Start of the Season-palooza!
Hey there sunshine seekers and beach lovers! Summer is just around the corner, and we couldn’t be more excited about it. As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter, it’s time to embrace the carefree spirit of summer and all the adventures it brings. From sandy beach days to refreshing pool dips, summer is the season of fun, relaxation, and creating unforgettable memories. So grab your sunglasses, slather on that sunscreen, and get ready to dive into the sunny days ahead with us. We invite you to read on for some exciting, noteworthy changes for the summer of 2024 worth sharing!
Sightseeing Specialty Cruises
As you may or may not know, we run sightseeing cruises in Hyannis (Hyannis Harbor Cruises) and Onset (Cape Cod Canal Cruises) from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. During the ten-ish weeks of summer we offer more types of trips other than the standard narrated sightseeing choices.
Onset
Onboard Monhegan, we continue to offer Live Music Cruises on Friday and Saturday nights (21+) and Sunday afternoons (all ages). If you have never enjoyed one of these trips, it’s a must and a favorite for visitors, locals, and the bands! We will also run Sunset Cocktail Cruises on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:00pm, as well as Musical Bingo on Thursdays at 7:00pm. New this summer on the Cape Cod Canal we are adding Back 2 School Trivia on Tuesdays at 7:00pm! Get ready for a battle of random, useless knowledge! Your trivia team will get points for correct answers and extra points for being the fastest. Expect lightning rounds, detention questions, and sound effects that will have you laughing like a schoolgirl. Tee hee! Also new this summer is something we’re psyched out of our minds about… a 2-hour Yacht Rock Cruise, Monday through Saturday at 4:00pm! What is yacht rock, you ask? It’s a music style and aesthetic associated with popular soft rock of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The style is meant to evoke thoughts and feelings of sailing on the water and having fun in the sun. It’s light and fun… and the perfect audio backdrop to cruising the Cape Cod Canal. Bring your captain’s hats and nautical attire, sip on a cold beverage, sway to the music and the Canal currents, sing along, and simply be happy.
Hyannis
Onboard Viking, we continue to offer 90-minute Cocktail Cruises, and Sunset Cocktail Cruises as well as Musical Bingo on Tuesdays at 7:00pm. At this point, are you asking yourself what Musical Bingo even is? Envision playing bingo, and you have a bingo card. Instead of marking off the letter and number called, your card has song titles. Your host, from Good Thomas Entertainment, will play a song and if it’s on your card, you mark it! It’s a fun and interactive way to bingo! There is a winner each round and they receive a gift card for something fun like a local restaurant, or for ice cream or candy. It’s true fun for all ages, and you listen to great music while interacting with family, friends and strangers to win a prize! We are also adding Back 2 School Trivia on Thursdays at 7:00pm.
Everyone knows and loves Cape Cod Creamery, and we are so happy to announce that they are joining us dockside in Hyannis this season, next to The Landing Café! If you’re looking for the most flavorful, richest and creamiest ice cream, look no further! For nearly 20 years, this locally owned and operated creamery has made the yummiest “Cape Cod flavored” ice cream. A few favorites are Vineyard Vanilla, Ferry Strawberry, Patti Page Peppermint, Hyannis Heath Bar, Sandy Neck Snickers, Provincetown Pistachio and Bayview Beach Brownie. We’re looking forward to them opening their doors next Friday, May 17th!
We are proud to tell you that we have just wrapped on the fourth edition of our magazine, This is Hy-Line. We have to say, publishing a magazine is no small endeavor. We changed things up quite a bit this year from previous editions and although the process presented some unique challenges for “upsetting the apple cart” we couldn’t be happier with the final product. Print versions will be available dockside in Hyannis, our island ferry ticket offices, and various select locations in the mid-Cape. One significant change that happened with this year’s edition was strengthened partnerships. We’d like to send a special shout out to the following people and businesses, because we couldn’t have done it without you:
Elizabeth York, Executive Director at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum
Bowdoin Van Riper, Research Librarian at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum
Ashley Santos, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Nantucket Historical Association
Bill De-Sousa Mauk, President of DeMa Public Relations and all-around rockstar for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, and Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce.
Another huge project that we started working on 10 months ago that is about to be unveiled is a redesign of our website. After a couple of years of gathering information, it became apparent to us that a redesign of the ‘front end’ of our website was in order. Goals have been a more modern look, to better showcase pertinent information for each type of traveler, a more fluid navigation experience, a translation tool, a progressive web app for a better user experience on a mobile device… to name a few. We understand that it’s different and will take a little time to get used to, but we have to say that it’s going to be a huge improvement!
We’d like to end with this little nugget. Conde Nast Traveler just released an article outlining the Best Beach Towns on the East Coast. Big ups to Cape Cod and Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard for making the list!
