Charter Music Cruises selling out

[wwcruisers]

 

My parents raised me to appreciate all types of music...I actually attended a Snoop Dog concert

 

Same here, Hattack! Right now, I'm sitting here listening to the Sound Track from Hamilton -- wondering if I'll be able to get tickets, when the touring company comes to the west coast! :cool:

[hattack]

also be on the look out for "Shuffle Along"..perhaps next year Capital Jazz SuperCruise will have a road company production of Hamilton perform on the ship

[wwcruisers]

Just went to the SJC website and saw that they are reminding the folks who are booked on the 2017 cruise that they only a few more days to re-book their current cabin, for one of the two 2018 cruises. Cabins for the 2018 sailings are supposed to be released for general booking on the 15th of this month. Of course, as newbie jazz cruisers, we're in line behind other past cruisers, as well as everyone who pre-booked, prior to us. Hoping that we'll get some specifics on booking an actual cabin, before too long. :cool:

Edited August 11, 2016 by wwcruisers

[hattack]

you should be fine since you were in the pipeline early..when one plans that far out "things happen" so cabins open all the time...meant to share with you that you should check out Brian Culbertson's annual Napa Valley (CA) Jazz Getaway held every year in early June...the long weekend is AMAZING...just read in Smooth Jazz News that Brian C will bring that concept to Chicago next summer (2017), so go to Brian's website to sign up for his newsletter, so you will be notified early..there are so many great Smooth Jazz Festivals happening now that I am giving serious thought to do a charter cruise every other year and on the off year try to do one smooth jazz festival and one major jazz festival (i.e. Montreal, Playboy etc.)...my other dream bucket list is to visit as many famous brick & mortar Jazz Clubs both domestic & international as possible...in 2010 when we did a river cruise (highly recommend river cruises) to the south of France we spent a long weekend in Paris and went to Duc Lombards and when the owner found out we were from New Orleans, we were treated like VIP's...I only wish I had discovered this lifestyle when I was in my 30's instead of later in life...lol

[wwcruisers]

Hattack -- you are musically blessed, to hail from New Orleans (one of my favorite cities)! :cool:

[hattack]

I moved to New Orleans in 1998 ( I was raised in upstate New York) and in an ironic twist, there is very little Smooth Jazz here, so I have to get my "fix" by doing the smooth jazz charter cruises or traveling to the smooth jazz festivals (Seabreeze in Panama City FL is about a 5 hour drive)..New Orleans is so rich in music diversity that it is sometimes overwhelming...one of the joys of attending the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is to go on Thursday of the 2nd week where local artists are featured performing a wide variety of musical styles and the crowds are smaller so one can enjoy the food and dance a lot of Zydeco...there is a local music/food festival in Louisiana 42 out of the 52 weekends every year, so one can easily "OD" on both...to save $$$ in order to do the smooth jazz charters I have only attended the Essence Festival three time (2004,2005 &2014)Prince performed in 2004 (with Candy Dulfer) & 2014, both times he was awesome.I love the small clubs that play Jazz 7 nights a week....yes I am Blessed and my out of town guests take full advantage of my living here

[wwcruisers]

Wahoo -- just got news from the charter company that we'll be able to book a cabin on the Smooth Jazz Cruise date of our choice (Feb 10 or March 10) on the 30th of this month. Also, our pre-booking deposit will be applied to our booking deposit -- which should take a little of the sting out of that. Now, I just need to come up with a list of cabins we hope will still be available. Shouldn't be too hard, since there are not many bad cabins on Summit. :cool:

 

Hattack -- don't know if you ever watched it, but one of my favorite HBO series' was TREME. I have the soundtrack for the first two seasons -- love the music from your city! I remember going to Preservation Hall, on a visit there, back in the '70's. Think that Al Hirt still had a place on Bourbon St., back in those days. I'm sure that everything has changed a lot in the past 35 years! I heard that my favorite place to get blue crab (Fitzgerald's on Ponchetrain) was a victim of one of the pre-Katrina hurricanes. :(

[hattack]

congrats on getting onboard the SJC...it really does not matter the location of your cabin because you will only be in it to sleep, shower, and change clothes...when the line up is announced, make sure you check out each artists website and Facebook page because often the artists will do something special for their fan base onboard during the week

post Katrina, Frenchmen Street (just off the FQ) has become the center of the music night life in the City..New Orleans is now known as the film capital of the south and several major blockbuster movies are shot here every year which features the music and artists of our City...NCIS New Orleans does a really good job of featuring local musicians in their show every week..if you have not done so already, check out Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, they are awesome and represent all styles of NO music..

[wwcruisers]

Hattack -- as always, the advice is appreciated. I don't do FB (CC is about the extent of my social media participation). But, I will be checking out the various artists' websites, as time for the cruise approaches. Right now, we're trying to decide whether to do the Feb or March cruise. Other than cabin availability, I don't see any difference in the two: same line-up of performers, and same fares. Other costs, like airfare and hotels might be a little cheaper in Feb -- since March marks the start of spring-break travel. OTOH, the weather might be a tad nicer in March. If there is any stormy weather or high seas at all, getting into Coco Cay (our private beach day) can be very tricky!:eek:

 

Oh, and I was introduced to Trombone Shorty (and some other very talented N.O. musicians) by the series, Treme. :cool:

[hattack]

we must be of the same generation...I don't FB either...if it were not for my 12 year old Grandson , I would be lost in how to use my tablet...the weather should be good for either month but you can always celebrate Valentine's Day if you do Feb

 

Trombone Shorty now closes out the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year on the last Sunday and draws 80,000+..he tours a lot so if you have the chance go see him live

[wwcruisers]

Wahoo! Just one week to go, until we can book a cabin on the Smooth Jazz Cruise! :cool: Still haven't decided which week (Feb 10 or March 10) to go with. Maybe it will just come down to cabin availability, on those respective dates. But, either way -- that's going to be one LONG count-down clock! ;)

[wwcruisers]

Hattack -- thanks for your post, over on the X boards. Some of the folks who had cruises canceled on Summit might be thinking about booking one of the dates for the SJC -- hope that they hurry, though!;)

 

Oh, and if you are ever in Seattle, be sure to check out the EMP (Experience Music Project). It's a museum mostly centered around Seattle-based Rock-n-Roll -- but it's something that no music lover should miss. Hint: a whole room/exhibit dedicated to the history of guitars. :cool:

Edited August 25, 2016 by wwcruisers

[hattack]

I lived in the Seattle area in the late 70's and early 80's and wished I had never left...Jazz Alley is a great Jazz Club...I fondly remember attending Bumpershoot over Labor Day Weekend ..

[wwcruisers]

I lived in the Seattle area in the late 70's and early 80's and wished I had never left...Jazz Alley is a great Jazz Club...I fondly remember attending Bumpershoot over Labor Day Weekend ..

 

Haven't been there yet (we don't get into the City all that often), but you'll be happy to know that Jazz Alley is still there. I've been told that it's a good place to catch Boney James, when he's in town. :cool:

Yep, you can't live in the Pacific Northwest, and not be a music lover, lol! ;)

[hattack]

when my Son was little, we use to ride the ferry from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island (for $1) and then take the shuttle up to Edmonds and Boeing Field and watch the planes take off...must have worked because my Son is now a fighter pilot (F-22's) in the USAF

 

Glad to hear Jazz Alley is still there...use to see Ray Charles, George Duke & Quincy Jones perform there

[wwcruisers]

WAHOO! Booked on the March 10, 2018 Smooth Jazz Cruise. Although both it and the Feb 10, 2018 sailing appear to be booking up fast, we were able to snag the cabin we wanted, and got second dinner seating (with early show times). Now, I just need to put together a count-down clock, and start a roll-call thread. Hopefully, I won't be over there talking to myself for the next 18 months! ;)

[hattack]

as it gets closer, your roll call thread should pick up..the time will go fast so you should start training...as the artists are announced you should download their music on your IPOD and play while you are doing your daily walk so you can eat as much as you like on your cruise..you do know on this cruise you will only be averaging about 4 hours of sleep at night and you should probably plan on taking an extra day or two off from work upon your return so you can catch up on your rest...lol

[wwcruisers]

Hattack -- that's the plan. Although we ended up snagging one of Summit's coveted (but best kept secret) "Sweet Sixteen" cabins -- we know that we won't be spending much time there. Although the charter company didn't mention anything about it in the booking literature, I'm hoping that the premium drink packages will be available onboard. I imagine we'll be going from cafe to lounge to bar, chasing the music, most days!

 

And, if you don't mind -- can I get your opinion on one of the choices we made, during the booking process? We were given the choice of: first show/second dining, or second show/first dining. On 'regular' cruises, we usually go with "my time" dining -- but, it doesn't appear to be an option, on the SJC. So, we decided that second seating would be best. We won't be rushing through dinner, to get to the main show of the evening that way. Since it's not a good idea to go to bed, right after a huge meal, I'm hoping that there will be something going on in the way of late-night music and/or dancing -- somewhere around the ship. Does that sound like a possibility, on this type of cruise?

[hattack]

the only advantage of early dinner /late show is that at the late show the artists can go longer or do encores if they want...if you have early show/late dinner, the shows are kept very close to the time schedule because the dining staff has to be kept on schedule...after the second show, the ship becomes like an open Jazz Club hopping venues so you will have more than plenty of exercise and dancing to work off your late meal and yes, find out about the most popular place after 0100 am is where they give out slices of pizza and coke

some experience cruisers will have their main meal at lunch (and splurge on dessert) and then eat a very light dinner (with no dessert) if they have 2nd seating

either way you are fine..you are on the ship so enjoy yourself...also be aware that the rhythm of your cruise will be different than a normal cruise...folks stay up late (0300 am)for the music and have a tendency to sleep in late (10 am) in the morning so the breakfast buffet on the lido deck is virtually empty until 0830 am and then jammed starting at 0900 am..also you might consider doing a daily early morning walk around deck before the rest of the ship wakes up to burn off those excess calories from the night before..the gym is empty after the 2nd day...lol

[wwcruisers]

Hattack -- that's really funny, since one of the big complaints about X is their lack of late-night entertainment. And, while they don't roll up the sidewalks immediately after second seating finishes -- it's pretty close! ;)

[hattack]

The Celebrity crew is going to LOVE the week the SJC is onboard for a number of reasons...1) because of the concert schedule and full days at sea, music related activities during the day, the housekeeping and dining staff schedule is very predictable which makes their job so much easier...2) many of the crew are huge fans of the SJC crew artists so it is as much fun for them as it will be for you...SJC guests are by nature, pretty mellow, as long as the water is smooth and the concerts on time, folks are very happy..plus if there sre smaller concerts or Q&A sessions with the artists in the atrium, the guest relations desk is elated because folks aren't there to complain...a hint that has paid dividends for me...when you meet your cabin steward team and if you sit in the same general area for your dinner and waited on by the same staff,ask them who their favorite artists is that is performing on the ship..purchase (or bring from home) a CD and have the artist sign it with the name of your room steward team or favorite waiter in the dining room..you will be a hit..also remember that more than likely the SJC will be on the same Celebrity ship next year and if you have the same cabin, the staff will remember you...the Celebrity ships are perfect for a SJC

[wwcruisers]

LOL Hattack -- that is one good TIP on a TIP!:cool: But, I'll have to buy 2 CD's -- one for the crew member, and one for me! :D

[hattack]

if you are really lucky, you might be treated to a CD release party by one of the artists during one of your full days at sea...the artist will share insight behind some of the tracks which you will enjoy and connect with when you return home and hear the song on the radio ..there are so many great activities to indulge in on your full days at sea, you will never feel bored ..if you have been to one of the ports before, you might consider staying onboard and relax, sleep, and enjoy the peace & quiet

[wwcruisers]

Yep, the ports-of-call are all "been there, done that": Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel. Looking forward to CocoCay (private island), as I'm hoping that will be one big musical beach party. But we can definitely skip the other ports.

[hattack]

You will be in great shape, rest wise...fyi often the best time to have interaction with the artists is when the ship is in port and the artists elected to stay onboard and relax...I was Blessed to have a nice lunch on the lido deck with Larry Carlton & George Duke and a late breakfast with Chante Moore :cool:(my next wife):cool:

 

fyi, what type of camera are you planning to take on the SJC