With the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise firmly placed in our rearview mirror, we want to celebrate the many highlights and memories that made this such a special year. For well over a decade, the K-LOVE Cruise has entertained, encouraged, and blessed tens of thousands of travelers and 2020 was no different. Let’s look at the various elements which led to another great year at sea.
The Destinations on the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise
One of the best parts of any cruise is getting to see exotic locations that offer relaxing beaches, shopping experiences, and cultural heritage. The 2020 K-LOVE Cruise departed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, (the third busiest port in the United States) and set sail for George Town, located in the Cayman Islands. The beautiful city serves as the capital for the Cayman Islands and is found on Grand Cayman.
Here, guests were able to lounge along the famous Seven Mile Beach or choose excursions that would allow them to encounter dolphins, turtles, and other majestic creatures. The Cayman Islands are a financial hub in the Caribbean and George Town is the city where you will find many of the banking institutions and infrastructure that have revolutionized the area. Don’t let that fool you, though. Grand Cayman still knows how to give tourists the island experience.
The second stop along the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise was Cozumel, Mexico, a famous port for travelers who want to take in the best leisure activities the Caribbean has to offer. You can always interact with local wildlife or enjoy an afternoon at the beach in Cozumel, but some cruisers opt for a unique experience like touring Mayan ruins with a virtual reality-assisted guide. ATVs, helicopters, and catamarans are just some of the special ways to see all that Cozumel has to explore.
A Newly Renovated Independence of the Seas
You can always count on beautiful destinations with a Caribbean cruise, but we all know you’re going to want the perfect ship to carry you along on the journey. After all, you’ll spend the majority of your time onboard rather than at the beach. Lucky for our 2020 K-LOVE Cruise guests, a newly renovated Independence of the Seas from Royal Caribbean was packed with the very best in luxury, comfort, and entertainment.
In addition to nice accommodations for guests in the living quarters, the Independence of the Seas has all the bells and whistles with amazing features like the Sky Pad, which combines virtual reality and the simple joy of a bungee trampoline. Fans on the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise also enjoyed the Flowrider surf simulator, The Perfect Storm water slides, mini-golf, a rock climbing wall, and so much more. That’s not even considering the many fine dining choices available on the Independence of the Seas.
Super Bowl Watch Party
Another great opportunity we had on the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise was to come together with a few thousand of our closest friends and watch the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LIV. With multiple viewing sites around the ship, an insane amount of food and the biggest cake you’ve ever seen, it was the perfect way to view the year’s biggest game. If all of that wasn’t enough, we had our very own halftime show put on by Danny Gokey and a few incredible guests (Jasmine Murray, 615 Funk, Blanca, and David Frey of Sidewalk Prophets). Covering some crowd favorite songs from years past, it was an awesome slice of entertainment packed into the middle of a close game eventually won by the Chiefs.
Amazing Festivities and Unforgettable Fun
Well, it just wouldn’t be the annual K-LOVE Cruise without a collection of amazing performances from the biggest names in the business. This year’s trip included appearances by Brandon Heath, for King and Country, Love and the Outcome, Sidewalk Prophets, Matthew West, Unspoken, Ryan Stevenson, Danny Gokey, Jordan Feliz, and other great musicians who performed in a series of nightly concerts in the Royal Theater and outside on the Pool Deck. Through these performances, fans were able to connect with the music they love and learn more about their favorite artists in an exciting way. Of course, attendees could also share their passion for the music by taking part in our many meet and greet opportunities with most, if not all, of the bands onboard. It’s pretty common to even run into your favorite artist while meandering through the ship during the day. You never know what’s going to happen on the K-LOVE Cruise!
The fun wasn’t limited to our nightly concert series, though. Part of the experience to enjoy when you come on the K-LOVE Cruise is around the clock programming aimed at every demographic. Sports tournaments, trivia contests, dance parties, outdoor movies, and fitness classes were constantly happening throughout our journey through the Caribbean. For the late night crowd and those looking for some non-musical entertainment, you could watch the explosive painting style of Jared Emerson, get some laughs from comedian Mike Goodwin and the hilarious two-man group The Skit Guys, and more.
A Call to Worship
Guests certainly found lots of fun on the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise, but there were also serious moments of worship each day. Our mornings began with music from worship leader Phil Vega and a challenging message from Dr. Ed Newton. These sermons communicated our need for Jesus Christ and reminded us to continually pursue a closer relationship with Him, one that will allow us to impact our families and community on an eternal scale. As has become a tradition on the K-LOVE Cruise, we were able to close out our week of worship with an unforgettable baptistry service where a number of believers came forward to embrace their faith in a new, life-changing way.
Making Memories with Friends and Family
We can talk all day about the parties, concerts, and wonderful destinations, but the 2020 K-LOVE Cruise also had a more intangible aspect of memories made by friends and family coming together to make memories and strengthen bonds. While many people arrive on the ship knowing only those in their groups, it doesn’t take long for thousands of strangers to quickly become great friends. Each year we see large numbers of attendees returning to vacation with friends and other families whom they met on previous K-LOVE Cruises. On this account, 2020 was another year of roaring success!
Looking Forward to 2021
It’s sad to see each cruise end, but we know another exciting getaway is just around the corner. Per usual, we were able to unveil the 2021 lineup for the K-LOVE Cruise while at sea and the response has been jaw-dropping. With artists like Steven Curtis Chapman, Crowder, Big Daddy Weave, Kari Jobe, and Casting Crowns set to take the stage, we fully anticipate next year’s cruise to be one of the biggest and best yet.
If you’ve never been a part of the K-LOVE Cruise, we think 2021 will be the perfect opportunity to join Premier Cruises for the ultimate Christian music vacation. Click on the link below to find out more about Premier’s many upcoming trips, including the 2021 K-LOVE Cruise.