Lynyrd Skynyrd cruise sets sail

Lynyrd Skynyrd will join a bunch of fans and fellow musicians aboard the Carnival Lines ship Fascination on Friday, January 5th, for the "Gimme Three Days" cruise. The trip will take everyone from Miami to Nassau in the Bahamas, with a return scheduled for Monday (January 8th). Skynyrd frontman Johnny Van Zant told us that the idea for the trip grew out of a band conversation: "On the country side, they have the CMA Fest, and all that stuff, and we were talking about that, and we were like, 'Wow, wouldn't it be kinda cool just to get together with some of our fans, too, you know, and be able to do that kind of thing?' 'Cause on the rock side, you don't have that. You know, we're looking forward to having a good time, taking a little cruise, and playing some music, and stopping at a few ports, and it should be fun."

Van Zant also joked to us about how people will be able to identify the "Gimme Three Days" ship: "Yeah, that will be the ship with all the barbed wire on it. I said, I said we need to make that ship (chuckles) the one with all the barbed wire on it, (to) keep everybody in. (laughs) It'll be the one with the banner that says, 'You may be a redneck if you're taking this cruise!' (laughs) I figure, I figure we'll have to stop at every, every other port, or every port, for just beer! (laughs)" ")

In addition, Van Zant joked that after the "Gimme Three Days" cruise, he expects at least a few people will say "Gimme 12 Steps."

Besides Lynyrd Skynyrd, the cruise will include 38 Special, Sister Hazel, and Drivin N Cryin, among many others.

Skynyrd will be without founder and guitarist Gary Rossington and his wife, backup singer Dale Rossington. Gary's been ordered to stay home for at least the next month while he recovers from some serious health issues, and Dale will be there to make sure he's OK. In their places will be guitarist Pat Buchanan, and backup singer Carol Chase's daughter Raquel Jonsen.