Groove Cruise recovery mode has been in full force for quite some time now. You know, that time period in your life when you are home from one of your best life experiences, have woken up with your eyes swollen shut, having to ice them after a solid sixteen hours of sleep. Then you proceed to roll out of bed with your comforter still in tack as your cape because you’re still in “costume mode”. You sit on your couch, in nothing but your underwear (obviously), scrolling aimlessly through the official attendees groups reliving every photo, video, smile, and memory your #GCFAM is sharing with you on their social feeds. You wonder and think about a lot of things, debate which sunrise and after hours morning sets were the absolute best (add a million s’s and t’s to the end of that). You reminisce of the flavor of bacon fat entering your mouth, that then quickly seeped out of your pours as you sweat it away on the terrance dance floor. What about all the time you had spent planning and creating home made costumes for the infamous theme parties? Which one of those costumes turned out the best, to then only be worn for a few hours and maybe get one picture in it if you’re lucky? Favorite sets? Hardest you laughed? New favorite artist? Person you are now legit obsessed with and became besties with for life? The conversations you had, the memories you created with old friends and all the relationships you’ve established over years of this event being in existence, fill you up with so much joy and pride. Quite literally, all the feels and thoughts are rushing through you. Somehow, in between all the thinking and scrolling you’ve managed to consume four slices of pizza, a bowl of ice cream and a bunch of Reese’s peanut butter cups. You’ve become a champion of inhaling food within an hour time period almost every hour, all while staring at your legs wondering where in the fuck did all these bruises come from? Then after all this happiness fills you up so much it hurts, then you actually really start to hurt, because you realize it is over already. That’s when the Groove Cruise Blue’s kick in. It’s that easy. I swear Groove Cruise is like a drug. Getting hooked is effortless, and every year you come back for more wondering if it’s ever possible to stop!

Mornings on Groove Cruise! | Photo by Utopia Imagery

Now, I have not written on this blog in nearly two years (but that’s another story). Here I am, I’ve been staring at this blinking cursor for far too long, so I just started moving my fingers on the keys. The above paragraph is what I got, so, not too shabby I guess? The point is, I felt compelled to share this experience with you. I’m here to tell you the story about The Groove Cruise and my seventh sailing on board this killer event, that I’ve now been blessed to be a part of for six years. I want to share with you how this festival has not only provided me with lifelong friendships, memories, and endless love, but also countless opportunities to grow as a person, artist, and now this year, a very new experience, as a staff member! So, let’s get started!

What is the Groove Cruise and How Did It Start?

Just in case you’re new here and don’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about or maybe you feel strongly about wanting to participate and join the force of the overflowing love of which the GCFAM exemplifies, I’ll start from the beginning. The Groove Cruise is the largest and longest running floating dance music festival in the world. This 2019 sailing was the fifteenth year celebration!

That’s right F-I-F-T-E-E-N, ONE-FIVE YEARS. Wow!

Jason with Kaskade | 15th Year Groove Cruise Anniversary! Photo by Veranmiky

Now if you can imagine or have ever been on a “normal” cruise you know it can be, how do I put this nicely… relaxing? Sure, relaxing, with a touch of scenic views, mediocre food, and maybe half of the boat is full of couples trying to salvage their relationship. The ship staff continuously tries to get these people hyped up with daily and nightly activities and plays music that you can find on a “Now That’s What I Call 90’s” album or whatever. Yikes, doesn’t seem too exciting does it? Nope!

Enter Jason Beukema, who at the time in the early 2000’s was working within the travel and tourism industry with cruise ships and thought of a simple, yet, brilliant idea. “What if I get a group of my friends together on one of these ships, and throw a decent party for them with good music? That would make these cruises remarkably more bearable”. So that’s what he did. It started in 2004 when he signed up 125 of his friends for the first ever Groove Cruise. His mission was to excite people’s lives and now fifteen years later, he and his company, Whet Travel, have excited the lives of over 15,000 people yearly!

Me and Jason after Miami 2017 Closing Sunrise Party!

The word whet means to excite and it’s the core and essence of everything the Whet Travel team does. The Groove Cruise is just one of many fully charter festival cruises they produce, and they have serious bragging rights being the world’s largest independent producer of festivals at sea.  Getting Whet is pretty easy when a hard working team, throws one of the most intimate, unique, and life changing experiences to share with a few thousand other captains (aka anyone who attends a Whet Travel cruise)!

whet

Who is the GC FAM and How Did I Become A Part Of Them?

Enter males, females, short, tall, white, black, yellow, brown, skinny, fit, chunky, anyone and everyone from artists, doctors, lawyers, nurses, flight crew, air traffic controllers, construction workers, business entrepreneurs, army, navy, air force specialists, DJ’s and producers, basically any career you can think of who all share common interests but most importantly are encouraging, supportive, passionate, uplifting and loving to one another, and really, really love to smile, dance, and hug you. I think the GCFAM’s energy has been carried out and passed along for years upon years, and goes down as the biggest festival network I’ve ever been a part of.

GCFAM in Key West, FL

Every where I go, almost every other festival I go to, I am with GCFAM and can count on GCFAM to chill or go out with in virtually any city around the United States and even globally. I feel like the driving force behind why the GCFAM is so special is because Jason and his team at Whet Travel truly care about each individual captain and are constantly listening and makes their voices heard. This in turn has provided many being a part of the event, whether attendee, volunteer, media, artist, production, staff, you name it, with life changing opportunities, friendships and special moments on board to grow as an individual, to expand their network for their brand, to gain a bigger following as an artist, or plan a special, never-to-forget life event such as an engagement or wedding.

GCFAM and Resident Artists DISKOPRETTY Get Engaged Groove Cruise 2019! Photo by Veranmiky

So, enter me, circa 2011 when Life In Color Festival was formally called DayGlow and I basically hated house music because my ex would always blast it whenever we were fighting. I also was a hippie, super into classic rock and indie that didn’t understand all the “noise” of these so called beats, but more importantly did not for the life of me understand why he would betray me by going to Ultra Music Festival with another chick behind my back. So, naturally, I did what any crazy bitch seeking revenge would do. I dropped close to thirty pounds, got super sexy, and planned to go to Miami Music Week and Ultra solo in 2012. In doing so it created a life altering chain of events that would forever change my life.

Since I was going to attend these events in Miami, I started to listen to the music while I was working out and getting myself in the best shape of my life. Kaskade, Avicii, Wolfgang Gartner, Porter Robinson, Flume, Deadmau5 all in the mixes, and I actually fell in love with some of these tracks and artists. Pretty much I had an “ah-I-see” moment. Then I put my mother and basically anyone I knew in to a state of shock when I casually flew down to Miami alone to attend one of the largest dance music events in the world. I stayed in a hostel meeting multiple people that truly taught me about the house music scene, the underground rave community and basically coached my isolated ass into how to solo travel and take charge of my life. One person in particular, who I still feel deeply grateful that our lives crossed paths, ended up being an Australian man named Josh, who flash forward six months later was asking on Facebook who wanted to be his roomie along with him and his mate on Groove Cruise? Not having a clue as to what it was, I literally jumped right on board (pun intended) and paid him $700 or whatever it was back then to get booked on this festival cruise, and welp ladies and gents, this truly was the beginning of some special relationship I started to have with this event.

Boarding my first Groove Cruise Miami 2013!

I went from GC Virgin in 2013, to GCFAM in 2014, to covering media in 2015 through 2017, to volunteering and being a party of the #TeamGetShipDone in 2019! When I look back on the opportunities this festival (and it’s creator Jason) have given me, along with all the friends, even the guy I’m dating right now (who is a Groove Cruiser), every little thing, the Groove Cruise has given me, so many positive aspects in my life, I truly feel like my heart could burst it’s so full. All in all, if this isn’t enough for you to understand about this community and what it has brought many people, just watch this video I edited in 2016 to understand more about my history with the Groove Cruise and why the GCFAM is so fucking special!

Cool story bro, but get to the point… Ah, yes, the point! The reason I’m writing for the first time in years… Groove Cruise Miami 2019 aka THE BEST GROOVE CRUISE EVER!!!! Yes, let’s talk about what made this sailing pretty much flawless and an absolute pleasure to be a part of!

Bonnett House Pre-Party Set The Tone for The Trip!

It all started with a non-traditional location to host the official Groove Cruise Pre-Party. Whet Travel is constantly pushing boundaries to create a totally out of this world experience for those that attend their events. The 2019 pre- party was located at the beautiful Bonnet House Museum and Botanical Gardens in Fort Lauderdale. Both a historical and artistic legacy, the yellow 1920’s home with large white pillars, is set next to a bed of water lined with palm trees. The inside gardens of the house are filled with vibrant plants, flowing fountains, and unique furniture and art.  This gorgeous venue matched with the energy in the air when it’s Groove Cruise time, really set the tone for the entire trip! I’m not talking good vibes, I’m talking ridiculously AMAZING vibes! I’m not sure how to explain it but, there is some sort of magic that happens the day the GCFAM starts flowing into the city of departure.  It’s time to connect with old friends, meet new ones that you have become friends with online, and of course listen to the sounds of some of the resident Groove Cruise DJ’s you have on the upcoming sailing. This year’s pre-party line up included the likes of Roger Sanchez, Doc Brown, Espinal & Nova, Keith Christopher, Kristen Knight, Luccio, and Scotty Boy. In addition to the scenery and music, with two separate stages, there were two food trucks on site that provided delicious variety of options, either Greek or Chicken and Waffles. I opted for the Greek Gyro which was extremely flavorful and juicy along side some hand cut fries that were topped with onions and feta (drool.) I also think it’s an important note to add that all the proceeds of the pre-party are donated to the Whet Foundation. Each sailing Whet Travel gives back to the destination we are visiting through Whet Foundation’s program Destination Donation.

An Extremely Successful 15th Year Anniversary Voyage!

Groove Cruise set sail from Fort Lauderdale this year, providing us with the opportunity to sail on a new cruise line (Celebrity), a different ship (Celebrity Infinity), and out of brand new terminal (Port Everglades Terminal 25). Honestly, it was more than worth it! The location of Port Everglades is a quick twelve minute ride from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International airport, providing connivence and easy arrival for attendees and staff. I must admit, while I am a big fan of Miami and everything it has to offer between downtown, Wynwood Arts District, and South Beach, Fort Lauderdale provided just as many scenic views, places to party, as well as areas to enjoy one another’s company (with a more humble tone).

Celebrity Infinity | Home for Groove Cruise 2019 & 2020!

Port Everglades Terminal | Fort Lauderdale, FL

The day of sailing, started off calm and coasted that way through. Translation, there virtually were not many issues to deal with! From the start the staff at Celebrity Cruises we’re more than accommodating and provided a bridge of efficient communication between Captain Support and Artists Relations teams within the terminal. This team effort provided the fastest, most streamlined check in process I’ve ever witnessed in years of attending Groove Cruise! In the festival world we all know, no one likes lines, whether it be for food, bathroom, or entry. I truly felt like this was an amazing check-in process for all!

New Ship & Cruise Line | Celebrity Infinity

The gorgeous brand new Terminal 25 set the bar for the ship we were about to board. The Celebrity Infinity, I think we can all agree (if you were there), was one of the best ships we’ve ever sailed on. With twelve decks to play on, I felt like I easily could navigate myself from forward to aft, something that is crucial when being at a festival whether land or sea. I really enjoyed the lay outs of the different venues. I felt the main pool deck was spacious and the locations of the stage in relation the the pool and hot tubs worked well as there was a dance floor in between those areas. Of course the upper deck for viewing was great as well, with bars located throughout.

Main Pool Deck at Sunset!

Amongst other popular venues was the Deck 12 Aft Terrance. My absolute favorite spot on the boat home to various label events and after hours. Complete 360 views of the open sea or port could be seen and a very intimate vibe was given off, (which is pretty typical for that venue) and what I loved most about it. Not to mention this stage had the best visuals team and bartenders that were heavily, or let’s be honest, completely over pouring liquor. Yup it was legit!

Deck 12 Aft Terrance

Inside the boat venues included the Theater, Constellation Lounge, Rendezvous Lounge, Casino, Solarium and Grand Foyer. The Lounges I’ve always enjoyed because I’m the type of person that likes to kick it once in a while if my feet are tired from dancing. The Rendezvous was a little bit smaller and home to events like the Comedy Show, Talent Show and Silent Disco.

Having some fun in the Casino!

The Grand Foyer only hosted music on the day of boarding. I think this was due to the fact that the layout of this particular atrium had massive stairs in the center that broke up the area for people to watch the artist. It was a great layout for the Captain Support Desk and Guest relations compared to previous years. I’ll be honest I barley ever spend time in the Theater. It’s just not my cup of tea, so I don’t really have a fair review of that particular venue. The Solarium was the home of Whet Oasis, a place to decompress and enjoy indoor hot tubs late at night into the early morning.

The Theater! Photo by Veranmiky

Dining Options

As if the boat  wasn’t enough to boast in this post, the food options were also extremely appetizing and the best cruise line food I’ve encountered ( I also am extremely easy going and usually don’t complain about food options). The Ocean View Cafe was available 24 hours a day providing different cuisine from various locations around the world. The Trellis Dining Room was also available complementary to guests and had by far the best food and team of chefs. In addition to these locations were Sushi on Five, Blu, and Luminae. Luminae which I failed to make time to see is a immersive visual show on your plate adding to your dining experience.

Staff Dinner in the Trellis Dining Room

Celebrity Staff

I can not speak highly enough about the Celebrity Infinity staff. All were extremely helpful and greeted you with smiles. It’s hard enough being a Groove Cruise Virgin, but to be a Virgin while working and cleaning up after us, can provide a bigger challenge. These staff members were found having a blast along side us. In particular I can recall some walking around the decks with bottles of vodka balanced on their heads, and fist pumping on the back deck with broom and dust pan in hand. I can say that in the past Norwegian Cruise Lines staff were the ones that best meshed with the Groove Cruiser’s personalities but Celebrity has now taken a slot in the number one spot for me and many of the GCFAM. All of the staff working along side our Captain Support team and Operations team, were an absolute pleasure to work with as well.

Weather & Locations

It aided tremendously that Mother Nature was on our side for this trip. There have been times in the past where weather moves schedules around and things can get confusing and unfortunately frustrating. There even have been times where the weather has affected private island parties and getting off the boat due to dangerous and unsafe waters. This is something that should be completely understood in regards to transportation and safety of attendees and staff but unfortunately is easily overlooked by many and causes a huge upset. I’m extremely happy to report that we had sunshine and perfect temperatures the entire time. I never felt overly hot or freezing cold, it was just right. It was the first time I have gotten off the boat since 2014, so that says a lot too!!

Another Beautiful Sunrise Set on Groove Cruise!

Key West Florida was our first stop. An island city and Florida’s most southern point, it is the home of pastel hued buildings and coral reefs. This was a new location and destination stop for the Groove Cruise and the festival hosted a bar crawl. Essentially there were four locations to choose from all with different choices in entertainment. Rick’s Side Bar, with resident house artists Doc Brown and Scotty Boy. Dirty Harry’s, with resident artists EDX, Croatia Squad and Don George. Aqua Bar had a drag show special. Lastly, Irish Kevin’s which provided a tradition Key West bar flair (someone on a guitar making fun of you).

Resident Artist Doc Brown at Side Bar!

All the locations were sponsored by Founder’s Brewing Company and had a lot of great specials, including $5 beers or free beer’s to some of the first guests in certain locations. Let’s not forget if you didn’t know how to get back to the ship, Team Jet Pack, a group that carries large speakers on their backs, and who’s mission is to create a better atmosphere for those around them, leads a helping hand in making the best street party parade you’ve ever seen or be a part of, to guide the energetic and dancing GCFAM back to the ship!

Team Jet Pack & GC FAM | Photo by Veranmiky

Our second stop was Cozumel, Mexico and the private beach front area and water park. Groove Cruiser’s that partook on the 10th year anniversary sailing in 2014, welcomed this venue back with open arms. At least I did because this year was absolutely flawless as far as getting off the boat and getting to Playa Mia. Whet Travel along with Play Mia staff guided GCFAM directly to charter buses that were air conditioned, and while en route put wrist bands on attendees. It was a simple as that. Extremely safe, efficient, and a breeze like the wind. Guests arrived to the location only having to raise their wristband in the air for entry. There were no lines and absolutely no confusion trying to hail a cab drunk and/or sleep deprived. The weather was beautiful and we had options for full buffet, complementary drinks, and aqua water views with adult theme park (if you wanted to enjoy the refreshing water and get a mild work out). If you opted to stay on land, you heard bouncy house tracks by Lizzie Curious who opened up for a long awaited three hour Kaskade set. Following up to close the party out, by highly energetic Keith Christopher.

Kaskade at Private Beach Party at Playa Mia in Cozumel, Mexico

Alright, now let me be truthful about Kaskade. Being Kaskade was one of the first DJ’s that got me into house music, I was highly excited for this set. I have seen Kaskade so many times, and for years on the survey requested Groove Cruise get him as an artist, so this was something I was looking forward to for years. I just don’t feel like his energy was there. It was almost as if he was so jet lagged from traveling or I’m not sure what, but it was pretty, what’s the word…commercialized (his set). It was not a Redux set that many of us hoped for, it was just, OK. Once again I am a bit spoiled in seeing many of these artists in various locations, so in general I was just happy for this moment to finally happen. I will say, he did play “Raining” though which is one of my favorite songs by him!! This isn’t really a complaint either, but more of  personal opinion being such a long time Kaskade fan. Sometimes it just goes to show that the bigger names don’t throw down as hard as the others!

Lots of selfies and pictures being taken by the GCFAM!

Getting back to the boat, days at sea are always my favorite because you really get to enjoy the essence of being together in one place while being on the open waters, far from life’s problems or anyone wanting to pull the plug on a show due to sound restrictions. That is my favorite part about Groove Cruise, and this year, various label parties while at sea included Officially Addicted, Incorrect Music, Stereo Productions, Deep House Brunch DTLA, We’re Never Going Home, to name a few.

Resident Artists at the Officially Addicted Stage on Groove Cruise 2019! | Photo by Veranmiky

All of these parties hosted a variety of talent that were extremely enjoyable, and of course full of GCFAM artists that are in turn family as much as the attendees! Drums of The Sun, Anthony Attalla, Cocodrills, Dean Mason, Scotty Boy, Doc Brown, Bryan Lubliner, Lizzie Curious, Evan Mark, and Diskopretty all brought the heat as resident artists (plus they are FAM!!!)

Sun starts to rise on the back Terrance!

Production

Contributing to the success of these stages were the visuals and productions teams, that I felt really stepped it up this year! Groove Cruise, to me, has never been about the production, and quite frankly that is what I’ve always enjoyed about it. It always was about the people, the music, and the dance floor. Having some decks on a table created an intimate environment as if you were at a house party or secret rave location. I always LOVED that about this event.

Main Pool with Laser Show USA!

However, this year I really have to commend this team that brought amazing visuals in particular to the Main Pool Deck, Deck 12 Terrance in the Aft, and the Theater. Of course, all of the beautiful women and men that were a part of added production by dressing up, pole dancing, or stage dancers, are always fun to watch!

A Beautiful Performer | Photo by Utopia Imagery

Activations & Games!

I unfortunately was working during most of these events or didn’t make it to them, but know they are worth mentioning because I feel like I have total FOMO! Look at these pictures (below) from Deep House Yoga, Twister, and Crusher Camp (to name a few)! There also was a Dreams to Reality program every day, which included Life Coaching, Tarot Cards, L.E.D. Flow shops and more (seriously soooo bummed about missing these!!!)

Crusher Camp by Utopia Imagery

Fire Ball Twister! | Photo by Corey Melton

Deep House Yoga with Light Up Yoga Mat ! | Photo provided by AJ Edelson

Getting Whet!

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to volunteer and be a part of Whet Travel’s #TeamGetShipDone, a team who went all out to make this the best experience ever for everyone. Their mission within this group effort is to be Team Oriented, a Family, Dedicated, Dependable, and Encouraging, and that is exactly what was demonstrated by not only official Whet Travel staff, but every single volunteer. From what I witnessed, everyone showed up and got SHIP done! Now, while I have attended many festivals and even contributed as a panelist at XLIVE, I do know my fair share about what it takes to throw a festival. However, it was in fact my first time volunteering for a festival, which meant there were so many things to learn about with all that goes on behind the scenes! Seeing the different departments that are broken down, all the details each team puts into action, and seeing how it all comes together was absolutely amazing and yes, a lot of work! I’m sure many of you are curious what it was like to be a part of the Whet Travel team vs. being a full blown attendee or covering media, and I’m happy to share with you my experience.

Getting ready for work! #TeamGetShipDone | Instagram @livingbythe.fword

I have been in the customer service industry my entire life and was successfully paired with the Captain Support Team for this sailing. This team of wonderful ladies are who help you with future bookings, room changes, any issues you may have before, during, and after sailing. They also great you at the door for pre-parties and handle ticketing for events off the ship, in addition to answering any and all questions you might have about ship layout, restaurants, loyalty gifts and the list goes on!

Where Are The Whet Girls? | Photo by Vernamiky

Being that helping people and making them smile has been a part of my life for such a long time it, it was extremely rewarding to make sure my GCFAM was happy and received the answers they needed at all times. My first shift was working the Bonnet House door. Loved this event because I got to greet all of my GCFAM at the door, and it was an absolute blast getting to hug you and see you (and sell you hats at the end)!

As an added bonus, I got to work with the Artist Relations Team during check in at the Terminal. For someone that is an actual fan of this music and these artists, it was a totally geek out festival dork moment for me. I hope I made your check in process smooth and easy! Hot Since 82 actually shook my hand and thanked me for such a warm welcome and assistance (fucking sweet!!). Along with all my resident artists, getting to give them big hugs and smile this was a really memorable experience for me!! After checking everyone in, I worked with Captain Support the remainder of the night. The first day I basically worked from 8am until 10:30pm and then I went to sleep! GASP! There is no sleeping on Groove Cruise! I was honestly beat though! I did manage to wake up by 6am to see Cocodrills and Drums of The Sun before arriving in Key West! Every other day I worked shifts from 2pm to 8pm.

1 of 6 Proposal’s Whet Travel Helped Happen! | Photo by Adam Hahn

I think the hardest challenge for me volunteering was to keep my energy and momentum going from day to night (with little to no alcohol). Yeah, I was drinking a lotttttt of coffee! I defiantly slept a lot of the cruise because I wanted to do my best during my shifts. This is basically how my four days were spent. I would enjoy my time in the morning (4am to noon) but would then be prepared to work in the afternoon (2pm to 8pm). Then I would work until night time and have dinner (9pm to 11pm). By the time I was done with all of that, and had been up since 4 or 6 am, I just wanted to sleep (11pm to 4/6am). Ironically night time into mornings are my favorite part of Groove Cruise! So I did miss a lot of sets I typically would have been at, but just like any other festival, even if you’re not working, you can’t do it all! You have to appreciate where you were and what you did see, and I definitely had some memorable mornings! Luckily, it was a pretty flexible schedule as well! So if I was working and it was slow, I was able to make it to the pool deck to see some sets I’d like, or go get some food. There is great communication on the ship between the Whet Travel staff, so that made it easy to get back to work if I was needed. I think something I could improve upon if Whet Travel decides to have me back as a volunteer (I hope so!) would be to suck it up, stay out more, and enjoy myself a lot more! I think I was overly cautious, and rightfully so, because there was no way I was going to disappoint Stephanie, Karen, or Jason who agreed to have me as a volunteer.  I had a responsibility, and quite frankly any one that knows me, especially because I’m a long time Groove Cruiser knows that I love to party! As stated, probably my biggest challenge, but for sure worth it. In addition, the past couple years, I have been getting sea sick, so the Dramamine medicine I was taking as a precaution might have been playing a role in my sleepiness as well.

From an operations stand point, there are many departments that go into this production in addition to Captain Support. Other departments including Hospitality, Artist Activations, Sound and Visuals Team, Photography and Video, Security and of course the overall Operations Team. Every night we had a staff meeting to discuss how each day was going and how we can improve. I think it’s super important for captain’s to know in the future, that if you are having an issue with something, just tell anyone with a Whet Travel STAFF shirt on, and they will direct your issue to the right department and will at best resolve the issue so that it does not happen again. Once we are off the ship, there is no way we can fix what has already past! This is something new I learned being a volunteer. After so many Groove Cruise’s I did not realize how much communication or meetings with staff occur daily, and truly if there is something wrong it can be fixed! Overall, I heard nothing but positive feedback from everyone on board!!! I think all of our staff meetings were so great, with little to nothing to fix, which was great news!

The only thing I feel like I didn’t like about volunteering is not getting to know my fellow volunteers in different departments. I barly got to see my room mates, who luckily delt very well with my belongings spreading like wildfire about the cabin as the days progressed–shout out to Jess and Marrissa–you’re awesome! So really the only downside was being placed in different departments and having different schedules. So while some of us were working, they were out enjoying, or if one was sleeping, the other was trying to get dressed. I suggested in a post staff meeting conference call that for future Groove Cruises maybe we could have a brunch or get together prior to the cruise! We did have a final staff dinner which was a great way to celebrate all the hard work that was done by all the departments the entire trip!

All in all, volunteering was an extremely educational, enjoyable, and memorable experience and it has motivated me to give back to more festivals in the future by volunteering. The festival industry has always been the place of work I’d like to be a part of and this was a great stepping stone for me.

Team Get SHIP Done 2019 | Photo by Veranmiky

Thank You Whet Travel!

First of all Jason, of course, with out you none of this would be possible! I never got to hug you good bye or thank you in person, but you know how much I love you and love Groove Cruise… I’m not sure I really need to say it anymore, but I will again and again, THANK YOU!!!!! Also thank you for showing your compassion and calmness when one of the times I did actually see you, was right after my DSLR camera went missing (for the first time, yup I lost it twice!!) and I was a blubbery, crying, shit show! You still exemplified positivity and basically snapped my ass back into gear. “Put a text into the all staff group!” Duh! Yes, thank you for creating this experience, thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for loving and helping me when I’m a mess.

Karen, Kristy, Meg, Jess, Stephanie, Jeanette if you’re reading this, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for this opportunity. You all work so hard and it was an honor to be in your department, helping you out. Karen, thank you for being so nice and easy going as a team leader. Kristy, you really make me laugh and are so knowledgeable of all things, including when it’s time for a drink! Meg, Jess, and Jeanette of course any time I had a question, you had an answer, and between all of you it was a pleasure getting to know who truly makes things happen for the GCFAM.  Stephanie, a special thank you in particular for you–this never would have been possible with out you. I am so grateful for our friendship! Thank you, my sparkly babe! Of course I need to give a shout out to Chris, Fitz, and Gady, the guys that were also volunteering on our team. Chris thank you for your pep talks and making me feel more at ease about having fun. Fitz, technology wizard and keeper of all the answers, I loved working with you because I learned so much!!! And Gady, you’re so easy going and it was a blast to work with you at the pre-party. It defiantly was a pleasure to learn and have a successful sailing with you all!

As far as the rest of the Whet Travel team. Lisa, it’s amazing to me how great you look, and how calm and well put together you are with all that you do behind the scenes for everyone. Granted, you did loose your voice but you are the back bone of all departments and a complete boss! Steven, Oscar, Skeeter, Yaisel, Kenn, Haley, Jace, Max, John from security (special shout out for finding my camera the first time I lost it), Migs from the photo team, seriously anyone I’m missing including all the volunteers that absolutely crushed it.

Wow, that was the best fucking Groove Cruise EVER!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!! #TEAMGETSHIPDONE! I can’t not wait to do it all over again!

Thank you #GCFAM!

Of course this event would be nothing without the people!!! I had an amazing time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. You’re the reason this festival is so special, and I don’t know where I would be without your support and friendship. Thank you for being the craziest, funniest, sexiest, creative, and talented group of people on earth!

#LIVINGBYTHEFWORD

Groove Cruise Miami 2020 sets sails from January 9-13, 2020

Sailing from Miami to Costa Maya, Mexico!

Back on the Celebrity Infinity!!

Don’t forget to use discount code “FWORD” when booking!

SEA you there!!

#LIVINGBYTHEFWORD

STAY CONNECTED…