Groove Cruise Miami Was A Blast!!!!
Groove Cruise Miami is something spectacular! While we weren’t on this particular trip, our team did set sail on the trip from Los Angeles. And the Groove Cruise Miami trip was just as special with over 2,500 attendees sailing on the Celebrity Summit ship.
Groove Cruise transformed the Celebrity Summit into an immersive and colorful experience for attendees. In the past 20 years, Groove Cruise has enhanced the community atmosphere that brings attendees back year after year. This was monumental as there were SEVEN proposals and a vow renewal event. The Captains had tons of fun with all of the various activities and themes, which kept the energy at high levels.
There were 9 unique stages throughout the cruise ship that included a full 96 hours of non-stop music and adventure. This includes four day and night time themes that left attendees having the time of their lives. And those themes? What a blast! They included Heroes and Villians on Thursday, the disco-themed Saturday Night Fever, the daytime Anything But Clothes theme, and more.
Since you’re on a cruise ship, the artists stay and party with you! There were tons of activities hosted by artists such as a sushi dinner with Markus Schulz, joining Jauz’s 49ers watch party, playing in a poker tournament with Ship Wrek and Daxson, participating in shot roulette with Chapter & Verse, or even playing ping pong on the pool deck with Ranger Trucco and Speaker Honey.
The sprawling Celebrity Summit included a multitude of luxurious amenities to explore. Captains could enjoy high-end dining experiences, spa packages, an indoor pool haven at Solarium, multiple lounge areas, and more. Groove Cruise hosted 11 unique stages throughout the ship including stages at the Theatre, Main Pool, Rooftop Terrace, Sundeck at the Retreat, Grand Foyer, Casino, and more. Each stage offered a new experience for attendees to enjoy their favorite artists from the impressive production at the Main Pool and Theatre to the Boiler Room style sets in the Grand Foyer and Casino.
If you needed a place to relax or recharge, the Whet Oasis was hosted in the Solarium indoor spa and pool area throughout the weekend, which allowed attendees the chance to revitalize themselves with yoga & meditation sessions, water & aromatherapy, buffer therapy, and more. Attendees could also hang out by the pool and enjoy the sounds of deep desert house music while taking a relaxation break and recharging so they could get back out on the dance floor!
Groove Cruise also welcomed back The Martian Circus 5D Experience, an immersive and interactive art collective that melds music, visual art installations, and fashion with mind, body, and soul to bring everyone together to a higher plane. It included live instrumentation and provided cosmic jams that blended psychedelic rock with cerebral dance music.
One of the most important pillars of Whet Travel and Groove Cruise is their charity initiatives with the nonprofit organization Whet Foundation. It’s an essential tenet of the Groove Cruise experience, and the sailing from Miami was no different! The team was able to raise over $10,000 for the initiative with Second Mile Haiti and Labadee’s Village School which aims to provide immediate nutritional support and education for families in need. Groove Cruise Captains brought over 100 bags of donations and supplies including school supplies, clothing, toys, medical instruments, feminine supplies, and more. These donations will benefit the malnourished children within the Second Mile facility as well as the maternity program.
Plus, let’s add to the experience by highlighting the various mental health panels and workshops with When The Music Stops to shed light on the importance of mental health within the dance music community including workshops on journaling, how to listen and be heard, balancing nightlife hosted by Josh Donaldson with special guest artists Speaker Honey, Nostalgix, and more. And to celebrate loved ones that are no longer with us, founder Jason Beukema hosted a Celebration of Life where attendees had a chance to share their stories and write messages to loved ones to add to a biodegradable wreath that was thrown overboard. Neon Owl was also on board again co-hosting a series of panels with artists like Bijou, Nifra, Casmalia, as well as industry professionals Tim Grube, Mike Hovsepian, and Whet Travel’s managing director John Porrata. Groove Cruise cares about the community!
On Saturday, the Celebrity Summit docked at the picturesque island of Labadee in Haiti owned by Royal Caribbean. Attendees had their pick of activities that were hosted by various artists including the world’s longest zip lining over water, taking a scenic roller coaster ride, Dragon’s Splash water slide, jet skiing, lounging by the beach, and more.
Groove Cruise also hosted two parties on the island with Rising Tides at Adrenaline Beach and Abyss Main Stage at Nellie’s Beach. These parties were a treat for everyone involved as they included the breathtaking views of the island with the music perfectly curated to fit the vibe, Groove Cruise Captains danced the day away with featured sets from Nora En Pure, Cloonee, Speaker Honey, and Grum at Abyss. The Rising Tides party also hosted sets from Scooter & Lavelle, Baggi, Sax Sells, Nathan Bliss, and Eva Kane.
Groove Cruise offers a truly unique festival experience that hasn’t been replicated because it goes nonstop! Artists play more than one set throughout the weekend so it’s okay if you have to miss one of their sets. Enjoy the time on board!
Groove Cruise Miami’s headliners proved to be some of the most exciting yet. In addition to his main ‘Off The Deep End’ set in the Theatre, Jauz jumped into various b2b sets throughout the weekend with the likes of Bijou, Matroda, Habstrakt, Ranger Trucco, Kyle Walker, and Cloonee. Groove Cruise veteran Gene Farris emulated the ethos with multiple electrifying sets on the Rooftop Terrace, Casino, and more. Nora En Pure cultivated the perfect setting for the destination event on Labadee with her driving and melodic setlist. Another long-standing Groove Cruise favorite and trance legend Markus Schulz played a number of notable sets including a 6-hour super set in the Theatre on Thursday and a high-energy set at the Main Pool.
But let’s add to the fun because masked producer and deep house maestro Claptone headlined the Sail Away party on Thursday bringing the energy to life as the ship was heading to sea followed by another mesmerizing set in the Theatre on Friday night. Italian techno duo Gioli & Assia showcased their versatile sound across multiple sets throughout the weekend. Other notable sets included Matroda’s sunrise set on Friday morning, Kyle Walker and Ranger Trucco’s surprise b2b set, and Cocodrills closing set on Monday morning as the ship docked back in the Port of Miami.
Did you miss out? No worries, you can head to next year’s event! In 2024, head back out to the open sea as you head from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay from Wednesday, January 24 – Sunday, January 28, 2024. To cement the impressive milestone, Groove Cruise Miami 2024 will be hosted on the award-winning Norwegian Encore – the largest and most luxurious Groove Cruise ship to date. We’re super psyched!
Tickets for the events are selling quickly with prices set to increase on February 3. If Groove Cruise 2024 was on the same ship as 2023, the tickets would already be sold out so Captains should act quickly to join this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Tickets are available for purchase here.