Groove Cruise Will Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary With Historic Sailing In 2024!

Whet Travel’s flagship event Groove Cruise will celebrate 20 years on the open sea in 2024, adventuring from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas 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. 

Over the last two decades, Groove Cruise has evolved into the world’s “premier floating dance music festival.” Since its inception in 2004, Groove Cruise has remained the only independent music cruise sailing from both the East and West coasts of the United States. The nautical festival brand is famous for championing creative self-expression and curating inclusive environments that welcome attendees to follow their inner compasses toward adventure. Groove Cruise’s central ethos is all about finding your own individual flow, while simultaneously connecting with fellow passengers for a tight-knit, community-oriented experience. 

Setting sail from Miami, Florida on Wednesday, January 24, Groove Cruise invites veterans and newcomers alike to indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime experience aboard the Norwegian Encore. The sailing will feature 96 hours of nonstop music, as well as Groove Cruise’s signature immersive programming which will include 9 stages with world-class production, over 80 renowned artists, daily themes with dedicated parties, artist-hosted activities, beachside destination parties, Whet Foundation volunteer experience, mental health panels, and so much more. 

Selected by Porthole Cruise Magazine as the 2020 Editors’ Pick for Best New Ship, the Norwegian Encore will be the newest and largest ship to join the ranks of Groove Cruise’s 20-year history. Spanning an impressive 20 decks above the ocean, the list of onboard amenities feels endless with the largest race track at sea for over 1100 feet of pedal-to-the-metal action, 10,000 square foot open-air laser tag arena, and virtual reality interactive gaming including a ride simulator at the Galaxy Pavilion. If that wasn’t enough the ship also hosts an aqua park with 2 multi-story waterslides that extend over the edges of the ship, 8 hot tubs and pools, high-tech Pulse fitness center with workout classes, Encore casino, and more. 

The Encore also offers a slew of health and wellness amenities including a state-of-the-art spa with 50 specialty treatments, Vitality Pool, thermal suite, and a salt room which features a dramatic grotto surrounded with layers of body-cleansing salt crystals. 

Exploring all of the various amenities will leave Captains ready to indulge in the various food and beverage options with 40 bars and restaurants onboard. The Encore boasts six complimentary restaurants and 12 speciality restaurants including a brand-new Onda by Scarpetta, Q-Texas Smokehouse and dinner show, Teppanyaki, Food Republic, Los Lobos and more. For your favorite libations, attendees can check out A-List Bar, District Brew House, Sugarcane Mojito Bar, Maltings Whiskey Bar, Vine Beach Club and a spectacular Observation Lounge in the front of the ship with 180 degree views. The Groove Cruise Captains will have everything they could possibly want aboard the Encore. 

Marking another new offering for 2024, the Norwegian Encore will offer 80 studios rooms with a private lounge for singles that might prefer their own room. Additionally, the Encore features the Haven luxury suite complex with its own pool, dining room and butler service for Haven guests. 

Groove Cruise Miami will sail to the breathtaking location of Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, an exclusive private island only accessible to Norwegian Cruise Line guests. The tropical climate and white sand beaches will deliver the perfect party getaway for Groove Cruise attendees, who can revel in the Groove Cruise-curated island party and partake in various expedition offerings. 

When the Groove Cruise Captains step onto the private island, they will be transported into a music lovers’ tropical paradise featuring performances from the world’s most sought-after electronic music acts. In addition to the Groove Cruise curated event, Captains will be able to splurge on a gorgeous cabana at Silver Cove beach with protected coves for swimming and snorkeling for the ultimate getaway experience. The island’s rental and expedition offerings include snorkeling the gorgeous underwater reefs, riding wave runners or paddleboards, drifting away on floating mats, and more. Attendees can also choose from 22 shore excursions including a zip-line adventure at one of the island’s two courses, parasailing above the island’s shores, spa treatments at Mandara Spa at Silver Cove, swimming with pigs at Treasure Island, and more.

Outside of organizing unforgettable parties, Groove Cruise also runs its own 501c3 organization, the Whet Foundation. Started by Whet Travel’s founder Jason Beukema, Whet Foundation seeks to impact the communities visited by Whet Travel cruises, inviting cruise attendees to donate and volunteer at their events. The foundation gives back to local communities via clothing, food, school supply donations, beach and community cleanups, painting and art programs, and providing facility repair and improvement costs. 

The Whet Foundation launched its biggest initiative on the most recent Groove Cruise Cabo sailing, visiting Casa Hogar in Cabo San Lucas (made famous by the Netflix movie Blue Miracle) as well as Solmar Foundation and Heart4Cabo. Nearly 100 volunteers interacted with the children through live art, games, music, and costumes.

Groove Cruise’s 2024 20th anniversary announcement comes at the heels of Groove Cruise Miami 2023 selling out. Marking the 35th overall sailing, Groove Cruise ‘23 will sail from Miami to the private paradise of Labadee, Haiti aboard the state-of-the-art Celebrity Summit from Thursday, January 19 – Monday, January 23, 2023. 

The cruise consists of 96 hours of non-stop music from more than 70+ artists from around the world. Headliners include Swiss-South African deep house connoisseur Nora En Pure, German trance music legend Markus Schulz, the mysterious Claptone, and Bite This label head Jauz who will be performing a special ‘Off The Deep End’ set.  

Groove Cruise Miami 2023 is now completely sold out, but fans can plan to grab tickets for Groove Cruise Miami 2024. After a slew of loyalty ticketing tiers, tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, December 7 at 3PM EST.

Due to inflation, the travel industry has seen prices skyrocket a staggering 25-30% this year alone. For Groove Cruise Miami 2024, the general pricing for inside rooms will only increase $50 per person per day and the rest of the pricing for oceanviews, balconies and suites will remain comparable to the prices of the sold-out 2023 sailing.