Back in November 2015, I had the pleasure of partying at IT’S THE SHIP aboard the Mariner of the Seas Royal Carribean cruise, and it was no doubt the best weekend of the year.
Bikini-clad babes, topless hunks, relatively cheap booze and non-stop electronic dance music – what’s not to like?
If you’re a party animal looking for something different, this personal recount tells you why It’s The Ship 2015 was the most partying fun all you wild childs should look out for.
1. World class line-up of DJs
Firstly, the international lineup at It’s The Ship was impressive, with headliners Kaskade and Showtek leading the party. Dutch duo Showtek was my personal favorite act, keeping the party pumping with their catchy beats like “We Like to Party”.
Other well-known acts include Carnage, DJ Soda, Peking Duk and a whole slew of names the rave crowd would be familiar with. Unlike partying in a club, there’s quite a bit more open dance space and you get to experience all these amazing artists over 3 days.
Pick and choose acts of your choice, the freedom to enjoy dance music is all yours.
2. Unlimited food anytime anywhere
Windjammers is there you can enjoy all the food you can eat on this cruise. Partying till 3am and feeling hunger cravings? Just pop in for some hotdogs, spaghetti or piles of meat. This casual place stays open 24/7 for all your needs.
The Mariner of the Seas also has specialty dining restaurants all around for extra fees, but there’s one little secret most people miss: dining at Rhapsody in Blue.
The main dining hall of Rhapsody in Blue is a huge nod to the classic fine-dining scene, with grand fixtures, sprawling tables and a huge chandelier centerpiece. Enjoy breakfast here for free, with butler-like service. There’s one free complimentary dinner as well, where everyone dresses up like lords and ladies to enjoy the exquisite spread.
It’s free flow on this night, with non-stop escargot and steaks!
Cafe promenade also serves up free hot coffee and light bites like pizzas whenever you feel a craving. You will never go hungry on this ship.
3. Awesome surprises throughout the day
The first day saw free flow champagne being given out, and many more surprises continued throughout It’s The Ship 2015.
A poolside BBQ popup was one of the unannounced surprises to keep things interesting.
Secret parties all over the ship also happened concurrently through the day; you’ll never have a bored moment here.
4. Every where is a pool party
Ditch the formal clothes – you can probably just stay in a bikini or trunks the entire stay on It’s The Ship as pool parties are constantly happening every time.
Be it day or night, the music and alcohol doesn’t stop, with pool parties spontaneously happening. You’ll find it hard to stay dry here.
5. Mingle with famous local celebrities
Other than the fact that you get to bump into the international DJs aboard the ship, you’ll also find many familiar local faces around partying beside you. Local influencers like Eunice Annabelle, Naomi Neo, Hirzih (sans Munah), Jonathan Cheok and Tan JianHao.
6. You get to be on a HUGE boat
The Mariner of the Seas cruise ship is bigger than many shopping malls in Singapore, and you can get pretty lost on the first day.
During ITS 2015, I resided in the balcony room which was cosy but not overly claustrophobic. Ok, it wasn’t exactly the Shangri-la, but hey you wouldn’t be staying in your cabin room that often anyway right.
Explore the ship and you’ll find a myriad of surprises like bars, cafes, basketball courts and gyms. There’s a little something for everyone here.
7. We partied on an island
If you thought partying on a ship wasn’t hardcore enough, there’s more. We got to disembark at Langkawi island where the party continued on with live bands and more headlining artists like Kaskade.
Drinks and food stalls were also setup at the venue, although at around 10ish PM, alcohol on the island actually ran out. Quite a bummer, back to the ship we went to continue partying. Cool idea, but definitely execution could be improved.
8. Make new friends everywhere
Make friends from the dance floor, at the casino, on the main deck or even from the balcony. The whole experience of It’s The Ship is to make new acquaintances. The restaurants also purposely seats you next to a stranger to encourage conversation.
If you have an open mind on It’s The Ship, it’s going to be a mindblowing experience of booze, friends and tunes.
I know I had the best weekend of 2015 on this ship and definitely look forward to a repeat in 2016. Cabin rooms were almost fully booked up in 2015, so look out for 2016’s lineup and don’t miss out on the fun at It’s The Ship – Asia’s largest festival at sea.
