Page 26 - Zone Magazine Issue 014

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Finally, I was ready to experience The Groove Cruise in all its glory!
I left Oz feeling rejuvenated and spiritually recharged. I headed over to the pool deck to get the party started. Sadly, I missed Goldfish, but caught the tail end of the minigolf tournament, which I believe Andrew Rayel won (I couldn’t believe six hours had flown by meditating in the Oz room). After that, I met up with friends to catch Dzeko and Torres for one of their last performances together. Then, it was off to dinner before catching Dj Mimosa’s hilarious comedy show and closing the night with stunning and beautiful performances by Cosmic Gate and Dash Berlin. I woke up on day three feeling more like myself than I’ve felt in quite some time. My mind and body were back in tune and I was able to enjoy the beautiful serenity of Grand Turk. I stepped off the boat smiling, breathing in the fresh air as I followed the ocean and the music to the beach. I bought myself a giant margarita, had the locals braid my hair, and swam in the gorgeous, blue water - making my way to the roar of Drums of the Sun. Finally, it was time to let it all loose and jam the hell out to Borgeous.
Borgeous was one of my absolute favorite sets this cruise. Don’t get me wrong, I love trance and deep house, but I love when The Groove Cruise changes it up a bit. Borgeous was exactly what I needed to bang my head and dance around Grand Turk feeling vibrant and happy. Plus, all the booze he kept pouring off stage didn’t hurt either. The beach parties are one of my favorite things about The Groove Cruise, but sadly, they just don’t last long enough. Much to my dismay, Borgeous ended his set and we all made our way back to the ship.
Back on the boat, the party continued with Tom Starr and Dean Mason before I headed down to the dining lounge. A group of us ate, talked about our experiences, laughed, and just had an overall amazing time together (Shoutout to the merch team and our awesome waiter Almir). I finally felt like I was where I’ve always needed to be - surrounded by love and compassion, in the middle of the ocean, vibing out with good souls on The Groove Cruise.
The Groove Cruise is a one of a kind experience. It is unlike anything else in this world! Sure, festivals are great and you’ll meet some good people, but imagine all of the amazing souls you’ve met at every festival you’ve ever gone to and put them all in one place. That, my friends, is the one and only Groove Cruise. This unique blend of love, energy, and euphoric vibes can only be felt here. The collective group of people who were on this boat radiated light and energy, creating an experience completely indescribable and unlike anything else on this planet. In layman’s terms, it’s a melting pot of good souls, electric energy, and complete and utter craziness.
After dinner, I linked up with The Dancetronauts for an epic performance prior to catching David Gravell and Andrew Rayel for their mindblowing shows in the theatre. Then, I headed back to Oz for more positive vibrations.
However, Oz was not the same zen-filled experience as it was during the day. Let’s just say that at night, things got wild, crazy, and out of control in the most wondrous way possible. The music was different, but spiritually uplifting; People were getting “buffered” (yes, it’s a thing) and the overall vibe was ecstatic. Oh, and the light therapy was literally a trip out of this world!
Somewhere along the way, I ran into an extraordinary thing called “The Hug Bar.” The bar was created by Tahir Has as a passion project and franchised from the creators of “The Hug Deli” via Burning Man. As I ventured just outside the The Arctic Lounge, I found a small lemonade stand with a sign that read “Hug Bar” with multiple hugs to choose from. Here’s how it worked:
When you approached the stand, you had the option to choose one of five different hugs - thug hug, warm and fuzzy hug, long and uncomfortable hug, debutante hug, or cinnamon swirl. After you picked out the perfect hug, in order to receive it, you had to give a compliment to a total stranger. The person in charge picked the stranger for you to compliment. Once you gave the compliment, you were then allowed to receive your hug. Cool right?
"I approached the hug bar and opted for a long and uncomfortable hug. I told a stranger how beautiful she was before receiving my prize. I was taken into a loving embrace that lasted almost a minute, but wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as they would have hoped for (sorry, but there’s just no way a loving embrace on The Groove Cruise could ever be uncomfortable)." I was in such awe of the love and affection Tahir and his merry crew were giving that I later went back for a cinnamon swirl!
There’s absolutely no way I can describe the epic nature of the cinnamon swirl, but i’ll try. So basically, the hug requires about six people all holding hands with the person receiving the hug at one end. Then, everyone swirls you in so you become the center of a circle with everyone swirled around you. Then, they release you and you swirl back out. All it takes is one adoring compliment to a stranger and wallah... #CinnamonSwirlPower!
When things got a little too crazy in Oz, I headed over to the after hours area and danced my little heart out until the sun came up. I went to bed so grateful for the day’s experiences, feeling almost completely back to my normal self. I slept through the night with a tremendous smile on my face, seemingly unable to wait for the final day.
I got plenty of rest that night, to say the least. I hadn’t planned on napping; I had decided to spend my morning meditating in Oz, but my body indicated it needed the rest, so I slept - a lot. I’m almost ashamed to say I rolled out of bed around five o’clock...it was practically the evening! I felt as if my body was rebooting itself from all the anxiety I had been dealing with up until that point. When I finally did wake up and
roll out of bed for the last day, I felt whole and complete again. I felt like myself.
I started the day with our last big dinner in the dining room. About 14 of us gathered and ate our official “last supper” together. Saddened by this prospect, but blessed and grateful for having met such beautiful people, we ate together in peace, laughter, and love. We had arrived as strangers, surpassed friends, and ended the cruise as a family, which is precisely what The Groove Cruise is all about.
I could sit here all day and try to describe the familial atmosphere The Groove Cruise provides, but it’s something that’s truly indescribable. The love, positive radiation, and euphoria that come out of the experience is like nothing you’ve ever felt before. It’s the only place in the world where you can arrive as strangers, connect on a higher level, and leave as a family - all within a matter of days. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you do, so long as you come with a good heart and an open mind.
After dinner, a few of us headed down to the Casino to watch an epic performance by Scotty Boy b2b with Lavelle (of Scooter and Lavelle). Needless to say, they killed it. Their energy seemingly blasted through the speakers and electrified our souls. Every person in the room had a smile on their face as they danced along to the beat. As I danced, I allowed myself to feel the energy course through my body, filling my heart and mind with positive vibrations. In this moment, I experienced pure happiness - something I haven’t felt in a very long time.
I danced my way over to the comedy show for round two, stopping by the hug bar for one last cinnamon swirl (I just couldn’t get enough love). DJ Mimosa struggled to put on the same epic performance as the first day, but he still rocked it nonetheless. In fact, his struggle made the show that much funnier, but we had to hand it to him for sticking with it and staying strong. After another hilarious show, it was time to witness Dzeko & Torres’ final performance.
I caught the tail end of Hook N Sling before Dzeko and Torres came on. What a show it was! They went harder than ever; one could tell it was a sad, yet energetic ending / new beginning. As one chapter ends, another begins - Dzeko will continue to rock the stages as Torres settles down to a quieter life. Tears fell as their set came to an end, with a mixture of sadness and joy overcoming the crowd. It was a beautiful sight to behold, especially with those mind- boggling lasers brought to you courtesy of the Laser Assassins.
Tom Staar closed down the theatre as many headed over to the aft pool for the closing sets, including the sunrise party with Roger Sanchez. Saddened, I made my way back to my bed. For whatever reason, I seem unable to make those damn last day sunrise parties, no matter how hard I try. As of now, I’ve been on two Groove Cruises and I’ve yet to experience the magic of the last sunrise party. But hey, I have hope for next year!