Party time

A floating dance music festival? Ultimate party holidays coming this July

Words by Finn Thompson

Festival season is well and truly underway and if you’re looking to try something different this year, Neonyx Cruises’ newly launched festival cruises could be just the thing.

This week, the new cruise line announced a series of festival cruises due to set sail across the Aegean and Mediterranean seas from this July, with some of the world’s best-loved EDM DJs spinning the decks from ‘sunset to sunrise’.

Dancing to music icons like Steve Aoki in the middle of the Mediterranean, as the sun sets and the ocean breeze flutters through your hair? Without having to camp, get potentially drenched, and/or covered in mud? Sign us up. Glastonbury is soooo last year.

Three to four-night itineraries will be on offer, and while the main action will be centred around dancing the night (and day) away to scintillating beats, there is plenty to tempt partygoers beyond this. Think live cabaret, singing and dance shows, wellness experiences, a fully-fledged casino, daily shore excursions and some good old retail therapy.

Various gourmet dining venues and bars are also onboard, with one buffet-style restaurant remaining open until 4.30am to sustain hard-core partygoers! Soggy chips out of a van from festivals gone by will seem but a distant memory…

Neonyx Cruises’ first festival voyage will set sail on July 15, 2024, on the newly refurbished ‘Goddess of the Night’ ship.

Bookable through to September 7, 2024, each of the line’s festival cruises is fully customisable, as travellers can choose their port of embarkation and disembarkation from either Athens, Mykonos or Cesme in Turkey.

Cruisers also have the option to book back-to-back itineraries to create seven-day voyages.

– READ MORE: Best cruises for fun & sun –

A full lineup of between seven to 10 international DJs will play on the ship’s spacious upper deck of each festival cruise, with names including EDM giants Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Steve Aoki and Hardwell.

Daily shoreside excursions offer opportunities for a quick culture fix amid the merriment, with chances to see the region’s ancient ruins, visit quaint galleries, hike along stunning coastal trails and enjoy traditional eastern Mediterranean cuisine.

For the serious party animals however, daily beach parties will also be available to carry on the revelry, as Neonyx Cruises will arrange transfers to world-renowned beach clubs including Mykonos’s Nammos and Perissa in Santorini.

When it’s time to hang up your dancing shoes for the night, the ship’s freshly renovated cabins offer modern design and luxe comfort, with funky artwork adorning the walls, plenty of revitalising amenities and an inviting bed to sink into. Anyone who books a suite receives an onboard credit voucher of up to €150 and a bottle of champagne to kick off the festivities.