Capital Jazz Supercruise 2012

[Hermitage1]

Ah, yes. Hattack. I do remember that. That was a great afternoon.

I will make certain that I check the schedule first. I do want to get to get to the french side and planned to go early so hopefully, I will not miss anything.

 

Good suggestion.

[Ms411]

That's a good point, and it's a reminder about what I don't like about this cruise. Hattack, you always manage to remind me.

 

I doubt that I'll be running back to the ship for a performance. I need to stretch out on land or I get sluggish. I'm not a walking/running round the track type person so I need my.port time to get recharged.

[akwaaba]

I plan on having a great time, but this cruise is starting to bug me. I don't check facebook everyday but I noticed this excursion there today.

 

To our 2012 SuperCruisers: Join co-hosts LALAH HATHAWAY & ERIC ROBERSON for our Party Boat excursion on October 23 during our SuperCruise port stop in Antigua.

 

 

Anyone knows if I can cancel if I sign up for the excursion, I have no way of asking my cabin mate until tomorrow if she wants to do this. I wish I knew the excursions Carnival will offer as well as what else Capital Jazz will offer so I can make an informed decision; we really should have the booking number by now and other information.

 

This is only the 2nd full charter cruise I've taken SJC being this first and it was so much better organized.

[hattack]

I agree with you...I am not a member of Facebook and if I did not have access to it thru the CJ page, I would not have never known about the special excursions, less alone sign up for any of them

 

I am sure the folks at Capital Jazz have received alot of feedback about this specific issue and are probably working on a "fix". The golf and tennis tournaments are really not an issue because historically very small numbers sign up....Nick, Gerald, Eric and Lalah may be doing double sessions by the time we receive our FunPass packet on friday

[Myrtlewood]

Your comment indicating that "if you wanted to see musicians, you would go to a jazz festival on land" and " you want to experience what the islands have to offer" gives me the "sense" that perhaps you did not understand why you and your cabinmates are paying so much more $$$$ then on a normal cruise.

You are paying a premium for the opportunity to not only see them perform but to interact with them in various settings and be immersed in the music for 8 days/nights. The reason why you are on the ship is for the music and the artists, ports of call are secondary.

This is not your "normal" cruise, and I hope that you and your cabinmates attend the friday night pre-cruise party at the Marriot and meet your fellow cruisers (about 75% have been on a previous SuperCruise) and find out why so many, once they experience one full charter music theme cruise, they never go back to a "regular" cruise (we would all be bored out of our minds).

I encourage you to embark on this adventure with an open mind and enjoy what it has to offer

FYI..there is no "playbook" about full charter theme cruises. Each is tailored to the unique interest of the specific group and the specifications of the promoter. My brother goes on the High Seas Biker Cruise (motorcycle lovers) every year which is 180 degrees different then the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage. According to cruise theme finders website there are over 500 full charter or large groups theme cruise sailings every year, which should is an indication of how popular they are. Theme cruises also have the highest repeat % in the industry

 

My husband and I cruised one time prior to the CapitalJazz and I will never go on another "regular" cruise. My only consideration would be a 1-2 week Alaskan or European cruise. And I would HAVE to go with a group! :-)

[Myrtlewood]

Thanks for the update, pfunkbail. I'm beginning to get excited again.

 

I have been reading the board occasionally but getting extremely excited now that the cruise is a few weeks away!!!!!!

[Myrtlewood]

Greetings Capital Jazz Crusiers!

Hope that you are all excited because I am!!!

 

I have been reading with interest all of your posts and I must say to Ms 411, I honestly hope and expect that you will really enjoy yourself on this cruise. This is only my second one. I went last year for the first time. I had a fabulous time.

 

Actually, I did not listen to Hattack's advice last year about taking a nap in the middle of the day each day and ended up having a bout of the shakes by the Wednesday and got ill just in time for the 70's night and Sinbad's performance. My Problem - I was trying to see everything and did not want to go to sleep or take a nap.:-) (It was all so incredible to be amongst all of the talent on board and to be with people who were all just enjoying themselves) I just could not pull myself out of the bed because my body was so exhausted. I was fine by the next day and ready to go again. (Moral of the story......Make certain that you make yourself get some rest)

 

There is so much to do and see from the time that you rise in the morning until the time that you go to bed......in the morning. :-)

 

I found that the Island stops were the perfect way to relax my mind from so much activity. I have been to them all before so a bit of light shopping and a good meal at a local restaurant does me well and I am ready to mingle and listen to some more exceptional entertainment when we board the ship again.

 

It will all work out in the end and you will have a great time.

 

Bet you'll get some rest this time! I could not imagine attending all of the events. We attended in 2010 when our children were 5 and 3 yrs old. I was exhausted boarding the ship!!! We were not interested in excursions, although we did participate in the tennis tournament(I won-lol).

 

Will probably do the same this year, look at the schedule in advance and pick all of our MUSTS. I would like to stay up for some of the midnight sessions this year but better do it earlier in the trip. Must get rest because On October 29th, my life returns to normal with early rising and taking 2 children to school.

[Myrtlewood]

Thanks, Hermitage. I'm sure I'll have a good time, and thanks for the sleep/rest tips. I don't nap well, so I'll have to figure out an alternate schedule, which is why waiting for the lineup schedule is killing me. I also know it's important to drink lots of water, or the heat will definitely drain you, so I need to pack at least one water bottle that I can refill with tap water. May also bring my portable fan for use on the concerts on the pool deck during the day. I've never hung out at the pool during a cruise, so this will be the first.

 

Bring a hat!!! The deck was HOT!!! Shame on me, I have a form of lymphoma which affects my skin and I was burnt for months(no hat or sunglasses). Thanks for reminding me of the hot deck! People were boarding the ship with bottled waters, didn't know you could bring water?!? May be a good option for me.

 

Like you, I only nap when sick. And my husband is very calm so we were worn out by the evening both sleep by midnight/1 am each night.

[Myrtlewood]

Lots of sunscreen and a wide hat that ties under your chin because the breeze off the ocean while the ship is moving is strong and the sun is brutal at 1pm..the best shade is right off the buffet where there are tables and an overhead but those spots go quickly and you will be looking up to the deck that has the musicians and the extra wide lido screen and the music will go over your head...second best spot is the pool or the hot tubs

If you notice the pics on the website, the open decks are packed (3000+) for the 1pm concerts but there is plenty of room to move around and dance and folks are not chair hogs (10 minutes before there is an announcement made about seats not occupied)...on SuperCruise IV when Chuck Brown performed the open decks were packed at 9 am for a 1 pm concert and whenJeffrey Osborne performed nobody moved until he sang the last note of his last song.

If you are not a fan of the group performing it's a great time to schedule a spa treatment or eat a nice leisure lunch in the MDR (both will be open and empty) visit the casino or onboard shops

Don't forget the Freedom has a close circuit tv system so you can watch the main shows in your cabin the next day (or very late that same night)

 

Jeffrey Osborne was awesome and yes, the deck was packed. The most irritating aspect of the cruise were people saving seats. Towels on every seat by 10am. And folks saving seats for others who were not even present 30mins after a show started. We met another couple the first night of the cruise and hung out most evenings with them. We helped each other out with seats and dinner lines but not to the extreme.

[Myrtlewood]

I am ready this time! ;) I am going to nap just before going for dinner so that I can hang all night.

 

Ms 411, the water bottle is a great idea. Last year I actually brought with me the clear refillable bottles that you can get from GNC. They have a cap that has a charcoal filter on it so that you can sanitize the water as you are drinking it. But, I had no problem with the water that was on the ship. It was clear and delicious and I drank many a glass while up on the pool deck shaking my groove thing.

 

Awesome advice regarding the refillable bottles.

[Myrtlewood]

Still looking for someone to join us on an art gallery tour in St z Martin. If not, I have to plan something else. My St Martin friends are expecting me to hike, but my cabin mates aren't hikers. Let me see if I can get somebody to show them the French side while I go off by myself...

 

I love hiking!!!

[Myrtlewood]

make sure when you receive your FunPass enrollment packet this weekend that you review the daily performance schedule of the artists. Last year FourPlay performed on the lido deck at 4pm while we were in port and not schedule to sail until 7 pm. (due to their touring schedule which required them to leave.for Europe that evening). By having the performance schedule in advance, folks were able to adjust the time they returned to our ship from their excursions.

It was fun to watch the expressions of the guests on the other ships in port as they were sailing away looking at 3000+ SuperCruisers on the pool desk enjoying live jazz with FourPlay.

 

And you have to consider dining options. Some were complaining about missing early dining due to excursions!!

[Myrtlewood]

I agree with you...I am not a member of Facebook and if I did not have access to it thru the CJ page, I would not have never known about the special excursions, less alone sign up for any of them

 

I am sure the folks at Capital Jazz have received alot of feedback about this specific issue and are probably working on a "fix". The golf and tennis tournaments are really not an issue because historically very small numbers sign up....Nick, Gerald, Eric and Lalah may be doing double sessions by the time we receive our FunPass packet on friday

 

My husband is highly agitated with the organization this year. We had problems with not receiving invoices or newsletters. We had to contact CJ via several emails and calls before receiving a response. Our first SuperCruise was hassle free.

[Ms411]

CJ tells too many lies. Don't tell us you're going to notify us by email, and then post on Facebook before you send an email.

 

I'm not letting my cabin mates know about the Antigua party, because I don't want to change our plans.

 

CJ needs to "fix" too many things to get my business again. I don't like the way they do business, and won't cruise with them again. They're not the only ones who can throw a party.

[hattack]

Myrtlewood....seat saving on deck and the main showroom and limited seating for the midnight jam sessions (due to holding in the smaller lounge) were huge issues on SuperCruise 4.

On SuperCruise 5, midway thru the week due to high demand, the midnight jam session was moved to the main showroom for the balance of the cruise and this year all sessions will be held in the main showroom. Seat saving last year was less of an issue in part due to constant announcements and folks working together. Returning cruisers understand the process and plan accordingly

SuperCruise IV was my first with Capital Jazz and was the first SuperCruise to be held on Carnival (previous three years was on Royal Caribbean out of Baltimore). My 7 previous full charter music cruises had been on much smaller ships with fewer artists and 1000 fewer cruisers, and each cruise had it's share of operational/logistic challenges but all is forgotten and forgiven when the music is great and the weather is smooth. Last year, SuperCruise 5 on the Valor there was a hurricane in the Gulf, which presented huge challenges including missing a port (Belize) really rough seas and logistical challenges about not being able to meet up with several artists who were to board enroute, yet, Capital Jazz staff, the guests and the artists roll with it and had a great time.

Capital Jazz is smart enough to listen and respond to guests concerns and incorporate into their planning process for their next cruise. This will also be their third straight year on a Conquest class ship (Liberty, Valor, Freedom), which all have the exact same layout which allows them to implement lessons learned. Returning guests (a very high% btw) board with the expectation that every year will be even better then the year before and yet count on a certain aspects of the experience to be the same. We also know that each cruise will present a new challenge so we are flexible and roll with it, but expect not to see it crop up again on a future cruise

Ms411 is correct, there are other ones that "can throw a party" Most folks that do these types of music charters find a "party" they like and are loyal to them in spite of the logistical challenges

[hattack]

I happen to notice that we have longer port times on our SuperCruise as compared to a normal Carnival sailing

Antigua 8 am - 8 pm (normal 8 am - 6 pm)

St. Lucia 8 am - 530 pm (normal 8 am - 500 pm)

St. Marteen 9 am - 8 pm (normal 7 am -5 pm)

I would suspect this is due in part to the logistics of schedules. for the artists getting on/off the Freedom at Antigua and St. Marteen (most but not all of the artists stay with us for the entire 8 days), Guests benefit by having more time ashore at each port, so even if there is a late afternoon scheduled concert (we will know by this weekend), you are not "losing time" at any port and Carnival sponsored shore excursions will not be impacted and it gives the Capital Jazz staff the flexibilty to add extra sections to the artist's sponsored excursions if needed

I suspect that we are going to have a late night concert (perhaps 70's night with George Clinton and PFunk) on the lido deck on Wednesday when we leave St. Lucia so the later arrival in St. Marteen is a gift so everyone can sleep in...lol...

I've been playing around with a new cruise port schedule "app". which indicates there will very few if any other ships in port at the same time we are. My cabinmate, who loves to shop, tells me that is a very good thing....lol

[Ms411]

There will be an RCI ship with us on St Martin.

 

Looking for fun, on-island happy hours in Antigua and St Martin.

[akwaaba]

Ms411 is correct, there are other ones that "can throw a party" Most folks that do these types of music charters find a "party" they like and are loyal to them in spite of the logistical challenges

 

 

I agree that everyone have logistical challenges, but waiting to the last minute to give the booking numbers shouldn't be one of them. Until you get the Carnival booking number, you can't be 100% certain you have a cabin. I'm not implying that something is amiss with CJ, but it's just not good practice in general when booking cruises to wait so long to receive it.

 

On my SJC which was the 3rd week in January, I had my booking number well before Christmas allowing my kids to use it to buy 2 of my Christmas gifts.

[Ms411]

Since CJ has a 15 day window for you to cancel, I assume that the cabins that came available were those who didn't finish paying. I'd love to talk to one of those who may have lost their deposit and possibly other payments.

 

One of the reasons my true.d chose Capital Jazz is because they had a history, so she figured they knew what they were doing, and there wouldn't be service issues. She went to the Jazz Fest in Baltimore, and did not have a good time, because the logistics were so bad in her opinion.

 

I would have preferred the New Orleans Jazz cruise, but when I found that one, it was their inaugural cruise so she didn't want to chance it. I'm hoping they'll offer it again next year, because I'd love to support them.

 

This is why people like traveling with me - I make sure everybody has a good time, because I know my friends' interests, and research things for them to do that suit their interests. I plan down to every detail, so all they have to do is print their instructions and be on their way.

 

My companions on this trip feel comfortable because they know what they'll be doing at each stop and how much it's going to cost them. They may be sleep because of the partying, but they'll at least have time off the shop and they'll meet some locals which is what they want to do.

 

You have so much more control on a traditional cruise, and you give that up on CJ.

[hattack]

the other ship in port with us in St. Marteen is the Freedom of the Seas (RCI) which is bigger then our Freedom. It's always fun to be in the shopping areas listening to cruisers comparing ships and the onboard activities and entertainment

[Ms411]

You can't compare a regular cruise to a specialty cruise. It's not the same thing.

 

If we were to stay on the Carnival ship for the next sailing, prices start at approx $399 last time I checked. Huge price difference, and though the star performers won't.be on the next voyage, it's still the same ship with the same food and maybe excursions.

 

I am obsessed with details, so when this cruise is over I'll be posting full, detailed reviews all over the Internet. There weren't many for CJ when we started looking, so we didn't have much to go on other than word of mouth. Consumers deserve more info and that's why my screen name is Ms411.

[1Sharpe1]

Hi Hattack, Pfunkbail, MS411, Akwaaba, Myrtlewood! I read your recent comments about the recently posted excursions CJ just listed. The party boat excursion w/ Eric Roberson & Layla Hathaway is simply the same excursion the ship offers on a normal cruise. I also emailed CJ and asked if either of them would be doing any type of performance at anytime throughout that particular excursion and they said no. So there is no difference except they'll physically be on the same party boat as you or whomever decides to book. The same thing goes with the horseback riding, it's the same excursion the ship offers on a normal cruise. If you would just go to Carnival Cruises and bring up that ship then bring up destination of Antigua etc you can see all of the different excursions that route offers. Just do a little bit of research.

 

Another thing is that Hattack is correct. I have been on many cruises and lately I've been on many chartered cruises. Starting in 2007 I did the Festival at Sea Cruise (FAS) in August 2007. In October 2008 & 2009 I did the Capital Jazz Super Cruise. In 2009 & 2010 I did the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (LRBC). YOU can choose to either do some, none, or all if you can possibly do all. It's up to you and just because you don't have a booking number at this time shouldn't stop you from knowing whether you do or don't want to do something. Also sometimes it's fun to just wing it and see what happens when the time comes! On the LRBC cruises and FAS cruises, both these companies are into their 20th or more cruise. Therefore they are well versed in getting out booking numbers etc in a quicker time. I do agree we should have them by now, but I'm not worried about it one bit. It's all good! I do think that Capital Jazz needs to hire more staff and if they did so they'd be more organized and efficient, but they're doing something right because they do normally sell out.

 

Hattack, you are also correct when you say that the cabins that are now available are cabins that people lost who didn't finish paying in full on time. How do I know because I got a balcony cabin way late in the game when many on this Board were saying no one else would be able to get on. So I hope everyone has a good time, I know I will cause I'm gonna wing it as I like during sometime and plan during the other times! See y'all in about two weeks time! Rebecca

[Ms411]

Why does this cruise seem like the Twilight Zone to me? Yes, 1sharp1, the excursions may be the same, but pricing may vary since CJ can guarantee a minimum. I'd also like to know times, so I can make the most of my day.

 

You can't do research without all the options, and that's where CJ comes up short, IMO.

[akwaaba]

Hi Hattack, Pfunkbail, MS411, Akwaaba, Myrtlewood! I read your recent comments about the recently posted excursions CJ just listed. The party boat excursion w/ Eric Roberson & Layla Hathaway is simply the same excursion the ship offers on a normal cruise. I also emailed CJ and asked if either of them would be doing any type of performance at anytime throughout that particular excursion and they said no. So there is no difference except they'll physically be on the same party boat as you or whomever decides to book. The same thing goes with the horseback riding, it's the same excursion the ship offers on a normal cruise. If you would just go to Carnival Cruises and bring up that ship then bring up destination of Antigua etc you can see all of the different excursions that route offers. Just do a little bit of research.

 

Another thing is that Hattack is correct. I have been on many cruises and lately I've been on many chartered cruises. Starting in 2007 I did the Festival at Sea Cruise (FAS) in August 2007. In October 2008 & 2009 I did the Capital Jazz Super Cruise. In 2009 & 2010 I did the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (LRBC). YOU can choose to either do some, none, or all if you can possibly do all. It's up to you and just because you don't have a booking number at this time shouldn't stop you from knowing whether you do or don't want to do something. Also sometimes it's fun to just wing it and see what happens when the time comes! On the LRBC cruises and FAS cruises, both these companies are into their 20th or more cruise. Therefore they are well versed in getting out booking numbers etc in a quicker time. I do agree we should have them by now, but I'm not worried about it one bit. It's all good! I do think that Capital Jazz needs to hire more staff and if they did so they'd be more organized and efficient, but they're doing something right because they do normally sell out.

 

 

You can research all you want about the varies excursions, but you need the booking number to know which ones will be available on your cruise, I know that every one listed may not be; but not having my booking number has not stopped me from researching.

 

As I mentioned before, having the booking number also confirms that you have a cabin onboard that cruise. I know someone who was all packed and paid in full without a cabin (crooked travel agent).

 

I don't mind winging some things, my friends who have gone on this cruise before warned me about the lack of organization and told me it would all workout, but with the money I'm paying everthing shouldn't have to be winged.

[Ms411]

Akwaaba, I agree with you 100%, and your post is the first I'd heard that they're unorganized. I suspected this wasn't the first time there had been issues, but you're the only person who's indicated that it's CJ' M.O.

 

I went ahead and booked our excursions direct. No way would I wait for CJ.