Ubersoca Cruise 2019 | Two Sold-Out Sailings Take Soca to Grand Turk
Four years in, Ubersoca Cruise was operating on a very different scale from its inaugural voyage.
The 2019 edition returned aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas for two back-to-back sold-out sailings to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. Ship I ran November 4–8, 2019, followed by Ship II from November 8–12.
The cruise was promoted as the “Largest Soca Festival at Sea,” with more than 45 events packed into each five-day, four-night sailing. The program stretched from concerts and pool parties to J’Ouvert, Mas, sports, comedy, fitness, food and industry discussions.
There was another major addition for 2019: drinks were now included.
Back Aboard Mariner of the Seas
After carrying Ubersoca Cruise to Labadee in 2018, Mariner of the Seas returned for another year.
This time, the destination was new.
The ship sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida, bound for Grand Turk. Ship I left on November 4 and returned November 8, before Mariner turned around for the second sold-out voyage through November 12.
Ubersoca’s “Experience Beyond the Music” tagline had become a fairly accurate description of life onboard. Multiple events ran at the same time across the pool deck, theatre, promenade, lounges, sports court and dining room.
The hard part was often deciding where to go next.
Monday, November 4: Toga All White
Ship I opened Monday with passengers boarding through the afternoon before the Sail Away Party kicked off at 4 PM.
A VIP Cocktail Party, Endless Happy Hour and Liming on D’Avenue followed as Mariner of the Seas settled into its first night.
The evening theme was Toga All White, with the Opening Night Toga Party taking over the pool deck from 10 PM.
Several other parties ran into Tuesday morning, including We Jabbin, Full of Vibes and First Lap.
Iwer George Live
The Julianspromos cameras also captured Iwer George during the sailing.
The Trinidadian Soca veteran had already spent more than three decades in the genre by 2019, building a career around high-energy Carnival performances and a long catalogue of Soca hits.
Tuesday, November 5: Hawaii 5-0
Tuesday shifted into a completely different look.
The daytime theme was Hawaii 5-0, while passengers were encouraged to switch into Army Wear for the night.
The pool party ran from noon through 5 PM, while Socacize, laser tag, rum tasting, Soca DJ 101 and the USC cricket and football tournaments filled other parts of the ship.
The Hawaii 5-0 program included Sons of Steel, Kerry D Drummer, Giselle, Crown Prince, Willy Chin, DJ Avalanche, Adam O, V’ghn and Lil Rick.
Adam O Live
One of the performers on the pool deck was Adam O, the Virgin Islands singer, songwriter and producer whose music mixes Soca with Kompa, Zouk, Afro-Caribbean sounds and R&B.
The St. Croix artist had already performed internationally by this point, and Ubersoca Cruise became one of the stages helping introduce him to a wider Caribbean audience.
V’ghn Live
Grenada was represented by V’ghn, born Jevaughn John.
2019 was a major year in his rise. His success with “Trouble in the Morning” brought him international Soca Monarch recognition and helped establish him as one of Grenada’s emerging young voices in the genre.
Battle Royale
Tuesday evening moved from the tropical Hawaii 5-0 setting into Battle Royale.
The theatre hosted comedy before the pool deck picked up the Battle Royale theme later that night. Small Island Turn Up, Trouble in the Morning and Uber Afro Beats were also running across Mariner of the Seas.
Teddyson John Live
The 2019 footage includes Teddyson John, better known as TJ.
The Saint Lucian singer and musician came into Soca after years performing Gospel, R&B and Jazz, later becoming a Groovy Soca Monarch winner and building a regional following with songs including “Allez.”
Small Island Turn Up
For passengers nowhere near ready for bed, Small Island Turn Up ran from 2 AM to 5 AM.
The late-night party sat alongside several other events running simultaneously, keeping the ship moving long after the Tuesday schedule had technically become Wednesday.
Wednesday, November 6: J’Ouvert in Grand Turk
Wednesday was the destination day.
Mariner of the Seas arrived in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, where J’Ouvert took over the area near Reef Shark Bar & Grill / Chukka from 11 AM to 5 PM.
The J’Ouvert lineup included Kes The Band, Lavaman, Asa Bantan and Lil Natty & Thunda, with music from DJ Avalanche, Riggo Suave, Kevin Crown and DJ Puffy.
For several hours, the center of Ubersoca moved off Mariner of the Seas and onto Grand Turk.
By 6 PM the ship was scheduled to leave, but Wednesday was nowhere near finished.
Back onboard, passengers had Easy Vibes, Ubersoca on Ice, Endless Happy Hour and Liming on D’Avenue before the late-night events took over.
The day theme had been J’Ouvert. The night theme was Carnival Costume.
Midnight Mas ran from 11 PM to 3 AM, followed by Waaaay Up Hip-Hop, Old School Soca and Cabin Fever into Thursday morning.
Drinks Inclusive Changes the 2019 Cruise
The move to an included beverage package was one of the biggest changes to Ubersoca in 2019.
Cabin pricing now included access to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the voyage, including cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, premium coffee, tea and bottled water.
For a cruise where parties could begin before noon and finish near sunrise, the change became a major part of how the 2019 edition was presented.
Thursday, November 7: Wild African Safari
Thursday brought one final full day aboard Ship I.
The daytime theme was Safari / African, with the Wild African Safari Pool Party running from late morning through the afternoon.
The rest of the ship remained busy with Socacize, Soca Yoga, Soca in Stilettos, laser tag, Ubersoca on Ice, the UberChef Competition, basketball, dominoes and the Natural Hair Linkup.
It was the kind of schedule Ubersoca had grown into by 2019: a pool fete could be happening while someone else was playing basketball, attending a beauty event or sitting down for a conversation about Soca.
Talking Soca
Thursday afternoon brought back Talking Soca.
The session gave the party schedule a brief change of pace, creating space for discussion around the music and the people working within it.
It had become a recurring part of Ubersoca by this stage, sitting comfortably beside concerts, sports and Carnival events rather than feeling separate from them.
Johanna Chuckaree — D Piano Girl Johanna
The 2019 coverage also captured Johanna Chuckaree, better known as D Piano Girl Johanna, performing live aboard Ubersoca Cruise Ship I.
Johanna is a Trinidad and Tobago pianist, singer and songwriter known for bringing a piano-led approach to Soca and Caribbean music. Her background includes classical piano training, and she has built a reputation for reworking familiar Soca songs with a more melodic, instrumental style.
Her appearance aboard Ubersoca in 2019 became even more significant later. Johanna has said that she first met Skinny Fabulous on that cruise, where they collaborated on an acoustic introduction to “Famalay” for his final-night performance. That meeting eventually led to their later collaboration, “We’ll Go On.”
Arabian Nights Bacchanal Ball
Thursday evening changed the mood again.
The dinner theme was Arabian Royalty, with the Arabian Nights Bacchanal Ball taking over the main dining room for two seatings.
Passengers who had spent the previous day in J’Ouvert and Carnival costumes were now dressed for a formal dinner before the final parties began.
That constant change of setting was part of the 2019 rhythm. Beachwear became Carnival wear. Carnival wear became formal wear. Then, by late night, it was back to the fete.
The Uber Finale
The final stretch began with the Uber Finale at 11 PM.
The Thursday schedule included names such as Alison Hinds, Voice, Bunji Garlin, Skinny Fabulous, Shal Marshall, Ricardo Drue, Erphaan Alves and King Bubba, alongside DJs.
After the Finale came Dub Box, Breaking Soca and Last Lap, carrying Ship I into Friday morning.
Mariner of the Seas then returned to Florida.
A few hours later, it was time to do it again.
Ship II Takes Over
Ship II departed November 8 for the second five-day, four-night sailing to Grand Turk.
The same broader Ubersoca format returned: themed parties, destination J’Ouvert, sports, concerts, cultural programming and events running throughout Mariner of the Seas.
Two consecutive sold-out cruises meant thousands of passengers could experience the 2019 edition before the ship finally returned on November 12.
Four Years of Growth
The scale of Ubersoca’s growth becomes clearer when the first four years are placed beside each other.
2016 introduced the cruise with one voyage to Jamaica.
2017 brought a new ship, a new destination in Cozumel and a broader program.
2018 expanded into two back-to-back sailings to Labadee, Haiti.
Then came 2019: two sold-out voyages to Grand Turk, more than 45 events, a drinks-inclusive format and a schedule that could move from Soca Yoga to a pool party, J’Ouvert, formal dinner and a 3 AM fete without leaving the same cruise.
The destination kept changing, but the idea had become unmistakably its own.
Ubersoca Cruise 2019 Photo Gallery
The gallery captures Ubersoca Cruise 2019 aboard Mariner of the Seas, including performances, parties, passengers, Grand Turk and moments from the two-sailing edition.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Ubersoca Cruise 2019 marked the fourth and final year of the Julianspromos and Ubersoca Cruise partnership.
The relationship had started with the inaugural cruise in 2016 and continued through Jamaica, Cozumel, Labadee and Grand Turk.
For the 2019 edition, Julian C. Hackett covered Ship I, filming the November 4–8 sailing and editing the Julianspromos footage.
Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs represented Julianspromos throughout Ship II, which sailed November 8–12.
The two voyages brought a four-year run of Ubersoca coverage to a close. Julianspromos and Ubersoca Cruise have not worked together since the 2019 edition.
Ship I filmed and edited by Julian C. Hackett. Ship II represented by Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs.
