What you missed on Groove Cruise LA’s third edition

by: Lucy Davidson Nov 3, 2015

Groove Cruise first set sail in 2004, about a decade before festival cruises hit their current sold-out stride in popularity. What started as a group of 125 seafaring house-heads has grown into two bicoastal annual events departing from Miami and Los Angeles.

Photo credit: @veranmiky

Los Angeles’ sold-out 2015 Groove Cruise set off from Long Beach on October 23, headed for Catalina Island off the coast of California and the coastal Mexican port of Ensenada. Reports of Hurricane Patricia further south in Baja California had no effect on the resolve of the more than 2,200 attendees who climbed aboard the festival’s third West Coast edition. They were rewarded with almost 72 straight hours of music from more than fifty artists, in varied venues on land and sea.

Photo credit: @veranmiky

Groove Cruise LA was housed aboard the Carnival Inspiration, which offered a decidedly deluxe intersection of cruise and festival experiences. In addition to access to all music venues and free movement between stages, the price of a cabin included unlimited access to buffets and formal dining rooms, pool decks, jacuzzis, and theaters. Other diversions beyond music included mini golf, a casino, a spa, and a fitness center for the truly devoted. Music began in the early afternoon, and lasted til 9 am or later.

Photo credit: @veranmiky

As longest-running rave cruise, Groove Cruise attracts a concurrently veteran crowd- some attendees had been on board for three, five, or ten Cruises. Vibrant enthusiasm for daily themes like Naughty Nautical, Neon Candyland, and DTF (Down to Fiesta) surpassed any jaded attitude that may have been expected from the seasoned crowd.

Photo credit: @veranmiky

The lineups for Groove Cruise have been stronger and stronger every year, and this run offered a diverse mix of techno, trance, and house for all audial tastes. During the day and into the evening, sounds were definitely skewed more electro-heavy and main-stage friendly, with sets from popular favorites like Cazzette, Ferry Corsten, Vicetone, Sidney Samson, Dirty South, and EDX.

Photo credit: @veranmiky

Those with the stamina to stay up through sunrise were rewarded with once-in-a-lifetime sets from legends like Kevin & Dantiez Saunderson and Paul Oakenfold. Groove Cruise six-time veteran Darude set the tone of the weekend with his performance the first night- his instantly-recognizable and now-iconic 1999 single “Sandstorm” was ubiquitous in sets throughout the weekend. Though the weekend full of great music in unique settings presented many contenders, Guy Gerber’s early Monday morning set may have been the most unforgettable of the weekend.

Photo credit: @handonam

The Groove Cruise docked Monday morning back at the port of Long Beach after another successful weekend of revelry for the books. Some on board have plans to travel to Miami for January’s Cruise, while others will wait to return for the West Coast edition in a year. Whether attendees were newly initiated members of the so-called “GCFam” or stepping off the boat for the tenth time, the unique experience shared on deck will undoubtedly be a challenge to top- at least until the next Cruise.