Norwegian Cruise Line Partners With Andy Grammer and Other Music Bigwigs to Offer Songwriter Sailings

(2:10 p.m. EDT) -- Norwegian Cruise Line has partnered with some of the biggest names in the music industry to offer songwriter sailings and create a global music library inspired by the destinations in which the line's ships sail.

Dubbed "Free the Beat," the initiative is Norwegian's plan to create exclusive music. The songs in the library will either come from songwriter cruises hosted by famous musicians, where the music is written onboard by invited artists, or from never-before-heard tracks provided by Family Affair Productions and Warner Chappell Music. The music will be available for passengers to stream onboard Norwegian voyages.

The first songwriter cruise -- hosted by singer-songwriter and producer Andy Grammer -- will be onboard Norwegian Joy on August 31; the 7-night Alaska voyage will depart Seattle and call on Ketchikan, Juneau and Icy Strait Point, as well as Victoria.

"The place that you're in affects the art that comes out of you," Grammer said. "In my career, I've been lucky enough to participate in writing trips around the world and can't think of a cooler place than Alaska to feel inspired to create."

Grammer -- whose new album, Naive, debuts July 26 -- has cruised before, most notably on Sixthman's Sail Across the Sun music-themed voyages, which are headlined by the band Train.

The second songwriter cruise will be a collaboration with Warner Chappell Music, and more details will be announced later this year. Select songwriters will be invited to sail onboard these cruises, which are intended to inspire content creation.

"We are dedicated to providing meaningful experiences to our guests and leveraging new and innovative ways to connect with them," said Meg Lee, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Norwegian Cruise Line. "Music is a universal way to engage with people, and the 'Free the Beat' program will allow us to enhance our storytelling with exclusive content created for us and inspired by the places we take our guests."