From pizza nights in JoJo’s suite to private island parties, passengers share what a JoJo Siwa cruise was really like.
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When Maddie Matthew’s cruise began to depart from port, she was standing in JoJo Siwa’s stateroom.
The 36-year-old was attending a meet-and-greet aboard the JoJo Siwa cruise ship. “She was literally like, ‘Oh my god, the boat is moving, let’s go out on the balcony,'” Matthew told USA TODAY. “So we flew out there and took some pictures outside and then some in her room. It was just like a personal experience.”
Matthew was one of many fans of the singer, dancer and internet personality who boarded Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas for a three-night voyage that set sail on June 12 with a JoJo-filled agenda. This is what the inside of the ship looked like.
What was the Jojo Siwa cruise like?
Matthew, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, has been a fan of Siwa since she starred on Dance Moms, but it wasn’t until she attended a concert in London in 2025 that she saw Siwa in person for the first time, which she said was “a lot of fun.”
“When she said she was on a cruise and we were going to do the same concert, I was like, oh, I have to go, because it’s just like a concert, but so much more,” she said.
Her judgment was correct. Matthew and a friend he met at the show headed to Port Canaveral, Florida, where they boarded a boat and immersed themselves in wrinkle-themed activities.
She participated in a bow-making workshop inspired by Siwa’s signature accessory, guests were given rhinestone kits, and she dressed up as Siwa to celebrate her 21st birthday at Epcot, where passengers were invited to come as their favorite Jojo.
“I love the underdog, the really misunderstood,” Matthew said. “I feel like she’s very misunderstood by a lot of people.”
The latest prices are advertised on the cruise’s website as starting at $1,300 per person, and include some activities, while others cost extra. These extras range from $150 for dinner with Siwa to $1,250 for a movie and pizza night in her suite.
“I grew up with her too.”
Theia Johnson flew all the way from London for the cruise. The 24-year-old, who runs the unofficial Wrinkle Nation fan page with friends, originally won a contest for a trip to Los Angeles to meet the stars, but the cruise itinerary ultimately worked out better. In exchange, she got free fare and a ticket to Florida.
“Dance Moms” was Johnson and Siwa’s introduction, but she continued to pursue her career.
When Johnson, who is 5 feet 11 inches tall, was bullied because of her height, she was impressed with how Siwa took the negative comments in stride. Siwa’s song “Boomerang,” which features the lyrics “I’ll come home like a boomerang,” helped her feel better after having problems at school.
“As she has grown, I have grown with her,” she said.
Johnson was able to see “Boomerang” live at the ship’s concert, where he also performed songs like “Karma” (yes, Siwa danced), “Choose UR Fighter” and “Serendipity.” She emphasized that the singer was also present offstage throughout the cruise.
She even helped Johnson fine-tune his dance moves when he and more than 20 other fans booked a cabana party with Siwa at Royal Caribbean’s private Bahamian island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Siwa fans made up only a small portion of Utopia’s more than 5,600 guests, so they were able to enjoy the rest of the ship as they would any other cruise. Johnson estimated there were between 200 and 250 guests on the JoJo Siwa cruise.
Representatives for Cruise did not respond to requests for comment.
Johnson observed that other Siwa Cruise participants besides JoJo seemed intrigued by the incident. “And people say I look like Jojo. I’ve been asked a few times if I’m Jojo myself, which was really funny,” she said.
Even when Wrinkles wasn’t around, fans were hanging out with him, Johnson said.
One night, they attended a party with Siwa and other passengers in the ship’s solarium. “She literally came out on set and danced with all of us,” Matthew said. “She made all of us feel like friends, not fans.”
Even after she left, Johnson said, her fans continued.
“It seems like we all came there for the same reason and we all got along,” she said. “Honestly, it was probably the best weekend ever.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.
