Soundwaves and the Sea: Cruises for Music Lovers You Can't Miss
What's the only way to make a concert better? Add the ocean!
Imagine it: you’re sailing the open waters to an exotic location surrounded by the rhythmic beats of your favorite music with a like-minded community. Sounds like paradise! Over the past 20 years, music-themed cruises have become the ultimate getaway for fans. These cruises offer everything from a jam packed live music schedule, to exclusive artist interactions and activities, to themed parties. On top of the curated musical experiences, you get all of the normal cruise amenities at your fingertips as well. You won’t ever be bored. All you have to do is to pack your suitcase and book your flight. From rock legends to country stars and everything in between, there is a genre for everyone. These cruises are selling out fast, so you have to get on board! If the cruise that you fancy the most is in fact sold out, most of these have a waiting list you can jump on, and keep an eye out for future sailings. (Hint: they usually happen around the same time each year.)
There is a whole other world of fandom cruises that aren’t music-based that we won’t touch on here, but stay tuned. 👀
The Rock Boat
Going into its 24th sailing in 2025, The Rock Boat has been one of the premier floating music festivals put on by Sixthman. Starting in 2001, Sixthman has grown into one of the leading entertainment companies curating vacations at sea for over 300,000 guests. The Rock Boat is hosted annually by the pop-rock band Sister Hazel and the lineup is always filled with current popular artists along with bands that will become your new favorite. There are plenty of music offerings of other genres from Sixthman on other sailings such as Emo’s Not Dead, Rock The Bells, The Broadway Cruise, and Boots on the Water.
The 90s Cruise
Nostalgia is always a hit, and 90s nostalgia is having a moment right now. You can live out all of your favorite 90s music moments with The 90s Cruise, sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas on January 31, 2025. Hosted by MTV VJ legends Downtown Julie Brown and Matt Pinfield, you’ll be rocking on the high seas with musicians like the Gin Blossoms, Fastball, Lisa Loeb, and C+C Music Factory. We aren’t “stay”-ing home for this one.
The 80s Cruise
Entertainment Cruise Productions realized that perhaps you may want to travel a little further back, and experience the 80s hair metal and neon glam again. So in addition to The 90s Cruise, they created The 80s Cruise just for you. Don’t forget to pack your hair crimper, and you’ll be on point for any theme thrown your way. In 2025, you can be “Sailing” with Christopher Cross, along with Warrant, Squeeze, Men At Work, and many others.
70s Rock & Romance Cruise
Are we seeing a trend here? StarVista Live continues the musical decade celebration, and provides you with some 70s rock that will really get your fists pumping in the air. The 2025 lineup of the 70s Rock & Romance Cruise includes the 50th anniversary celebration of Air Supply, along with Kansas, members of ELO, and John Lodge of The Moody Blues. So grab those bell bottoms and fringed jackets from the back of your closet, get on board this floating time capsule and boogie down!
Soul Train Cruise
Soul Train was a musical variety television show that started on local Chicago tv, and went on to have a 35 year history that hosted many R&B, soul and hip-hop performances. That same vibe has been bottled up into The Soul Train Cruise to keep the party going. This one is so popular that they created a 2nd 2025 sailing for the fall after the January one sold out. So don’t wait around to make your plans to get your groove back.
The Jazz Cruise
The entertainment company, Jazz Cruises, has been curating jazz festivals at sea since 2001. Their flagship brand, The Jazz Cruise, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, but if you can’t secure a cabin on that one, they have more offerings for you to hear the smooth jazz stylings. While most of their festivals leave from Fort Lauderdale, they are headed back to the west coast next year with Journey of Jazz ‘25.
Not into sailing?
If you’d rather keep your feet on solid ground while enjoying your favorite tunes, there are curated music vacations for you as well.
Moon Crush
You are working your life away, so you might as well pay for a timeshare near Destin–Miramar Beach, to be exact. Florida–it’s one hell of a drug!!! Topeka Music Vacations curates musical beach vacations where you can stay with all the comforts of home, and be within walking distance to the beach and your favorite bands taking the stage. You even enjoy each show from your own “cove” which is your own section of chairs where you can get food and merchandise delivered straight to you. There’s no elbowing your way to a good spot here. It’s just chilling to the good tunes in the salt air. They have 2 Moon Crush events planned in the coming year: “Cowboy Moon” featuring Lyle Lovett, and “An Avett Moon” featuring The Avett Brothers.
Back to the Island
The band, Hanson – yes, the same one known for the mega-hit “MMMBop” – has been planning “Back to the Island,” an island getaway music vacation/convention of sorts for their fans for years now. In fact, 2025 will be the 12th time they have all gathered in Jamaica at Jewel Paradise Cove resort. The event sells out every year, and this time they even procured rooms at a 2nd resort nearby so more can join in on the fun. The price includes accommodations for 5 days/4 nights filled with 3 concerts, island exclusive solo shows by each brother, a special guest performance, interactive activities, a photo opportunity, and exclusive merchandise. All attendees of the event are fan club members, but this is just one of the many perks to joining.
What music cruises have you been on, or are looking forward to? Even better: which bands or musicians would you be psyched to cruise with if they put one together? Tell us in the comments!
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