It was late 2017. If you turned on a radio at any point during that year, you were basically guaranteed to hear one of two things: a "bro-country" anthem with a heavy trap beat or Nelly’s quintessential St. Louis drawl. Then, the inevitable happened. The Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise—officially known as the "Cruise I’m on a Boat" event—actually happened. It was a fever dream on the high seas.
Think about it. You’ve got Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, the kings of "Cruise" (the song), literally hosting a cruise. Then you add Nelly into the mix, the man who helped turn their career into a multi-platinum crossover juggernaut. It wasn't just a concert; it was a four-day floating party from Miami to Nassau that perfectly captured a specific era of music where genres didn't just blur—they completely melted into each other.
Honestly, people still talk about it because it felt like the series finale of the "Bro-Country" era. It was loud. It was sun-drenched. It was a little bit chaotic.
The Backstory: How "Cruise" Changed Everything
Before we get into the salt spray and the open bars of the Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise, we have to talk about why these guys were together in the first place. Back in 2012, FGL was just a duo with a catchy song about a girl in a truck. It was country, sure, but it had this rhythmic pulse that felt different.
Then came the remix.
When Nelly jumped on the track, the world shifted. It wasn't just a country hit anymore; it was a diamond-certified global phenomenon. It stayed on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for 24 weeks at number one. Twenty-four weeks! That kind of dominance creates a bond. By the time 2017 rolled around, the Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise felt less like a random business venture and more like a victory lap for a trio of artists who had successfully broken the Nashville mold.
Life on the Norwegian Sky
The ship of choice was the Norwegian Sky. If you know anything about that ship, you know it was famous for its "free open bar" policy at the time. You can imagine how that played out with thousands of FGL and Nelly fans.
It wasn't a stiff, corporate event.
Fans weren't just watching a show from a distance; they were literally eating breakfast at the buffet next to the guys who wrote "H.O.L.Y." or grabbing a drink while Nelly walked past to the VIP lounge. That's the thing about these music cruises—the barrier between the "gods" on stage and the people in the front row disappears. It’s sweaty. It’s intimate. It’s a lot of "Hey, can I get a selfie?" while someone is holding a plate of bacon.
The schedule was packed. You had the "Smooth" acoustic sets, Q&A sessions where fans asked things they’d never dare ask in a press conference, and the massive deck parties. When the sun went down, the pool deck turned into a neon-soaked nightclub. Seeing Nelly perform "Hot in Herre" followed by FGL doing "This Is How We Roll" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is a core memory for anyone who was there.
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Why the Crossover Worked (and Why It Pissed People Off)
Not everyone was a fan of this mashup. Traditionalists in Nashville hated it. They thought the Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise represented everything "wrong" with modern country—the drum machines, the rap verses, the lack of "twang."
But they missed the point.
The fans on that boat didn't care about genre purity. They cared about the vibe. FGL and Nelly tapped into a demographic that grew up listening to Tim McGraw and Ludacris on the same iPod shuffle. This cruise was the physical manifestation of that playlist. It proved that the "suburban country" audience was massive and willing to spend thousands of dollars to sail away with their idols.
The Setlists and the Surprises
The music wasn't just a repeat of their albums. Because they were stuck on a boat together, the collaborations were constant. You’d see Nelly pop up during FGL’s set to do "Lil Bit" (which came later in their timeline, but the seeds were sown here) or the guys jumping in on Nelly’s classics.
- They played the hits, obviously.
- There were deep cuts that never made it to the radio.
- The "Guitar Pull" sessions were surprisingly emotional.
- The late-night DJ sets featured a weirdly high amount of 90s pop.
It was a curated experience. It wasn't just about the music; it was about the lifestyle. The "Old Camp Whiskey" was flowing—that was FGL’s brand at the time—and the merch lines were longer than the lines for the waterslides.
The Cultural Legacy of the FGL and Nelly Era
Looking back from 2026, the Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise feels like a time capsule. FGL has since gone on an "indefinite hiatus," with Tyler and Brian pursuing solo careers that look very different from their "Cruise" days. Nelly has cemented himself as a country-adjacent legend, frequently appearing at festivals like Stagecoach.
But for those four days in November, they were the center of the musical universe.
It changed how labels thought about "fan experiences." Now, every artist from Kesha to Chris Stapleton has considered or launched a destination event. The FGL cruise proved that if you build a specific enough world—one with "Sun Daze," "Hot in Herre," and a lot of tank tops—people will follow you anywhere. Even into the middle of the ocean.
Practical Takeaways for the Modern Music Fan
If you're looking to recreate this vibe or wondering if there will ever be another Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise, here’s the reality:
- Check Solo Calendars: Since FGL is currently split, you’re more likely to find Tyler Hubbard or Brian Kelley doing individual "fan flyaway" events or festival appearances with Nelly.
- The "Sixthman" Connection: Most of these massive music cruises are run by a company called Sixthman. If you want to catch the next big country or hip-hop cruise, keep an eye on their roster. They are the gold standard for these "floating festivals."
- Budget Accordingly: These aren't your standard $499 cruises. Between the "event fee," the premium drink packages, and the merch, fans usually drop $2,000 to $5,000 for the full experience.
- Genre-Bending is the New Normal: What felt "weird" or "revolutionary" about Nelly and FGL in 2017 is now just how music works. Look at Post Malone’s country pivot or Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. The Florida Georgia Line Nelly cruise was the blueprint.
The era of the "Cruise" might have peaked on that ship, but the impact is still felt every time a country song hits the Top 40 with a trap beat behind it. It was a moment where the rules didn't apply, and honestly, music was a lot more fun because of it.
If you're missing that specific energy, the best thing to do is dive back into the Anything Goes or Dig Your Roots albums. They capture that exact "boat party" spirit. Also, keep an eye on Nelly’s "Lil Bit" collaborations—he hasn't finished his journey with country music yet, and neither have the fans who paved the way on the Norwegian Sky.