Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery has checked in with the following update:

"So, the plans have definitely changed for this week coming up! Got a phone call today and I'll be on the go again Monday. My good friend Doro and her band had a last minute situation that left them in need of my services on guitar for the Monsters of Rock Cruise! Looks like Wilby (elephant sidekick) and I will be escaping the cold again very soon..."

Monsters Of Rock Cruise - the four-day, four-night voyage out of Miami this February 22nd - 26th, aboard the NCL Pearl - has announced its biggest line-up ever in its five year history. This year's cruise, appropriately titled Shredders From The Deep, will feature 40+ bands including headliners Tesla, Steve Vai, Extreme, Sebastian Bach, Queensryche; Helloween and Y&T, plus guitar fantasy camps, pre-cruise events and more.

The Monsters Of Rock Cruise: Shredders From The Deep will transport fans back to the era when Metal wasn't just a music genre, it was a way of life. The final artist lineup for the 2016 Shredders From The Deep cruise include headliners Tesla, Steve Vai,  Extreme, Sebastian Bach, Queensryche, Helloween and Y&T. Joining the headliners is an epic array of hard rock/heavy metal artists featuring: Michael Monroe, Gotthard, Doro, Lynch Mob, Vixen, Dangerous Toys, Kingdom Come, Armored Saint, Saigon Kick, XYZ, Killer Dwarfs, Metal Church, Hardcore Superstar, Akira Takasaki of Loudness, Jeff Scott Soto, Gus G of Ozzy Osbourne, Uli Jon Roth of Scorpions, Joel Hoekstra of Whitesnake, Helix, Michael Angelo Batio, Vinnie Moore, Madam X, Tyketto, Anvil, Hellion, Dio Disciples, Lilian Axe, Soto, D-A-D, Heavy Mellow, Brandon Gibbs, Paradise Kitty and The Kix.

New this year to the cruise are Guitar Fantasy Camp at Sea Shredder Clinics, available to all passengers aboard the cruise for free as part of the cabin fee. Clinics will be given by Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore (UFO), George Lynch (Dokken and Lynch Mob), Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne), Michael Angelo Battio and Akira Takasaki (Loudness), with more instructors to be announced. Instructions to reserve these complimentary clinics will be given to cruisers a few weeks before the cruise.

According to cruise spokesman, Larry Morand, "The clinics are designed to give our passengers the opportunity to hone their guitar skills in an up close and personal experience with some of rock's greatest shredders. Fans don't just watch the artist perform, they make music with the artists."

In addition to all instruments being provided, artists in each clinic will be giving away an autographed guitar to one lucky fan in attendance.

In addition to the performances and clinics, the cruise will feature over-the-top special events only experienced on this voyage, including: Artist Meet & Greets, Monsters Rock & Roll Formal, Monster Gong Show Karaoke, Rock Star Dating, and Cooking with Rock Stars, and a "So You Think You Can Shred" Guitar Competition, with more events to be announced. As an added bonus, TV personalities and cruise hosts Eddie Trunk and Don Jamieson from VH1's That Metal Show will moderate the intimate onboard artist Q&A's. Rounding out the spectacular celebrity line-up are radio personalities Luc Carl from XM's Hair Nation, along with San Francisco bay area radio host Nikki Blakk.