Cool Caribbean Cruisin' with Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea and Sarah McLachlan

This isn't a Caribbean cruise, it's a Canadian cruise! From the music to cruisers on board, there's more Maple Leaf spirit to keep this ship afloat for weeks. I'm on the Ships & Dip V cruise, presented by the Barenaked Ladies. It's actually not the fifth year, but the third year, but that's a whole other story. So what's with these BNL (Barenaked Ladies) fans, anyway? They flew in to Miami from around the world, and not only idolize the Canadian band, they decorate their cabin doors. The die hard ones even showed up Monday morning for the Barenaked photo. I wasn't among the group of show 'n tells that dropped their towels on the Pool Deck floor. And I doubt if I'll buy a souvenir photo of the fleshy event. These folks are wild!

The cruise is all about music, and it's really terrific. The first night, Canadian band Sloan took to the main stage of the Stardust Theater. I'd never heard of them, but am buying one of their CD's and looking forward to hearing them again this even. Great Big Sea played after them and all I have to say is: these guys are a national treasure. And does every Canadian have all the words memorized to all their songs? Being an American, I felt somewhat out of the loop, and don't know a group in the states that evokes that type of response. Their fans are as loyal as those of BNL -- but I think they probably keep their clothes in. Including the band, who hails from Newfoundland.

Last night was a double hitter: Sarah McLachlan followed by Barenaked Ladies. Sarah is as normal, unassuming and non-celeb as any performer out there. From her dressed down garb (I think she was sporting some sort of prairie boots) to the real deal stage presence, she's a beauty. Although she said she'd been suffering from laryngitis for a number of weeks, her voice was pure and sweet, and she threw in some new tunes along with her familiar ones. BNL was next, and these guys play and sing and jump around on stage with heartfelt zaniness. They're smart, talented, witty and highly contagious.

We're in port today on the island of Cozumel; I'll head off soon to San Miguel for some Mexican food. No big expeditions for me, just poke around the town and meet my cabin mate for lunch. Then it's back on board by 5:30 PM and oh darn, another night of music. Tonight's line-up includes Great Big Sea playing outdoors on the Pool Deck; Butterfly Boucher; Sean Cullen; Gaelic Storm; and Christine Fellows.

What a way to go cruisin'.