onto the vessel.
At the same time, if you are out on cruises from Fort Lauderdale, you could end up spending some weeks in the Caribbean and a few more in Mexico, so you need to make life as comfortable as possible for the duration of the trip.
Then there is the physical space on the ship to consider, as most likely you will be sharing your stateroom and get one drawer for clothing and half a closet to hang up your shirt. In other words, you will have to divide up the cabin with your crew mate as to when to store all your gear.
As there are too many unknown factors, the best way is to pack light for a week and then pick up any extra gear from the nearest port store.
Here is a list of basics for a travel guitar rig:
The Guitar: Choose an ultra lightweight travel guitar or a folding one which can not only fit in the airline’s overhead bin but also in the small stateroom closets.
For the Interface, consider a multi-media iRig from where you can plug the guitar directly to your tablet or smartphone. Open software like Amp & Effects on your device to gain access to endless amps, pedals and effects.
Finally, use a low-latency, quality set of monitors or plug directly into your Bluetooth speakers that can double up as your cabin sound system.
The vlogging and blogging set up
Fort Lauderdale and the Port Everglades area are extremely scenic and beautiful, so when taking videos around the port as well as on the ship, keep your creativity very simple by carrying only handheld and wireless devices.
For example, skip the heavy duty DSLR cameras for a pocket camera, or just make do with your high-end smartphone. Use a folding mobile stand that can fit in your pocket, for mounting the camera or smartphone whenever needed. Consider built-in extension rods for stabilization and excellent group photos and scenery shots.
To eliminate ambient wind and crowd noise on the deck of the ship, use a lightweight directional mike when recording travel updates.
Your laptop should be sleek, with extended battery life, like an Apple MaxBook Pro, for instances when editing heavy 4K footage and writing your blog posts while cruising at sea.
To create quality content across platforms like Tik Tok, YouTube or Instagram at the same time, your travel tools also need to be versatile.
A DJI Osmo Pocket camera is the best for all social media as you can convert to horizontal videos for short reels, in just a single click. Moreover, it’s one-inch sensor will help you capture quality images of all nighttime activities on the ship.
In addition, the wireless mic that comes with the camera, will eliminate all unwarranted noise of the crowds and the sea breeze to enable you to record your voice clearly.
Guitar editing tools could include an ultra-light amp that fits into your pocket which can double-up as Bluetooth headphone and an audio interface for your laptop. Through this mobile app you can get literally thousands of tones free.
For musicians and bloggers, packing light for a long cruise trip can be a challenge, but when done right with proper planning and using the right tools, it can be done seamlessly.