Shiprocked
February 4-10. 2024
by Marie-Christine Quirion
On February 4th, the Carnival Magic left the port of Miami, FL with more than 4,000 guests on board for 6 days of Shiprocked. The 14th edition of the floating music festival included names such as:
I Prevail, Killswitch Engage, Beartooth, Highly Suspect, Badflower, Nonpoint, Black Stone Cherry, From Ashes to New, as well as a variety of artists who came to participate in a collective jam session formally known as The Stowaways.
What is Shiprocked?
Shiprocked is not your typical cruise, it is a floating festival, that invites roughly thirty bands yearly, ranging from up-and-coming acts to well-known artists. Then, there’s twenty guest artists from various groups that all come to perform, share, and jam on multiple stages throughout the cruise ship.
What sets Shiprocked apart from other music cruises?
The first thing that comes to mind is the closeness between artists and fans. For 6 days, artists and fans share the same passion… MUSIC, but also the little things of everyday life, such as queues at the buffet or at the pizzeria during a late-night craving after the last performance, games and sports activities, trying out various musical instruments in the Music Experience, a moment of relaxation in the hot tubs on the main deck or simply sharing a drink among fellow Shiprockers (Shiprocked participants) at one of the many bars and restaurants.
Are there any activities other than concerts during Shiprocked?
The aerial trek, the various gymnasiums, the water slides, and all other entertainment facilities by Carnival are of course available to everyone. What makes this musical experience even more interesting are the activities created by Shiprocked! For the 14th edition, if your ears needed a break or it was a little too early for your first concert or drink of the day you could still join or observe the following activities:
– Bingo hosted by Yonaka
– Belly Flop contest judged by Tigercub
– Band Feud between the groups I Prevail and Badflower
– Deck Wars hosted by Eva Under Fire
– Beach Wars (during the stop in Bimini) with From Ashes to New
– Beer Pong contest with AJ Channer from Fire from the Gods
– Drunk Spelling Bee with BRKN Love
– Meet & Greets with the different artists
– Midnight Horror Films
The 2024 edition of Shiprocked was once again a great success. All staterooms sold out in less than 3 days and like every year, the cruise was sold out well before the bands and artists were announced. The itinerary of 6 days from February 4th to 10th and three planned stops in Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Bimini (Bahamas) and the Grand Cayman Islands, had to be modified a few times given a very large number of cruises taking place at the same time and inclement weather, which forced the cancellation of the last stop of the cruise for safety reasons.
This year marked my 5th year as a Shiprocker. Despite the changes in schedule, itinerary and the cancellation of a stop, I returned from this extraordinary musical festival with nothing but positives to share about my experience. The Ask4 team (Shiprocked organizers) ensure each year that each guest feels as important and experiences as much pleasure as the artists on stage that we have come to admire.
If you’re a rock music lover, enjoy concerts and festivals, but are not a fan of the oppressive heat or long days on your feet at these events, join us for the 2025 edition which will take place from January 19th to 25th, 2025. The 15th edition will stop in St. Thomas (Virgin Islands) and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas) and I promise you that your first Shiprocked will definitely not be your last!
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