The inside of the ship looks a bit like something out of the final 10 minutes of an Indiana Jones film. In the center of the room, its long, decorous red robes lit from below with blue and white lights, a skeleton sits atop a grand throne, jaw wide open as if cackling mid-joke. Behind it stands the praetorian guard, who are notably also skeletons — though instead of guns, they carry red electric guitars to match red berettas. This is the infamous cruise king Skully, or the “supreme being” of ShipRocked, a hard rock luxury ship cruise-music festival.
His pledge is simple: “Rock Hard and Vacation Harder.” And the vacation part will indeed go hard; the ship takes vacationers from Miami, Florida to Bimini in the Bahamas, Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and Grand Cayman.
Things to know: The rock music isn’t so much Foo Fighters as it is I Prevail. The ship — the Carnival Magic — is “cursed with the music of the damned,” explains its website. The debutantes of this frightening ball at sea: Highly Suspect, Killswitch Engage, Code Orange, Cassyette, Dayseeker, Catch Your Breath and several others are making their first appearance on the cruise this year. They will perform alongside prior performers Dead Poet Society, Beartooth, Crobot, Badflower and Black Stone Cherry.
Sadly, those wanting to set sail and finally wear pirate-inspired clothing outside New York City without sticking out like a sore thumb will have to join the waiting list for now. This next one, in 2024, is already sold out.
Specs
- Over 4,000 people attend last year.
- The cheapest room is a double Interior Upper Lower which starts at $1,520. The most expensive is a single VIP Grand Suite, which starts at $9,570. You can get on the waitlist here.
- Staterooms for ShipRocked 2024 sold out within three days.
- Children 12 years old or younger can sail for just $315 as long as they are booked as 3rd or 4th guests, with 2 full-fare paying adults.
- Got time to kill on shore? Here’s Fifty Grande’s guide to Miami.
FAQs
What is the closest airport to ShipRocked 2024?
The cruise leaves out of Port Miami and the closest airport is Miami International Airport, eight miles away.
When does ShipRocked 2024 go off?
The ship sets sail from February 4-10.
Do I need a passport for the ShipRocked cruise?
Passports are not required, but they are encouraged. Also, head to the Carnival Cruise line’s official website to check their own policies.
Who is performing at ShipRocked cruise?
As of July 2023 the following performers have been announced, with more expected as the cruise date nears: I Prevail, Killswitch Engage (Jesse Leach), Beartooth, Highly Suspect, Code Orange, Badflower, Black Stone Cherry, BRKN Love, Cassyette, Catch Your Breath, Crobot, Dayseeker, Dead Poet Society, Dorothy, Eva Under Fire, From Ashes to New, Scene Queen, Tigercub, The Warning, Winona Fighter, Yonaka, The Stowaways, Keith Wallen of Breaking Benjamin, Johnny Stevens of Highly Suspect, and Matt James of Blacktop Mojo.
Who is playing ShipRocked 2025?
No word of next year’s details are out yet (Feb 2024).
2023 Poster
