This Short Caribbean Cruise Is A Must-Add To A Music Lovers Bucket List

These days, cruises are finding new and exciting ways to entice all walks of life. Whether it's romantic cruises geared just toward couples or cruises vibing with youthful energy because they're family-friendly, if you do a little digging, you might find a cruise for all sorts. Enter: the Salty Dog cruise, put on by Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. If you love rocking out to the best tunes, headbanging, and flashing that devil-horns sign, you won't want to miss the Salty Dog Cruise. It's a five-day music cruise featuring notable names, bands, and collectives performing onboard. This is the one case where if the ship is a-rocking, definitely come a-knocking!

In 2022, the line-up of bands included on the cruise was quite impressive. Joining Flogging Molly then were Descendents, The Distillers, Frank Turner, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and Broilers. For 2023, the line-up is just as exciting — and even longer. The cruise will include performances by the iconic punk band Pennywise and even Laura Jane Grace, the legendary Against Me! founder and lead singer. Other bands on the list include The Interrupters, The Vandals, and Skinny Lister.

While the 2023 cruise — held November 8 to 13 — is sold out, this is a trip you will want to plan for upcoming years. We can already hear all the rock fans salivating, but what's on offer besides excellent bands and performances? Here's the skinny on why you should add the Salty Dog music cruise to your bucket list.  

If previous cruise runs of the Salty Dog are anything to go by, it looks like The Warped Tour on water. In 2018, band Flogging Molly shared on YouTube some snippets of that year's cruise, and it appears there were packed crowds, rollicking musical performances, and even crowd surfing! A half-pipe was built on deck for those who wanted to brush up on their skateboarding skills on the big seas, and the drinks were flowing. It would appear those traditions are definitely continuing, as the band posted that for the 2023 cruise, the half-pipe will be accompanied by pro-skaters Matt Hensley, Christian Hosoi, and Jason Adams.

If you're worried that (considering how bad-ass the line-up is) the cabins on board might resemble the bathroom at CBGB's, think again. There are penthouse suites, balcony suites, and even an owner's suite that looks bigger than most one-bedroom apartments. Oh, and we can't talk about cruises without talking about ports of call, and there are some truly desirable locales in 2023. Departing from Miami, the cruise also hits up Harvest Caye in Belize and Costa Maya in Mexico. 

One of the biggest selling points of the Salty Dog cruise has got to be the fact it makes sure the drinks are always flowing while the ship's sailing — that means open bar. Yes, you read that right. Try to name one music festival on land that offers that perk! Make sure that you select the open bar package when booking your passage. And it goes without saying this is only available to those 21 years of age and older. 

Another great selling point of the cruise is that those who attend the cruise solo without a partner or friend are pretty likely to find best buds for life. One Reddit user was worried about showing up for the rollicking cruise alone, and the responses assured the Flogging Molly fan that they were sure to make friends once on board.

"You already have a lot in common with pretty much everyone on the ship," one user replied, while another said, "I did it a couple years ago solo and loved it." The comments also pointed out that there are Facebook groups for solo travelers looking for others to share cabins with. Luckily, if you travel solo, your cabin price is slightly discounted, and you will receive $199 off a second cruise fare.