[Recap] It’s The Ship 2016: 4 days + 3 nights of FUN, FUN, FUN!

Tickets for the 2016 iteration of It’s The Ship went on sale as early as March 2016. For an event that happened between 4-7 November, 2016 it felt like a really long time to plan ahead! But for those who went to “Asia’s largest festival at sea” this year, you would have all known that in order to have an optimal level of fun over the 4 days and 3 nights onboard, quite a lot of planning is necessary – 9 months may have even been too short to plan all the logistics, prepare costumes, and do some body conditioning that you needed to do!

It was not one of those events where there was a bit of everything. No – far from it. This was an event that had a lot of EVERYTHING! Those who went to the first and second voyages in 2014 and 2015 respectively knew they were expecting something awesome, but it may have been safe to say that even the seasoned sailors did not expect it to be THIS awesome. The Livescape Group really one-upped everybody with their marquee annual event.

But for those of you that were sitting at home following the live Facebook updates from friends or the official It’s the Ship page and wishing you were there, fret not. We have recapped the event to help you decide whether 2017 (if it even is a decision anymore at this point?!) will be the year that you finally make it aboard the ship. If the Royal Caribbean International’s luxurious Mariner of the Seas can play host to over 30 international and regional headlining acts this year, imagine what it would be like next year.

Here are the top 3 highlights from each party day aboard It’s The Ship 2016:

Day 1 Highlights

1) Kicking-Off The Party Right Away

When you first board the ship around 3:30pm, you would expect to step aboard a large floating vessel that is resting peacefully on the Singaporean waters. That may be the case for your ordinary cruise but contrary to that expectation, the Mariner of the Seas was already buzzing as soon as you set foot on it.

Even before the ship sets sail and the 3,800 shipmates onboard were not going to waste a single second to make sure that the party was already in full swing.

The beauty of being on such a cruise is that everyone is here for the same reason. The atmosphere is buzzing and no matter where you look there are people laughing and smiling everywhere. Without fail, the party kicks-off even if the only music playing is from the small speakers around the boat. There was no better way to “get you in the mood” to party than just BEING there.

2) Dada Life and Knife Party Back-to-Back Sets

The folks at Livescape did not want to waste any time. Set after set the DJs were ready to bring the energy up since day one. As a testament to this, Dada Life and Knife Party were brought on to the main stage for back-to-back one and a half hour sets! ON THE FIRST NIGHT!

If you thought 3 hours of non-stop eargasmic tunes was something, imagine the other 3 stages onboard the boat that were equally as packed as the main stage at all times. With the sea breeze already blowing and the six-packs and bikinis already coming out, there was no better way to ensure that the first night would already be epic.

3) Late Night Onesie Party

One thing that you cannot miss at a festival like this is the chance to dress up! And you did not have to wait long for a party that was made just for that occasion onboard. Of course, you could have just chosen to dress up on your own at any time, but what is the fun in that when you could have joined hundreds of others at the Onesie Party which ran from 2am – 5am in the Lotus Lounge stage.

Everyone came in their best onesie and danced the night away in full force. There was literally no one at the party that did not come fully dressed. The spirit was high on the high seas and the positivity that was brought in with the waves was off the charts. Day one could not have been done any better.

Day 2 Highlights

1) Side Events Galore!

As you wake up on the second day to realize that you are stuck on a party boat for another 50 hours plus, some may begin to have cabin fever. But after a nice shower and walking out onto the deck that feeling always disappears. It’s The Ship does not constrain you to just partying day and night.

Day 2 offered multiple side activities from the Belly Flop Competition, the Group Yoga Sessions, a cookout at the Grub Down Under event, a Beer Pong Tournament, and much much more! So for those that were looking for some down time in order to recharge their battery for the night to come, this was the perfect way to do that. However, for those that wanted to wake up and hit GO right from the start, the party was also on since the early afternoon on the mainstage.

2) Docking at The Penang Street Carnival

Docking at Penang in the middle of the second day split up the cruise perfectly. From 4:30pm – 11pm all shipmates had the option of getting off the boat and venturing by bus to the private Penang Street Carnival. This allowed for the revelers to indulge in the local atmosphere, grab a bite to eat, or continue partying.

The Street Carnival itself was buzzing and with so many clubs, bars, and restaurants to hop from, it became a massive private street party. With music blasting from every venue, there was never a dull moment. For those who found love ashore, it may have been hard to reembark onto the ship, but when the clock stroked 11, all the Cinderallas had to leave. We just hoped everyone had their shoes intact.

3) High Energy Live Shows by Bangkok Invaders, Thaitanium, and Far East Movement

Back on the boat after the Street Carnival on Day 2 and it was party, after party, break for some buffet, party, and more partying. This just did not stop and no one wanted it to – except for mother nature. As the Mariner of the Seas sailed into some rain, the main stage had to be shut down. What at first seemed to be a set-back became a blessing in disguise.

This being a cruise ship of massive size, the Livescape crew managed to convert the ice-skating rink into a semi-warehouse style party venue which worked even better for the high energy live performances which began with Thaitanium. The venue change also allowed Prohgress from Far East Movement to crowd dive and really get up and personal with the fans. The Bangkok Invaders crew closed off the set, but by then the party was back on at the main deck as the rain stopped – and it went on until sunrise yet again.

Day 3 Highlights

1) DJ Hoff aka The Hoff Kicks-Off the Sexy by Nature Party

Some may have woken up on the third day thinking everything was all a dream others may have even thought they were STILL in that dream after they found out that The Hoff has put on one of his many hats and began DJing at the main stage!

David Hasselhoff really took it to the crowd and kicked-off what was an awesome Sexy by Nature day party with Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano – who played an exquisite set mixing some jungle sounds with tropical house. Not to be undone, Sander Van Doorn closed off the morning early session and sent everyone off to get dressed for the Gala Dinner.

2) The Hoff and the Sexy Saxman’s Performance at the Gala Dinner

You would think that the Gala Dinner would be an ordinary black tie dinner filled with piano music, lobster, and steaks – you could not have been more wrong because this is It’s The Ship! Starting off the event, The Hoff took on the microphone to serenade the crowd with a strong performance of “This Is the Moment” that wooed the crowds.

Then out of nowhere, the Sexy Saxman jumped on to the Playboy Thailand’s gala table and started playing his most sexy rendition of the famous song, Careless Whisper. It was no ordinary sit-down black tie dinner for sure. This was the kind of dinner that kept the night’s shine on without dimming the party lights!

3) Watching the Sunrise with The Artists on Board

Being the last night onboard, everyone knew they had to go hard. Shipmates AND artists alike! No one seemed to want to get any sleep. Spotted among the crowds on the different stages were the likes of Far East Movement, Thaitanium, and the multiple DJs on board. Not only were they partying, they were getting in on the action by jumping on the ones-and-twos to spread that “Freal Love” as well.

Not to be undone, a spontaneous back-to-back-to-back set with Andrew Rayel, Ben Gold, and David Gravell erupted on the main stage and left the crowd dancing until their legs turned into jello to welcome the sunlight as well. For the true warriors, there was music playing until the ship docked in Singapore the next day #teamnosleep.

Without a doubt, It’s The Ship 2016 was a success. Even those who got no sleep walked off the boat with a smile. The likelihood of return shipmates in 2017 is very high at this rate, so if you feel like you and your friends would like to go, go follow the official Facebook page of It’s The Ship to get all the latest updates and prepare yourself for a trip you will never forget. More likely than not, it will sell out once again!

Words by Tang Kalayanamit
Images by Surapas Amornwatee