Ubersoca Cruise 2017 | Year Two Takes Soca to Another Level
UberSoca Cruise came back bigger in 2017.
The second sailing ran November 16–20, 2017, aboard Carnival Sensation, leaving Miami for Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Florida. The five-day, four-night trip was promoted with more than 50 Soca artists and DJs, but the schedule had already grown well beyond concerts alone.
For Julianspromos, it was also the second year of its partnership with UberSoca Cruise, following the inaugural sailing in 2016. The 2017 coverage featured guest host Dora The Explorer, with every Julianspromos video shot and edited by Julian C. Hackett.
Building on 2016
The first UberSoca Cruise proved the concept.
In 2017, the event had more room to stretch.
The destination changed from Jamaica to Mexico, the ship changed to Carnival Sensation, and the daily schedule became packed with parties, sports, comedy, food, fitness, cultural programming and live Soca.
There were football and basketball tournaments, Socacize, dominoes, Soca DJ 101, karaoke, rum tasting, panel discussions, pool parties and themed events running from morning into the early hours.
It felt less like a cruise with a few Soca events attached and more like an entire Carnival world moving at sea.
Dora The Explorer Steps Up as Guest Host
The second UberSoca Cruise also introduced a new face to the Julianspromos coverage.
Julian C. Hackett boarded the 2017 sailing alone for Julianspromos, responsible for filming the five-day voyage. With Julian working behind the camera, Dora The Explorer — known online as @pumpwithdora — stepped up as guest host, making her first appearance hosting Julianspromos coverage aboard UberSoca Cruise.
Dora was already a familiar personality within Carnival circles. Around the same period, Carnival media described @pumpwithdora as a popular carnivalist, and her presence extended across Carnival events and travel experiences beyond the cruise.
On UberSoca, she moved into a different role. Instead of simply taking part in the festivities, Dora became the person in front of Julian’s camera, introducing viewers to moments aboard the ship and helping carry the Julianspromos coverage from one event to the next.
It was an unplanned opportunity that gave the 2017 videos their own personality — Dora in front of the camera and Julian behind it.
All Julianspromos videos from UberSoca Cruise 2017 were shot and edited by Julian C. Hackett.
The All White Party
The sailing began on Thursday, November 16, with passengers settling into Carnival Sensation before the first major night of events.
The All White Party brought performers including Pumpa, Lavaman, Asa Bantan, Patrice Roberts, Voice and Iwer George to the pool deck, with music from D Bandit, DJ Avalanche, Dr Jay and Barrie Hype.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 All White Party.
The party set the pace early. Once the ship left Miami, the schedule rarely slowed down.
Friday: Football, Rum & Water and More Soca
Friday was one of the busiest days of the cruise.
The schedule included Socacize, a domino tournament, rum tasting, Soca DJ 101, the football tournament, the Rum & Water Pool Party and a VIP Cocktail Party before the late-night events even started.
The football tournament brought artists and personalities onto the field, including Voice, Lyrikal, Kerwin Du Bois and Shal Marshall.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 Football Tournament.
Later, the Rum & Water Pool Party took over the pool deck and carried the daytime energy straight into the evening.
Majah Hype & Theatre Turn Up
Comedy had its own place in the 2017 schedule.
Majah Hype appeared during the Theatre Turn Up Pajama Edition, mixing Caribbean comedy with music and a late-night pajama party aboard the ship.
Majah Hype and Theatre Turn Up aboard Ubersoca Cruise 2017.
That mix of comedy, music and themed events became part of the character of the sailing. Soca stayed at the center, but the cruise kept finding different ways to build around it.
UberJammy Jam
Friday night continued with the UberJammy Jam.
The event featured artists including Ravi B, Nisha B, Peter Ram, 5Star Akil, Shal Marshall, Lyrikal and Destra Garcia, alongside DJs and selectors.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 UberJammy Jam.
By the time the night wrapped, passengers had already moved through fitness, sports, poolside fetes, comedy and live performances in the space of one day.
J’Ouvert in Cozumel
On Saturday, November 18, Carnival Sensation reached Cozumel, Mexico.
UberSoca took J’Ouvert ashore, with the event running from late morning into the afternoon.
Performers included Lil Rick, Lavaman, Iwer George and Kes The Band, with music from Ryan Sayeed & Barrie Hype, Dr Jay, Riggo Suave and Patrick the Hypeman.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 J’Ouvert in Cozumel, Mexico.
The stop in Cozumel built on one of the ideas introduced in 2016: taking Carnival traditions off the ship and into the destination.
After J’Ouvert, passengers returned to Carnival Sensation for another full night that included Midnight Mas, Cabin Fever and more parties.
Sunday Beyond the Fete
Sunday showed another side of the cruise.
The schedule included a USC Chef Competition, Destination Showcase, Natural Hair Linkup, basketball tournament, mini-golf tournament, Soca karaoke and Talking Soca.
Those events opened up space for food, culture, beauty, conversation and community alongside the music.
The cruise still had plenty of parties, but by this point it was clear UberSoca was building something broader than a simple concert schedule.
Talking Soca
Talking Soca took place on Sunday, November 19.
The session brought together artists and other figures from the Soca world to speak about the music, their careers and their relationship with the culture.
Personalities including Kes, Lyrikal and Skinny Fabulous were part of the discussion.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 Talking Soca.
After several days of hearing Soca everywhere on the ship, Talking Soca gave passengers a chance to hear the people behind the music speak about where it came from and what it meant to them.
The Uber Finale
The sailing closed with the Uber Finale, running from late Sunday night into Monday morning.
The lineup included Fadda Fox, Edwin Yearwood, King Bubba, Ricardo Drue, Kerwin Du Bois and Willy Chin, alongside DJs and other performers.
By the time Carnival Sensation returned to Miami on November 20, the ship had spent five days operating on a near-constant cycle of music, activities and events.
Year Two Looked Different
The difference between 2016 and 2017 was easy to see.
The second sailing had a denser schedule, a new destination, a larger artist and DJ presence, more activities and more programming built around Caribbean culture.
The cruise was promoted as five days and four nights of nonstop Soca with more than 50 artists and DJs, but the real growth was in everything happening around the music.
There were parties and performances, but there were also sports, comedy, food, fitness, cultural showcases and conversations.
UberSoca was settling into its identity.
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 Photo Gallery
The gallery captures moments from Ubersoca Cruise 2017 aboard Carnival Sensation, including performances, parties, activities and scenes from the voyage between Miami and Cozumel.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Ubersoca Cruise 2017 marked the second year of the Julianspromos and UberSoca Cruise partnership.
After the inaugural sailing in 2016, Julianspromos returned for year two and documented a cruise that had already grown in size, programming and ambition.
The 2017 videos move through very different parts of the trip: the All White Party, football tournament, comedy, UberJammy Jam, J’Ouvert in Cozumel and Talking Soca.
The coverage featured guest host Dora The Explorer, with all videos shot and edited by Julian C. Hackett.
The progression between the first two years was clear.
2016 introduced UberSoca Cruise.
2017 showed how far the idea could go.
