[Malaka]

Going back to the first cruise, and assuming there was some apprehension of whether or not you would go on the boat in the first place, which band made you say screw it, we're going!
2011: Fear Factory. Amon Amarth was already on it, and I heard the headliners were yet to be announced. I thought that was going to make for a HUGE bill, and it was.
2012. My Dying Bride. No doubt about it. Everything after that was icing on the cake.
Barge: The first wave of announcements. Sepultura, Hypocrisy, and Rotting Christ were in there.
2014: Death To All.

Yep, it's been 5 years.

[Phoenix]

2015: Went for the experience
2017: Amorphis, honestly. Kamelot, Arch Enemy, Scar Symmetry, MPE, and OG all came later but with Amorphis on broad I knew I was in for a good time.
2018: Again, not a year where a band drew me, but rather some shit life stuff. And then Sabaton and Insomnium got booked.
2019: Strong rumours of NeO and Persefone (correct), and a strong gut feeling that this would be the year In Vain got booked (and it was!)

[cegr80]

2017: Haggard. Bucket list band for 20 years
2018: Just for the experience, but Rhapsody Reunion made me quite happy
2019: Paradise Lost. Bucket list band for 20+ years

[cowboy71]

Going back to the first cruise, and assuming there was some apprehension of whether or not you would go on the boat in the first place, which band made you say screw it, we're going!
2011: Fear Factory. Amon Amarth was already on it, and I heard the headliners were yet to be announced. I thought that was going to make for a HUGE bill, and it was.
2012. My Dying Bride. No doubt about it. Everything after that was icing on the cake.
Barge: The first wave of announcements. Sepultura, Hypocrisy, and Rotting Christ were in there.
2014: Death To All.

Yep, it's been 5 years.

2011 - Found out about it around March 2010. By that time Epica had been added and having not seen them live at that point, that had me sold.
2012 - Eluveitie, Stratovarius, Therion and Tristania in that first announcement was all it took.
2013 - Lacuna Coil in the first announcement!
2014 - was a year when I was always 100% going regardless, but there were no real "OMG!!" type bands on that lineup for me.
2015 - Blind Guardian in the first announcement was enough...on a pretty weak lineup for me overall
2016 - A killer lineup, Iced Earth, Lacuna Coil, Dragonforce and Delain in the first 5 announcements. SOLD!
2017 - Amaranthe in the first 3 announcements. Absolute bucket-list band for me
2018 - Rhapsody Reunion. Never thought I'd get a chance to see that.
2019 - First announcement, Accept. BOOM. That was all it took.

[Bob]

2015: Arch Enemy and Crucified Barbara - I had already seen Crucified Barbara in my home town, but there was little or no chance I'd ever get to see Angela Gossow live. After AE announced I booked, then later that summer they switched out Angela for Alissa, I didn't care, I still wanted to see the rest of the band.

2016, 17, 18, 19: I'm primarily hooked on the experience overall, seeing my metal friends again, experiencing bands I would never go see on my own local cause I don't follow them that closely. Plus it's educational for me. What bands are booked is not a discriminating factor so much for me, it's just icing on the cake and I’m always surprised when an interesting band for me is announced. I’m always happy when a band I've followed years ago but have moved past shows up and I get reacquainted with them again, for example, Arkona, caught their 2nd set, but I didn't know any of their new songs, haha!

[DarkMacek]

2017- Combination of the overall experience, Annihilator, Anthrax, Testament, Powerglove
2018 - Rhapsody Reunion
2019 - I had already booked, but Twilight Force would have brought me on if I hadn't

[cowboy71]

2020(!!!) - I'm going no matter what, but the one band that would make me go apeshit would be FROZEN CROWN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUtMHL_TeaQ

CLOSELY followed by ANCIENT BARDS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4ndscfltDU

[Fulorian]

2016 - Overall overwhelming quality of the lineup by the time public sales came around
2017 - Therion, Amorphis, Draconian, and Omnium Gatherum
2018 - Insomnium, Dark Tranquillity, and October Tide
2019 - Eluveitie and Tiamat - with much less enthusiasm than previous years, however

[Speedy]

2013: Booked in November after seeing people wearing survivor shirts at MFVF in October. At that point Doro, Lacuna Coil, Hellowen, Týr, Einsiferum and Arkona was enough to convince me to book.
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019: Went for the overall experience, lineup wasn't important for the decision to book.

[Donutsauce]

I'm a bottom feeder who books anyway MUAHAHAHA!!

In Andy we trust.

[nekrobarr]

We've basically instantly booked ever since 2012, gambling that the lineup for the next voyage would be good. So far, it hasn't disappointed, though some lineups have been better than others. That said, The bands that truly got me giddy were...

2011 - When we first learned about the cruise, so many bands had been announced, but I can't remember specifically. I want to say Amon Amarth and Sonata Arctica were who initially stood out to us, but whatever the partial lineup was a that point was more than enough to pique our interest.
Barge To Hell - Mostly booked this based experience from 2011, with Hypocrisy being my big draw *sad trombone*...
2012 - My Dying Bride was enough to make me instantly book us. Candlemass was icing on the cake. *doom boner*
2013 - Evergrey, Tiamat
2014 - Novembers Doom, Swallow the Sun, Twilight of the Gods
2015 - One of the less exciting overall lineups for me. Einherjer and Amorphis were probably my top bands there.
2016 - Oh man... Bloodbath, Carach Angren, Katatonia, Moonspell, My Dying Bride, Novembers Doom, Paradise Lost, Vallenfyre... iirc that was an exhausting trip for me.
2017 - Draconian, Månegarm, Kalmah
2018 - In Mourning, Majestic Downfall, Swallow the Sun
2019 - In Vain, Paradise Lost, Tiamat
2020 - *crossing fingers for Saturnus*

[Fulorian]

Not to be critical, but I'm noticing some people are listing bands that were announced very late in the cycle, and very unlikely prior to your booking. I think the point of this is the bands you were aware of being on the boat, that served as a deciding factor, before you shelled out your hard earned cash - not just the bands in retrospect you most appreciated.

Sorry - in the real world, I live in data analytics, and my biggest pet peeve is data that is not kept consistent with the time period it was effective for.

[Ethrivas]

2018 - Aeternam
2019 - Mors Principium Est

[dcmetal02]

2019- In Vain. Kalmah

This was my first cruise so I was hesitant to book as some others previously mentioned but I knew this would be my only chance to see In Vain. Kalmah has never toured the U.S. either. Then Mors Principium Est got announced, which pushed me over the edge to book. I'm so happy I took the chance and will hopefully be back next year.

[JoAnnamayhem]

2018 - I was already dead set on going regardless, but Septicflesh was the icing on the cake for me and the rest of the lineup just got better for me as time went on
2019 - Same deal as before, I was going no matter what. Once Kalmah was announced I knew I made the right decision.

My cabin mate was initially not planning on coming because she just started a new job and she didn't want to put a time off request in while she was still in her training period. Once NeO was announced though I sent her a screenshot of the post and she immediately responded with a screenshot of her emailing her boss for the time off request.

[Donutsauce]

Not to be critical, but I'm noticing some people are listing bands that were announced very late in the cycle, and very unlikely prior to your booking. I think the point of this is the bands you were aware of being on the boat, that served as a deciding factor, before you shelled out your hard earned cash - not just the bands in retrospect you most appreciated.

Sorry - in the real world, I live in data analytics, and my biggest pet peeve is data that is not kept consistent with the time period it was effective for.

Fulorian here with an eagle eye for data and the specific point of the thread.
+1

[RockaRolla]

I booked blindly because I promised myself this is the year I go for the first time.
But I guess I am not the only one doing the booking for the dream-come-true experience rather than specific line-up

[Pellaz]

2015: Therion was the band that first caught my eye -- they have rarely played the States -- but the "trigger" band that year was Equilibrium.
2016: I decided I just HAD to return that following year while watching Behemoth on the pool-deck in 2015 and thinking "You just can't SEE metal moments like this anywhere else"...and I've basically booked blindly thereafter, trusting in Andy to book an acceptable lineup...even if he finalizes it a week before the damned cruise.

[Bob]

...while watching Behemoth on the pool-deck in 2015 and thinking "You just can't SEE metal moments like this anywhere else"...

OMGosh YES, the Behemoth topside moment. I had an epiphany that I was on a boat going straight to hell, smoke stacks billowing black smoke at midnight in the back ground. And I was LOVING IT!

[Ogre]

2012: My Dying Bride, easily. I found out about the inaugural cruise online on the day it debarked soooo too late for that one. We decided, if UMC did another cruise, we'd be on it. MDB was among the first seven announced and we booked on day one.
Barge: Also booked immediately. The Hypo cancelation was a major bummer, but the lineup was so deep. Rotting Christ, Grave, At the Gates, Behemoth, Napalm, Lock Up, Morgoth, Possessed, still my favorite cruise of the bunch.
2015: After missing the 2013 & 14 cruises, I wanted to go back. Booked early, the lineup (imho) overall sucked, so it remains my least favorite cruise. Should've gone to MDF 2014, instead, would've been cheaper and MDB played.
2016: Best lineup since Barge, had a complete blast. MDB, RC, At the Gates, Katatonia, Vallenfyre, phenomenal. Managed to miss both Bloodbath sets. Once because they conflicted with MDB and once because I was hammered. /sigh
2018: Just wanted to go back. Ended up being very happy with the lineup with Benediction, Insomnium, Septicflesh, Wolfheart, and October Tide. Had a great time.
2020: Plan to book, hope it's a good lineup.

[Pigeon]

I had never been before and hadn't given it much thought. Eluveitie and Ne O piqued my interest, but that alone wasn't enough. When Kalmah was announced I booked my flights. Been waiting 18 years to see them.

[jodionline]

2013: Subway to Sally. It was the favorite band from my girlfiend at that time. For me it was a really real dream to be on board one time since I saw a report on TV. As we heard that Subway will play, my girlfriend said why not going? So we made a dream come true.
2014: None of these bands. It was the experience 2013. It was the beginning our love to Orphaned Land.
2016: My Dying Bride, Moonspell, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost and again Subway to Sally.
2020: Undertow would be another dream

[Marmotte]

2018: try the experience after seeing the 2017 recap videos
2019: Twilight Force for me and Eluveitie for my husband

[Godflesh]

I booked my first cruise in 2015 two weeks before sailing, so I had the luxury of an almost full lineup.
I just wanted to try it, but the two bands that made me book were NAPALM DEATH and MICHAEL SCHENKER.

[JamieS]

Having heard stories from my friends, I was pretty set on going in 2017, but having Anthrax, Kamelot, and Equilibrium announced before Silver presale made me confident it was the right decision.

[metalforever]

2017 Draconian
2018 Insomnium
2019 ABANDONED SHIP WEAK LINE UP !!!!!!!!!!
2020 POTENTIAL FOR GREATNESS !?!? HOPEFULLY !?