Two music-themed sailings hit all the right notes.
It’s late night on the dimly lit dance floor, and music feeds the festive atmosphere.
Two ladies wearing black dresses and Mardi Gras masks adorned with peacock feathers glide over and catch my attention. We form a little dance circle, and several others join in as the energy rises at the masquerade ball.
It’s close to midnight. But instead of winding down, things are just getting started on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. We’re having a blast, and I quickly realize the two rules for this theme cruise:
1. A stranger is just a friend who you haven’t met yet. 2. The party never stops. This masquerade ball is one of several options available, as bars, lounges and theaters are filled with cruisers determined to ensure the fun never ends on this night.
It’s the second leg of my back-to-back Floating Festivals theme cruises — 3- and 4-day sailings — that span a week and sail roundtrip from Southampton. These inaugural voyages are unlike anything I have experienced on a cruise ship.
Can’t Stop the Music
During my week aboard, I joined thousands of people — most of them Brits and most on their very first cruise — who are here because of a shared passion for their favorite styles of entertainment. Our first sailing visited Bruges, Belgium, while celebrating 1980s British pop and rock music. The second voyage stopped in Amsterdam and carries aficionados of musical theater.
Blackburn International, an entertainment agency from the U.K., launched its Floating Festivals events in 2018 as it noted a rising enthusiasm for theme cruises.
During Throwback: The 80s Festival at Sea, I was partying all day long and into the night (OK, I was doing my best to keep up) with nearly 3,000 young-at-heart wannabe rockers seeking to rekindle memories of our youth.
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