On Saturday, April 20, Irvington’s Class of 2024 hosted its Senior Cruise on the San Francisco Bay from 5:30 – 9:30 PM. Following a quick check-in and bag check, cruise attendees dressed in semi-formals boarded the 124-foot ship and left port. Over the 4 hours of the cruise, the Cabernet Sauvignon traveled in a loop from and back to Mariner Square in Alameda, passing through the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz Island. 

The Cabernet Sauvignon featured a plethora of fun activities, refreshments, scenic views, and photo opportunities. The first deck of the ship included a karaoke station, lounge area, and coat check. 

The second deck of the ship was a designated dining floor serving unlimited drinks, tacos, and pasta surrounded by 360-degree windows with scenic views of the surrounding bay. 

The third deck of the ship was where the majority of the evening’s activity took place. Many students enjoyed the vibrant dance floor which included a DJ booth and bar. Towards the bow, or the front of the ship, was an outdoor deck where attendees could walk around and experience the best views on the bay. 

The fourth and final deck of the ship was the sky deck, a large open floor which had a built-in outdoor bar and elevated platform for taking scenic photos. 

“I got a lot of nice pictures with my friends with the beautiful sunset, and lights when it turned dark, in the background,” shared attendee Chehakdeep Kaur (12).

Planning for Senior Cruise started back in January, when the senior class officers started communications with the cruise line’s event coordinator and chose which event package to purchase. 

Although Irvington typically hosts an annual picnic for their graduating class of seniors, this year, event organizers decided to try something new. 

“It would have been too expensive to host a senior picnic, especially with coordinating transportation for everyone” explains Senior Class Officer Reet Randhawa (12). 

“Plus, we’ve never had a senior cruise before, so this was a nice experience,”

However, the fact that Irvington typically does not host a senior cruise brought forth certain challenges. 

“A lot of people didn’t even know what senior cruise was, so we struggled to get the word out and sell tickets at the beginning,” shares Randhawa. 

“We didn’t think we would meet the minimum requirement of attendees until the week right before the event.”

Most cruise attendees started the night off with food and refreshments in the second floor’s dining room. As the sun set and the ship approached the Golden Gate Bridge, guests started to flock towards the upper decks to take pictures against the scenery. Later on, once the sun had fully set, crowds moved inside to the dance floor and downstairs karaoke station to enjoy the music with their friends. 

“Overall, the senior cruise was fun and the food was good” says event attendee Brandon Lim (12). 

“Though the DJ could use some work with transitioning, the vibes were cool.”

All in all, Irvington’s first senior cruise proved to be a hit amongst the senior class and a nice way to wind down towards the end of the school year. Students look forward to their Senior Prom on May 25 followed by their graduation ceremony.