Charter Music Cruises selling out

I discovered last year that on the North Shore (across the big man made lake) there are several wineries that are starting weekly 'Jazz on the Vine" concerts during the fall...it's on my agenda to check out this fall...my discovery last year was The Dew Drop Inn in Mandeville which the actual building built in the 20's was restored to it's original design (think Harpo's Juke Joint in the movie A Color Purple)..this has historic significance because famous Black Jazz artists (Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong) due to Jim Crow could not perform in front of inter racial audiences in New Orleans but they could take the paddlewheel to the North Shore at midnight and perform in front of mix audiences at the Dew Drop Inn..the structure seats less than 100 fans (with no air conditioning so the overflow sits on blankets on the ground surrounding the structure which is actually pretty cool

I loved living in the Pacific NW but my job forced me to relocate to Newark NJ (not exactly rural charm)...when folks here refer to tailgating at Saints game I share with them about tailgating at UW football games at the open end of Husky stadium in yachts and floatation devices including rubber tire tubes

2nd week for both 2017/2018.. but hoping to clear an interior or ocean view for the 1st week in 2017.....staying with some New Orleans friends who actually own a summer home in Venice...will finalize the rest of the trip before the end of the month since we now have new non stop service out of New Orleans on both British Airways and Condor Air with connections to Venice/Milan..once that is finalized we can connect for excursions..my regular Jazz Cruise travelling buddy can't go in 2017 (too much time away from work) so I may wind up taking my big brother (a Jazz drummer) or my neighbor (who looked out for me when I had my bypass operation) who has never been on a Cruise (less alone a Jazz Cruise) never been outside the Country and the only performing artist that she knows is Al Jarreau (so we have agreed our first "real date" is to go to the Sea Breeze Smooth Jazz Festival in Panama City FL in April)...plus she has never heard of Santorini :eek:

 

who are you flying to Venice...I have been researching Jazz

Clubs in each Port of Call with the goal of taking a photo in front of each venue for my collection

 

you could not do any better than Dave Koz for your first full charter Jazz Cruise experience..with any luck Brian Culbertson will be in the 2018 line up

We are flying American Airlines. We have a short layover in Philadelphia and on to Venice.

If your neighbor joins you, It will probably be a trip of a lifetime for her....amazing ports and great music... This is my sister's first trip to Europe as well and she is counting the days until we arrive in Venice.

I am glad I chose Koz as my first jazz cruise because I was also considering Capital Jazz Supercruise and was shocked at how poorly it was organized this year. I was on a flight from Puerto Rico a couple a years ago and was sitting next to a couple who were returning from the supercruise and they were talking about the fabulous time they had and about the various artists and events of the week. So, I was shocked that the cruise this year was a bit chaotic and unorganized.

I lived in the south sound(Olympia) for many years. I still have family in the area and I visit a few times a year.

in 2002 I cruised out of Venice on Royal Olympic Cruise Line (Greek owned) Olympic Explorer...it was incredible on a brand new ship and our ports of call were Dubrovnik, Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and an overnight in Istanbul Turkey...I promised I would go back, just did not know it would take me 15 years...that was a regular cruise so going back to Venice & Santorini this time with Dave Koz will be a trip of a lifetime

I don't think my neighbor realizes what she signed up for...I have been cruising since 1974, Jazz Cruising since 2005 and Capital Jazz Super Cruising every year since 2010...every year on the CJSC I have brought back my neighbors a CJSC T-shirt and share pictures from the cruise including pictures with the artists and my neighbors are in awe..when I became ill (with no family close by), I discovered how Blessed I was to have neighbors who looked out for me...the bond became even more closer as we went thru the impact on our homes due to hurricanes, tornados and floods in our part of Louisiana ...life is short and can turn on a dime, so I will try to make this trip very special for my neighbor

both you and your sister are in for a treat on your 1st Jazz Cruise...Dave Koz is a great host and the artists cruising with us appreciate the fact that we appreciate them...to be with 2000 like mindsets who are all there for the same passion (the love of Smooth Jazz) proves that we have more in common then different

I loved going to Whidbey Island on weekends when I lived in Seattle in the 70's

This year's TJFV sold out fast!!!!! I'm so looking forward to it.

my friends who live here have been on the WL since Thanksgiving and still are waiting..when is/was the final payment due

thanks for reminding me, I promised I would post what's going on in New Orleans pre/post the week of the Fantastic Voyage in case you wanted to extend your stay...you might also check the online edition of the Gambit Magazine

Are you aware that there is a new music charter theme cruise just announced "The Home Coming at Sea Cruise"...you should check out their webpage, cabins open for sale next Tuesday 1/17...they will also announce very soon the 2018 Jazz , Rhythm & Soul Cruise

my friends who live here have been on the WL since Thanksgiving and still are waiting..when is/was the final payment due

 

thanks for reminding me, I promised I would post what's going on in New Orleans pre/post the week of the Fantastic Voyage in case you wanted to extend your stay...you might also check the online edition of the Gambit Magazine

 

Are you aware that there is a new music charter theme cruise just announced "The Home Coming at Sea Cruise"...you should check out their webpage, cabins open for sale next Tuesday 1/17...they will also announce very soon the 2018 Jazz , Rhythm & Soul Cruise

Hopefully your friends will get on. For some reason, no one is cancelling. That's a good thing for TJFV, but not so good for people still hoping to get on. Final payment is due March 15th, I believe.

I'll be awaiting hearing about the activities pre/post cruise.

I hadn't heard of "The Home Coming at Sea Cruise" I'll have to check that out.

thanks...

my Mom raised all 3 of her Sons that on one Saturday of every month to clean the entire house (she worked as a house keeper and maid so on her Saturday off, the last thing she was going to do was clean )...the fringe benefit was she would load up the RCA "hi-fi" Victrola with LP's ( 33 1/3) albums featuring Jazz vocalist (she LOVED Ella, Sarah, Nat King Cole Tony Bennett)50's do-wop & 60's Motown & awesome Jazz (Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton) my Dad would slip in some Chet Atkins & Classical and Opera (which actually slowed us down)...if my brothers and I were moving slow, she would play more upbeat "jams", which made us work faster (smart woman)..what we did not realize at the time our Parents were introducing us to appreciate all types of music plus she said one day our wives/GF's would appreciate the fact she trained us for them to clean the house without question:D:D

I thought about my Mom this morning and my upcoming Jazz cruise in 17 weeks and programmed my Wurlitzer Jukebox to play all the artists on the cruise to start to get me into the proper mind frame instead of thinking about the fact that I hate to dust and clean bathrooms:eek:

my question to my fellow music theme cruisers is how do you prepare for your upcoming music cruise

After getting my gear and gadgets together, I listen to music and watch videos of the artists, especially those I don't know.

Hattack -- your Dear Mom was clearly a very wise lady! :cool:

For some reason, a lot of DH and my cruise clothes require ironing -- lots cotton/linen -- stuff that wrinkles, if you look at it, lol! :eek: One of my pre-cruise rituals is to drag out the ironing board (and spray starch) and put on my 'cruising' cds: which range from Bob Marley, to Jimmy Buffet, to artists I have met onboard ships (and bought their CD). Music makes the worst packing chore much more pleasant! :D

one of my biggest challenges is that for me packing for Europe in May for 14 days is very different than packing for the Caribbean in October for 7 days in the same carry on 22 inch suitcase...over the years I have learned to assemble clothes (mix/match..for a male that is real easy) that do not require a lot of ironing and have learned the packing technique so that as soon as we board, steaming out the wrinkles in the cabin bathroom works well..also my daily work out clothes that I wear during the year, I pack and simply discard over the course of the week so I have more room in my suitcase coming home to bring gifts for my neighbors

for some:confused: sick:confused: reason, I have always love ironing (credit my Dad who taught his Sons how to iron, sew and cook as soon as we were tall enough to do so) and love cranking up my music at 0300 am on the day I am leaving , iron & pack....my choice of music is actually the polar opposite of the artists I will see on the ship (cleansing my brain), usually the 25th Anniversary of Woodstock CD...Michael Colyar (the comedian) loves to do impromptu comedy routines while he irons his wild outfits that he wears at his nightly shows on the Capital Jazz Super Cruise which has become a highly anticipated male only ritual we look forward to every year

I never knew a time that both my Parents didn't worked at least 3 jobs at the same time (vacation was not a term we knew growing up)..after working 2 jobs during the week,my Mom worked in housekeeping at a mid size Inn in New England on weekends and when I was small my job was to go with her and help her "turn" rooms...I learned how to strip & make a bed and pick up towels off the floor in the bathrooms (saved her from bending and kneeling and putting extra pressure on her back & knees) ...when I first started cruising (in the mid 70's) I would make my bed and straighten up the cabin and bathroom before we left for breakfast and would leave a yellow post it note wishing my cabin steward a great day along with $2 on a daily basis...needless to say on the 3rd morning I met the Director of Housekeeping who kindly explained to me that my cabin steward was confused as to why I did some of his job:D...to this day, on our 1st day when our cabin steward introduces his self, I find out which artist performing during the week that he and his assistant really like and make an extra effort to purchase and have the artist sign the CD (made out to my cabin team) and leave on top of the ice bucket on the last night of the cruise...because of my Mom I have a huge respect for how hard the cabin steward team works so if I can make their task a little easier I feel my Mom would be pleased

Safe travel to those leaving for the smooth jazz cruise this weekend !!

Safe travel to those leaving for the smooth jazz cruise this weekend !!

AMEN! :D And, PLEASE come back and tell us how things went. Some of us have over a year to go on our SJC countdown clocks! :eek:

Chyna3032...The line up for the 2017 French Quarter Festival (April 6th - 9th) will be announced today..you will be able to go to http://www.nola.com or the French Quarter Festival website...since you dock on Sunday 4/9 ..if you have a late afternoon flight out of the airport, you might consider checking out the Festival for a few hours...you might check with Carnival to see where you can store your bags...from where your ship docks to the FQ is about a 20 minute walk but there is also a trolley that cost about $2.00 round trip

I'll let you know what's going on in the City pre cruise as it is announced...my friends are still on the WL

Chyna3032...The line up for the 2017 French Quarter Festival (April 6th - 9th) will be announced today..you will be able to go to http://www.nola.com or the French Quarter Festival website...since you dock on Sunday 4/9 ..if you have a late afternoon flight out of the airport, you might consider checking out the Festival for a few hours...you might check with Carnival to see where you can store your bags...from where your ship docks to the FQ is about a 20 minute walk but there is also a trolley that cost about $2.00 round trip

 

I'll let you know what's going on in the City pre cruise as it is announced...my friends are still on the WL

Thank you so much for the information! I do have some time after we dock before needing to head to the airport. So I probably will head over to the French Quarter and check it out for a little while.

I hope your friends get a call and can get booked. I did hear about one person getting a call so maybe there are some recent cancellations. Again, thanks!

when you land at Armstrong Airport, pick up a copy of Gambit Magazine prior to going downstairs to baggage claim and it will give you a guide about the FQ Festival with special focus on which food booths have the best value taste of New Orleans and which artists to check out on Sunday...the crowds are HUGE (remember it's free) on Sunday (the last day) so with limited time one needs a guide to pick & choose your spots wisely

I would suspect that as it gets closer to final payment time, Tom's team knows how many WL folks they will be able to clear...since my friends live 30 minutes from the pier, they will not have to worry about air or pre cruise hotel

the 2017 official French Quarter Festival poster was just released and it is AWESOME...go online to view it and while you are at the Festival on Sunday you might purchase one and have the artist (Tony Green) sign it and then take it home and frame it ...it will increase in value over the years and be a reminder of your FV in New Orleans

Just wanted to report another cruise "sold out" -- The second 2018 Smooth Jazz Cruise (March 10, 2018 on Celebrity Summit) is now "waitlist only"! :cool:

probably before the first full day at sea was over on this sailing...now the time will go very quickly for you

probably before the first full day at sea was over on this sailing...now the time will go very quickly for you

LOL -- Oh Man, with over 400 days to go -- I surely hope that you are right! :p

you sound like my Grandson about Christmas:cool:...if you know someone that was on either sailing of the SJC this year, have them email you enough photos to make a calendar (both old school that you can hang on your wall over your cruise suitcase that should be always opened and new tech online so when you open your laptop your screen saver will be a different artist every time you sign on) that you can benchmark milestones in your countdown (don't think days left until you cruise...think shrinking balance left to pay off, new CD released by the artists on the ship)...if you don't already, subscribe to Smooth Jazz News do now so every month you will receive an issue in the mail that will always feature many of your favorite artists that will be on the ship)...at your 6 month countdown week, plan a SJC theme party and invite all your friends & neighbors (and invite your personal travel agent to organize a group booking for 2019 and earn yourself a free cabin) to make a small donation to one of the favorite charities of the artists on the ship (go to their websites or FB pages) and you can play a version of SJC Trivia with prizes of CD's of the artists...when you make it fun, the time will pass quickly...a Boney James screen saver should help you pass the time

my friends just return from the Celebrity Summit for the full charter "The 80's Cruise" and LOVED the ship which they said was perfect for the music presentations ...fixed early/late dining times..nice lido deck area for outdoor concerts..ample seating for the shows, great food, nice cabins....so it should be a perfect venue for the SJC

my friends just return from the Celebrity Summit for the full charter "The 80's Cruise" and LOVED the ship which they said was perfect for the music presentations ...fixed early/late dining times..nice lido deck area for outdoor concerts..ample seating for the shows, great food, nice cabins....so it should be a perfect venue for the SJC

Hattack -- that's great news! I love Summit, and thought that it would be the perfect venue for the Smooth Jazz Cruise. :)

Would love to hear something from the folks who took the 2017 SJC, last month. From what I was reading on their r/c, it sounded like Summit was going to the opposite extreme: no fixed dining times, just assigned (early or late) show times. Hopefully, the folks who are booked on the early (Feb) 2018 SJC will get more detailed info, before their cruise. (And, they'll come back and clue-in those of us on the March 2018 sailing). :cool:

Pretty late responding...sorry about that. My thoughts and feelings are the same. I have been a very happy and satisfied cruiser of SJC for 5 years. Only went on supercruise to expand my horrizons and see what the hoopla was all about.

All that to say I'm still pissed!

But to put this in perspective I wouldn't have gone again had the cruise been perfect! I'm more interested in the jazz artists versus R&B and singers. The artists, as always, were exquisite! Have no complaints, only praise (well, except for wanda sykes and jill scott, but artists can have a bad day!). My preference is more instrumentals and less singing.

i can see how people who have gone on the cruise for years and love the product will give them another chance. I can't say what I'd do; it's such an emotional train wreck. i mean, this wasn't a weekend trip to Vegas that was screwed up. It was my yearly week off work and $3000 + alcohol ruined. $300 off "next time" along with scapegoating the blame is really a tough pill for me to swallow. I just don't have that kind of time and money to squander when there is a better product competing for my money.

I'll say this, I'm a very hard critique of customer service. But you can endear yourself to me by being upfront, polite, respectful, and empathetic. CJSC was none of that. They hid, letting mostly volunteers face the wrath of angry customers - which is almost worse to me than screwing customers over. They did the "i'm sorry, but" apology which as we all know is not an apology. They did not take full responsibility for the full failure of their sailing, and that the $300 off next cruise is a NCL benefit of repeat customers alludes to the top brass at the organization did not experience any "discomfort" or "monetary" hit as did their customers. Furthermore, as I hear it, a good portion of people had already signed up for 2017 cruise with non refundable deposits and monthly payments.

I say all this just to point out that CJSC handled this so very poorly before, during, and after the cruise & I cannot in good conscience say i would ever go on another, without maybe change of ownership/management.. I don't know how they could have made up for the madness for me personally, but a $300 off "next years" cruise damn sure ain't gonna do nothing but increase my blood pressure!

😐

In other news, at least we have a president in the U.S. that "will make america great again"!

😶

Oshunj...just curious, now that there has been a 2 week, post cruise cooling off period for everyone, has your perspective of the events onboard that week changed or stay the same and as a result, what (if any) actions have you taken (i.e. if you were booked for 2017 on the Breakaway did you cancel, are you looking at another competitor's offering,are you considering taking advantage of the $300 credit etc)

 

I have been following the CJSC Facebook page on their website and it appears the number of new postings per day have slowed down significantly...the page that shows the availability of 2017 cabins has not been updated so we do not know as of yet, if the negative experience has caused mass exodus from folks who were booked (or is it an indication whether they did or did not purchase travel (trip) insurance with the "cancel for any reason" rider

 

this was our 7th straight CJSC and usually by this time the website would post photos of all the performances and positive guests testimonials and videos of the artists Q&A's and most of us would be looking forward to early December when the first wave of performing artists would be announced

 

I'm not sure then even Oliva Pope (Scandal) "spin" could repair the PR damage...however after 6 straight years of incredible experiences, I would be inclined to give CJSC another chance (after taking 1-2 year break)

 

would love to know your take on it

yes we are both at the same place...so sad...after 7 straight years I am done with CJSC. for awhile..I wonder how their Soul Cruise went (they return this weekend)...did not really realize how stressful a week that was and to return home to the election results was doubly depressing...I'll check back with you in early September to see how you are feeling...happy Mardi Bras

my friends just return from the Celebrity Summit for the full charter "The 80's Cruise" and LOVED the ship which they said was perfect for the music presentations ...fixed early/late dining times..nice lido deck area for outdoor concerts..ample seating for the shows, great food, nice cabins....so it should be a perfect venue for the SJC

Would love to hear something from the folks who took the 2017 SJC, last month.

There were a couple of snapshots in that thread from people on The Jazz Cruise, and my own potted summary was in these posts on the HAL forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=52269639#post52269639 and http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=52277190#post52277190.