Take a second to take a breath and watch Blake Shelton’s latest music video and relax for a minute before reading the rest.

You’re okay now? Good. Lets start off talking about clothing. We’ll be on the Cruise for seven days, (eight days if you’re coming down a day early to Miami like we are), so make sure you have six casual outfits. If you’re like most people and plan on wearing the same pair of pants, or shorts, for a few days then just pack multiple shirts – but remember shorts are NOT allowed in the dining room. What exactly is a cruise casual? Jeans, polo shirts, khakis, t-shirts, tops, and cute dresses for the ladies. Of course, yes, wear your cowboy boots and show your country pride! Comfortable shoes are a must for the cruise, especially when you’re at port. You do a lot of walking and don’t realize it until you’re finally laying down in your bed at night.

It gets quite windy and cool at night on the ship, so please remember to pack a light jacket or something a little warmer to wear at night if you’re going to be walking on the outdoor decks. That’s one thing a lot of people don’t realize – yes, it will be warm during the day, but at night it gets pretty chilly. Not Canada cold, but it’s pretty windy in the middle of the ocean. So make sure you have something to wear at night. During the day make sure to have something light to wear – shorts, a dress, and most importantly, your bathing suit.

The great thing about cruising with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) is that formal nights are not mandatory for all passengers. There are suggested formal nights where you can dress up for dinner and the evening if you so wish, but you are allowed to dress casual. Since we are cruising with NCL, feel free to  bring one, two, or zero formal outfits for the cruise. It’s your choice!

One thing many people forget to do is to pack all your shampoos, perfume, and any kind of makeup or liquids into separate ziploc bags in your suitcase. Chances are pretty good that between the flight and your suitcase being dropped off at the port that something may open up. At least if everything is in bags then all your clothing is safe!

Each stateroom normally only has one or two electric sockets/plugs, so don’t bring a million things that need to be charged! I have an all-in-one charger that has a usb port on the back – so I can plug in anything that has a USB cord (which is most things now) and alternate what’s plugged in.

Obviously, don’t forget the important documents you need not only for getting on-board the ship, but in case something happens at a port and you get left behind. Keep your passport on you when you’re not on-board, and have it ready at check-in at the Miami port. You’ll also need your e-docs if you checked in online (which you can still do right now!), and a credit card to use for your on-board account. Make sure you have American currency on you as the ports do use American dollars. An important point about that: make sure you have a lot of small currency, not $50′s and $100′s, to prevent pick pocketing and to better your bartering chances. The smaller amounts you have, the better prices you can haggle. You won’t need cash on-board, as everything is connected to your room key card and your on-board account.

If you’re coming from somewhere up north, like me for example from Canada, don’t buy your tanning lotion or sun block up here! Wait until Florida or on the ship to get it as they have a stronger sun protection in theirs. Bottles you may buy up here may still end up getting you burned.

Pack a large tote bag in your luggage before you get on-board. When you hit the ports you will want to bring your essentials – a towel, cover-up, and anything else you think you might need. It’s a lot easier to keep an eye on out on the beach, and easier to remember everything!

If you’re the kind of person to lounge by the pool or get some rays out on the deck, then you probably already packed your bathing suit, hat, and sunglasses. In case you didn’t think about that – make sure you have it! If you feel like taking advantage of the state-of-the-art gym on-board, or the jogging track, then bring some workout clothes too!

Lets cover what not to bring. Alcohol. You can try and sneak it on-board the ship but you’ll get caught. You are not allowed to bring outside alcohol on the ship at all. If you purchase some on the port, it will be held in safe keeping until the final night of the cruise when it will be delivered to your stateroom. You can find something to drink practically everywhere on the Pearl, so why get in trouble with sneaking some on? The same goes for weapons, candles, coffee makers, incense, or irons.

If you’re nervous about getting sea sick, you can buy patches and pills for sea sickness on the ship, but what works best is making sure you can see the skyline. If you’re not feeling too well get outside to the upper deck, or get to a window where you can see the horizon.

Have any questions? Tweet us @keepinitblog and we’ll help you out! Have fun!

Related posts:

1. Top 10 Tips For Blake Shelton Cruisers
2. Blake Shelton Cruise Gets Bigger!
3. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr

He’ll be joining us on the Blake Shelton Cruise in October; the largest country music live event to ever set sail. He’s one of multiple great performers announced for the cruise, and definitely one that fans need to check out. In our interview, Logan shares a few things he’ll be packing, how excited he is for the cruise, and we really get to know the singer – down to who he sees himself as an artist.

Check out our exclusive interview with Logan Mize below and get to know one of Nashville’s brightest independent stars:

 I see that Bucky Covington recorded one of your songs on his new record…

Well, he did it on an EP and I thought that was it, and that was really cool. Then I got a call letting me know that he’s recording it again, but this time for his new record. I’m really excited, I’m glad he’s digging the song. I think his fans are digging the song too. Anytime someone wants to record one of my songs I’m ecstatic. It’s very flattering, and I’m very, very happy.

For fans who don’t quite know you yet.. how would you describe yourself as an artist?

Well I’m just a dude that writes songs and plays guitar, I’m not anything too wild. I really like telling stories and really like to come up with the catchiest melodies I can. I’m really into Americana music: whether it’s country or rock and roll. I just really love American music.

Do you notice a difference in what you write now that you’re married?

Probably a little bit. It depends on the day (laughs). I think before I wasn’t really tied to anything. Life was depressing most of the time, and now I have my wife and my one-year old son. He’s real goofy, he’s real fun to be around. You know, it’s a lot happier, and a lot more social environment, and that really affects me and how I write, for sure.

How has reception been for your album?

It’s been pretty good! I didn’t know what to expect during the first week, but it charted at number 49 on Billboard. I was pretty impressed with that since there was no major promotion done behind it. It’s all been the groundwork the last couple of years that we’ve really put into everything. I’ve been working the club scene getting a lucky spot at an opening spot somewhere here and there… and to get number 49 on Billboard without any big push is crazy. It’s been selling good since and I think a lot of people dig the songs. It’s a great feeling.

Speaking of opening, if you could put together a dream tour who would you hit the road with?

That’s a tough one. It depends because there’s people you want to hang with, and there’s so many people that you really want to share the bill with. I’d have to say Elton John, but he would make me sound terrible because he’s so great. So, maybe not him (laughs). I’d say Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would be great, or the Wallflowers, or.. I don’t know. There’s so many that I’d love to be on tour with.

Is there a song out on the radio that you wish you wrote?

I don’t listen to the radio very much, so I don’t know what’s really playing right now. The number one pop song right now I wish I wrote it so I could get a big check in the mailbox (laughs). Any of those top ten big pop songs right now I wish I wrote those (laughs).

 If you could write write with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?

Gosh, these are tough questions. I never think about this stuff. There’s so many great writers out there and I don’t know if I could narrow it down to just one, alive or dead. I know it’s not nice of me to give you a nice blank answer like that.

Was there one moment in particular where you decided that music was what you wanted to do?

I’ve always wanted to do it but I never made it my identity. I never made it clear to myself to make a plan or think to myself that it would actually happen, that it was all just a dream. I was playing football for Illinois and I think we were in the third game of the season against Western Michigan – ESPN was there and 40,000 people were in the stands. It was a college football game and I was a sophomore, and I was getting rotated in a little bit and playing. It was fun but I remember looking around and thinking I might’ve been in the wrong place. I didn’t think it was what I was supposed to be doing, so after that game I wrote a letter to everybody on my team and said I was leaving because I was going to Nashville.

So, third game into the season at Western Michigan I was like, okay, I gotta do this, I gotta get out of here. If I waited until the end of the season it was never going to happen, so I made a really quick maneuver there and quit mid-semester – which I don’t recommend doing for anyone! But I did it, that was my moment.

How hard was it to make that decision?

It wasn’t hard. It was tough because I was worried about what everyone else was going to think or say, but I just kind of let go of that and didn’t care. I just wanted to go do something different and it was just an on-the-spot thing. I’ve made some quick decisions since then and sometimes it works out great, other times it doesn’t. It takes a lot of pressure off, you know.

So what is it about country music that you’re drawn to?

I like story telling, I like really descriptive lyrics, I like lyrics that paint a picture and take you somewhere. When you say country music I think of the stuff I really like – the 90′s. There were a lot of great songs in the 90′s in country music that I just love. I wasn’t listening to country music until Garth Brooks happened, but of course I was around nine years old when his album came out. Before that, I was into the rock and stuff that my parents used to listen to. But, when Garth and Alan Jackson came out it was my first introduction to country music. What I really liked is that you could paint a picture with the lyrics, and that it was just so descriptive.

Is there one venue that you’ve always wanted to play at but haven’t yet?

Oh, yeah, there’s a bunch of them. Of course, Red Rocks would be a blast to play. There’s all sorts of places, of course if I had a sell-out at Wembley Stadium… but right now I’d be lucky to have 4 or 5 people out there, so I’ll need to work on that (laughs). Central Park would be awesome, I’d love that.

Is there one thing you really want to accomplish over the next year?

I would love to get on a big tour, I’d love to move from playing small venues driving my van to being in a bus. I’d love to chart higher than 49 on Billboard, but I’d love to have more people hear my music. I can’t think of anything in particular besides reaching a broader audience.

What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given to you about the industry so far?

I’m trying to think of all the things that people have said to me over the years… I can’t remember who it was who I talked to, but someone told me that a lot of people kind of do the whole politicking and network their way into a successful position. I think that somebody told me at some point to just worry about myself and what I was doing, and not worry about playing that Nashville game, but to just keep making the music that I want to make and do it my way. They told me to focus on doing great and greatness will follow you, so don’t try to politic your way into a situation. That’s been good and it’s helped me out a lot. Of course, there’s the times when I see my friends having huge success because they went to this party and met this person, but I just want to be myself and not worry about what anybody else is doing.

Is there one moment that you’ve considered to be just unbelievable in your career?

Yeah. One of them was in 2008 or 2009, but I feel really stupid about this. I got a call from this gentleman in Bakersfield, California wanting me to come out and play at Billy Mize’s 80th birthday party. We were related and I didn’t know much about him or who he was, so I had to look it up. My grandpa then tells me, ‘oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to tell you. He’s my first cousin and he’s had some success in the music industry.’ I find out he didn’t just have some success… he pretty much invented the Bakersfield sound. He co-founded the ACMs, he got Buck Owens and Merle Haggard started on his TV show back in the 50′s and 60′s. He’s now in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Anyway, I got to play his 80th birthday party in front of Merle Haggard. That was really, really weird. Just one day I’m getting a phone call and two weeks later I’m in California playing my music for a relative. That was pretty crazy.

My grandpa owns a grocery store in Kansas, and my father and his brothers all work there. You’re in a small town world and you don’t think much about the outside, you just focus on your small business. It never occurred to him when I left for music, and it’s probably my fault too since I should know my music a little bit better. It was really cool to go out there and see what he’s accomplished in his 80 years.

You’ll be joining us on the Blake Shelton Cruise. How excited are you for it?

I can’t wait! I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. Usually I’m in a van all night, unloading gear, play the show, then get back in the van and drive… but now I get to hang out on a ship with country music people who are there to listen to country music for seven nights. It has a great cast of artists that are going to be playing, and to be on the same ship as everyone else.. I’m pretty excited!

Do you have any advice for fans going on the cruise?

Yeah, they should definitely come to my show. (laughs) I’m just kidding. I don’t know if I have any advice, I’ve never been on a cruise before so maybe they should be the ones giving me the advice.

What are some things you’ll be packing for the Cruise?

My guitar is one, my “Good Life” koozie which everyone needs to have. Somebody is going to win the chance to come on the Blake Shelton Cruise with us. By taking a picture with your koozie, it’s fan voted, someone will win a trip on the Cruise. Anyway, I’ll have my “Good Life” koozie, my guitar, I guess I’ll need some clothes. I guess I can’t think of anything else to bring. Sunglasses, I guess I need sunglasses but I don’t normally wear them.

—

Connect with Logan by:

@LoganMize

facebook.com/LoganMize

http://loganmize.com/

Join us on the Blake Shelton Cruise by visiting blakesheltoncruise.com. If you mention Keepin’ it Country when you book your new reservation you’ll qualify for a free gift from us on board!

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2. EXCLUSIVE: Interview With Kellie Pickler
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The Blake Shelton Cruise embarks from Miami for a 7-night party with some of country music’s rowdiest, and biggest, fans on October 14th to the 21st this year. Blake will perform twice on the cruise, with so many special guests performing that I can’t even list them all! If you mention Keepin’ it Country when you book your new reservation you’ll qualify for a free gift from us on-board! What’s better than a free gift? For more information, and to book your cabin now, visit blakesheltoncruise.com.

Here’s ten things every Blake Shelton Cruiser should know before heading off to Miami:

10. Bring half the clothes you planned… and double the money. With awesome stops at the islands you’ll be bringing home more than you planned to! Not to mention the shopping on-board and other fun activities you won’t be able to resist. As well, you’ll be leaving from, and returning to, Miami so the party starts even before you board! At most ports you can barter the prices of anything you buy… but you’ll want the cash! And, yes, American money is used at each stop.

9. Remember all your documents before you get to the pier! That means your passport, reservation number, and credit card. The ship will not wait for you if you have to go back to find it somewhere. This counts for the islands too.. get back before the time you’re told or risk getting left behind! The captain will rarely wait for late passengers as he will have to catch up by using more fuel to stay on schedule to get to the next stop on-time. Make sure you stick to ship time and remember when you need to be back by… or watch the party sail away without you! You’ll have to meet up with the ship at the next port on your own cost.

8. Don’t forget your bathing suit! Unless your bathing suit is a Speedo, then please forget that. Please.

7. Bring only one credit card with you. You will only need cash on the islands as the ship will charge everything on to your room key card, which is attached to your credit card account. You can stop by the guest services desk on the ship to put an on-board spending limit on your account if you want to make sure you don’t go over a certain amount! You can keep track of how much you’re spending on the ship right from your television, or stop by the guest services desk for a paper print-out of your spending. Make sure to call your credit card company and let them know you’re traveling or risk them freezing your account for “suspicious activity.” That would be a bummer.

6. If you’re only going to go up one or two decks, use the stairs if you can. The elevators can sometimes be a little wait during peak times, and it’s usually faster to just climb up or down the stairs if you’re only going up or down one or two decks. You’ll also miss out on the interesting decor at every stairwell if you take the elevator.

5. Don’t sleep too much! You’ll miss out on all the fun activities, concerts, and surprise appearances taking place all over the ship. There will be question and answer sessions with stars, concerts, games, and activities going through the day and night. You can catch up on your sleep on your flight back home, so don’t miss out!

4. Make sure to bring an extra camera or SD card! You don’t want to miss out on the beautiful scenery on the islands after using all your camera’s memory card on the performances on-board! Yes, you will see the biggest live country music event to ever set sail but you’ll also be going to unique ports you may not see otherwise. Make sure to keep room for those unexpected moments on the islands AND on-board the ship!

3.  Don’t pack the outfit you want to wear to dinner on your first night! Sometimes it takes a while to get your luggage delivered to your stateroom, so bring a carry-on of what you’ll need the first day or immediately after you board. You will get your luggage the first night, but rarely may not be until after dinner. You can’t wear shorts or bathing suits inside the main dining room, so make sure you have something you can wear! If you’re planning on hitting the hot tubs or pool right when you board, then bring your bathing suit on with you, or wear it underneath your clothes.

2. Find a spot on the sun deck early if you plan on sitting in the sun! If you want to take it easy one day and just catch some rays, deck chairs can be pretty hard to find later in the day as your fellow cruisers and country music fans wake up. Make sure you get out early to get your spot, but don’t be a “chair hog!”. A chair hog is someone who leaves their towel and doesn’t come back for a few hours later. It’s not uncommon to be without a chair if you don’t try looking for one until later in the day, especially if you want to find a few together to relax with your friends. Make sure you get out on the deck early and relax.

1. Most importantly… do things your way! The best part about cruising is that you’re on your own schedule. You don’t have to do everything that’s going on all the time, and you don’t even need to leave the ship if you don’t want to at ports! It’s your vacation, so do what you want to do and remember to HAVE FUN! Don’t be upset if you can’t fit everything into your day.. there’s plenty more to do, or not to do, every night!

Related posts:

1. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr
2. VIDEO: Blake Shelton Duet With Jermaine Paul
3. Blake Shelton Takes His Party to Sea

The Blake Shelton Cruise will set sail from Miami, FL on October 14th and return on October 21st. The 7 night cruise will visit San Juan, Nassau, Tortola, and St. Thomas. This is the biggest country music event to set sail and we’ll be on board! Want to come party with us? Simply mention Keepin’ it Country when you book your new reservation at blakesheltoncruise.com and you qualify for a free gift from us on-board! Don’t forget to stay tuned to Keepin’ it Country as we keep you up-to-date with all future additions, and great cruising ideas, from our team.

So far the scheduled acts to perform on the cruise are: Mr. Blake Shelton himself, Trace Adkins, Jerrod Niemann, Easton Corbin, Lee Brice, Neal McCoy, Randy Houser, Frankie Ballard, Brett Eldredge,Jana Kramer, Tyler Farr, Chuck Wicks, Logan Mize, Brinley Addington, Chris Cavanaugh, JJ Lawhorn, McKenna Faith, Maggie Rose, sisters Nik and Sam, and Clayton Anderson.

What are you waiting for? Go book your stay on this fabulous cruise…it will be the best week of your life!

Related posts:

1. Blake Shelton Cruise Gets Bigger!
2. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds 5 More Performers
3. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr

Are you new to cruising? I was recently on the Norwegian Epic for New Years Eve, and have sailed on other cruise lines and will be putting together a list of what first-time cruisers can expect on the biggest party of the year. Do you have questions about cruising? Send us an e-mail and we’ll get you the answers you need.

Related posts:

1. The Blake Shelton Cruise Just Got Even Bigger!
2. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds 5 More Performers
3. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr

Artist Concepts recently signed alumnae of Belmont University, Brinley Addington. Anthony Smith is currently accepting song submissions through e-mail at artistconcepts@yahoo.com. Brinley has also signed a publishing contract with Razor & Tie. To get a sneak peek at Addington, you can visit his website, www.brinleyaddington.com, follow him on Twitter @Brinley_, and climb aboard the ship for the Blake Shelton & Friends Cruise, as Brinley was just added to the line-up.

We would like to wish Artist Concepts and Brinley Addington the best of luck as they begin their journey together. We are looking forward to hearing big things from this camp in the near future!

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Previously announced performers are Mr. Blake Shelton himself, Trace Adkins, Jerrod Niemann, Justin Moore, Easton Corbin, Lee Brice, Neal McCoy, Randy Houser, Frankie Ballard, Brett Eldredge, Jana Kramer, Tyler Farr, Chuck Wicks, Logan Mize, Brinley Addington, Chris Cavanaugh, JJ Lawhorn, and McKenna Faith.

We want you to come join us on the Blake Shelton Cruise! Head on over to blakesheltoncruise.com and book now before it’s sold out! Don’t forget to mention us, Keepin’ It Country, when you book (new bookings only) and you’ll get a FREE gift! Everyone loves free gifts, right?!

The cruise sets sail from Miami, FL on October 14th and returns on October 21st after hitting up San Juan, St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau. You won’t want to miss this cruise!

Related posts:

1. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds 5 More Performers
2. Blake Shelton Cruise Adds Jana Kramer, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr
3. Frankie Ballard Added To Blake Shelton Cruise

The Cruise embarks on a fabulous 7-night cruse from Miami, Florida on October 14th, 2012, and returns on October 21st, 2012. Fans will visit San Juan, St. Thomas, Tortola and Nassau before returning to Miami. Blake will perform two nights during the cruise, and his friends will all have their own appearances and performances throughout the ship on different nights.

If you mention Keepin’ it Country on your new reservation, we’ll send you a free gift on-board! It’s that easy and we want our readers to join us for a fun and country music filled cruise. If you have any questions just e-mail us and we’ll help you out! If you’ve never been on a cruise before, this is the perfect time to take one because this line-up is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Stay tuned to Keepin’ it Country to stay up-to-date on everything to do with the Blake Shelton Cruise, and to hear about what we’ll be checking out on-board.  Both site owners, Jessica Crans and Lydia Picknell, will be on-board and we’d love to meet all the country music fans out there!

Visit blakesheltoncruise.com for more information or to book your cabin today.

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We have an interview with Frankie which you’ll see here later tonight. Stay tuned for that!

Are you thinking of the Blake Shelton Cruise? We’ll be there! The Blake Shelton Cruise is already the largest live country music line-up ever to hit the seven seas. Each night will be filled with live entertainment, music, and live performances from Blake Shelton and his friends. Other artists already part of the line-up and who will be performing include Justin Moore, Easton Corbin, Neal McCoy, Lee Brice, and many more. If you mention Keepin’ it Country when you book your new reservation, you qualify for a free gift from us on board! We’ll also be having a party for the whole ship to attend during the cruise so it’s guaranteed to be a good time. For more information on the cruise, or to book your cabin today, mention us in your booking at blakesheltoncruise.com.

Who do you want to see added to the amazing line-up?

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Included in the price for your cruise on the Norwegian “Pearl” will be your meals, from fine dining to endless buffets, Broadway-style shows, the Second City® comedy troupe, a state-of-the-art fitness center, Nintendo Wii™ on a 2-story screen, watersides, a climbing wall, a variety of bars and lounges, pools, hot tubs, kid’s centers, teen discos and more! There will also be other food choices, at an addition charge, consisting of gourmet French, Japanese teppanyaki and an upscale steakhouse (making 16 different dining options all together.) A list of all the activities on board can be found here.

Please note that prices do not include airfare or ground transportation to and from Florida, airport transfers to or from the cruise ship, specialty restaurants,  personal expenses such as photos, souvenirs & island tours, sodas, bottled water or alcoholic beverages (except at the scheduled onboard cocktail parties), or any other extra activities that you may choose to participate in on the ship or on shore that require a fee.

The destination schedule is as follows: (Please note that all passengers will require a passport)

The “Pearl” will leave Miami on 10/14/12 at 4:00PM. You will arrive in San Juan on 10/16/12 at 10:00 AM and be there until departure at 5:00 PM. on 10/17/12, the ship will arrive at 9:00 AM in St. Thomas, and be there until 6:00 PM that day. On 10/18/12 you will arrive in Tortola (Roadtown) at 7:00 AM and depart at 3:00 PM. On 10/20/12 the “Pearl” will arrive in Nassau and depart to head back to Miami at 6:00 PM, and you will arrive back in Miami on 10/21/12 at 7:00 AM.

We are SUPER excited to announce that we’ll also be hosting our own party onboard the ship!! We can’t wait for this cruise and want to invite you to join in on the fun with us! Be sure to get your bookings in today before it’s sold out!

But there’s one more thing….if you book and mention us, Keepin’ It Country  - you’ll get a FREE gift! (New bookings only) We hope to see you there!

For more information and to book your cruise, head on over to http://www.blakesheltoncruise.com.

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