"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."— Dr. Seuss (Inspired by Groove Cruiser Stefan Moldovan)
After having successfully participated in 3 Groove Cruises now (LA, San Diego & Miami), I can honestly say that this sentiment completely embodies the Groove Cruise experience. It was imperative for me as a self-proclaimed veteran “Groove Cruiser” that I sign up for an East Coast cruise, since I had done 2 on the West side.I wanted to find out first hand what the Miami scene was like and how the chemistry and dynamics of the coasts were similar and different. I also wanted to find out if this liberal and open-minded thinking existed on both coasts. I had heard via various GC vets that they preferred one side over the other due to factors such as: the number of participants, the cultural diversities in the patrons and the various geographical destinations. I can definitely say after having done both the Miami and San Diego cruises now, that there are some obvious differences, but overall the essence of WHAT is a Groove Cruise remains the same in my opinion!
The volume of Groove Cruise participants has definitely varied with each cruise and that of course is certainly one of the biggest differences in the respective events.The most recent cruise from Miami to the Bahamas had a record-breaking 800+ participants. When the cruise began it was a small intimate party of friends of co-founder Jason Beukema, who is the owner/operator of Whet Travel. “What started as a few close buddies grew into 125 friends and acquaintances boarding what he called the Groove Cruise in October 2004.“ (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/business/25sbiz.html?_r=2&ref=business&oref=slogin ) That number is off-the-chart now and is truly a testimony to the Groove Cruise experience!!
It appears that once a “Groove Cruiser, ALWAYS a Groove Cruiser!!” “I'M A GROOVE CRUISER FOR LIFE! The quality people you meet on the Groove Cruise is amazing. I have met many friends that I will be friends for life. I went on one cruise prior to the Groove Cruise, and between the bad music and boring people I thought I'd never go on a cruise again, boy has that changed now!! The people, the music, the dancing all make it so you don't even want to get off the boat!” (Jacki O, Bay Area, California, cited from:http://www.whettravel.com/whet/default.50.12.50.0.0.0.html) It’s the domino, “Wella Balsam Shampoo…You Tell Two Friends and So On and So On” effect in actuality.There is minimal marketing and the majority of the PR is spread through word of mouth and the efforts of the OUTSTANDING Whet Travel/Groove Cruise Team!
KATHY, JASON, RYAN, (KAREN)….
Perhaps it this aspect of this unique event that makes the party so appealing and the smaller numbers that influence the feel-good vibe….draws the crowd. I did notice on the most recent GC, that there were more incidents of bias & negative behavior. I believe that goes part and parcel with mixing large volumes of people together. Yet, security has held a solid presence in all of the cruises that we have attended so far and Whet Travel has a strong zero tolerance for trouble-makers. So, with those safety precautions in place for both coast events, the vibe is generally peaceful and fun-loving for all. In fact, the more outlandish the party spirit, the more celebratory the cruise appears to become, as I’ve now noted for both coasts!!
In the past 3 cruises that I have done, I have seen a hawt pink gorilla, a b&w cow, a bumble bee, a pink bunny, Spiderman, sexy girls in tutus, FABULOUS lingerie, pimps & ho’s, sexy pirates, naughty school girls, mermaids, hawt sailors, jail bait, leprechauns, WWF wrestlers etc to name just a few characters in the crowd! The people that participate in the Groove Cruises are generally very music savvy and have their ear to the ground in terms of their awareness of the hawtest music, the most talented artists and the sickest parties! I am still not sure why the numbers are higher on the East coast. It might be that the weather is better on the West Coast compared to the East Coast, and so more people on the East are drawn to the fact that this cruise heads to the Bahamas.
MANUFACTURED SUPER STARS AND PHOTOGRAPHER CHRISTOPHER REISTROFFER
It also might be that there are more House music hubs located on the East Coast as compared to the West. Or maybe even it’s the cultural diversity in how aggressive the promoters are in spreading their word about this fabulous House music event. Since the party is labeled as “private”, it has to be found and that appears to help stream and filter the type of people that partake in the Groove Cruise! No matter the reason why the numbers vary, it is certainly one of the biggest discrepancies between the coasts. I personally found the volumes of people a bit overwhelming at times, as I am used to a smaller, tighter crowd. Yet, several vets from the Miami set found the smaller numbers on the West Coast not as exciting. With the larger numbers, smaller clicks and groups tend to form versus a more unified whole group feel of the West Coast cruise. Several European participants noted that they liked the “RAVE” feel of the Miami cruise and it’s numbers.
They said it was more exciting to them. Again, a Groove Cruise is a holiday that you can customize and you will get out of it as much as you put into it. With a larger group, you don’t necessarily have to network with others to feel a part of the crowd. Whereas in order to get a full party experience with a smaller group of people, it appears that networking with others is the key to achieving a more fulfilling experience. Some people love to interact with others, network with strangers, make new friends…This appears to be a must with the West Coast cruise. I found on the bigger Miami cruise, that smaller groups of people broke off and did their own thing more frequently. Then people would all come back together for the various events and you would encounter people more randomly and less frequently on the East Coast cruise. It definitely was easier and less intimidating though to just dance with the whole “crowd” with the Maimi gig. Yet, if you didn’t attempt to blend into the smaller West Coast group, it was easy to end up feeling like an outsider according to our observations and testimonies gathered. Another important factor and commonality shared by both coasts that I’ve noted, is that the more Groove Cruises you attend, the bigger the network of fellow Groove Cruise vets! This in turn leads to greater involvement in the after parties, group gatherings and costume pre-planning that occurs.
Fetty Be with DJ Anthony Attalla
With both coasts the party vibe aboard the cruise begins almost from the moment you hear about it and make the commitment to attend. For us it was via DJ Atimatik, Scotty Boy and DJ Holla who mentioned the cruise and of course insisted that we use their discount code if we went (Whet Travel uses an affiliate program to help encourage the word of mouth PR and from what I’ve seen, it’s quite effective! http://www.whettravel.com/whet/default.65.65.0.0.0.0.html). Intrigued at the recommendation by these cutting edge artists, I was sold hook, line and sinker after the first cruise out of LA!! At that point I hadn’t experienced the WMC yet, so to me this was the bomb of parties in the House music scene. It was non-stop intimate partying with DJs and like-minded music patrons who shared a common goal to celebrate the joy of House music and dance without negativity or judgment.
The fact that everyone was together for multiple events, appears to help foster a closeness and the relationships that seem to form as a result of doing a Groove Cruise. The WMC is so big and spread out, that the same level of closeness and intimacy is difficult to foster in my opinion. In fact, resident Groove Cruise DJ Donald Glaude has stated, “This is a DJ’s holiday”, as artists find this venue relaxing and less stressful than the commercialized WMC promotional parties. In terms of how the DJs vary from coast to coast, Joey Zago noted this comparison of the artists: “I'm so proud of all of the raw bad ass sounds that the East coast and Midwest DJs produce!! A completely different animal than that on the West! Chuggy bass lines and deep grooves. insane!!! Sydney Blu and Anthony Attalla rocked it! Lee Kalt, Manufactured Superstars, and the rest were a lot of fun too!"
Joey Zago
Patrons are on the GC to enjoy the music, express themselves, network and customize their cruise holiday to meet their individual goals and needs. Being a private party on a large cruise ship also allows participants the freedom to party as much, or as little as needed, all within a stroll to a cabin. The itinerary for the Groove Cruise is jam-packed and you can literally party with very minimal down time from the start to the finish.
NOT MANY!!!! DISCO NAPS!!!
MIAMI Groove Cruise DJ/Party Itinerary
However, there are other events/options present too and with the conveniences aboard the ship…the experience is truly customized with each and every cruise attended. GC vet Joey Zago had this to say recently: “I didn’t even party all that much on this one. I more so enjoyed the people and stayed mostly sober this time around and relaxed at night. However, THE PEOPLE are like a distant family, all with the same love for music. Good, I mean really really good vibes from everybody. I was literally crying the last night of the cruise, completely sober, sitting on the table outside the theatre watching drunk people walk in and out. I said, man I’m gonna miss this shit, and I do already.” Careli Campos stated: “I was sober most of the time too, and going to sleep early the first two nights but still had the time of my life, just being around everyone and having amazing music was a blessing, and got me more pumped up than anything else.“ Some parallel the experience to a “happening” like that of Woodstock. DJ Scottobahn (Winner of the Miami Groove Cruise DJ Contest) stated: “I certainly agree Joey....Kinda random, but I was watching the Woodstock DVD's over the weekend. It reminded me so much of all of us Groove Cruisers, all the love, energy, music...We are like digital hippies lol” (Miami Groove Cruise 2010 FB stream under Joey Zago)
Whet Travel is now offering more than just 2 trips a year for it’s “digital hippies”. They offer another Miami-Nassau Cruise called the “OMG Memorial Weekend Cruise” which offers a Top 40, Mash-up, and Mainstream music to the platform, as well as Whet is just about to launch a NEW Groove Cruise which will run Aug. 5-9th dropping fresh HOUSE BEATS from NY to St. John’s, Canada!! With attitudes like David Garcia’s: “I just don't see how these events can get old...Every GC is special in its own way!” (Miami Groove Cruise 2010 FB stream under Joey Zago), this event is destined to only grow in it’s popularity and frequency!! It seems like the Groove Cruise “PHENOMENON” is single-handedly redefining the cruise industry, or definitely playing a significant role in targeting a relatively untapped market in the cruise world. Young, urban professionals are seeking extended nightlife entertainment and weekend escapes and the Groove Cruises fits this exact need. Jason Beukema was recently recognized this year by ASTA as Young Professional of the Year due to his industry visionary attributes!
Jason Beukema
”Las Vegas, Sept. 13, 2009 - Jason Beukema, MCC, president and owner of Whet Travel (Miami Beach, Fla.), was awarded ASTA's Young Professional Award, today at ASTA's annual meeting. The award recognizes the efforts of an outstanding young travel professional. The Young Professional Society (YPS) targets travel agents under 40, for the purpose of networking, education and career development.
"Jason sets the standard for young professionals in the travel business and for the future. With his creative social networking and Groove Cruises, he is selling out ships while the rest of us are trying to sell a few cabins. Although he's a relatively new ASTA member, he already sees the value of membership for the growth of his business. Jason breathes new life into an industry searching for Young Professionals," said Chris Russo, ASTA president and chair.
Beukema is the creator of the popular Groove Cruise, which has been featured in the NY Times, CNN, 944, Orlando Sentinal, Toronto Star, Travel Agent Magazine, as well as on FOX NEWS and MTV. The Groove Cruises are music-themed Caribbean cruises that give fans and music lover the chance to get up close and personal with world-famous deejays.
Jason Beukema With World Famous DJ Benny Benassi, Jason’s Careli, GC Vet Hilda!
Beukema opened Whet Travel, a cruise and travel company for young professionals and specializing in destination weddings, honeymoons, corporate incentive travel, cruises and large groups, in 2004. As a professional tour manager, he has sold more than 2,500 cruises to young professionals and taken more than 130 different groups of people on cruises and vacations around the world since 2000. He has sailed on more than 33 cruises and is a specialist in the management and marketing of large group cruises, tours, vacation packages, and corporate incentive travel.
He received his Bachelors degree from Central Michigan University. He serves as an advisory board member for the Young Professional Council and is active in NextAid.org, and organization which benefits children in Dennilton, South Africa, who have lost their parents to AIDS.
ABOUT ASTA
ASTA's (American Society of Travel Agents) mission is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. ASTA seeks a retail travel marketplace that is profitable, growing and a rewarding place to work, invest and do business.” (Cited from: http://www.asta.org/News/PRDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=5834)
The Groove Cruise is certainly a phenomenon that you must experience once in your life time, if you wish to round out your nightlife experiences. The Groove Cruise and Whet Travel now provide: multiple destinations to visit, various times of the year to travel, a range of crowd sizes to party with, a choice of coasts, a variety of music savvy, world renowned resident and guest DJs performing and a full continuum of music genres to pick from to set the party flavor! Yes, there ARE differences between the East and West Coast Groove Cruises, but in the end I feel that EVERY cruise will always be as unique as it’s participants, venues and artists. Jason Beukema and his Whet Travel team co-ordinate the stage, the script and the actors. However, it’s up to all of the participants to define the storyline and to play out the individual dramas that in the end, collectively create each unique Groove Cruise experience.
If you are a veteran Groove Cruiser, ask yourself the following questions: What’s your Groove Cruise drama? What piece of the story line did you contribute? Who did you meet and what would you do differently? Write your own Groove Cruise story, share it with us and sign up today for the next ship set to sail in New York Memorial Day weekend!!! I wouldn’t be a good affiliate if I didn’t do some shameless self-assistance here too! Use my code: FETTYBE for a discount!!! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!!
GET EXCITED ON EITHER COAST, THEY BOTH ROCK…….AND GET WHET!!
FETTY BE WITH GROOVE CRUISE CO-FOUNDER JASON BEUKEMA
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth." (AGAIN INSPIRED BY GROOVE CRUISER STEFAN MOLDOVAN)
— Mark Twain
Sunday, March 21, 2010 
