The Ultimate Groove Cruise Beginners Guide
While it’s easy to make this guide incredibly comprehensive, I’d rather try and break it down and keep it simple. This post is designed to guide you through your entire Groove Cruise experience.
The Groove Cruise experience can easily be broken down into 10 simple steps:
- Make the Decision
- Join Mailing List & My VIP List
- Purchase Your Pre-Sale
- Book Your Cabin
- Make your Travel Arrangements
- Prepare your Costumes
- Check-In and Print Your Boarding Docs
- Pack Your Bag
- HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
- Start Planning for Next Year
Step 1 – Make the Decision
For whatever reason, sometimes it’s difficult for some people to just make the decision. In the next year or so, you’re going to want to go on a vacation or go to a festival, so you might as well just choose to make your event Groove Cruise.
Once you’ve made the decision, everything else just falls in place.
Step 2 – Join Mailing List & My VIP List
To stay up to date with the latest news and details, joining the official Groove Cruise newsletter is the best option. Visit the official Groove Cruise site to complete that process.
When it comes to beating the rush, getting early access to pre-sales and cabin bookings, and securing the best price and cabin, joining my VIP list is the way to go.
Step 3 – Purchase Your Pre-Sale
If you’re on my VIP list and Groove Cruise releases an allotment of pre-sales to affiliates like myself, I share this info with you granting you access to pre-sales before the general public.
Otherwise, you’ll want to be by your computer when the pre-sale period opens up to secure your spot aboard the ship.
Here’s a great tutorial on how to purchase a pre-sale.
*This is NOT the time to use my discount code – that occurs in Step 4.
Step 4 – Book Your Cabin
If you’ve purchased a pre-sale, you will receive an email with special cabin booking instructions before sales open to the general public.
If you’re on my VIP list and Groove Cruise provides an allotment of before-the-public cabin bookings to affiliates like myself, I will send that information to you so you can book your cabin.
If you’re a bit later to the game and public cabin booking is available, be sure to book now to get the best price and cabin selection.
Check out this tutorial on how to book a cabin as it’s a bit different than buying traditional festival tickets.
*This is the time to use my discount code, GrooveCruiseChris (How do I use this code?), to save $50/person up to $200 cabin!
Step 5 – Make your Travel Arrangements
Now that you’ve secured your cabin, you can go ahead and start making travel arrangements. Your event location (Miami, LA, etc.) will determine which port you need to go to. Check sites like Kayak and Expedia for cheap flight tickets, if necessary, or do a quick Google search for cruise port parking garages if you’re driving.
Step 6 – Prepare your Costumes
Wait patiently for the themes to be announced, then start preparing your costumes! Groove Cruise has a motto, “The weirder you groove, the more we approve!”
Step 7 – Check-In and Print Your Boarding Docs
This process will be similar no matter what cruise line the event is taking place on. You will receive an email (from Groove Cruise) with your reservation number and some instructions on how to check-in and print your boarding docs. Complete this process as soon as you receive this information.
You will be able to print your boarding docs, as well as luggage tags if you’re going to be checking a bag.
Step 8 – Pack Your Bag
My suggestion: pack light. Check out this article on what to pack for Groove Cruise.
Step 9 – HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
This is the most important step. Make your way to the cruise port, board the ship, and have the time of your life!
Step 10 – Start Planning for Next Year
Aboard the ship, you’ll have the option of joining the Blind Faith Mafia, a dedicated portion of the GCFAM who places their (refundable) deposit for a future event in return for swag, discounts, VIP parties, or other incentives.
Even if you don’t join the BFM, you’ll now realize why there’s such a high percentage of repeat attendees.
Now is the time to start planning for next year – return to Step 1!
