7 Things To Know Before Your First Cruise Ship Festival

Kristy Barker is a 19 year old blogger and writer…

It seems cruise ship festivals are all the range right about now – I mean, who wouldn’t want to board a ship blasting the best of EDM for a wild weekend at sea? Singapore’s It’s The Ship is possibly the most well known – this year’s incarnation saw the likes of Kaskade, Showtek, Carnage and local boys Peking Duk rubbing shoulders with bikini-clad punters out on the coast of Malaysia. Being brought together with a boat full of strangers and dancing until the break of dawn in the middle of the ocean is pretty damn exciting and provides punters with a completely unforgettable experience. So before you head out on your next cruise ship festival, we thought we’d share seven handy tips we learnt at this year’s It’s The Ship to help you party all day and well into the night.

#1 Prepare for no sleep

In the days leading up to festival, we recommend you stock up on sleep and get at least eight hour a night, because you’re going to need your energy on the boat. These cruise ship parties never really stop and there is always something happening – from after parties to sunrise parties. Each day really is a 24 hour rave so prepare accordingly.

#2 Slip, slop & slap

When onboard It’s The Ship 2015, I witnessed many punters passed out in the sun who definitely did not remember to slip-slop-slap. People seemed to forget that they were exposed to the sun for majority of the day and they certainly paid for it.

#3 Always follow the crowd

Throughout your cruise ship journey you will hear whispers of after parties and other events. Make sure you follow these leads because you might miss free champagne, a pilates class or even a rare back-to-back with DJ Tigerlily and Will Sparks.

#4 Fuel up

If your festival is like It’s The Ship, where the buffet was open 24-hours (and completely free!), you’ll soon learn that the food table will become your best friend. Eat three plates of pasta and line your stomach because you’re going to need those carbs to keep you going all day and into the night.

#5 Make friends

People often say that the best thing about cruises is all the friends you make. Well, take your regular cruise ship and times it by 1000 and that’s how great floating festivals are for meeting people. It’s a dance music festival, so you know you already have at least one thing in common with everyone onboard, meaning that the person floating alongside you on this magical boat could potentially be your new best friend.

#6 Nap!

Nap time was vital for those wanting to party until 7am. The afternoon “pre-disco nap”, during the ship’s quiet time, saved my life and should definitely be adopted when you head out on one of these cruises.

#7 Get ready to get off the grid

You’re on a boat so Wi-Fi can be a little patchy at times, but put your frustrations aside and embrace this fact because it’s actually for the best. With no Internet, you can focus on sleeping, eating, sun-worshipping and partying without interruption from the outside world. It’s the perfect getaway.

(All photos: It’s The Ship)

Time to plan for next year? Check out Qantas flights to Singapore here.