Groove Cruise 2026: Know Before You Go Guide

It’s officially 2026, which means it’s just weeks away from Groove Cruise 2026. Not only is it one of the first music festivals of the new year each year, but it has become an annual retreat for thousands that flock to Florida to escape to a magical fantasyland called Groove Cruise. Whether you’re a first-timer virgin or you’ve been on Groove Cruise before, we compiled a list of things to know before you go, so you can be ready on January 22, 2026.

The theme costumes are no joke

You may be one of those people who doesn’t really enjoy costumes and doesn’t really get into themed parties. I get it, and I’m normally one of those people too. I honestly hate Halloween, but I have grown to love Groove Cruise costumes! Just know that on Groove Cruise people take the daily themes VERY seriously, and this can be the one place where you let go and join in on the fun. Think about it, Groove Cruise is a fictional place that only exists for a few days a year. This is a place where you can completely let go of any inhibitions and live your best life. There’s no judgment at all, about whether your costume is too revealinging or half-assed or not funny or not sexy enough. The only time your fellow cruisers will look like normal people is on the final day when you’re getting off disembarking the ship. You don’t have to do them all, but go on Amazon and buy a few $20-$35 costumes or go to your local thrift store and throw something together. You’ll be shocked at how far people go with it. A great example is that one time when there was a pajama theme, one group decided to go full on 1800s nightgown with candlesticks and all. Take the theme to whatever logical conclusion you want. Just know that everybody is in on the joke with you! Start planning it out and ordering now, and don’t worry about space in your luggage because you aren’t paying by the bag anyway. If you’re unsure about the represent theme….

Groove Cruise loves its Virgins!

So Groove Cruise is full of lingo and inside jokes. At first, it all seems cheesy af, but by the end, you’ll be in on the joke and won’t care. If this is your first Groove Cruise, you’re a VIRGIN! That actually makes you the most important group of people that day, as everybody else is charged with giving you a proverbial bear hug and welcome you into this glorious community. On Day 1, you’re expected to board the ship wearing a color based on the number of Groove Cruises you’ve been on, your hometown, your home country, or whatever you want. Virgins wear white, but you don’t have to feel embarrassed. When Groove Cruisers see white for a Virgin they will immediately chat you up, fist bump you, ask you about your experience so far, offer tips & tricks, tell you how many Groove Cruises they’ve been on, and maybe even offer you a trinket! Wear your white proudly and make a dozen new friends throughout the first afternoon! Even after the first day, anybody you meet will ask you how many groove cruises you’ve been on – so the good vibes continue for the whole trip. Congrats asyou’re officially now part of the GCFAM.

Get to know the Artists

On Groove Cruise, your fellow attendees also happen to include the DJs on the lineup! With only a handful of exceptions, the DJs are out and about around the ship at the pool, in the gym, at the other sets, eating at the buffet, and just living their lives the way you are. First off, remember that this is their vacation too. When you see them around, feel free to introduce yourself and talk to them, but don’t harass them. Play it cool! Groove Cruise also offers a number of artist-hosted activities like excursions, dinners, wine tasting classes, zip lines, and more! Take the opportunity to get to know these artists in a way you can’t anywhere else.

GOOOOOOD Morning Groove Cruisers!!

This is a phrase that you will hate at 7am in the morning, but you will soon grow to love in ways that are hard to explain. Groove Cruise is full of ravers representing the full spectrum of activity levels and ages, but it skews towards more experienced ravers. That being said, the party is on 24/7 if you want it to be. Some people may stay up until sunrise each day, and others might hit the hay early. Groove Cruise doesn’t want you to sleep through all of the fun or be unaware of the activities for the day, so each morning you are greeted with a “GOOOOOD MORNING GROOVE CRUISERS” over the ship’s PA system (which is also piped into your cabins).

Groove Cruise’s fearless leader, Jason, will make sure you’re awake and then give you a walkthrough of the day’s activities. Sometimes they’ll play music, even an annoying track that tells you to “wake the f*** up” for a solid 5 minutes before the announcements begin. It is quite literally the clarion call of GC, and it will annoy you and amuse you in equal parts.

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

As mentioned above, Groove Cruise is a 24/5 party, so you could party all the way through and make it a 4.5-day bender. Don’t do this. Luckily, most Groove Cruises are experienced partiers who know their limits, so you won’t see hooliganism or bad vibes. The parties are omnipresent, much like the food, drinks, and bathrooms. You can dip in and out at your leisure, and GC is designed for people to bop around to all the stages pretty frequently. It’s not your standard festival where everybody is crowding the main stage, although there will be a few sets like that for sure.

The set times will be dropping any day now, but don’t stress and plan as obsessively as you would at a normal festival. You’ll be able to check out every single set for a moment if you want to because you’re fully available and they’re all just a few minutes away from eachother.

Don’t be shy, go grab a plate of pizza and bring it to the party with you. Plan for breaks, chill time, and sleep in your schedule. Wake up and hit that breakfast buffet, get into your day theme and a swimsuit, and hit the upper decks. You’ll typically hit sets at the Solarium (subject to change?), pool deck and Promenade first each day, with the Aquatheater being the largest ampitheater stage in the back of the ship. After the Aquatheater shuts down around midnight then it’s off to the Studio 60 boiler room stage which was a breakout hit in 2025 and the theater. Be sure to check them all out! After the day rager, I always planned a nice 1-2 hour nap around sundown before dinner. Then after dinner go stage hop for a while. If you’re gonna make it a late night or all night then take a breather somewhere in there.

Elevators are more fun than useful, take the stairs in a hurry

Wonder of the Seas is a BIG ship, the 2nd largest ship class in the world. However, the GCFAM will now be bigger than ever in 2026. Do yourself a favor and explore the ship early on before the party takes hold so that you have a general understanding of how to navigate. With so much going on at all areas of the ship at all times, you should expect the elevators to be a madhouse most of the time. On most cruise ships you a few decks in the lower part of the ship with entertainment and food options, and then you have a few top decks with more venues. All the decks in between are cabins. This is a roundabout way of telling you that you will wait for elevators, they will be full, and they will stop at almost every deck on the way up (or down). Unless you’re traveling more than 5 decks, you’re probably better off taking the stairs.

However, you’ll undoubtedly make a few friends in the elevators as everybody will chat you up, ask about your experience, ask you what set you’re headed to and hand out PLUR goodies. You will probably also take an elevator at least once where somebody is wearing a DJ controller and a speaker while mixing live as they walk from place to place on the ship. Yeah, it’s that kind of place.

PLUR is still a thing here

Remember PLUR? Peace, love, unity, and respect was the EDM mantra when the golden era of EDM began in 2010. For a variety of reasons not worth getting into here, that pretty much went away. On Groove Cruise, PLUR is alive and well, and not just because many of the GCFAM were raving in (or before) the golden era of EDM. People will come onboard with special stickers or glowsticks or friendship bracelets or whatever and hand them out to people. People will chat you up and befriend you wherever you are. On four Groove Cruises so far, I’ve yet to have a negative interaction with anybody. Everybody is in the best mood they’ll be in all year and you’ll feel it.

Take in a sunset and a sunrise

On the Wonder of the Seas, it’s sometimes easy to forget that you’re at sea. It’s a massive ship with some interior spaces that look like you’re on land. That being said, don’t pass up the opportunity to catch those gorgeous sea views. Make sure you’re out on deck during golden hour for some breathtaking views. Better yet, you’re on a cruise with DJ shows going all night, so stay up and catch a sunrise that is equally as gorgeous as the golden hour. You can be sure no other cruise will give you that opportunity unless you’re waking up early for a morning jog. Catch a sunrise set, go grab a plate of breakfast buffet, and come back to finish the set or get some sleep before the afternoon sessions begin.

Get Prepared

If you plan on drinking, get the drink package and get it now. It’s much nicer to grab a drink every single time you pass by a bar than worrying about how much you’re spending per drink. You’ll get your money’s worth, trust me. You can repurchase these through Whet Travel until tomorrow, then you have to purchase them on day 1 of the cruise. If one person in the cabin wants, everybody must purchase (annoying we know).

If you want internet at all you need to purchase the relatively pricey package from the ship. The ship does have an app with some level of free messaging, but it is only through the Royal app and it’s pretty wonky (not the best). Turn off roaming on your cell phone and maybe even disconnect your regular cell service unless it’s an emergency. Cell phone calls and texts will cost a fortune so just let it go for a few days. If you need to keep in touch with your people onboard try walkie-talkies if you don’t want to shell out for the internet packages. Lastly, Groove Cruise now has an app you can download for iPhone and Android so you can get the ship layout, schedule, and more all in the app. Pack your theme costumes, your sunscreen, your swimsuits, and your most positive vibes. Get ready for a life-changing experience!