Freedom of the Seas, May 3, 2015 Not available for booking?

I'd be paying $5100 for a balcony on Capital Jazz by myself - and considering next year's the 10th Anniversary, I may be tempted to splurge on that! :)

I've had a balcony on TJFV before but it was 3 of us. We paid $2175 a piece.

Awesome!! I usually fly solo. I found out the hard way that I'm really not suited for roommates, especially in small spaces. Single cabins on CapJazz are pretty awesome, but for a 10th Anniversary sailing, I think I'd like a little more oomph to my cruising. So - time to pinch some pennies, because I'm on that ship anyway, but it'll take some budget magic to make it happen for a balcony!

One of the many aspects that I enjoy about the Capital Jazz Supercruise is that everyone has equal access to all the artists...I notice the couple in the clip had paid "extra"above and beyond (the outrageous cabin rate)for an "exclusive" VIP experience (reception) with Maxwell onboard...on the SuperCruise it does not matter whether one paid for an inside cabin on deck 1 or suite on deck 10, everyone is treated like a VIP....artists that have the reputation of being a Diva or travel with an entourage (their people) do not generally do well on these types of cruises

In past SuperCruises we have had a Celebrity Auction where the high bidder has dinner with their favorite artist and attend the main show with them...big difference is the auction is for charity, check is written directly to the designated charity and you receive the proper form for your taxes as part of your receipt

It is going to be hard enough for these folks to be refunded for the cost of their cabin, less alone a VIP exclusive option

I noticed that as well. And it's unrealistic - don't they think that artists will mingle with attendees of their own accord? You're on a ship for 7-8 days. Unless all the artists will have security, it's completely ridiculous to limit access to them to those who paid the VIP surcharge or to give them a little "extra access" - I think they tried to include seating in the first six rows in that VIP price - because come on, if you're on a ship like that, you'll be socializing with the artists anyway.

I think I remember whom you mean, Hattack... Short version: one particular artist came into the Lido restaurant with his entourage, and honestly, impressed no one. I saw more than one raised eyebrow. I mean, dude, you're having breakfast. You don't need security on staff. I don't think he'll ever be invited back, and won't miss him either.

Kudos to the Capital Jazz folks for selecting artists who appreciate that guests spend their hard earned $$$ for the privilege, not only to see them perform but interact with them for 8 days/nights in a confined space (cruise ship)...just because an artist is popular does not mean that they would be a "fit" for the charter.....in turn, guests extend a great amount of respect & love to the artists to give them privacy when they are with their spouse eating or understanding that they are sharing the artist with 3000+ fans so interactions are kept short but memorable...there is a "trust" factor in play that makes it work for all parties involved......long after the cruise has ended, every time you hear a song by the artist you think about the cruise and have a warm memory of an interaction (conversation, picture with, a memorable concert moment with them), so everyone feels like a VIP without having to pay a "premium" on top of your cabin fare

My sense is that the folks who paid for the Maxwell charter (long after their $$$ is refunded, if ever) are most disappointed about being denied the experience on being in a shared space with their favorite artists for 8 days/nights....hopefully once they receive their refunds they will still have time to sail with us this October on Capital Jazz

Hey to all is going through trying to get your money back from the canceled Maxwell Cruise. I just want to share with you all that my credit card company (Sony) went after the promoters bank account and within 2 weeks they refunded the total amount to Sony which in turn refunded all my $6490.00 back on my credit card. I had a balance due to payment every month to my credit card I charged the total amount to of $4300.00 which Sony is sending me a check in 2 weeks for. I just talked to them an hour ago and they did it all when I ask them to dispute that charge with BTWatsea. So they do have money in their account to pay people back some where. If you paid with a credit card or something, have your credit card or bank dispute the charge for you and they will get your money back for you. Hope this helps some good people that paid their hard earned money for that cruise that never happened. Thanks and God Bless you all...

Hey to all is going through trying to get your money back from the canceled Maxwell Cruise. I just want to share with you all that my credit card company (Sony) went after the promoters bank account and within 2 weeks they refunded the total amount to Sony which in turn refunded all my $6490.00 back on my credit card. I had a balance due to payment every month to my credit card I charged the total amount to of $4300.00 which Sony is sending me a check in 2 weeks for. I just talked to them an hour ago and they did it all when I ask them to dispute that charge with BTWatsea. So they do have money in their account to pay people back some where. If you paid with a credit card or something, have your credit card or bank dispute the charge for you and they will get your money back for you. Hope this helps some good people that paid their hard earned money for that cruise that never happened. Thanks and God Bless you all...

Glad you got your money back! Hope others will too.

And welcome to CruiseCritic!

Thanks for the update...hopefully everyone impacted will be made whole quickly....the timing bodes well for many of the Maxwell guests to still have their dream music vacation this year and enjoy many of their favorite artists by joining us on the Capital Jazz SuperCruise 9 in October...our cruise just sold out earlier this week but there is a very active waitlist for cabins to open up due to "change in plans" or "financial challenges".....also it would position one for being in a sound financial position to secure a prime cabin location & Early Bird Pricing for Capital Jazz SuperCruise 10th Anniversary sailing. (which should be extra special. & will sell out very quickly) when it opens for sale in the next few months .. our line up is still in the process of being announced for this year and may have a few surprises that will please guests from the Maxwell line up (fingers crossed)

Hopefully everything will work out

Thank you all for your kind words in congratulating me in getting my money back. I too hope and pray all involved in this matter get their money back so they can plan for their next cruises or vacations as the spring/summer months approach us. As far as planning another cruise through anyone else, it will be hard press for me to trust anyone else though web sites in planning for another cruise. This has truly put a bad taste in me and my wife mouth in paying for another cruise through the internet. If any of you know where I can go and talk to a person face to face in planning any other cruises, please let me know. I think I will go though a travel agency to plan the next one but we are open to looking at something else that we will for sure vet to the upmost before putting up this kind of money again. I have to believe others that has went or going through this must feel the same way. For sure, anything with the name of BTW or Maxwell on it, we will be out from the start. It will take a long time to get over the anger in me for this. Thanks

Understand your position (once burnt) at this point...the good news is there are several travel agencies that specialize in organizing. large groups for both Jazz Festivals & Music Charter Cruises that have excellent working relationships with established promoters for many years.

If you already have a long term relationship with a travel agency (or travel agent) start with them but your 1st question should be how many of their clients have they sent on Music Charter Cruises....you might also ctc your favorite local Jazz radio station or Jazz Club that you patronize for help...if you subscribe to a Jazz Magazine ( i.e. Smooth Jazz News),

they are a good source to identify travel agencies that specializes in Jazz groups

IMHO the best reference is speaking with friends, neighbors or coworkers who have actually been on a full charter music cruise....a good sign is if they have been on the same charter more then once...forums like CC are a good source to gain an additional perspective...if you had posted that you were ****** considering**** the Maxwell Charter, we would have cautioned you that the price was way out of line with what the market place dictates and could have recommended alternatives based upon your musical taste

Sadly, BTW has left a bad taste for those that placed faith & their hard earned $$$ for a music vacation cruise of a lifetime, but it should not discourage you.....9 straight sell outs on Capital Jazz might be a great place to start....lol

Thanks Hattack for some good advice. Let me talk it over with the wife and see which direction she wants to take. I will let her read your conversation to me on this matter also. Hopefully when the dust settles we may see you on one of the cruises you have talk about. Thanks again and will post our decision on what we are going to do soon..

You are welcome....there is a thread on the CC Roll Call board for the Carnival Liberty (Oct 24th CJSC9) for our cruise that you are invited to join and gain additional information....the postings will pick up after the Capital Jazz Festival in June....if you belong to FB, please check out the Capital Jazz page which has volumes of daily activity postings

Full charter music cruises have replaced brick & mortar live Jazz Club venues.....I have been Blessed to have been on 12 Jazz music charters by various promoters and have enjoyed them all....this will be my 6th straight Capital Jazz SuperCruise and I enjoy the friendships formed by seeing folks every year and the wide variety of musical styles offered (like a great New Orleans Gumbo)

There are alot of really great established full charter music charters for you to choose from....each have very very loyal fans and usually your "first" is the one that you stick with ( because of the friendships formed as much as the musical style)...

If you choose my beloved Capital Jazz SuperCruise in Oct, I will buy you folks a drink at the SeaDay Brunch on our 1st Sunday at Sea and on the way to our Lido Deck Noon Time Tailgate Party, stop by the Capital Jazz Desk, and you can eserve your cabin for next year....fyi have you taken a look at our line up

I will hold you to that drink if I choose to go. This is me and my wife first ever cruise and since she loves music, she really wants a musical cruise to be the first to go on. No I haven't seen the line up. Can you send me a link where I can go to look or tell me where to go to see it? Thanks

Google Capital Jazz SuperCruise (http://www.capitaljazz.com/supercruise/).....easy to navigate website.....there is a highlight video from last year's cruise (yes it was as much fun as it looked) and pictures from all the past 8 cruises...I would strongly suggest calling the Capital Jazz customer service folks this weekend (they are great folks) and explain you are part of the Maxwell situation (they are fully aware of the refund situation) and they will work with you to get you onboard....also be aware that we sail every year with between 35-40 artists so many more of your favorite artists will be named to the line up in the coming weeks/months...also if you listen to your music over the internet, Capital Jazz has 2 radio stations that play in heavy rotation all of the artists that you will see perform on the cruise

You are lucky that your Wife wanted your first cruise to be a music charter...quite frankly it will spoil her to the point that she will never want to do a "regular" cruise in the near future...you will be totally immersed in the music for 8 days/nights with 3200+ like minded music fans...I would suspect your friends and coworkers who have been on cruises before (but never a full charter music cruise) have shared with you what to expect....what you will experience will be very different (in a good way)....when we are in port, it's like a regular cruise, when we have full days at sea & every night you will be in for the time of your life and when you return home your friends and coworkers will be jealous

Hopefully we will be able to continue our chat on the Roll Call thread which means you will be joining us onboard...sometimes things happen for a reason...this will be a 5 fold better experience then what you had hope for on the Maxwell cruise at a much more realistic cost

For most first time cruisers, as you do your research, there are several benchmarks that may drive your selection process or set expectations for your onboard experience (i.e. by reading threads on this CC Royal Caribbean board and talking with friends, co workers who have been on a regular cruise only) or reading the Maxwell Cruise marketing "hype"

Most experienced full charter music cruisers will share with you that our onboard experience is almost counterintuitive to conventitional thinking....some aspects you may want to share with your Bride for your first :)SuperCruise:)

-unless you suffer from claustrophobia (you did not indicate which cabin type you had reserved), an inside or oceanview cabin more then meets your needs...the reason is you are ***never**** in your cabin except to sleep, shower & afternoon catnaps , because of the concerts & activities...on full days at sea, there are alot of Lido Deck concerts and activities so you might consider an inside cabin on the 9th or 10th deck to be close to the action and the food.....for a 1st timer, you may want to request early dinner seating (assigned meal time

is driven by the concert schedule)..the reason is in the late shows we sometimes are treated to encores

- accept the reality that 1) you will not be able to see & do **all **of every concert & activity so plan on doing **alittle** of everything...you will have the opportunity to see your favorite artists perform in several different venues besides their main concert...the real treat is to discover artists you have never heard their music or see perform...2) you have to "pace" yourself daily to last the full 8 days, schedule downtime of at least 15-30 minutes before dinner to catnap or rest so you can enjoy the immersion late at night...most folks consider 0200 am an "early " time to go back to our cabins to turn in for the night

- because it is a full charter, the Capital Jazz staff plans all the onboard activities which by design are geared to our music theme so it will be very different from a regular cruise...unlikea regular cruise, Capital Jazz will send you a monthly newsletter to help prepare you for their events and you will receive a special edition onboard Fun Times nightly in your cabin for the next days activities...

- there is an incredible spirit for the week, enjoy it

Thank you all for your kind words in congratulating me in getting my money back. I too hope and pray all involved in this matter get their money back so they can plan for their next cruises or vacations as the spring/summer months approach us. As far as planning another cruise through anyone else, it will be hard press for me to trust anyone else though web sites in planning for another cruise. This has truly put a bad taste in me and my wife mouth in paying for another cruise through the internet. If any of you know where I can go and talk to a person face to face in planning any other cruises, please let me know. I think I will go though a travel agency to plan the next one but we are open to looking at something else that we will for sure vet to the upmost before putting up this kind of money again. I have to believe others that has went or going through this must feel the same way. For sure, anything with the name of BTW or Maxwell on it, we will be out from the start. It will take a long time to get over the anger in me for this. Thanks

You can always talk to Tom Joyner's reps rather than booking online. The number is (972) 980-7245. They've been doing this for a 15 years and will make you feel comfortable with booking.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Excellent point about Tom's Fantastic Voyage...as well as....Festival at Sea, Dave Koz & Friends, Legendary Rhythm & Blues, The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz, Soul Train, Malt Shop Memories Cruises as well as Capital Jazz SuperCruise...each has legends of very loyal repeat guests who would not keep returning unless they trusted they were receiving value for their vacation $$$

The Maxwell fiasco is a classic example of the free market check & balances at work...Maxwell failed because of "greed"...if you asked anyone from the above music charters or any travel agency that sends clients on music charters their response would have been "way over priced" and would pass on booking a cabin...1st time cruisers wanting a full charter music experience might not have been able to heed the Maxwell "red flags"...thankfully trip insurance & credit card travel (fraud) departments provided a "safety net" for those who booked on the Maxwell charter

If anything the Maxwell fiasco serves as a reminder to be vigilant

Excellent point about Tom's Fantastic Voyage...as well as....Festival at Sea, Dave Koz & Friends, Legendary Rhythm & Blues, The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz, Soul Train, Malt Shop Memories Cruises as well as Capital Jazz SuperCruise...each has legends of very loyal repeat guests who would not keep returning unless they trusted they were receiving value for their vacation $$$

 

The Maxwell fiasco is a classic example of the free market check & balances at work...Maxwell failed because of "greed"...if you asked anyone from the above music charters or any travel agency that sends clients on music charters their response would have been "way over priced" and would pass on booking a cabin...1st time cruisers wanting a full charter music experience might not have been able to heed the Maxwell "red flags"...thankfully trip insurance & credit card travel (fraud) departments provided a "safety net" for those who booked on the Maxwell charter

 

If anything the Maxwell fiasco serves as a reminder to be vigilant

As I said to a friend of mine after all of this went down: going to a music show is both a consumer product purchase and an investment, two in one. You're buying the ticket and seeing the show - that's the consumer-product bit - but you're also investing in the promoter and the artist. The promoter will use revenue from this show to put on other shows, and the artist will use the revenue from their shows to produce more music, both of which bolster the cycle of more music shows, more revenue, and so on. That's the investment cycle in music. And the continued shows and music production are also the return on that investment.

And, like with every consumer product, it has to be priced to sell. If a promoter doesn't price an event to sell, it won't.

This is a lesson to any music lover to carefully vet the events they're attending. They may know the artist, they may even know the venue, but what they need to see and be vigilant about is who puts these events on. A little research saves a lot, especially when it comes to music cruises.

In doing a little price research, I think Capital Jazz is the least expensive music cruise on the market right now, if I go by earlybird prices. But above that, they know what their audience looks for. And look at the results: the ship is sold out already, and the lineup isn't even complete yet. A little market research and prices to sell. Never fails.

I'm reviving this thread in case anyone is still trying to get their money back from the Maxwell and the Seven Seas.

The Attorney General of Arizona, Mark Brnovich, did settle in the case, and if you have not gotten the refund from your credit card company, then please contact the AG's office before August 20th.

Link to his statement: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/ag-brnovich-obtains-refunds-arizonans-after-canceled-concerts

The last sentence contains a link to the Assurance of Discontinuance; BTW Concerts/Alternatix and affiliates are banned from ever producing another Arizona show.

And thanks to all of you who kept on this thing from the start, because this has contributed, in no small part, to a resolution to this case.

it appears that the Attorney General of Arizona has settled the lawsuit brought against the promoter so if anyone booked on the charter that did not receive a refund to contact his office...also the promoter is banned from doing any type of business in the state

lesson learned, one should do due diligence and utilize forums such as "CC" to gain insight