What is this Premium Breakfast Cruise happening on the morning of July 28th with quite the unique name, you may ask? We've gotten all of the #bazoDEETS from the gentlemen of Ruk-A-Tuk Promotions. See them below and enter the competition at the end of the interview for a change to win one of the FREE TICKETS up for grabs!
1. Your name alone evokes a degree of curiosity. How did the name ‘Ruk-A-Tuk’ come about?
When you hear “Ruk-A-Tuk” there’s an instantaneous feeling of rhythm, vibes, energy, spoons licking bottles, pots and pans, drums beating… you get the idea. We wanted a name uniquely linked to our Bajan heritage and completely relatable to the wider Caribbean audience in Europe.
2. Where is the Ruk-A-Tuk team based and what events are you known for?
The Ruk-A-Tuk team is based in London with direct links to Europe and caters to the Caribbean community across the Atlantic. Our flagship event is the Ruk-A-Tuk Premium Breakfast Cruise (The Notting Hill Carnival Edition). It was the first experience of its kind and is now the largest breakfast event for the festival. This event is seen by Carnival goers as a must-attend event and has been sold out in each of the 3 years since its inception. We also host the “Mistletoe Jam” (Christmas) cruise during December and several club parties during the year.
3. Give us details about the Ruk-A-Tuk Premium Breakfast Cruise (The Crop Over Edition).
The overall experience: Our Crop Over experience is from 3:00am to 8:00am on Kadooment Thursday (28th July) and the price is $195 BBD. The team has carefully considered the holistic experience of our guests. We’ve planned plenty of extra thrills, spills and giveaways to complement the premium breakfast and the 4-hour pump on board the M.V. Harbour Master.
The food: A full spread Caribbean style breakfast will be available throughout the entire cruise provided by Chef Marcel Clarke of Privé {Culinary & Design}.
The vibes: We’ll be keeping your energy levels up with our stellar international DJ cast - London’s leading Caribbean DJs: Shep Beats (Barbados/UK) and DJ Markee (Trinidad/UK), Trinidad and Tobago’s DJ Private Ryan and from Barbados, Vibe Nation’s Andwele and Reko Chase. Your host for the day will be the ultra-charismatic Konata Alleyne!
4. Ruk-A-Tuk has sailed in London waters and most recently the cruise made its maiden voyage to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2016. Why the decision to bring this event to Barbadian waters for Crop Over?
We love Crop Over. As Bajans we felt our offering would not be complete without sharing the Ruk-A-Tuk experience with our family and friends. When planning this year’s calendar of events we felt that Crop Over 2016 would be a great opportunity to contribute to our country’s 50th year of Independence celebrations.
5. So far what has the response been like from the Ruk-A-Tuk massive both in London, Barbados and the world over?
Humbling. The response to Ruk-A-Tuk has significantly exceeded our expectations. We started this brand simply with a desire to enhance the party experience in London with a key focus on giving more than a party. Our launch party in June 2013 introduced Londoners to the unique combination of a quality experience and most importantly endless VIBES for all those in attendance. Since then, we’ve focused on delivering this unique combination to Ruk-A-Tuk partygoers across the world. Earlier this year our Trini neighbours loved the vibes and now, we are extremely excited to bring this experience back home to our Bajan friends and family.
6. When announcing the event on your website, you stated, “Barbados, we’re coming home!” Tell us a bit about your Barbadian roots?
Damian: “Well… I’m from the top of the fourth [Ave, New Orleans St Michael]. I now live and work in London but at times it feels like I’ve never left particularly as I am home every 12 to 18 months or so, mostly around Crop Over, but occasionally it would be Christmas as was the case last year. I attended Wesley Hall then Kolij (Harrison College) before moving to the UK for university.”
Duane: "I was born and raised in Christ Church, but spent most of my adolescent years in Union, St. Philip - right next door to Ruby. I left Bim and moved to London in 2006 at the age of 23 and started my career as an International DJ in 2009. Like Damian, it sometimes feels as though I never left the rock because I am always home twice to three times annually, particularly at Crop Over, where you can catch me at a number of events for the festival."
Akil: "Some of my best memories at home are playing tennis for Barbados throughout primary and secondary school. I grew up in Lodge Hill, St. Michael and have been an avid sports fan for as long as I can remember. I attended Kolij through sixth form before heading off to the US for university and finally ending up living and working in London. Even though I'm now based in England I make it a point to fly home every year to see family and friends".
7. Your mantra is “more than a party” and your emphasis is on vibes. Describe to us the Ruk-A-Tuk experience that you are so well known for and by extension what partygoers can expect aboard the Harbour Master on July 28th.
VIBES VIBES VIBES… and more VIBES!!!!
8. Ruk-A-Tuk Premium Breakfast Cruise will be held on Kadooment Thursday and as is customary, there will be a host of event options that day. Why is Ruk-A-Tuk a must-attend event? Why should Crop Overites add Ruk-A-Tuk to their personal event calendar?
The Crop Over season as a whole is filled with many incredible events and we are extremely excited to become part of the festivities. You ask why is Ruk-A-Tuk on Kadooment Thursday morning a must-attend event? Let’s review the facts:
Fact #1: The Bajan sunrise is spectacular! What better way to kick off the (extended) Kadooment weekend than by experiencing the incredible Bajan sunrise while sailing along the pristine west coast of the island?
Fact #2: A succulent breakfast awaits! Chef Marcel Clarke says it best… “Every aspect of the event that involves Privé {Culinary & Design} aims to be as fresh, original and innovative as possible.”
Fact #3: Entertainment from a top international line-up! Shep Beats | DJ Markee | DJ Private Ryan | Andwele and Reko Chase (Vibe Nation) and this is all hosted by Mr Energy himself Konata Alleyne! One word… VIBES.
Fact #4: More for less! We’re giving you more than a party for less – an unbeatable price of $195 BBD.
9. Where can persons go to purchase tickets and to keep up-to-date about Ruk-A-Tuk as the Crop Over season progresses?
Download the FREE Ruk-A-Tuk app! Yes, you’ve read it correctly, we developed an app for all your latest Ruk-A-Tuk news and event info available from the App Store and Google Play.
Part of being more than a party is being innovative and so we developed an app to keep our following up-to-date with everything Ruk-A-Tuk. Right from the palm of yourhand you can:
- see upcoming Ruk-A-Tuk events and view event information;
- find the location of the next event through the interactive map;
- get tickets to the next event;
- easily share events with your friends; and of course
- keep track of the latest Ruk-A-Tuk news.
Tickets are also available on our website or from any one of our Ruk-A-Tuk Barbados committee members.
10. In two words, what about Crop Over makes Ruk-A-Tuk bazodee?
Amazing memories.
We're sorry this competition is now closed.
The competition runs until Wednesday June 8, 2016. At 12:00 p.m. (AST) the winners will be announced on our Instagram and Facebook pages. Winners will be chosen at random.