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'€˜It'€™s The Ship 2014'€™ redefines '€œparty'€ redefines '€œparty'€

Underway:  Revelers dance on the deck of The Voyager of the Seas, the cruise ship that was home to a four-day trance music festival

Hans David Tampubolon (The Jakarta Post)
Singapore and Langkawi, Malaysia
Fri, November 28, 2014

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'€˜It'€™s The Ship 2014'€™  redefines '€œparty'€  redefines '€œparty'€

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span class="inline inline-center">Underway:  Revelers dance on the deck of The Voyager of the Seas, the cruise ship that was home to a four-day trance music festival.  (© All Is Amazing)

The It'€™s The Ship 2014 trance musical event took the word '€œparty'€ to a whole new level.

The event took place on the 1,020-foot long Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas cruise ship, which sailed on Nov. 21 from Marina Bay in Singapore to the islands of Langkawi in Malaysia and back.

It was the first time a trance music festival was held on a cruise ship in Asia.

For four days and nights, partygoers from all over the world experienced the trip of a lifetime on the main dance floor on the ship'€™s 11th deck '€” and throughout the passageways and the ship'€™s main shopping area, The Promenade.

Parties mostly started at 2 p.m. and ended at 4 a.m. The lack of Internet connection in international waters also helped to liven the event, as people could concentrate on partying and real life socializing.

The main stage opened exactly at 9 p.m. on the first night, featuring two local acts '€” Thailand'€™s Bangkok and Singapore'€™s Rave Republic '€” to entertain the crowd before the ship departed.

As we sailed to sea, one of the international acts, Basement Jaxx from England, took the stage. Basement Jaxx'€™s Felix Buxton worked the turntables to get the already warmed-up crowd to step up and let loose.

Drinks were shared among passengers and, like all wild parties, several lips were locked among strangers as the first day ended.

The second day started at 2 p.m. '€” just a few of hours after most passengers woke up and got sober.

The main attraction was Dash Berlin from the Netherlands, who featured a sweetly captivating remix of Christina Perri'€™s '€œJar Of Hearts'€. As the day progressed, more passengers started to crawl out of their rooms to enjoy the party.

The ship landed on an island in Langkawi, Malaysia, on the third day at 11 a.m. Passengers had three hours to prepare themselves to go to a nearby beach, where international rapper and DJ Lil Jon from the US would perform as the main act at 8 p.m.

While waiting, partygoers played on the beach and were entertained by regional acts such as like DJ Nadia from Malaysia, and international acts, such as Aeroplane from Belgium.

Lil Jon finally took the stage and had no hesitation in dropping f-bombs to get the crowd wild.

'€œI want all you [expletive deleted] to get [expletive deleted] crazy or get your [expletive deleted] back to the ship,'€ Lil Jon shouted to the crowd.

Eventually, the show was cut short, as Lil John said police wanted him to stop. He ended his act with an epic performance of his 2014 hit '€œTurn Down For What'€.

A return to the ship did not mean that the party was over. Kryoman from England, Sick Individuals from the Netherlands and Aly & Fila from Egypt were ready on board to entertain the crowd until the morning.

The effects of non-stop partying were apparent by the fourth day, as some people were seen walking on crutches as others slept on deck. Accordingly, the start of activities for the last day was pushed back to 3 p.m. and passengers were offered a free gala dinner at the Sapphire dining room to refuel.

As spirits for a good and wild party were reignited, DJs took to the main stage. People started dancing, despite heavy rain and a slippery deck, excited to see the main act: Sasha Grey from the US.

The former-porn-star-turned DJ introduced her new single, '€œHeat Of The Night'€, which was warmly welcomed by the crowd. She pumped things up later in the night with her own private party, reserved for passengers who could complete numerous activities and challenges while onboard.

Other than live music, the ship offered passengers different kinds of entertainment while underway. The ship constantly played trance music in passageways and public areas, keeping the party vibe alive.

There was also a free buffet every single day for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the ship'€™s Windjammer restaurant.

Meanwhile, a comic broadcaster, '€œCaptain Rick James'€, gave regular updates on the ship'€™s public address system, such as interesting fringe activities and updates on '€œthe most epic passenger of the day'€ '€” an award given to those who were crazy enough to injure themselves in an attempt to do wild moves on the dance floor.

'€œThe DJs were awesome, especially Dash Berlin,'€ said Kelly Tandiono, a model from Indonesia. '€œThe activities, such as rock climbing and bodyboarding, were also fun. There was an arcade game center and there was plenty of free food to eat anytime. This event is so fun.'€

If you couldn'€™t make it this year, don'€™t despair: Captain Rick James said during the farewell gala dinner that a second edition of the event was on the books for 2015.

And although the price for the next year'€™s event might go up a little bit (costs ranged from US$728 to $4,028 ) It'€™s The Ship 2014 was a major success and would leave a memorable mark for those who were lucky enough to be in it.'€

As Captain Rick James said during his regular broadcasts: '€œIt is not just A ship, it is THE ship, [expletive deleted]!'€

The writer attended at the invitation of organizers.

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