Most music festivals send you home at midnight. This one kept going until the sun came up over the Pacific.
For three nights, the inaugural Cali-Country Cruise turned the Carnival Panorama into a floating honky tonk, with four headliners, stages tucked into nearly every corner of the ship, and a sold-out crowd in boots and hats who had not come to sleep. It was part country festival, part dance hall, part all-night party at sea, and from the first chords in the Atrium, it was clear this was not going to be a quiet few days on the water.
On Saturday, August 29, the ship set sail from Long Beach for a three-night trip to Ensenada. This cruise has something for everyone, from main stage headliners to late-night DJ sets in the clubs around the ship to line dancing.
The cruise kicked off with fans gathering in the Atrium for a party with rum punch and country music playing while everything was getting set up for the trip. The artists playing there were Matthew Auston, Kylie Tround, and Ashley Felton. After that, the party really got going, with Country Night getting the vibes high on the main pool stage.
Then came the first of the cruise’s four headliners, Jo Dee Messina, whose energy set the tone for everything that followed. Next came Gretchen Wilson with the first of her two sets for the trip. She kept everything going, and the whole cruise was like that—there was never a moment when there wasn’t something to do.
Later in the evening, Tracy Lawrence came out and closed down the pool stage, and then everyone headed for the Liquid Lounge for a late-night show with Thomas Mac, Frank Ray, and Presley Tennant. If you wanted to keep going, DJs and artists were playing in the Atrium, Ocean Plaza, and the Casino into the early hours of the morning.
The next morning began with the Cali Country Brunch, where some of the artists played while you ate breakfast, which was served in two rounds. At the same time, if you weren’t hungry and wanted something more active, you could take a line dancing class. The rest of the day was all fun activities and shows on stages around the ship, depending on what you wanted to do.
Some of the artists you could catch were Sullvn and Holiday State on the main stage, Reagan Carlstom and Water Tower in the Pig & Anchor, and Michael Ray and Matthew Auston at the Tides Pool. In the afternoon, the bigger acts, like Demps, Presley Tennant, and Trey Lewis, played on the main stage. Then it was off to the Liquid Lounge, where Robert Jon & The Wreck gave a great set.
As the day turned to night, Gretchen Wilson played her second set, and this one had more of a rock feel to it. The crowd loved it as much as her first performance. Then the night continued with intimate shows and DJ sets around the ship.
The next day, the cruise stopped in Ensenada, where you could get off the ship and take in some of the local sights and activities. For those who stayed on board, things got going at noon with Sullvn, then continued with OC’s Redneck Rodeo playing an amazing, high-energy set. They were followed by another set from Robert Jon & The Wreck, and then Country Night had another DJ set that hyped the crowd up and got them ready for Tracy Lawrence’s second set of the trip.
Through all the headliner sets, live painter Jimmy Ovadia painted original pieces with each artist as the subject. He puts on a show of his own, dancing and painting along to the music. After Tracy Lawrence came Chase Rice to close out the main stage for the trip. And if you felt like staying up late, there was music and DJ sets around the ship for anyone who wanted to keep it going until the sun came up.
Overall, this was an amazing experience. If you love country music and the ocean, this is one you need to see for yourself. Tickets for the 2027 sailing are already on sale, and after a first voyage like this one, I would not wait long to grab a spot on the largest honky tonk at sea.
