Year after year, attendees of Jam Cruise (appropriately referred to as “Jam Cruisers”) return to their respected living situations and begin to rant and rave about their Jam Cruise experience. If you’ve had the pleasure to attend Jam Cruise, you know exactly what makes it one of the best music festivals on the planet. If you haven’t taken the Jam Cruise journey, or, have found yourself on the other side of a Jam Cruiser’s rant, then it’s time for you to know what you’re missing [and do something about it!].
It’s hard to point out every aspect of what makes Jam Cruise stand-alone when it comes to its unique music festival experience, but below is a list (in no particular order) of key factors that made this year’s Jam Cruise voyage (which sailed from January 11th – 16th) so special:
Lasers Making the Fog Radiate on the Jam Cruise 14 Pool Deck
The People/Jam Cruisers
Just like every music festival you go on-location for, one of the most important things that can make your time a memorable one is the people you’re surrounded by. At Jam Cruise, nearly every attendee is ecstatic to be there from start to finish. Whether you’re sharing a room, balcony, hallway, dining room table, or a dance floor, the people around you are all pretty amazing people who share the similar interests as you do. After talking with some Jam Cruisers that have been on the cruise since year one ((also known as “Lifers”(to achieve Lifer status you must cruise at least 9 times)), the consensus is that people who bond on Jam Cruise stay in contact for years to come.
Group of Jam Cruisers on Level Up Night
While on Jam Cruise you get to exercise your creativity by decorating your door to you cabin. This has been a tradition for many years and has constantly brought people together by engaging with one another. From doors that have something to color or a large sign to tag, to doors that have disposable cameras for people to take and use on the boat, Jam Cruisers stop at nothing to engage people walking down the halls. One Jam Cruiser in particular who made a pinball machine after his very first Jam Cruise, also makes woodcarvings to give as gifts every year. Although there are only so many Jam Cruisers who bring gifts they made with there own hands, the relationships made on Jam Cruise will last a lifetime.
Jam Cruisers Enjoying a Pinball Match on a Cabin Door
Theme Nights/Festival Fashion
Every year Jam Cruise curators come up with “Theme Nights” for attendees to get creative with, and this year was one of the best turnouts in the festival’s history. Jam Cruise 14 theme nights consisted of: Level Up Night (videogame night), Red Night (wearing red attire), and The Great Gatsby Night (sporting your most stylish Great Gatsby outfits). One of the nights also acted as the “Unofficial Star Wars Night.” As you can imagine, there were lightsabers galore throughout the ship. I also noticed someone wearing a full-bodied Chewbacca suit, a girl rocking a Princess Leia costume, as well as, someone wearing full-bodied Darth Vader suit. The most popular of the nights seemed to be videogame night. From Lara Croft of Tomb Raider to Mortal Combat characters like Raiden, all of the classic videogames were represented in a stylish fashion.
Pair of Jam Cruisers on Level Up Night (videogame night)
On top of costume changes occurring on a daily basis, festival fashion on Jam Cruise is extremely important to the majority of Jam Cruisers. Some Jam Cruisers even reported that they changed three times per day, and you know there’s bound to be others who change clothes a lot more than that. When you have access to hopping in a pool, taking a dip in the ocean during a stop, and have costumes to worry about nearly every night of the cruise, changing clothes several times can be necessary and extremely beneficial to individual’s style and swagger while aboard.
Jam Cruiser Sporting a Star Wars Costume
Views Aboard Jam Cruise
During your voyage you’ll find yourself gazing off the side of the ship, admiring the ocean’s beauty during the day and the stars at night. For most of the new attendees, it’s the first time they’ve gotten to experience what it’s like to be in the middle of the ocean, cutting through waves at high speeds. As a Jam Cruise veteran, I can tell you it’s an uplifting feeling that never gets old. The sheer beauty of a sunset, amidst colorful clouds that appear to be sitting on top of the ocean, brings chills to your spine.
Jam Cruise Sunrise
Another enjoyable part about gazing over the sides of the ship is trying to see something come out of the water like a pod of dolphins or a school of whales. Don’t get discouraged if you’re struggling to catch something with your eyes because it doesn’t happen as often as one would think; but when it does, it is quite the rewarding feeling. Whether you spot something or not, staring off into the beauty of an endless ocean is always appealing to one’s eyes.
Jam Cruise Lineup/Collaborations
As you can imagine, the promoters running Jam Cruise (Cloud 9 Adventures) want to provide attendees with the best music festival lineup on the high seas. Like every year, Cloud 9’s talent buyers went all out by picking up a wide variety of performers from across the globe. The Jam Cruise 14 lineup included Dr. John and The Night Trippers, Lettuce, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Lotus, Soulive, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Snarky Puppy, Zach Deputy, JJ Grey & Mofro, Dumpstafunk, Electron, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Floozies, Keller Williams, Anders Osborne, TAUK, and even DJ Logic, Motion Potion, and DJ Auto to spice things up late night in the Galaxy Disco.
Zach Deputy and TAUK jamming in the Jam Room (Black & White Lounge) on Jam Cruise 14
Another feature about the Jam Cruise lineup was the collaborations amongst artists. Every night a different artist would act as the host for the night’s jam session in the Jam Room (Black & White Lounge). It’s always a nice surprise to see who pops up in the Jam Room. Even the artists themselves won’t necessarily know who’s going to ask to join them on-stage. On Thursday night, the ever-so-talented, Zach Deputy, popped up unexpectedly to play with the band, TAUK, at the end of their set.
Brews at Sea/Chefs at Sea
This year, Jam Cruise decided to up their game when it came to the food and beverages served on the cruise. Festival curators carefully selected a group of breweries and critically acclaimed chefs to present their best concoctions for Jam Cruisers to enjoy all week. Due to each chef and brewery having their own unique take on food and beverages, attendees got the cream of the crop in each department.
Jam Cruiser Enjoying Some Healthy Cuisine
Jam Cruise 14 food menus consisted goods eats from: Shakedown Street Eats (Chef Merlin Verrier), Golden Shore Grub (Chef Charlie Ayers & Joanna McCarver), Fox Brothers BBQ (Chefs Jonathan & Justin Fox), Late Night Munchie Fest (Chef Michael Saperstein), and JC Tapas (Chef Jerrmy Gawthrop). All of the chefs did an amazing job this year. On more than occasion I heard that this was the best year yet for food in Jam Cruise’s history.
Free Beer Tasting on Jam Cruise 14
Jam Cruise 14 beers and spirits were supplied by: Lagunitas Brewing Company, Breckenridge Brewery, Sweetwater 420, Bell’s, NOLA, Devil’s Backbone, Oskar Blues Brewery, Dunedin Brewery, Ninkasi Brewery, and New Belgium Brewing. If beer isn’t your thing, you can get anything you want from the many bars located on the ship. If you’re one of the fortunate guests staying in the Yacht Club, you can have unlimited drinks brought to your room via room service.
Engaging With The Artists
One of the coolest things about Jam Cruise is getting to meet and hangout with your favorite artists while you’re on the boat. Just imagine watching an artist’s show earlier in the day and then seeing them standing right next to you, raging at a different performer’s show. Being able to meet those you’ve enjoyed over the years really does put a smile on your face, especially if you’re a huge fan. Just remember to play it cool. Although Jam Cruise provides ‘the ultimate backstage pass,’ you need to exercise self-control when you see them in the flesh. That way, you won’t stress out any of the performers while they’re trying to enjoy their time in paradise just like you and your crew are.
Nigel Hall and Eric “Benny” Bloom of Lettuce
Another way of interacting with the artists is called Masters Camp at Sea. Masters Camp connects artists aboard Jam Cruise with fans, as they teach seminars throughout the week. For some people, this alone can be worth the trip. It’s not every day that you can get a lesson by famous musicians, or even get a chance to converse with them at all. In addition to Masters Camp, you can participate a multitude of activities like: a Texas Hold’em Tournament with Ivan Neville, Bingo with the New Mastersounds, Ba Daun Jin with Karl Denson, a Jazz Workshop with Mike Dillon & Vernon Reid, and a whole lot more.
The Luxurious MSC Divina
Have you ever guessed the cost of a ship? Upon hopping on the MSC Diviva, I felt it was necessary to find out just how big and expensive this ship really was. After some quick research I found out the ship, re-named to honor actress Sophia Loren, cost a whopping $550 million. Once your hop onboard the magnificent ship, you’ll quickly realize why it costs over half a billion dollars. Aside from its sheer size, which seems to be clearly bigger than all of the ships in the port during disembarkation, the inner beauty of this ship is breathtaking. From having 7 venues for Jam Cruisers to enjoy, to being equipped with a giant cafeteria serving food 24 hours a day, having a basketball court on the roof, and being decked out in style and class from bow to stern, the MSC Divina has it all.
Jam Cruisers Playing Basketball on The MSC Divina
Hot Tubs/Pools/Recreation
Another amazing part about Jam Cruise is that it provides necessities to enjoy a glamorous vacation by supplying things like a giant pool deck for to soak up the sun, a spa and gym combo, multiple Infinity pools and hot tubs, bars located just about everywhere aside from living quarters (unless you count the mini bar that’s stocked anytime you desire), a movie theater that doubles as a venue (this year the Lettuce documentary called ‘Let Us Play’ aired in the Pantheon Theater), a colorful casino equipped with enough tables and games for anyone win or lose big time, a bowling alley, and even a waterslide on the roof.
Poolside on Jam Cruise 14
For the super healthy Jam Cruisers or those who are looking to make a change in their lifestyle, Yoga at Sea is offered aboard the ship. During these Yoga at Sea sessions, attendees also get to enjoy their own personal DJ set. From Brownie of The Disco Biscuits to Con Brio and Motion Potion, the background music for Yoga at Sea is on point. If that’s not enough exercise, you can also find pools to do laps and hot tubs to decompress in at the “Jam Cruise Swim Club.” Just imagine yourself surrounded by beautiful people in a hot tub while jamming out to a sick show, as a plethora of lasers pierce the thick clouds of manmade fog, pumping out from the main stage (the feeling is pretty hard to top, to say the least).
Jam Cruise Swim Club
Travel/Destinations
One of the most exciting things about Jam Cruise is traveling to places that you’ve never been to before. On this year’s voyage, Jam Cruise 14 visited Mexico, making stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel. Both locations have unique characteristics that make each one a desired location for Jam Cruisers, tourists, and even some of the ship’s staff members. Aside from the stellar music, the travel aspect of Jam Cruise is a key reason why people go time and time again. I mean who doesn’t want to see the world with their favorite musicians?
Port of Cozumel, Mexico
During stops on Jam Cruise, attendees have the option to go on excursions with their friends, as well as, with different artists. From going to hang on the beaches for a massage and swim in the ocean at Costa Maya, to renting jet skis and 4-wheelers to race in Cozumel, if you have an appetite for adventure, Jam Cruise will satisfy your hunger and keep you stuffed for ages.
Sunrise Party on Final Day of Jam Cruise 14
Venues
Perhaps one of the most unique qualities of Jam Cruise is the mass amount of venues attendees can witness Jam Cruise’s unforgettable sets. In total, there are 7 venues aboard Jam Cruise to be exact, each displaying it’s own personal touch. The venues consist of the Pool Deck (main stage), Brews At Sea Stage/Solar Stage (also on the main deck), Solar Stage, Pantheon Theater, Black & White Lounge (aka Jam Room), Golden Jazz Bar, The Atrium, and a late-night stage called the Galaxy Disco.
Jam Cruisers Jamming at the Galaxy Disco
All of Jam Cruise’s venues have their unique touch and for being somewhat smaller, they all look and sound amazing. At one point, the Brews at Sea stage was packed with both artists and fans alike after he invited them up for a jam session/dance party that no one will soon forget. From the Pool Deck sporting lasers with heavy usage of fog machines to create a visible ray of light, to seeing the Pantheon Theater be filled with Grateful Dead fans belting out their favorite tunes being played by an arsenal of amazing artists, Jam Cruise’s venues are hard to top. The mere fact that Jam Cruise’s venues are located on a luxurious cruise ship while sailing across the globe is extremely impressive on its own. At one point, Marco Benevento collaborated with a variety of musicians to give fans a dance party they won’t forget; he even let his fans come on stage.
Marco Benevento Inviting Fans On-Stage During His Set
Summary
All in all, Jam Cruise is by far one of the most unique music festivals running, and, in my opinion, one of the best music festivals in the world. If it’s something you haven’t gotten the chance to do, now is the time to get ready to book your cabin. Pre-booking Jam Cruise now will give you the option to pay in easy-to-manage installments throughout the year. When the time comes to board Jam Cruise 15, trust me, the feeling will be well worth it. So, if you haven’t been on Jam Cruise, or you’re on the fence about booking again, do yourself a favor by pre-booking Jam Cruise 15 as soon as possible. You won’t regret it!
PRE-BOOK JAM CRUISE 15 (Sailing in 2017)
Roosevelt Collier w/ Lotus Waving Farewell Until Next Jam Cruise