hattack

congratulations and welcome to the world of full charter music theme cruising ( warning, you might never go back to regular cruising )...if you would like some feedback 

    - the pace of the 5 day  Ultimate Disco Cruise will surprise you (as compared to a "regular" 7 day cruise )..., since this is your 1st exposure you might consider not trying to do a B2B  full  music theme charter (70's & 80's) until future years ..you may want to explore a 1-2 **** post ****UDC  land package at the Host Hotel to decompress ( trust me, you will not have any rest on the ship )  and avoid the normal airport  weekend chaos and fly home on Monday ..also Miami has an incredible weekend night life so make sure you explore your options 

    - trip (travel ) insurance yes, with this disclaimer, spent the time to comparison shop ( in other words don't automatically go with the coverage that the promoter or cruise line offers )..you might note that CC has a new thread Q & A from "Insure My Trip " which might be an excellent resource ..take note if you have "pre existing  medical condition" that there is a very brief window once you have deposited for the UDC & check with your existing health care provider about what they will cover if you have to have an emergency evacuation from the ship...also check with your family practice Doctor about having  your critical medical information put on a chip for you to travel with 

     - if Southwest flies out of your City, consider flying them into FLL to save $$$$ and give you more flight options (plus 2 check bags included into the price ) and you can sign up on their website to receive notification when they open for sale and special pricing ..if other than Southwest be very careful about other carriers checked baggage fees are ..what looks like a bargain air fare may not be when additional fees are added up ...of course fly in a day early (especially from the North in the winter ) 

     - can you expand what you mean with the phrase "optimize your time "

     -take a look at Star Live Vista's website to see the other full charter theme cruises they promote , very often once you have complete UDC it might make you eligible for repeat guests discount special rates on other offerings 

hopefully other CC members with experience on full charter music theme cruisers will post which will give you additional newer perspectives to draw on for your upcoming adventure ..time is going to go so much quicker before your cruise happens because you now have an additional incentives..every time you hear a song of an artist that will be performing on the UDC you are going to turn up the sound 

43 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

From the FAQ for the 70s Rock & Romance Cruise:

 

Q: Can I use my (Mariner's Society, Crown and Anchor, Captain's Club) earned perks? Can I gain points for this sailing?

Yes, you can earn points for sailing on the StarVista LIVE cruises. Unfortunately, you cannot redeem any earned perks through your cruise line membership. If you have questions regarding a specific perk or amenity, you are welcome to contact the cruise line directly. If you speak with the cruise line, please make sure they understand that this is a full-ship charter.

I might suggest you are better off in contacting Star Vista directly ...depending on which earned perked you would like to exercise it may or may not be available based upon how the charter contract is structured..please understand on a music charter the role of the Cruise Director is more of a liaison with the promoters designated on board coordinator ..the good news is that since this is not the 1st time, the Star Vista folks already have an understanding the rules of the road...be aware alot of your fellow cruisers may have the same level as you if they do alot of music theme full charters

actually the single inside cabin is highly desirable and along with the suites are the first to go...compound with the assumption that even if Celebrity offered that person to upgrade would probably be declined ..the other option is the roommate route (which is not as bad as a normal cruise because you have an automatic built in common ground)

i would sign up for the WL the day its open for sale to the general public , you have almost a year and things change (usually 90 days out for final payment ..the good news is if you are successful, while you are on the cruise next year you can exercise your right to rebook the same cabin 

good luck 

since all 3 of your choices are relatively new players on the block ..rule of thumb there should be very few cabins ( or categories )  available for sale to the general public ( 1st time cruisers like yourself ) after past guests have elected to exercise their options to secure their cabins from being a past guest ( or by doing so while they are onboard the current edition )..the other positive sign is that the promoter stays with same Cruise Line but moves up to a larger Class (more cabins ) or establish a wait list that has the promoter contemplating a second  sailing week ..also look at the Artists FB page that performed on board in 2019 and you can gain a sense of Fan satisfaction 

The cruisers on the current edition are the best sales force for a promoter thru word of mouth ..also the promoters worse nightmare if they fail to live up to their marketing hype 

which ever your choice you will be fine once on board and probably "adopted" and shown the ropes by returning cruisers once you indicate that this is your first music charter experience ..I'm betting the experience will start in the boarding area of your flight ..just look for very happy music fans wearing the 2019 Official Charter T-Shirts or t-shirts of their favorite artists that will be performing on the cruise ..that's when you will know you are no longer a regular cruiser 

not sure if you can find it online these days, but if you go to Cruise Travel Magazine website and search thru the archives for Jan/Feb 2012 edition on the final page (Different Perspective) you will find my article that was published regarding "An African American Perspective " about my Capital Jazz Super Cruise experience which includes the photo of 3000 lido deck  Jazz Fans  on Sunday on our full day at sea on the Carnival Conquest dancing (swaying) to Frankie Beverly & Maze ..an experience I will always cherish 

if and once you make your selection if you do not already own one, invest in a good small P & S digital camera with a zoom lens that takes photos with no flash  in low lighting (several good ones on the market these days for under $125) ..cell phone selfies do not do justice (IMHO) for those impromptu photo ops with your favorite artists when you least expect to run into them ..if you have album covers bring them also for signing sessions 

to paraphrase  our friend Dave Koz , these Smooth Jazz Charters are a way of "Seeing the World Together Though Music" 

the introduction of the popular Artists Smooth Jazz Get- A- Way Weekends ( Earl Klugh, Brian Culbertson etc) along with the growth of the "Ultimate Weekend of Smooth Jazz " Festivals (Sea Breeze , Catalina Jazz Trax, Berks Jazz Fest, Mallorca etc) as documented thru our "Unofficial Bible" Smooth Jazz News demonstrates that it's a great time to be a Fan of the music  & the Artists that play it 

I've been Cruising since 1975 , my 1st music theme cruise was 1992 and 1st full charter Jazz Cruise was 2003 and cruising as a form of vacation has been enhanced because of the music and the full charters have generated multi friends for life and introduce me to a different life style of family style reunions at the Smooth Jazz Festivals 

my experience is that only a small number of guests really get into the dressing up in the outfits of the era, but they love the attention they receive from the rest of the guests (and yes the dining wait staff gets into the theme also ) ..plus with the cost of check baggage that the airline charges it causes one to be very prudent about what to pack 

you might look online You Tube for TV One Docu-Series 2 hour special unveiling the  "real" story behind Saturday Night Fever Disco era ..let's just say its an eye opener about how Disco was mass marketed (Bee Gees vs Tavares)which exposed the dark underbelly of racism that was really a reflection of the turmoil and division Our Country was experiencing then ( and sadly now)

you did not miss anything by being to young for Studio 54..went there once, over hyped & over priced ..Woodstock started out as a Folk Festival but introduce the World to Joe Cocker, Santana & Sly and the Family Stone ..greatest 18th birthday present of all time 

it's an amazing sight to see 2000+ cruisers of all races, and age groups, packed on the lido deck at sunset  on a full day of sea, singing  along with K. C. and the Sunshine Band  every word to every song from their Greatest Hits Album and the roar of the crowd hearing the opening chords from the Sound Track of Car Wash by Rolls Royce and watching the waiters bringing drinks dancing to the music 

for 5 ( or 7 )  days/nights , all is right with the world in the middle of the Caribbean on a Cruise Boat with 2000+like minded fellow cruisers (regardless of which cruise you select ) 

AWESOME line up...remember its a 5 day vs 7 day so factor in a cost per day per diem ..watch Saturday Night Fever a couple times and check out local dance clubs for refresher disco dance lessons and scrounge local thrift shops for 70's outfits and watch Soul Train reruns on BET 

much like the Flower Power (60's) & Malt Shop Memories (50's) the Ultimate Disco Cruise (70's) is a more focused  deeper intense 24/7 immersion experience which is not only about the music, but also the  racial culture , political , fashion and social  norm flashback era which has a much narrower platform then the more general/generic 70's Rock & Romance or 80's theme cruise 

there are several excellent books about the Disco Era you might check out on Amazon to read if you elect to take the cruise which might help you with the trivia contest and understand the context of why your fellow cruisers loved that era so much and will spend that amount of $$$ to relive those days .

I grew up in New York  in the 60's & 70's and experienced both Woodstock & Studio 54 ( both wild &  incredible )  & actually saw live almost every artist on the UDC  so I could possibly help give you feedback if asked,  but in the 80's was working in Corporate America so the 80's Cruise Line Up would not appeal to me 

all depends on your musical palate ..I guess it would make too much sense to have a "best of" (50's-60's-70's-80/s) all in one theme cruise  ( or B2B2B  all on the same Cruise Line & Ship ) which is why I love the Jazz equivalent of that in the form of The Smooth Jazz-The Jazz - Blue Note at Sea offering 

you have no "bad' choices ...good luck 

ECP (the promoter ) has partner with Celebrity since 2016 to host The Jazz, Smooth Jazz and BNAS  cruises on the same M Class  fleet class B2B2B weeks which allows for the onboard cruise staff to make the  staffing  adjustment between their normal mainstream cruise schedule and the unique rhythm of a full charter music cruise 

the legendary midnight Jam Sessions can wind up ending as late at 0200 am which means a long line at the Pizza stand on the Lido Deck at the back of the ship which means tripling the staffing level 

when possible almost all of the artists stay with the charter cruise for the entire 7 days which means if due to weather a port of call is skipped there is a pre plan of additional concerts and activities much to the delight of guests and crew 

because there is almost an 90%  (or better ) returning guest rate for these Charter  Cruises , the Food & Beverage  staff planners have the statistical data to  ensure  enough inventory is boarded and not wasted 

no wonder cruise lines like charters

as you are now a "seasoned veteran " you know the key to surviving a Jazz charter is pacing oneself and scheduling a daily 45-75 minute "quiet time " (we have found just before preparing for dinner works for us ) and pre selecting one port of call to stay on board (your private yacht).. sleep in , late morning spa treatment,  long lunch on the lido deck , long  afternoon " respite ", meeting friends for  drinks while watching the sail away Jazz lido deck concerts  ...lagniappe very often we have been Blessed to enjoy lunch on deck with one of the artist (George Duke ,Larry Graham & Chante Moore come to mind) or members of the various artists band members  (who are really interesting )...then we have recharged our batteries to go full out for the rest of the cruise ..it is very easy to "OD" from too much 24/7  Immersion of a "good thing " which is often a 1st timer rookie undoing 

I always enjoy the reaction of the guests on  the other ships in Port (who are Jazz fans ) in the shopping areas when they see the Jazz  Charter T-Shirts  and start comparing cruises ..priceless 

as of Valentine's Day ; The Jazz Cruise (1/16-1/23) 75% reserved, Blue Note at Sea (1/23-1/30) 50% reserved , both Smooth Jazz Cruises ( 1/30-2/13) 100 % reserved with a closed waiting list ..by creating a line up on the BNAS that has a nice cross section of Straight Ahead & Smooth Jazz artists it might persuade those on the SJC waitlist to try booking BNAS 

one of my favorite Kirk Whalum CD's  is "Babyface Song Book " 

Celebrity's Infinite is undergoing a dry dock upgrade in November which means upgraded staterooms and a redesigned Ocean View Cafe...I am a huge fan of the M Class T- Pool (Hydrotherapy ) and we were on the Celebrity Century for the January Smooth Music Cruise charter in 2009 and the public areas  of the M Class vessels were perfect for the Jazz concerts as well as a nice size fit guest wise so ECP's switch to Celebrity in 2016 seems to be working well for all parties 

as part of my physical therapy "rehab", I have joined the Major Taylor Association Cycling Club and will look into contacting both the Aruba & Curacao Cycling Federation to see if rather than do a traditional shore excursion (or stay on the Ship ), I can join them for a Fellowship Cycling Ride which is a chance to see their Island from a different perspective 

and that's just one cruise line ..one has to give props to the cruise line fleet marketing folks to find a way to fill cabins on the older smaller vessels that are more configured for full charters or large groups as long as it does not exceed 50% capacity 

the mega ships don't work for music charters

I'm sure BNAS will have a Gospel Hour it's become a staple for almost all ECP  full charter music theme cruises these days since we will have a full day at Sea on Sunday ..would not be surprised if they have a Gospel Brunch  (especially with Take 6 on board )..I have signed CD's of  all Kirk's " Gospel According to Jazz " series and often play it on Sunday Mornings after getting home from early Church Service and  before the FOX NFL pre game show while I'm eating Shrimp & Grits Plate from Church ..my Bishop is a musician so I have to remember to pack a Take 6 CD for them to sign for Him 

during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival ( Jazz Fest) the Gospel Tent is packed  (over flowing ) for every performance but by design there is no Gospel performance after 5 pm to not distract by the big name artists that close the Festival every

evening ...as you have experienced on your SJC  the Gospel Hour with Jonathan Butler it's electric 

I hear you..there are worse things in life to have an addiction to....I've always looked at combining  several of my addictions cruising, music and travel and then I just had to figure out how to budget for it 

interesting theme cruises represent a wide cross section of passions ..my friend just went on a Star Trek theme cruise and was in 7th heaven and he would have never consider taking a cruise if it were not for the "hook" ..TMC Movie Classic theme cruise is very popular ..I'm quite sure the SB Champions will have a cruise charter that fans can meet their favorite heroes 

don't forget to make a bucket list of life experiences and thus a music charter can be check off and then move on .l.since no more NFL until September,  on the next 3 Sunday afternoon's listen to the artists and music of your 3 cruise options then decide  

LOL..great Jazz Cruising Minds think alike..we should plan on having our own CC dinner on board BNAS and discuss so many common touch points..my Son & I have an "understanding", he's not concerned about an inheritance as long as I don't leave him with any of my own  debt ...lol..

ironically when I saw the email about the 1st sailing of the Unsung R & B in October, I thought give it a year to work out the kinks and be ready to deposit for the 2nd year when they return on 10/18 ..also its Hurricane Season 

I am 5 nights shy from achieving top level status in Carnival's VIFP program (Unsung  R & B would solve that for me) but I was also looking at Carnival 's 2nd generation Mardi Gras which will start sailing in December out of Orlando  (I sailed on the original one in 1979 and have very fond memories , so i guess as I get old, I wanted to do my delayed 40th year reunion cruise to go along side my 50th year Woodstock Reunion (great story for the men after dinner) which would make a nice B2B with BNAS 21 but its 3 hour drive between Miami to Orlando (too bad BNAS was not sailing out of FLL) so I would not chance it in case BNAS was delayed 

back in 2015 Carnival LIVE had  a ' shore excursion type " program (for their smaller older Fantasy Class ships that sailed in the Bahamas and Mexico ) where they would fly in various musical acts (like you might see in Las Vegas ) and hold a private concert on board  ($100- $150 tkt with a quick meet and greet) delay departing till 10 pm ...they no longer have Carnival LIVE (wonder why) 

Lagniappe...are you aware there is a brand new full charter out of Baltimore ( Unsung R & B) Oct 11th -18th, 2020 featuring many of the great Funk Bands from the 70's ( The Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun, Brick, Switch, Teddy Riley, Blackstreet, more to be announced ) that goes to Bermuda 

if one had both the time and the $$$$ , one could easily overdose on the plethora of musical taste in any given year on 7 day full charter music cruises 

in 2004 when Prince performed at the Essence Festival his horn section consisted of members of James Brown's band plus Candy Dulfer..in the middle of his electrifying performance he stated "When I want great Sax, i call on Candy' and proceed to do 26 splits as Candy played in front of 50K Essences Fans went crazy..on board one of my Capital Jazz Super Cruises I attended her Q & A and indicated to her that Essence readers had voted Prince's 2004 performance # 2 all time (behind Luther V who had died the night before the 2004 Festival ), so please share with your Hubby that he does not need glasses and the photo I took with Candy is my laptop screensaver ...postscript..Prince performed at Essence in 2014 without Candy and it was just not the same 

the cost for a cabin on a Jazz Cruise is steep..the opportunity to interact with our favorite artist is priceless

wow..that's amazing, who makes it 

LOL... I hear you...the silence of the ship after 9 pm would drive ME insane ..one does not select and pay a premium for a full music charter cruise expecting a quiet restful cruise ( veterans will stay on board during port calls and sleep all day to rest up for the fast pace nightly till 0300 am concert  schedule )..however we did a European Barge Cruise in the South of France in 2009 and loved the slow laid back and quiet intimate vessel with the other 18 guests ..the older I become in cruising years, the less I am a fan of the 5000+ Mega Ships where the cruise lines try to offer enough options to please everyone 

 the full charter music cruises that I have sailed on have  about an 80% guest return rate every year so it's like a homecoming which makes the cruise like a annual family reunion ..the Ship's Dining & Housekeeping staff really love hosting the music charters because it makes their lives so much easier because the schedule is driven by the concerts (plus they are music fans also so everyone is pretty mellow )..Guest Service Desks love mini concerts in the Atrium that keeps their workload much lighter 

I've been away from these Boards for a long spell but even a cursory glance at these threads reminded me that as long as the water is smooth, the concerts on time Jazz folks are pretty mellow by nature, so we are happy ..a missed port of call means an extra full day at sea lagniappe more music 

my first cruise was in 1975 out of NYC on the Oceanic to Bermuda which was very monolithic in the demographic make up

of the cruisers and the on board activities offered during the day and the entertainment at night ..every once in a while I look at pictures from that cruise and am amaze at the

 I lived in Seattle in the late 70's and early 80's and used to love riding the Washington State Ferry system out of Edmonds to Whigby Island with my Son when he was little and ride our bikes on the weekend over to the Fort where an Officer and a Gentleman was films ..must make an effort to go back next year 

yes , following my spinal fusion operation in 2004 as a reward for completing my physical therapy my friend treated me to a cruise that called on Tortola ..i had 2 Painkillers following a spa session in the hydrotherapy pool and did not have ( or feel ) any back pain for the rest of the cruise (of course I did not remember the rest of the cruise either but she (my friend) told me it was a great cruise...lol)  ....BVI have taken big hits the last few hurricane seasons as did the entire Island of PR 

locals know the free FQ Festival held a few weeks before Jazz Fest is the better Music Festival  and the very expensive Jazz Fest is more for out of towners (but brings badly needed revenue to help recover from Katrina ) ..New Orleans also has a new Food Truck Food Festival which features incredible diverse cuisine which can give the traditional tourist eating spots a run 

I just looked at your line up on The Jazz Cruise ..over the years I have developed a check list that the artists  that I do not recognize I go on You Tube and become familiar prior to sailing and then check and see if they are performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to see them live...one of the great joys of these Jazz Charters is to see the artist perform live both in their show and then when they perform with other artists that they would not ordinarily perform with and then of course at the late night all star jam sessions so at the end of the cruise most become my new favorite artists 

I am truly Blessed by living where I do because in April I attend the Seabreeze Jazz Festival (Panama City Florida) the last long weekend in April (to get my Smooth Jazz 'fix") and then attend the 2nd weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in May (Jazz Fest) ( to get my Straight Ahead  & New Orleans Jazz & all other Music style "fix" )

as far as Sax players , Euge Groove, Najee, Mindi Abair, Candy Dulfer, Gerald Albright, Boney James, Richard Elliot , Steve Cole , Dave Koz 

Your "Hubby" and I would quickly bond because I am into Steinway & Son Designated  Louisiana Artists which include 

Jonathan Baptiste (Late Night with Stephan Colbert ) 

but if you corner me on the ship after a full day at sea and coming out of the Celebrity Spa watching the sunset on deck  as we sail away from Tortola , sipping a Painkiller I would confess to Gregory Porter, Brian Culbertson & the late George Duke , Duke Ellington , Cab Calloway & Lena Horne & almost any 60's & 70's Funk Bands with Big Horn Sections & Lalah Hathaway & New Orleans Trombone Shorty 

I will probably never go on a regular cruise again unless someone else pays my way 

I confess I have to smile following this thread , on the full charter Jazz Cruise guests who are musicians are encourage to bring their instruments to take part in the free workshops that the professional artists hold during the full days at sea and the late night midnight jam sessions where the musical director tries to find a spot for everyone to sit in at least one number with the artists if possible and the impromptu karaoke sessions in the side smaller lounges 

just a thought for the original poster to consider for future cruises 

I confess I have to smile following this thread , on the full charter Jazz Cruise guests who are musicians are encourage to bring their instruments to take part in the free workshops that the professional artists hold during the full days at sea and the late night midnight jam sessions where the musical director tries to find a spot for everyone to sit in at least one number with the artists if possible and the impromptu karaoke sessions in the side smaller lounges 

just a thought for the original poster to consider for future cruises 

You are an absolute genius in your timing to get out of town during Inauguration week (much like I plan to get out of town for Mardi Gras week and rent out my house to pay my house note and a nice deposit on a 2022 full charter music cruise since they sell out the minute they are open for sale )

when your fellow CC  members and  my friend and I  are waiting to board the BNAS while you are disembarking from the Jazz Cruise we can exchange official ECP  T- Shirts 

if the Smooth Jazz Cruise & the Jazz Cruise each had an  offspring and they  got married the reception would be held on the  BNAS  as it is the blending of the best  from both fervor Music family trees ..the honeymoon would be staying all 3 weeks on the same Celebrity vessel 

it's great  stress relief therapy to spend a week on a Music Theme  Charter Cruise with like minded fans and artists because everyone leaves their differences (especially political ) at home and the biggest dinner conversational debate I ever had with another couple centered around is Smooth Jazz 'really' Jazz and when fellow guests  find out I live in  New Orleans  they ask me why I recommend if they want to hear New Orleans Jazz  go on Frenchman not Bourbon street 

my sense is that we both will need a respite from the politics during that time frame 

my  diverse musical palate can be credited to my Parents ..I even like Opera and if I ever win the Lottery would love to take an Opera Barge Theme  Cruise out of Venice ..actually my taste have gone retro and I'm into the Big Band music from the 30's & 40's 

my cruising palate is also diverse ..been cruising since 1974 which includes River Cruising (both Europe & Mississippi River), Barge, Maine Windjammers , Charters and always looking for cruising opportunities outside of the Caribbean  so when I discovered full charter Music Cruising in 2003, I was hooked 

feel free to ask away..the Theme Cruise thread on CC  Board is small but fiercely loyal but judging by the Industry movement towards more full theme charters (especially music related) it will grow ..marketing folks on mainstream Cruise Lines understand that often vacationers that would not consider cruising as an option can be lured to try it if there is an affinity theme and then they become hooked 

initial resistance to trying a full music charter is the perceived higher cost vs value..rule of thumb, if there are 3 or more of your favorite  artists that you would pay to see if they came to your town in any given year then it becomes a great value for the incremental difference to see 20-30 plus the lagniappe of enjoying the benefits of making friends who share your passion and you will probably see every year ...the "downside" (if one can call it that) is for 7 straight days you are having so much fun you will get little rest and have to take the following 2 to 3 days of work off to recover