By Day 4 of ShipRocked 2026, the cruise had fully hit its stride—and Wednesday delivered one of the most dynamic days of the entire week. With a brand-new destination on the itinerary and a night stacked with unforgettable performances, ShipRocked proved once again that it thrives on evolution, surprise, and pure controlled chaos.
The Carnival Horizon pulled into Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s newest private island oasis on Grand Bahama, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Opened in July 2025, Celebration Key is already redefining what a private cruise port can be—and ShipRockers were more than ready to put it to the test. Temperatures hovered in the high 70s with a steady ocean breeze, creating the kind of perfect beach weather that makes you forget what day it is entirely.
Spanning multiple themed zones—known as portals—Celebration Key feels massive without ever feeling crowded. Paradise Plaza welcomes guests with the towering Suncastle, while Calypso Lagoon offers an adults-only escape complete with an infinity pool and swim-up bar. Families gravitated toward Starfish Lagoon, shoppers explored Lokono Cove’s retail village, and those looking for something more exclusive headed to the 18+ Pearl Cove Beach Club. Even with two ships docked simultaneously, the island handled the traffic effortlessly. There were plenty of beach chairs, umbrellas, pool access points, and shaded areas, making it one of the most comfortable port days ShipRocked has ever experienced.
Food access was equally seamless. A large food hall and a lineup of food trucks kept lines moving and energy levels high, whether ShipRockers were grabbing a quick bite between dips in the ocean or fueling up before heading back onboard for another full night of music. Celebration Key’s design—paired with its economic impact, which has already created over 1,000 local jobs and partnerships with Bahamian-owned businesses—made it clear this isn’t just a stopover, but a destination built with intention.
At 4 p.m., it was time to say goodbye to paradise—for now. As the Horizon pulled away from Celebration Key, The Stowaways took over sailaway duties on the deck stage, delivering what may go down as one of the most legendary moments in ShipRocked history. What unfolded was less a performance and more a full-blown, all-star jam session that turned the deck into a floating rock hall of fame.
The Stowaways’ set felt like ShipRocked distilled into 90 glorious minutes—pure collaboration, chaos, and community. From the opening notes, it was clear this wasn’t just a cover set, but a full-scale celebration of rock history brought to life by the artists actually living it. Cover after cover came alive with a rotating cast of vocalists and musicians from across the ShipRocked lineup. Detroit pride hit hard when Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail and Amanda Lyberg of Eva Under Fire—both Detroit natives—joined forces to cover Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out,” a moment that felt both personal and electric. It set the tone for what would become a nonstop parade of singalongs, surprise pairings, and once-in-a-lifetime moments you simply can’t recreate anywhere else but ShipRocked.
As the set rolled on, the deck transformed into a floating rock jukebox. Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” and The Isley Brothers’ “Shout” leaned hard into classic crowd participation, while Andrew WK’s “Party Hard” turned the entire deck into a bouncing, beer-sloshing mass of fists in the air. Diamante delivered one of the standout vocal moments of the afternoon on The Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” proving once again that she can command any genre she touches. Punk and alt staples like “I Wanna Be Sedated,” “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” and “Woman” hit with renewed intensity thanks to rotating vocalists including Jackson Foster, Matt James, Brandon Yeagley, and Doc Coyle, all backed by an ever-evolving supergroup of ShipRocked musicians.
Mid-set favorites like Weezer’s “Hash Pipe,” Blur’s “Song 2,” and Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” kept the energy spiking, while deeper nostalgia cuts such as “Blister in the Sun” and “Smooth Criminal” showed off the versatility of the lineup. Seeing artists like Sahaj Ticotin, Bobby Amaru, Dylan Alvarez, Jordon Terrell, and Sonny Sandoval step outside their usual bands and genres was a reminder of what makes The Stowaways so special—they erase the lines between bands and turn ShipRocked into one massive, shared stage. Every song felt like a reunion, even when it was the first time some of these combinations had ever happened.
The final stretch of the set pushed things into legendary territory. “Last Resort,” “The Rock Show,” and “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” hit like a greatest-hits run of the early 2000s, before the entire deck exploded for Green Day’s “Basket Case.”
The grand finale came when Bumblefoot led an all-star version of Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City,” stacking the stage with talent and turning the deck into one massive, unified singalong. It was chaotic, joyous, and perfectly unpolished—the very essence of ShipRocked distilled into one moment.
The Stowaways didn’t just play a set—they created a moment that embodied everything ShipRocked stands for. No egos, no headliners, just artists who love music, jamming together at sea while thousands of fans scream every word back at them. If ShipRocked has a heartbeat, the Stowaways Set is it—and Wednesday’s deck stage proved that once again.
As night fell, the energy onboard didn’t dip for a second. From Ashes to New detonated the deck stage with a powerful evening set, ripping through fan favorites like “Panic” and debuting newer material including “Drag Me.” The band’s ability to blend intensity with emotional weight continues to resonate deeply with the ShipRocked crowd, and their momentum showed no signs of slowing.
To close out the deck stage for the final time on the cruise, Knocked Loose returned for one last assault. After already making ShipRocked history earlier in the week, the band delivered a ferocious closing set that left nothing behind. Their raw intensity, relentless pacing, and complete command of the crowd cemented their place as one of the most impactful acts of ShipRocked 2026. If this was their farewell for the week, it was the kind that leaves a permanent mark.
By the end of Day 4, ShipRocked had successfully balanced innovation and tradition—introducing fans to one of Carnival’s most ambitious new destinations while delivering the kind of once-in-a-lifetime musical moments that only happen at sea. Celebration Key raised the bar for port days, The Stowaways reminded everyone why ShipRocked is fueled by collaboration, and the music proved, once again, that this floating festival thrives in its own universe.
With the final stretch of the cruise ahead, one thing was certain: ShipRocked 2026 wasn’t slowing down—it was gearing up for the finish.