Jam Cruise 22 Sets Sail With Sunny Skies, Sea Breezes & Stellar Sets

Jam Cruise 22 departed from Miami on Saturday, kicking off a weeklong musical voyage through the Caribbean. Day One felt like both a joyful family reunion for the “repeat offenders” and a sensory feast for first-timers aboard the MSC Divina, the ship that has hosted the last five cruises and provided a familiar setting for returning Jam Cruisers.

Heading into this year’s trip, many were bracing for unusually cold Florida weather. Fortunately, sunshine prevailed as temperatures climbed to 77°. Hoodies stayed packed away while music filled five stages, beginning at 8 p.m. with Cimafunk's lively Sail Away Set on the Pool Deck and continuing well past 5 a.m. with the in the Galaxy Disco and Joe Ashlar's Jam Room in the Black & White Lounge.

Before the music began, The Disco Biscuits‘ Marc Brownstein and Jon Gutwillig joined the leaders of the Cloud 9 Adventures team, the longtime Jam Cruise organizers, for the traditional pre-cruise toast. Cloud 9’s Annabel Lukins addressed the crowd, noting that with everything happening in the world, music fans need Jam Cruise more than ever. She also remarked on how fitting it was for the event to coincide with the Winter Olympics in Italy, considering the cruise’s diverse international lineup and audience. Saturday’s performances reflected that global spirit with Cimafunk representing Cuba, The New Mastersounds playing for England, and Australian keyboard master Lachy Doley adding southern hemisphere flair.

Cimafunk proved an inspired choice to launch the voyage. His commanding vocals and magnetic stage presence kept passengers dancing throughout the set. Singing mostly in Spanish, just one day before Bad Bunny would likely do the same at the Super Bowl, the Cuban artist filled the Pool Deck with infectious grooves and Caribbean warmth.

The Disco Biscuits, who took part in the earliest Jam Cruises, returned to the boat for the first time in 19 years. The Philadelphia quartet fittingly opened with “Above The Waves” and “Magellan,” then dove into a raucous “Shelby Rose” sandwich featuring “No Recollection,” only the second-ever “Hymn,” Revolution In Motion cut “To Be Continued” and “Scars Of The Brave” within.

At the same time, The New Mastersounds packed the ship’s Pantheon Theater, which came as a surprise given their overlap with Bisco’s Pool Deck performance. The Leeds-bred funk band, fresh off their final American tour, treated cruisers to a rousing set of career-spanning tunes that may mark their final Jam Cruise appearance. Saxophonist Skerik sat-in for one of the first collaborations in what promises to be a week filled with them.

In the more intimate Black & White Lounge, Taper’s Choice pushed the night into exploratory territory. The supergroup blended late 1960s Grateful Dead-style improvisation with jazz-fusion textures reminiscent of Miles Davis. Each member shined, but virtuosic keyboard work drew particular acclaim, recalling The Band's Garth Hudson. Highlights included adventurous takes on “Mahi Mahi Fish Stew” and “Lick The Toad,” though, as guitarist Dave Harrington joked, the performance did not pass “The Dave Test.”

BALTHVS took the Brews At Sea Stage, mixing Khruangbin-style originals with danceable covers of “Disco Inferno” and “First Tube.” Bassist Sarah Elaz (Bearly Dead, Bushwick’s Dead) filled in for Johanna Mercuriana and threw down a standout performance, even more impressive given she met the Colombian trio earlier that same day.

Eggy closed the evening in the theater with a confident and high-energy set, stepping up to bigger venues following their Jam Cruise debut in 2024. The Connecticut quartet opened with two songs from their Halloween Blucifer suite, “Peace Upon Us” and “Silver Steed (My Blue).” A powerful cover of Heart‘s “Barracuda,” sung by drummer Alex Bailey, followed. The band then uncorked a vibrant “Whoa There” and a euphoric take on John Brown’s Body‘s “Searchlight” before wrapping back around to Blucifer for “Falsities and Fire” and “Voice of Them All.”

Jam Cruise 22 is now headed toward Grand Turk, with Sunday’s day at sea promising plenty of music starting around noon. The journey has only just begun.