Three Reasons Groove Cruise 2026 Has Me Even More Excited About 2027

It’s finally January, which means it’s Groove Cruise month! The annual pilgrimage to Groove Cruise’s floating utopia is about to begin, but this year is unique in several ways, and some of these make 2027 even more exciting. Cabins for Groove Cruise 2027 are already flying fast, so reserve your cabin now and use code edmtunes for up to $200 off your cabin!

The Ship

Groove Cruise is now the largest music festival at sea because it has the 2nd largest ship class available in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class. Groove Cruise 2025 was the very first time this happened, aboard the Allure of the Seas. At the time, Allure of the Seas was about to undergo a long-delayed “amplification” or upgrade, so it lacked many of the newer innovations found aboard newer Oasis ships. In 2026, Groove Cruise is getting the much newer Wonder of the Seas. That means newer features like the water slides and the huge dry slide in addition to an improved solarium, but it also means something even more important for Groove Cruise. The festival gets to start implementing lessons it learned in 2025. Groove Cruise will surely be using the Oasis-class ships for at least a few more years to come, which means GC can iterate and improve each time. Groove Cruise is huge on customer feedback and constant improvement, so we can bet on some exciting changes in 2026.

In 2027 Groove Cruise returns to Allure of the Seas, now completely upgraded to bring it in line with features found aboard the newest ships. While Wonder of the Seas is newer, Allure of the Seas will have some features or venues that even Wonder doesn’t have yet! There’s an all-new water park, more hot tubs added on Deck 16, a new sports bar, a Tiki bar on the promenade, The Mason Jar venue, and more. Also in 2027, Groove Cruise will be on its 3rd iteration aboard the Oasis-class ships, meaning the formula will get closer to perfection than ever before. For GC26 attendees, let the team know what you like and what can be improved, so it can be improved for 2027!

The Destination

I happen to be a bit of a cruising nerd, so when Groove Cruise 2026 was announced for Nassau many months ago, I was already hyped for Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. Planned for a late December 2025 opening (now open), the venue, envisioned as a “private island” within the bustling port of Nassau sounded awesome. I was so ready to see John Summit play at Party Cove (pictured below) while posted up at the world’s largest swim-up bar overlooking the crystal blue ocean. However, I will have to wait until 2027 for that. Since the venue only just opened in late December, the GC team didn’t have the time to scope the space and plan out the production necessary to make it happen less than a month after opening day. We can still go check out Royal Beach Club in 2026 (which I might do), but there’s an extra charge and no promises on the music played there (or even that we won’t be sharing it with normie Royal Caribbean cruisers). So for 2026, Groove Cruise, maybe for the first time, will eschew the typical beach party for a sunset/nightime amphitheater concert with the ship in the background towards the end of the day. That means, Groove Cruise 2026 will have the longest port stay ever! That means time to explore Nassau during the day (or party on the ship) and then see John Summit and whoever else for a more traditional concert before boarding the ship to leave port.

So while 2026 will be a unique and cool experience to be sure, my heart is still yearning for that oceanfront beach party with the massive swim-up bar, and we’ll have to wait for 2027 for that. In 2027, Groove Cruise will take over the entire venue for GC27, ensuring it’s a party like no other.

Lineup

While we don’t know anything about the Groove Cruise 2027 lineup yet (wait until April), we can assure you it will be awesome. Groove Cruise actually plans to hold the lineup until the ship is almost sold out to preserve the legendary community GC has built. People come on Groove Cruise for the experience and the community, knowing the lineup will be awesome. They prefer not to attract people who attend solely to see a particular artist and never again. This is way more than a music festival; it’s a life-changing experience that just might become an annual tradition for you. That being said, expect an eclectic lineup like the one above featuring several big headliners, plenty of DJs playing house, techno, trance, bass music, DNB, and even some throwback emo rock. There’s truly something for everybody, and you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t Wait

The point is, don’t wait for the lineup to book your cabin. Groove Cruise 2026 may be weeks away, but Groove Cruise 2027 is already fast approaching sell-out. It’s expected that GC27 will be sold out shortly after Groove Cruise 2026 is over. You can book your cabin here! Code edmtunes will get you a cabin discount, and there are also additional discounts for 1) first responders, 2) military, 3) groups of 4 in a cabin (already in the pricing), and 4) groups of 4 women in a cabin.