Star Trek: The Cruise VIII Log – Day 1 Party Kicks Off Week-Long Journey With ‘Voyager’ Cast And More

The eighth voyage of Star Trek: The Cruise departed Miami, FL on February 23, as scheduled. The week-long floating convention set sail for a new adventure, on board the Explorer of the Seas, a Voyager-class ship from Royal Caribbean. The ship will sail from Miami to Costa Maya, Mexico. From there, to Cozumel, and from Cozumel to Belize City. This particular year, STTC offers an additional distinction: it’s currently the only official Star Trek convention. TrekMovie is on board again to report daily voyage logs.

Star Trek: The Cruise has a long history of differentiating itself from land-based conventions by providing a more immersive atmosphere. By taking the fans on board their own ship, attendees literally become crewmates from the moment they set foot on the gangplank. Rather than meeting their beloved Star Trek celebrities at a table in a convention hall, STTC offers the chance to hang out with them all week, sharing drinks, singing karaoke, and swapping stories.

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas is the vessel for STTC VIII (Photo Credit Kees Torn – CC BY-SA 2.0)

This year, STTC is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager with a nearly-complete reunion of the cast. Kate Mulgrew will act as the cruise’s requisite captain. She is joined by Jeri Ryan who, following the finale of Star Trek: Picard, also qualifies as a captain. The rest of the Voyager cast are on board, with the exception of Robert Beltran who had to cancel at the last minute. In addition to the Voyager cast participating in their own events throughout the week, Voyager-specific activities are planned, including two cast panels, a screening of the retrospective documentary To the Journey, and theatrical screenings of select Voyager episodes.

Sail-away party

For departure day, things don’t really begin until 4PM, with most actives focused on orienting passengers, though some Star Trek fun can be found from the very beginning. As the ship pulled away from the dock, the traditional Sail-Away Party began by the pool on Deck 11. Cruise Director J.T. Watters took the stage, officially welcomed everyone, and unfurled the flag of the United Federation of Planets. With a dance beat provided by DJ Miss Ninja, Watters introduced the crew of Star Trek actors from shows both old and new. Immediately afterward, Larry “Dr. Trek” Nemecek hosted a party introducing the Federation Advisors, Star Trek celebrities whose work is done behind the camera, such as Brannon Braga, Lolita Fatjo, and Dr. Erin Macdonald.

Wilson Cruz on Star Trek; The Cruz VIII (Photo: TrekMovie)

For the launch party each guest ran onto the stage to loud cheers. And there are plenty more celebrities across Star Trek eras, from Jonathan Frakes from The Next Generation and running through Melissa Navia and Celia Rose Gooding from Strange New Worlds. Notably, this is the first STTC to not include any cast members from The Original Series.

Celia Rose Gooding on Star Trek; The Cruz VIII (Photo: TrekMovie)

Following the first dinner, the combination of a typical cruise itinerary with a Star Trek spin really began. Chase Masterson hosted a karaoke party and the first round of photo ops began. Both of these will run through the week, giving all guests the opportunity to participate and minimizing the long photo lines common at shorter, land-based conventions. Those looking to test their knowledge of the Star Trek universe could be challenged at separate trivia contests hosted by Linda Park and J. G. Hertzler. The dress theme for the evening was “Gorn’s Pajama Party,” encouraging all guests to put their travel troubles behind them and slip into some comfortable clothes to party in.

Robin Curtis on Star Trek; The Cruz VIII (Photo: TrekMovie)

A transformed ship

While the Star Trek activities get off to a slow start on the first day, the immersive feeling of the Star Trek universe is clear from the moment you step off the gangway. The entire central mall through the middle of the ship, already called “The Promenade,” is adorned with a giant delta symbol. The local cafe is renamed “The Coffee Nebula” and the casino now appears to be owned by Ferengi. The décor is designed specifically for this ship, and contains a lot of thoughtful references.

The Promenade feels like something right out of Deep Space Nine

Stepping into the elevator—or rather, the turbolift—the wall panel reads “Justice for Tuvix.”

Too soon?

Onboard the ship, a full week of Star Trek related activities have been planned, in addition to celebrating Voyager. Science advisors will be giving presentations on the accuracy of Trek writing throughout the years. These advisors include Dr. Mohammed Noor and Dr. Erin Macdonald, both official science advisors for CBS, and John Grunsfeld, NASA astronaut. Celebrity-hosted trivia games, karaoke parties, and dance raves will happen each evening. One show in particular is the script reading, in which a vintage episode is selected and performed live on stage with considerable improvisation from both the actors and wardrobe. The episode chosen is usually one that has had a notably mixed response from fans and therefore is ready for some good-natured ribbing. This year’s choice (as voted on by passengers) is the third-season TOS turkey “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky,” directed by Nana Visitor.

With the UFP flag unfurled, STTC officially launches

Late into the evening, the party was briefly halted for a shipwide announcement: with Star Trek: The Cruise VIII barely out of port, the celebrity guests for 2026’s Star Trek: The Cruise IX are already being confirmed. Star Trek: The Cruise IX has already been announced for February 20-27, 2026, and will be leaving out of Port Canaveral.

Check back this week for more logs and updates from Star Trek: The Cruise VIII at TrekMovie.