JoCo Cruise 2025
2025 is starting off as a year of firsts! This was my first cruise ever, and it was a blast. The JoCo Cruise is a week-long event that combines a music and comedy festival with a nerdy convention, all on a cruise ship. It’s a unique experience, but pulled me back to my Harry Potter convention days.
Finding My Sea Legs (and My People)
The thing that struck me the most was how welcoming the entire community was. There are people who’ve been on every JoCo cruise before, and they were so excited to share their experiences and help me get the most out of the week.
The people working aboard the ship really seemed to enjoy the event too. One evening, our server mentioned how the JoCo crowd was his favorite group of the year because everyone treated the crew with such respect and kindness.
A Safe Harbor for All
Part of what made it feel so welcoming is how inclusive and queer it was. There were a ton of LGBTQ+ people on the cruise, and it was so nice to be in a space where I could be myself and not worry about it. There were tons of people in various stages of transition or identity, and it was just so normal.
I noticed “pronoun ribbons” available at check-in that people could attach to their name badges, making introductions smooth and respectful. The cruise had several LGBTQ+ meetups scheduled throughout the week, creating even more opportunities to connect.
Also, lots of moms.
Musical Discoveries and Old Favorites
I found some new-to-me artists that I really enjoyed, like Daphne Always (who covered TWO Björk songs! the talent!), and got to see some of my favorites like Aimee Mann who spent the entire cruise looking effortlessly cool.
The Pink Pony Party was a definite highlight - the energy on the back deck was electric as everyone danced in various shades of pink attire. Daphne Always came out in a beautiful wedding dress and killed it.
Never a Dull Moment
There was a ton to do on the cruise, including:
- A puzzle hunt that we’d rush to get the new page of every morning. These were puzzles that were hard! We didn’t finish solving them by the end of the cruise, but we knew we’d found our people whenever we walked through the halls and saw people huddled around a table with a pencil and paper.
- Improv comedy shows from all kinds of people, including some of my dropout.tv favorites, Rekha Shankar in particular.
- An incredible discussion led by Nadine Smith of Equality Florida about the fights that have been happening in Florida over the last ten years, and how they’ve been winning them.
The ‘shadow cruise’ - events put on by attendees themselves - was another highlight. People ran panels or workshops on anything they wanted. The nerds even created a ship-only app called Twittar, a Twitter clone that works exclusively on the boat during the cruise. It has a “LFG” tab where you can organize board games or events and specify how many attendees you need. Huge games of werewolf sprang up powered entirely by this app.
Ship Life: The Daily Rhythm
I didn’t count on how much I’d be walking around the cruise ship every day, and how much of a workout just from going between activities, exploring the ship, and dancing at night.
I also didn’t count on how much I’d eat every day, but I guess that’s what you get when you have a buffet available 24/7. The food was consistently good, and I ate my weight in eggs.
Island Adventures
The day off the boat in Puerto Rico was a nice break, and I got to see some of the city and eat some delicious food. We wandered through Old San Juan, taking in the colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. We went on a food tour, where I found out what mofongo is, and that I’ve been missing it in my life.
The other stops were on a private island (where I rode a horse! into the water!) and St. Maarten which I did not love.
Community on the High Seas
We didn’t expect to make best friends on the cruise, but we did! We met a couple who live in the same city as us, and we’re already making plans to hang out. Our other two friends, who we just sat next to at dinner, are already planning for returning as a group in 2026.
