What the JoJo Siwa cruise was like onboard, according to guests
What the JoJo Siwa cruise was like onboard, according to guests
Nathan Diller, USA TODAYThu, June 18, 2026 at 9:06 AM UTC
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When Maddie Maschue's cruise began to sail away from the port, she was standing in JoJo Siwa's stateroom.
The 36-year-old was attending a meet-and-greet aboard the JoJo Siwa Cruise. "She was literally like, 'Oh my gosh, the boat's moving, let's go out to the balcony,'" Maschue told USA TODAY. "So we ran out there, we took some photos out there, then we took some in her room. It was just like such a personal experience."
Maschue was among many fans of the singer, dancer and internet personality who boarded Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas for a three-night sailing that departed June 12, with a JoJo-packed agenda. Here's what it was like onboard.
Maddie Maschue takes a photo with JoJo Siwa in her suite aboard Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas.What was the JoJo Siwa Cruise like?
Maschue, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, had been a fan of Siwa since she starred in "Dance Moms," but didn't see her live for the first time until attending a concert in London in 2025 that was "so much fun."
"When she said she was doing a cruise and she was gonna put on the same concert, I was like, oh, well, I have to go, because it's gonna be like the concert, but way more," she said.
Onboard events featured Siwa-themed decor and snacks.
She was right: Maschue and a friend she met at the show traveled to Florida's Port Canaveral to board the ship, where they immersed themselves in Siwa-themed activities.
She attended a bow-making workshop – a nod to Siwa's signature accessory – where guests were given rhinestone kits, and dressed as Siwa celebrating her 21st birthday at EPCOT for an event where passengers were asked to come as their favorite JoJo.
Siwa and Maschue, dressed up as Siwa celebrating her 21st birthday at EPCOT.
"I love an underdog, somebody that, like, is really misunderstood," Maschue said. "I feel like she's very misunderstood by a lot of people."
The most recent fares were advertised on the cruise's website as starting at $1,300 per person, with some activities included while others cost extra. Those add-ons ranged from dinner with Siwa for $150 to a movie and pizza night in her suite for $1,250.
'I've also grown up with her'
Teia Johnson flew all the way from London for the cruise. The 24-year-old, who runs the unofficial Siwa Nation fan page with a friend originally won a contest for a trip to Los Angeles to meet the star, but the cruise dates ended up working better. She got a complimentary fare and flights to Florida instead.
"Dance Moms" was Johnson's introduction to Siwa, but she continued to follow her career.
Passengers could decorate their own bows, a reference to Siwa's signature accessory.
When Johnson, who is 5-foot-11, was bullied for her height, she admired how Siwa took negative comments in stride. Siwa's song "Boomerang" – featuring the lyrics "I'ma come back like a boomerang" – helped her feel better when she was having trouble in school.
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"As she's grown up, I've also grown up with her," she said.
Siwa performs during the JoJo Siwa Cruise.
Johnson got to see "Boomerang" live during an onboard concert, along with songs like "Karma" – yes, Siwa did the dance – "Choose UR Fighter" and "Serendipity." She emphasized that the singer was present throughout the cruise offstage, too.
When Johnson and more than two dozen other fans booked a cabana party with Siwa at Royal Caribbean's private Bahamas island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, she even helped Johnson fine-tune a dance move.
Because Siwa's fans comprised only a small percentage of Utopia's more than 5,600 guest capacity, they could also enjoy other parts of the ship like any other cruise, as well. Johnson estimated there were between 200 and 250 guests there for the JoJo Siwa Cruise.
Teia Johnson with Siwa during the cruise.
Representatives for the cruise did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Non-JoJo Siwa Cruise attendees seemed intrigued by the events, from what Johnson saw. "Also, I get told I look like JoJo, and even I got asked if I was JoJo a few times, which was quite funny," she said.
Guests could book dinner with Siwa onboard for an extra charge.
Even when Siwa wasn't around, Johnson said the fans hung out together.
One night, they attended a party with Siwa and other passengers in the ship's Solarium. "She literally got out there and danced with us all," Maschue said. "She just made us all feel almost like we weren't fans, like we were friends, kind of."
After she left, Johnson said the fans carried on.
Maschue wears a shirt with lyrics from Siwa's song "Boomerang" during the JoJo Siwa Cruise.
"It's like everyone was there for the same reason and everyone got along," she said. "Honestly, it was probably the best weekend that I've ever done."
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JoJo Siwa just hosted a theme cruise. Here's what it was like
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