Entertainment Cruise Productions

What Entertainment Cruise Productions does

Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP), founded in 2001 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a privately held cruise event production company that produces fully-chartered themed cruises in partnership with major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Margaritaville at Sea. The company's portfolio comprises five core products: Star Trek: The Cruise (licensed from Paramount), The 80s Cruise, The 90s Cruise, Comic-Con: The Cruise (produced with San Diego Comic Convention), and High Seas Rally (a motorcycle-themed cruise). ECP has produced over 80 themed sailings since founding, serving thousands of guests annually with sailings typically departing from Florida ports (Port Canaveral, Tampa, Miami) to Caribbean and Mexican destinations.

ECP does not operate proprietary technology infrastructure; its core competency lies in full-ship charter acquisition, talent curation, immersive ship-wide production design, marketing, guest relations, and end-to-end operations management. The company monetizes through cruise ticket sales (direct via ecpcruises.com and through travel agencies), brand sponsorships (Molson Coors, iHeartMedia, and others), and talent booking services. Revenue is concentrated in annual sailing windows, with high repeat-buyer rates reported (60-80% rebook annually per industry coverage). Strategic IP and media partnerships with Paramount, San Diego Comic-Con, Peanuts Worldwide, Bob Ross Inc., and IMG underpin the franchise-driven programming. The company employs 11-50 people, is BBB A+ accredited, and was named Royal Caribbean's Charter Partner of the Year in 2023.

Name

Entertainment Cruise Productions

Legal name

Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC

Website

https://ecpcruises.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Entertainment Cruise Productions produces fully-chartered themed cruises — including Star Trek: The Cruise, The 80s Cruise, Comic-Con: The Cruise, The 90s Cruise, and High Seas Rally — in partnership with major cruise lines, serving passionate fan communities through immersive entertainment experiences at sea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Themed Cruise Vacations

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty-Themed Private Cruises (Wellness, Diving, Culinary, etc.) (THAEAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Casino & Entertainment-Focused Ocean Cruise Lines (THAEAAAH), Cruise + Event/Festival Packages (THAEAHAK)

Keywords

• Themed cruise vacations
• Fan event cruises
• Chartered cruise experiences
• Pop culture cruises
• Celebrity themed sailings

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Cruise Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from selling cabin bookings on fully-chartered themed cruise ships. Guests pay for their cruise experience which includes themed entertainment, concerts, panels, and immersive experiences.
2. Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships: Revenue from brand sponsors who want to reach engaged fan communities aboard themed cruises. Brands like Molson Coors, iHeartMedia, and others partner with ECP to connect with passionate consumer segments.
3. Talent Booking Services: ECP curates and books world-class talent lineups including internationally recognized entertainers, celebrities, and artists for their themed cruise experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Entertainment Cruise Productions produces multi-day, chartered ocean cruises themed around specific pop-culture properties and nostalgia eras, selling passenger cabins and onboard curated experiences (concerts, celebrity panels, themed parties, meet-and-greets, and activities) directly to fans through property-branded websites.

Product overview

Entertainment Cruise Productions is a themed cruise experience company that operates as a single unified service rather than a modular platform. The company produces multiple distinct themed cruise products including Star Trek: The Cruise (an immersive sci-fi franchise experience), The 80s Cruise (80s music and culture celebration), Comic-Con: The Cruise (in partnership with San Diego Comic Convention), The 90s Cruise (90s music nostalgia), and High Seas Rally (motorcycle enthusiast cruise). Each cruise is a fully-chartered ship experience with transformed venues, world-class entertainment, celebrity talent, nightly themed parties, and immersive environments. The company handles all aspects including ship selection, talent acquisition, production, marketing, guest relations, and operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Star Trek: The Cruise: Immersive Star Trek-themed cruise experience featuring star-studded crew and passionate Star Trek fans.
• The 80s Cruise
• Comic-Con: The Cruise
• High Seas Rally
• The 90s Cruise

Products and services

• Star Trek: The Cruise Multi-day chartered ocean cruise vacation programmed end-to-end around the Star Trek franchise for adult fans of the property, including celebrity guest appearances, themed concerts, panels, parties, and curated onboard activities, sold directly via the brand's dedicated website.
• The 80s Cruise Multi-day chartered ocean cruise vacation programmed around 1980s pop-culture nostalgia for adult fans of the era, featuring live 80s musical performances, themed parties, era-specific activities, and onboard entertainment, sold via a dedicated brand website.
• Comic-Con: The Cruise Multi-day chartered ocean cruise vacation combining comic-con-style programming with a cruise format, featuring comics, pop-culture guests, panels, cosplay activities, and themed entertainment for adult fans of the convention circuit, sold through the ECP corporate site.
• The 90s Cruise Multi-day chartered ocean cruise vacation programmed around 1990s pop-culture nostalgia for adult fans of the era, featuring live 90s musical performances, themed parties, era-specific activities, and onboard entertainment, sold through the ECP corporate site.
• High Seas Rally Multi-day chartered ocean cruise vacation targeted at motorcycle-culture enthusiasts, combining group motorcycle rides in port with rally-themed parties, live music, and onboard activities, sold through a dedicated brand website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Star Trek: The Cruise IX sold out quickly, demonstrating strong demand and community engagement
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Royal Caribbean InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025Primary cruise line partner providing ships for themed charters including Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas. ECP was named Royal Caribbean's Charter Partner of the Year in 2023.
• San Diego Comic ConventioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025ECP partners with San Diego Comic-Con to produce Comic-Con: The Cruise, a full-ship charter experience. The partnership brings the convention experience to sea.
• ParamountcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing partner for Star Trek franchise. ECP produces Star Trek: The Cruise under license from Paramount, celebrating Star Trek's 60th anniversary in 2026.
• Celebrity CruisesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCruise line partner for themed cruise experiences.
• Norwegian Cruise LineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCruise line partner for themed cruise experiences.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity partner for High Seas Rally motorcycle cruise. ECP supports veterans through charitable programs and donations.
• Margaritaville at SeaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner cruise line for High Seas Rally motorcycle-themed cruise aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
• High Seas RallycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECP produces the High Seas Rally, described as the world's only motorcycle rally on a cruise ship, combining biker culture with Caribbean cruising.
• IMGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment and media partner for themed cruise experiences.
• iHeartMediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio and entertainment media partner.
• Sirius XM Satellite RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSatellite radio partner for music and entertainment content.
• Molson CoorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage brand sponsor for themed cruise experiences.
• American Motorcyclist AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMotorcycle enthusiast organization partner for High Seas Rally cruise.
• Peanuts WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing partner for Peanuts-themed cruise experiences.
• Bob Ross Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensing partner for Bob Ross-themed cruise experiences.
• Nacelle ToysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerToy partner creating exclusive Star Trek action figures for Star Trek: The Cruise passengers.
• Paul Yaffe OriginalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustom motorcycle builder partner for High Seas Rally cruise events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: World's largest live entertainment producer with growing forays into music-anchored cruise experiences and festivals at sea. Represents an adjacent competitive and partnership vector — either a future partner sourcing talent for ECP or a potential entrant that could vertically integrate themed cruises over time.
• Royal Caribbean Group: Parent of ECP's largest charter partner (Royal Caribbean International) and Celebrity Cruises. While not a direct competitor to ECP's themed product, it controls ship supply, sailing inventory, and competing onboard entertainment that constrains ECP's growth and is a channel ECP depends on for fleet access.
• Tauck Tours: Premium tour operator that packages themed small-ship and river cruises for affinity groups (family, gardens, cultural heritage). Comparable to ECP in direct-to-consumer affinity-cruise marketing but operates in older-skewing, cultural/heritage themes rather than pop-culture fandoms.
• Carnival Corporation & plc: World's largest cruise operator (Carnival, Princess, Holland America, etc.) with growing investments in themed entertainment programming and music partnerships onboard. Sets baseline market expectations and competes for premium-entertainment passenger share even where it does not charter whole ships to third-party producers.
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Owns Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania, one of ECP's charter partners. Like Royal Caribbean Group, it both supplies ships to ECP and operates competing themed sailings, making it both a partner and a competitor in the themed cruise category.

Direct peers

• Groove Cruise: Electronic-music full-ship charter produced by Sixthman, sailing Caribbean itineraries with DJ headliners and immersive programming — directly comparable to ECP's genre/fandom music cruises in product format, ship partner profile, and direct-to-consumer distribution.
• The Smooth Jazz Cruise: Long-running themed ocean cruise built around smooth jazz headliners and a community-driven repeat-guest base. Operates on the same full-ship charter, celebrity-curated model as ECP's 80s Cruise and Star Trek: The Cruise, with comparable premium pricing and high rebooking rates.
• Sixthman: Sixthman is the closest direct competitor and the other dominant producer of full-ship themed charters at sea — running music, lifestyle, and fandom cruises (e.g., Groove Cruise, Country Cruise, Brand New Country Cruise) using identical charter-the-whole-ship economics and direct-to-consumer booking. Its product mix overlaps directly with ECP's 80s/90s music cruises and fan-convention cruises.

Others

• San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC): ECP's licensor and content partner for Comic-Con: The Cruise and a spiritual peer in producing large-scale fan-convention experiences — albeit on land rather than at sea. The relationship illustrates the symbiotic IP-producer/supplier dynamic and is a critical gating dependency for one of ECP's core products.

Emerging players

• Walker Stalker Con / Fan Conventions at Sea (various): Fan-convention-at-sea operators serving niche pop-culture fandoms (The Walking Dead and similar genre properties) with celebrity meet-and-greets and themed programming. Overlaps with ECP's Comic-Con: The Cruise in concept and target buyer persona.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Entertainment Cruise Productions