Swathes of passengers in bucket hats and double denim filled the port of Palma, Mallorca, but we weren’t queuing up for an Oasis concert or a Levi’s ad.
Instead, we were preparing to board Marella Voyager and sail back to the 1990s and 2000s on its three-night “Electric Sunsets” cruise.
The cruise is a popular, adult-only sailing that runs regularly, often with a nostalgic theme.
My wife and I joined thousands of guests as we attempted to relive our teenage years, just without the angst and the acne. It was a chance to remember a more simple time before smartphones, albeit by taking lots of selfies and videos.
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There wasn’t a Reef or a Bacardi Breezer in sight as we sat around the pool sipping more mature mai tais. Regular guests reminisced about previous legendary 90s acts that have been on board, such as Pat Sharpe and the Vengaboys.
This year, we were treated to cheesy pop from B*witched and dance music via Big Brovaz and Booty Luv, as well as an appearance from former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt.
It was like stepping into Smash Hits magazine as crowds tussled for a front row view of B*witched, dressed in a mix of their trademark denim and more modern white tops. The Irish pop group sang iconic classics such as “Rollercoaster” and “C’est la Vie”, even giving their best-known tune a modern remix with “Galway Girl”.
A tribute act of the beloved Harry Enfield and Kathy Burke characters, Kevin and Perry, welcomed guests onto the ship with broken voices, lager and plenty of teenage moodiness.
A themed cruise is different to a regular sailing. Rather than following a cruise planner, there was a music festival feel as guests were handed lanyards which detailed timings of the main acts plus chances for meet and greets.
There was a lot more fancy dress than usual – within the confines of a few rules. These include a ban on body paint and glitter (to keep cabin stewards happy), although I pushed this to the limit when I dressed as a “Rock DJ”-style Robbie Williams in full white face paint.
The ship provided plenty of inspiration for outfits, as public areas were decorated with cardboard cut-outs of nostalgic favourites, such as characters from Baywatch, Gladiators and even Only Fools and Horses.
Guests had clearly come prepared. There were armies of Geri Halliwells in sparkly Union Jack dresses, and more niche ideas, such as the friend of ours who came dressed as Dolly the sheep.
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My originality was under question on a TV and film night, where I met about 10 Fred Flintstones by the pool. The group of Toy Story-themed guests, who suddenly collapsed to the floor when someone shouted “Andy’s coming!”, were much more original.
A school disco was where the real creativity came out and I was pleased to see I could still put my hair into 90s spikes and that it was finally socially acceptable to wear my glasses and braces to a party. Plus, there was no judgement of my dad-dancing.
There were chances to step back into 2025 during our stops in the Spanish cities of Valencia and Cartagena, where we admired vibrant street art on the historic buildings.
But the ship was the main focus, with acts such as Sash! – famous for “Encore Une Fois” – bringing together old-school ravers of all ages.
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Elsewhere on board, the Gamer Zone had been transformed into a locker room, where we had to answer challenges set by a headmaster (who was probably only just born in the 2000s himself.)
We were questioned on the number of buttons on a Game Boy (six) and the colours of the Powerpuff Girls (pink, blue and green), with the threat of push ups and breakdancing for wrong answers.
The cafe, Coffee Port, was renamed Central Perk, complete with the much-loved brown couch from Friends (although there was no Gunther serving the flat whites.)
Modern-day coffee in hand, the atrium transported me back in time. Here, there was a teenage bedroom, complete with hopefully-washed Garfield sheets, Nirvana posters on every wall, and a glowing lava lamp. It was the perfect setting for a picture, without a dirty dish in sight.
Guests could still enjoy some of Marella Voyager’s main attractions, such as its food. We had a delicious thali – trying three different curries at once – in pan-Asian restaurant Kora La, surrounded by guests dressed as Buzz Lightyear and Austin Powers.
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The pool and spa were also open and it was surreal to experience the ship’s relaxing seaweed massage before joining guests on the pool deck in singing school assembly hymns. Luckily, the words were on the screen as I had forgotten my hymn book.
Even the normal activities were given a time-hop tweak. We played Boom Boom Bingo during a sunny port day in Valencia, where we had to tick off hits such as “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and “Umbrella” as we heard them.
The ship felt naked by the final morning as we pulled into Malaga. “Electric Sunsets” signage and the stage had been removed and only tired, normally-dressed passengers – who had drunk the bar dry until 4am – sat on sunbeds, waiting for our airport transfers to fly home.
It was a wonderful few days of nostalgia, great to experience as an adult, more comfortable in my own skin. I just don’t remember the hangovers lasting this long.
How to do it
Marella Cruises’ sixth “Electric Sunsets” cruise is scheduled for 28 April to 1 May 2027, offering a roundtrip sailing from Palma with stops in Valencia and Ibiza.
It will be 80s and 90s themed and hosted on adult-only ship Marella Discovery.
Acts will be revealed at a later date.
Prices start from £799 per person. Book now.
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