Photo by Christopher Baldwin.

Jam Cruise announces dates, new ship and ports for 2018

Jam Cruise will take place on a different ship, the Norwegian Jade, when it sets sail January 17-22, 2018. The 16th edition of the popular music-festival-on-a-cruise-ship will embark from Miami before making stops in Roatan Honduras and Grand Cayman Island.

As we’ve noted during our coverage of the event’s two most recent incarnations, Jam Cruise is one of the best parties around, particularly for fans of New Orleans music. The 2017 edition, which took place in January, featured two headlining sets from The Original Meters, plus performances by Galactic, The Revivalists, The Soul Rebels, Neville Jacobs, DJ Soul Sister and more. That’s in addition to appearances by other jam band scene favorites like moe., Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Benevento Russo Duo, Lettuce, The Motet and Kamasi Washington.

The lineup for Jam Cruise 16 is expected to be announced around Jazz Fest, but most of the rooms are usually booked by then. Those that would like to secure a spot before the general on-sale date can pre-book now.

Jam Cruise 16 will mark the third time the festival has moved to a new ship in as many years. The most recent edition took place on the Norwegian Pearl, while the previous three Jam Cruises went down on the MSC Divina.

More information on Jam Cruise can be found via its website, but don’t forget to check out our recaps of Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5 of this year’s celebration.

The Original Meters rock the boat on Jam Cruise 15. Photo by Jason Koerner.

The Original Meters rock the boat (with plenty of guests) on Jam Cruise 15. Photo by Jason Koerner.