Whet Foundation’s Destination Donation trip to visit local school and church in the Bahamas
Groove Cruise welcomes back nonprofit When The Music Stops to host various mental health workshops
Gene Farris, Markus Schulz, Gem & Tauri, MiTiS and more to lead artist-hosted activities
Wednesday, January 24 - Sunday, January 28, 2024
Sailing from Miami to the private island of Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas on the award-winning Norwegian Encore, Groove Cruise’s largest and most luxurious ship to date
Whet Travel’s flagship event Groove Cruise will celebrate 20 years on the open sea in 2024, adventuring from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas from Wednesday, January 24 - Sunday, January 28, 2024. To cement the impressive milestone, Groove Cruise Miami 2024 will be hosted on the award-winning Norwegian Encore - the largest and most luxurious Groove Cruise ship to date.
Groove Cruise treats everyone as the Captain and invites veterans and newcomers alike to indulge in a once-in-a-lifetime experience aboard the Norwegian Encore. The sailing will feature 96 hours of nonstop music, as well as Groove Cruise’s signature immersive programming which will include 11 stages boasting world-class production, daily themes with curated parties, beachside destination parties, and the recently announced Whet Foundation charity initiatives and volunteer opportunities as well as over 50 artist-hosted activities.
Groove Cruise has enlisted world-renowned dance music superstars Tiësto, Diplo, and John Summit to headline the 20th anniversary celebration. Support acts span the vast electronic music spectrum with performances from Aly & Fila, Amidy, Anthony Attalla, Biscits, Blastoyz, Boris, Brennen Grey, Casmalia, Cocodrills, Craig Connelly, Deeper Purpose, Deepfake, Disco Lines, Factor B, Gabriel & Dresden, Gem & Tauri, Haliene, Joel Corry, Joshwa, Kyle Walker, Gene Farris, Lilly Palmer, LP Giobbi, Marie Vaunt, Markus Schulz, Max Low, Max Styler, MiTiS, Nifra, Pig&Dan, Ranger Trucco, San Pacho, So Tuff So Cute, Speaker Honey, Trivecta, VNSSA, and more.
Started by Whet Travel and Groove Cruise's founder Jason Beukema, the Whet Foundation nonprofit (501c3) seeks to impact the communities visited by Whet Travel cruises, even inviting cruise attendees to donate and volunteer at their events. The foundation gives back to the communities they visit by providing essential items like clothing, food, school supplies, beach and community cleanups, painting and art programs, providing facility repair and improvement costs, and more.
In an effort to connect with the communities in the Bahamas, Whet Travel will participate in a number of charity initiatives for Groove Cruise 2024 including their annual Destination Donation. Led by the Groove Cruise team and a group of volunteers, the trip will give back to the community of the island of Great Harbour, which is just a short boat ride away from Great Stirrup Cay and is home to around 800 individuals who face a number of challenges due to limited resources.
Destination Donation will visit and give back to the only public school on the island, RN Gomez Comprehensive School with contributions that will directly enhance the children’s educational journey as most kids currently walk to the school. The trip will also visit Revival Time Highway Church of God to aid in the reconstruction of the church in order to provide more support for their youth programs. During the Whet Foundation, volunteers will be able to give donation items to the children and engage with the community through interactive activities. Interested attendees can register to volunteer here.
In addition to the Destination Donation event during Groove Cruise Miami 2024, Captains were able to help make a difference during the Rebuild a Home Destination Donation event earlier this year to help a local family on Great Harbour rebuild their home that was completely destroyed in a fire in April 2023. The family consists of a mother, three children, and five grandchildren who had lived in the home for nearly two decades before they lost everything. Through donations acquired from the Whet Foundation, the family has been able to acquire the necessary tools to rebuild their home in the Bahamas.
Whet Foundation's Rebuild A Home campaign - site of the home in April 2023 following the fire
The Whet Foundation has also made mental health initiatives a large part of their programming in recent years. Groove Cruise has once again partnered with the nonprofit When The Music Stops to host various mental health workshops and panels including “Nightlife & The Balance of Life” artist-hosted panel, “The Power of Journaling” workshop, and “GC History Fireside Chat” hosted by When The Music Stops and Rave Culture Cast.
Groove Cruise will also welcome back Neon Owl to host various music industry talks including “Behind The Artist Talk” and “Speed Networking & Industry Connections”. Founder Jason Beukema will also host the annual “Celebration of Life” ceremony to honor loved ones who are no longer with us. Guests will have the opportunity to share their stories and write messages on biodegradable note cards that will be put together in a wreath to be thrown overboard.
Ahead of the 2024 event, Groove Cruise has also just unveiled artist-hosted activities which has become one of the staples of Groove Cruise as it allows genuine artist-fan interactions that most large-scale events do not have. Fans can sign up and donate to Whet Foundation for a chance to participate in a wide variety of artist-hosted activities including Hot Ones challenge; Super Smash Bros tournament; whiskey, tequila, and wine tastings; workout classes and yoga; poker tournament, Blackjack game, and Jeopardy game; and much more. Among the activities include a bar crawl with MiTiS, Mario Kart with VNSSA and Lilly Palmer, an NBA 2K tournament with Gene Farris, yoga with LP Giobbi, and more.
Fans can also elect to join one of the artist-hosted dinners on the ship with artists such as Markus Schulz at Onda by Scarpetta, Gem & Tauri at Teppanyaki, Gabriel & Dresden at Cagney’s Steakhouse, and more. On Great Stirrup Cay, there will also be a handful of artists leading excursions as well such as the Wave Runner tour, Zipline, Swim with the Pigs, and Kayak tour, to name a few.
Curating a festival experience unlike any other, Groove Cruise’s intricate programming and dedicated fan base continue to make the festival a highly sought-after event year after year. The 20th anniversary promises to further evolve the brand’s legacy as the world’s premier floating music festival with a wide variety of electronic music acts and carefully curated activities.
Tune in to Groove Cruise’s next State of the Ocean with founder Jason on Wednesday, October 18 at 8 p.m. ET for more information and updates on Groove Cruise 2024 via https://www.instagram.com/groovecruise/
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