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BY ANDREA VERDIN
AUGUST 15, 2007

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (TNA) -- The King has left land, and so have his followers.

Jazz Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines have teamed up with the official Elvis fan site to create a cruise whose goal is to celebrate the life and music of Elvis. The cruise departs on August 30 and will visit Freeport and Nassau, The Bahamas.

This means it’s time to pull out the white bejeweled jumpsuit and practice thrusts worthy of “Elvis the pelvis.”

An Elvis-oriented cruise sets sail on August 30.

The four-day charter, for Elvis lovers only, will be hosted by a man who was Elvis’ best friend, Jerry Schilling. The entertainment is going to include the Imperials, the Jordanaires, the TCB band, and other artists who performed with Elvis or were in his band at one point.

In between working on the lip curl and practicing karate, the King’s fans can ask the band members intimate Elvis questions that have been haunting them for years during a Q-and-A session.

Terry Blackwood, one of the Imperials, has been working at Elvis fan celebrations for almost 30 years and will be performing with the band on the cruise.

“[The fans] keep calling us, and we don’t get tired of it as long as they want to shake our hand or want to take a picture with us. That’s kinda what we do. They support us, and we appreciate it.”

Michelle Parish, a Jazz Cruise representative, is excited about the number of people who have responded to the idea of a boat full of Elvis love.

“There are 1000-plus cabins on the boat, and we still have a few spots left, but for the most part, there are definitely more people going than any goal we had previously set.”

This cruise just seemed to come together after a bit of initial planning. According to Pete Clingan, another Jazz Cruise representative, the whole cruise fell together in a matter of six months, as opposed to the year plus it normally takes to put something like this together.

Clingan stated that Schilling was on board from the start.

“Schilling told us that he and his wife were always on cruises, and loved the idea of being a host on a cruise honoring his best friend,” Clingan reported.

Clingan, a recent transplant from Australia, has never been to any Elvis events, and isn’t quite sure where Elvis would fall in among the great musicians of all time.

“He’s called the King for a reason, right? I’d think he’s more like the Beatles in popularity. You know his songs, and you know who he is, even if you’re not in a fan club.”

But for these die-hard fans, the pull onto the cruise is the chance to perform as an Elvis tribute artist in an “American Idol”–style show for a chance to win $10,000.

The contestants have to get out their best white suit, and let the karate kicks fly during their songs because they’ll be judged on their vocals, stage performance, appearance, and overall Elvisness.

The aspiring Elvises will be able to keep the aviators on throughout the trip, too. If any Elvis just stands out and rises above the others, he will be crowned Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year, get $5000 in cash, and will be featured in PhotoSpotlight on Elvis.com.

There may even be a chance to meet your own Elvis and fall in love. Tina Altman, president of the Jailhouse Rockers of Southern California, recounts an Elvis who met his Priscilla on last year’s cruise.

“They had a week on the ship together, then corresponded for a week,” Altman says. “Then he proposed to her. They were living together for eight months, and just this last Saturday, they got married. I was the matron of honor. Anything can happen.”

Altman has been on three cruises, and is looking forward to her fourth.

“Before I’d gone on one of these cruises,” Altman said, “I had no idea what to expect. But the whole time, you’re just so relaxed. You just want to leave the door open and let the sea breeze in. All these years I’ve been missing out!”

According to Parrish, the whole thing is supposed to be a celebration of Elvis, and how he lived. It’s been 30 years since he died, so that may play a part as to how the cruise has come to be.

Blackwood agrees.

“Some people go to ball games during their free time. For these people, this is what they love, so they’ll spend money on what they love. There’s a woman from Japan who comes twice a year to Graceland, once to the Elvis birth celebration in January, and once for the tribute to his death in August,” he said.

Altman knows that whatever happens on a cruise like this will have long lasting effects.

“You get to meet people from all over the world, and before you know it, you’re exchanging numbers and become great friends. Everyone’s so open and friendly. Again, anything can happen.”

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