Culture
Rocking The Boat: Music Festival Cruises For Party People
One ticket, one location, one immersive live-music experience: set sail with your favourite acts on these music festival cruises across the globe
All your favourite bands and musicians in one place. An audience of like-minded fans. An immersive live-music experience: the idea of a music festival is undeniably appealing. Unfortunately for some of us, the reality usually includes dust or mud (depending on the weather), expensive drinks, questionable food, sleepless nights in a tent, queues for absolutely everything, portaloos and a lack of running water, never mind showers.
Music festival cruises, on the other hand, manage to preserve the best aspects of a music festival and eliminate the worst. Revellers get all the parties, the music and the atmosphere rolled into an all-inclusive package with fantastic food, a wide selection of beverages, and a cushy cabin with your own private bathroom – and there’s one to suit every music preference. All aboard for the festival experience of a lifetime…
Ice Cream Floats
“Now don’t you worry, we′ll all float on, alright…” – one might think Modest Mouse were playing the (really) long game when they wrote their biggest hit just over 20 years ago.
In 2026, “Float On” will make the perfect soundtrack for Ice Cream Floats, an indie rock music cruise from Miami to the Dominican Republic. The headliners will be playing three out of four nights, supported by noughties acts like Portugal. The Man and Kurt Vile. Modest Mouse founding member Isaac Brock will also host a film screening, an AMA session, a storytime book reading and a “parade of freaks”. Nightly DJ sessions, plus the Norwegian Pearl’s onboard amenities, from restaurants and bars to a pool, spa and casino, will complete the chilled-out floating festival experience.
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Andrew McMahon’s Holiday from Real Cruise
Another extremely niche indie music cruise is headlined by not one, not two, but three projects founded by Andrew McMahon – Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness – as well as other alternative rock bands.
Andrew McMahon’s Holiday from Real Cruise is named after one of the artist’s songs, and the cruise announcement reads like a bingo card filled with inside jokes, song lyrics and titles. Clearly, the festival attendees are a tight-knit community brought together by their love of music, and a few days aboard a luxury cruise ship headed for the Dominican Republic is just the icing on the cake. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the artist’s Dear Jack Foundation to help adolescents and young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer.
[Image: Andrew McMahon’s Holiday from Real Cruise. Photo © Tammy Vega]
The 80s Cruise
When The 80s Cruise celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026, will it automatically evolve into a ‘90s cruise? Some of the acts on board straddle the decades, but it’s not just the music that attracts devotees to this themed music extravaganza – it’s the spirit and style of an era.
In addition to over 50 live performances, Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will host a Retro-Rad Lounge, Cobra Kai Karaoke, Let’s Get Physical Aerobics, Totally Tubular Theme Nights, video game tournaments and ‘80s movies on the big screen. Artists like Bret Michaels, OMD, Gary Numan, Berlin, The Sugarhill Gang and Heaven 17 perform on board, while Nile Rodgers & Chic and Billy Ocean take to the stage at the Nassau Amphitheatre in the Bahamas.
[Image courtesy The 80s Cruise]
Super Legends Cruise
If your nostalgia harkens back a little further, then the Super Legends Cruise may be the one for you. Currently, three sailings are available: two in September 2025, with headliners Los Lobos, Sheila E. and The Isley Brothers; one in September 2026, with ‘70s funk and soul legends Charlie Wilson and Kool & The Gang heading the bill.
All cruises feature a big line-up of Old School, Latin Soul, Freestyle, Latin Legends and Tejano bands, and sail from California to Mexico. In addition to live concerts, they offer theme nights, karaoke and a Funky Brunch, as well as the amenities on board the Carnival Radiance, Carnival Panorama or Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas, depending on which trip you book.
Journey of Jazz
Jazz was once the soundtrack to the golden age of cruise travel. Journey of Jazz won’t just take guests on a journey back to that time, but also on a carefully curated journey along the American West Coast from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Stops in Victoria, British Columbia and San Francisco, California, include sightseeing, concerts and a trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Aboard the ship, hosts Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter lead the musical journey from the early days of jazz through the modern era, with performances by acts including Diana Krall, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Brubeck Brothers.
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Country Cruising
Country Cruising hosts 25 country music acts on a five-night journey from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Nassau, Bahamas. Live music is played on various stages throughout the day and night, featuring poolside shows, mainstage concerts, intimate acoustic sets, late-night jam sessions, and performances by the Song Suffragettes, Nashville’s only all-female acoustic showcase. You can even learn the stories behind the songs during Songwriters’ Rounds. Additional experiences range from whiskey tastings and celebrity poker to line-dancing lessons and cowboy karaoke, as well as artist meet-and-greets. Since the cruise takes place during Halloween week, there is also a fancy dress party.
[Image courtesy Country Cruising]
Rock the Boat
Somehow, hard rock and heavy metal have become the dominating genres sailing the seven seas, with easily a dozen festival cruises catering to fans of guitar-heavy music each year. And although the aesthetics may be a mismatch, headbangers have clearly embraced the cruise life.
Rock the Boat sails from Sydney to New Caledonia aboard the Carnival Splendor with Kings Of Chaos, a supergroup featuring a rotating line-up of bona fide music legends on board. They will headline with members of ZZ Top, Deep Purple, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi and Megadeth, so guests can expect to experience a set list jam-packed with rock’s greatest hits. Add to that more than 20 other live acts, theme nights and jam sessions, and it’s a rocker’s dream come true.
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Soulshine at Sea
If you’re looking for something more laid-back, Soulshine at Sea has you covered. This four-day music and wellness cruise from Miami to Mexico offers “a transformative journey through music, yoga and community”. More specifically, Michael Franti and other performers – from roots rock and reggae to folk, soul and blues – perform every day and night, with additional DJ sets, karaoke nights and a silent disco. So far, so normal for a music cruise, until you add in the cooking workshops, yoga jams, storytelling, meditation and motivational workshops, making for a truly eclectic itinerary.
[Image courtesy Soulshine at Sea. Photo © Will Byington]
[Image at top courtesy The 80s Cruise]
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