KiwiRonE

A happy New Year to you all - and now we're just three weeks away from sailing on the 2014 jazz cruise. Wow!

In my previous post (November 27) I asked if anyone had submitted their choice of artists for the 2015 cruise to Michael Lazaroff. Nobody replied, which surprises me a great deal. Or are you all simply being coy?

This year's cruise is going to be a real blast and my wife and I look forward to meeting you (some for the second time) in three weeks time.

To those who haven't read the earlier posts, there is another thread discussing this year's jazz cruise. Please check it out if you haven't already done so.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1866908

By now everyone will have received ECP's e-mail informing us of our booking numbers. Hurrah! It's a sign we're within 60 days or so of sailing on the 2014 jazz cruise.

In the same e-mail Michael Lazaroff asked who we wanted to perform aboard the 2015 cruise. I hope you're all brimming with the names of your favorite jazz artists. Even though Michael requested our preferences, I'm certain that the sheer number of artists recommended by up to 2,000 cruisers will give him and ECP quite a headache.

Here's my wish list, in no particular order and limited in number to avoid too many artists in any single instrumental category:

Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Joey DeFrancesco, Richard Galliano, Christian McBride or Nathan East, Steven Gadd or Harvey Mason, Anthony Wilson, Harry Connick Jr or Norah Jones.

To prove my parochalism I also included a small number from Australia and New Zealand: James Morrison, Hank Marvin, Nathan Haines, Rodger Fox and Erna Ferry.

Marvin is the former lead guitarist of Cliff Richard's backing group, The Shadows. English-born and now living in Australia, he's an exponent of gypsy jazz a la Django Reinhart.

OK, I could go on...and on...but will leave you with just those names.

Who else has sent Michael a wish list?

I apologise if my posts have recently wandered a little off topic. But there are reasons for discussing general jazz topics here as well as the Ft Lauderdale jazz cruise. Although doubtless there are threads elsewhere dealing with Alaskan cruises and jazz in New Orleans, I think it’s worthwhile encouraging discussion and feedback on these topics as well as jazz in general, not just for the benefit of the newbies, but for all those who appreciate the music we love and consider its enjoyment as one the best things in life.

I’m looking forward to January’s sailing because it will introduce me to a number of artists I’ve yet to see performing live. Apart from the regulars who perform each year or the few who visit NZ, I seldom get an opportunity both to see and hear some of the greatest names in the business, especially those who have kept the music alive through thick and thin.

Hattack...thanks for the offer to show my wife and I the sights of New Orleans. We’re seriously considering a visit to attend the Jazz and Heritage festival, or en route to another jazz cruise or to visiting our daughter in South America. Subject to our keeping good health and other contingencies, 2015 would be the earliest opportunity to visit.

rtdiva...thanks for sharing your memories of an Alaskan cruise. What a great time it must have been for you and Bob to enjoy a family get together in those surrounds. We’d like to sail there, too, and are thinking about the Dave Koz jazz cruise next September, which would combine our love of jazz and cruising.

Whatever we decide to do, I’m sure we will have plenty of things to talk about in January.

Kind regards, Ron

...Hi Hattack, I'm pleased you enjoyed the Capital Jazz Supercruise and noted on its website that a few of the performers aboard were on the 2012 Smooth Jazz Cruise as well. As mentioned a while ago, my tastes in jazz are more limited than yours - but I certainly appreciated the artistry and audience-pleasing performances (if not the pumped-up volume) of those playing during my one and only smooth jazz cruise.

I note that Dave Koz is hosting an Alaskan cruise next September. Although he's probably more into smooth than straight-ahead jazz (am I right?) I still wouldn't mind being on that cruise, because my wife and I have a cruise to that part of the world on our bucket list. Combining an Alaskan and jazz cruises would give us the best of both worlds, would it not? Chris Botti, one of my favorite trumpeters, is among the guest artists.

From memory I think you've been on a Dave Koz cruise, but have you or other viewers ever been on an Alaskan cruse? Some feedback would indeed be appreciated.

You recently mentioned the Malt Shop cruise. That's another one we'd like to do before we're decrepit or walking around with zimmer frames - it would be far too difficult to sing along and jump around to the music if we ever get to that stage, LOL.

Choices, choices, choices...

Cheers

Ron

My wife and I watched the Eurodam leaving Ft Lauderdale last Sunday (10 Nov) from the comfort of our home in NZ via the port's webcam (http://www.portevergladeswebcam.com), the time difference being 18 hours, i.e. Sun 4pm FLL = Mon 10am NZ.

The first ships to depart that day were HAL's Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam followed by Carnival Freedom, Royal Princess and finally the Allure of the Seas.

It certainly created a measure of excitement here to know we'll be joining you all aboard the Eurodam in about 75 days from now. For us, the jazz cruise will mark the end of our trip abroad - and what a way to finish a vacation, eh?

We start our trip with a cruise to the Western Caribbean aboard the Allure in just over a month's time. Which leads me to ask whether any of you have sailed the Allure, and, if so, what were your impressions? Cruise critic forums seem to indicate a generally favourable response by those who have sailed on her, but I'm hoping to hear from some of you seasoned jazz cruisers as well. Is it a case of sailing on too big a ship to really enjoy everything aboard?

Thanks

Ron

There are currently two CC threads which talk about the 2014 Jazz Cruise; this one and another at...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1866908

Does anyone else think that we should direct our postings to just one of the threads instead of both? I ask the question because rtdiva in the other thread (listed above) was disappointed that we had so few CC conversations from jazz lovers.

As of today this thread had just 8 posts and the other 43. But this thread had 1695 views and other 443. Strangely, there are fewer posts here but more viewers!

I've posted this message on the other thread as well to see if there's a preference about posting our messages in one or the other instead of both. Or doesn't it matter too much?

Cheers

Ron

For those who might be interested in ECP's European jazz cruise next year, I've just started a new thread to discuss it:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1917490

Cheers

Ron

Greetings from New Zealand. My wife and I are sailing the jazz cruise next January and it will be our third straight-ahead jazz cruise. We've also sailed one smooth jazz cruise.

We can't speak highly enough about the depth and breadth of the quality jazz and the 'vibes' the cruises produced year after year. It's a week long festival at sea incorporating not just the live jazz but also interviews and discussions, including question-and-answer sessions involving the audience and the artists.

For many die-hard fans, the ports of call almost seem irrelevant.

We hope to see you there.