Capital Jazz Supercruise 2012

[hattack]

Wow!!!! any year would be great...the poster is more then enough

 

When Sinbad has his summer soul music festivals years back, I attended the one in Aruba..I also attended a jazz festival in San Juan sponsored by Heineken and Carnival in St. Croix.

 

I have attended several jazz festivals in Europe..My goal this year is to go to Switzerland and attend the Acosta Jazz Festival which features the music and artists from New Orleans..One day, God willing, I will travel to South Africa for the Capetown International Jazz Festival

 

Of course, my alltime favorite is Woodstock..it was the summer of 69 and I was leaving for college the next month...I was very disappointed that The Family Stone did not make it to the ship, because I had my Sly Stone outfit ready

[Ms411]

But if they don't have posters, do you want something else instead??? Is it a poster or nothing?

[hattack]

Whatever your friend can find it would be great and only enhance my collection of jazz paraphernalia...photos would be great, flyers announcing jazz acts, items from a jazz club, album covers, jazz books....I would be greatful for anything and share with your friend if there is something about New Orleans jazz they would like or something you would like, I would be glad to try and locate

I've already asked my friend who is a member of Zulu, to save me a Mardi Gras Zulu Social Club parade throw (a coconut)

[Ms411]

I haven't asked my friend yet. I called a stranger first.

 

Somebody started a roll call for this cruise. Seems like mostly women are going!

[hattack]

And the problem with that would be........lol........I've notice on these cruises, that there are alot of girfriends that pool resources and come as a group and have lots of fun ...I also notice that there are alot of daughters treating their Moms to the cruise which I think is really nice...most men are with their wives or girlfriends, so an unattached man is in heaven....I also notice the groups get bigger every year..most are married and their husbands treat them to the cruise

 

I'll check out the roll call, thanks

[Ms411]

I think I'm going to cancel Capital Jazz and book the geekcruise.

[policecruiser]

Ha, ha! ME, wait until I meet others on the cruise to plan my excursions??? You must be making joke (as they say in the Caribbean).

 

I'm going to book within the next few weeks, because many excursions have limited capacity.

 

Now to find something for 70s night...

 

Are the excursions open to be booked already? I'm a planner and I would love to get that done.

[Ms411]

As much as possible, I try to book direct. Contacted Capt Alan in St Martin for boat snorkel trips. Haven't decided on others yet.

[hattack]

Capital Jazz will turn the manifest over to Carnival about a month before sailing and Carnival will assign each guest a reservation number. Capital Jazz will email you that number and then you can do your ship sponsored tours.

 

If you are going to make private arrangements for your tours you can.do it now if you like. Lots of guests make their own arrangements. Be aware however, that there might be some major performances scheduled for late in the afternoon onboard the ship (last year Fourplay performed on the lido deck at 4 pm in Cozumel and we sailed at 6 pm). We won't know the performance schedule until about 3 weeks out (you will receive an email with that information), so you might want yo schedule your tours for the morning. If there is weather in the area we may not be able to go to a specific port, so make sure you have a clear understanding with your private tour provider as to ehat happens in that case

Ms411...if you go on the Geek cruise can you bring me back a teeshirt

[Ms411]

Ha, ha. Did you think I meant Greek or geek?

 

I'm not feeling too comfortable with the Capital Jazz cruise, so I need a backup. The geek cruise sails next month, so I need another idea.

[hattack]

Perhaps I can ease your concerns if I know what they are

[Myrtlewood]

hattack

Awesome, we love Myrtle Beach!!

[Ms411]

I can't even begin to explain my concerns, especially on a public forum. I emailed Stephanie, and she tried to call and left a message. I sent her a text asking that she respond by email. I sent another email with a Monday deadline.

 

I just don't think large group tours like this are my thing.

[Myrtlewood]

Once again, great minds think alike....lol.....my basic SuperCruise warobe consist of a nice black/white outfit (theme night), my New Orleans Saints outfit (theme night), however I might change up this year to an NBA NO Hornet's outfit because the point guard for the team has the same last name as mine, and 2 pairs of slacks/knit shirts that I can mix/match

 

I do put together a new 60's or 70's theme night outfit every year that my cabin mate coordinates and during the day my warobe consist of shorts and jazz festival teeshirts that I have attended during the year...i'm able to travel with just one suitcase that I can carry on...it's nice not to have to bring a formal outfit

 

I have all the artists latest cd's downloaded on my Sony MP3 player and just bring the cd covers for them to sign....for the neo soul underground artists whose music I cannot find, I know they will bring their music to sell on the ship. Last year a few of the artists held cd release parties so we were able to obtain the cd prior to being open to sell to the public

 

Which years did you sail on the SuperCruise? We went in 2010, Jeffrey Osborne performed the football party. The 70s party outfits were hilarious.

[Myrtlewood]

Ha, ha! ME, wait until I meet others on the cruise to plan my excursions??? You must be making joke (as they say in the Caribbean).

 

I'm going to book within the next few weeks, because many excursions have limited capacity.

 

Now to find something for 70s night...

 

Consider using our group code: G607 when booking your cabin reservation on the official Capital Jazz webpage. We are entering names of those who use our group code for drawings for gift cards and a FREE 3-night stay in Myrtle Beach, SC. Our facebook page is - Travel Group - Capital Jazz SuperCruise Oct.20-29, 2012.

 

 

The cruise is a blast, hope you plan to board.

[Myrtlewood]

Does your outfit include a diaper????? lol

 

Two years ago on SuperCruise 4, on our black/white theme night Teena Marie performed at 10pm on the lido deck..she was awesome..what we did not know at the time it would be her last live performance...she died a month later...for our NFL noon time tailgate party on our first day at sea Jeffrey Osborne held a "woo-woo-woo" contest between the cities..it was so funny

Last year due to the weather we held our 70's night theme party inside on deck 5...we had a Soul Train Line best 70's outfit contest (Rerun from the 70's show What's Happening won)...all of the artists partied with us and everyone had so much fun...Chante Moore was hands down the winner of having the most pics taken with (yes, I have a great pic with her, when I got home I enlarged and matted and tell my friends dhe was my date for the cruise..my cabinmate did the same thing with her pic with Eric Benet)...we also had a 70's concert where the artists channelled artists from the 70's (Eric Benet doing Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, was my favorite)

if you look st the website you will see a pic of the lido deck noon concert with Frankie Beverly and Maze...yep, that's all 3000 of us swaying to Frankie..quite an experience..,.hint, this year if you want a good spot for Chuck Brown, stake it out by 8am

 

2010 was great. Teena Marie's concert was wonderful!!! I won the tennis tournament! lol

[hattack]

Stephanie and the whole crew at Capital Jazz are very guests oriented and will do their best to try to address your concerns. You have ten months and I have full confidence we will see you onboard

Myrtlewood..we were on SuperCruise 4&5 and looking forward to 6. We have been on different promoters smooth jazz cruises, loved them all but the SuperCruise is our favorite of all. We have booked for Dave Koz and Friends for 2013 out of Rome and had plan on skipping SuperCruise 7, but my cabin mate has told me to get an extra job and give blood so we can do both in the same calendar year..lol...

Just purchased Bob Baldwin cd Re-Vibe and Gary Taylor's cd Retro Blackness and really love both and looking forward to seeing them perform on this year's cruise. Going on these SuperCruises have really expanded my musical taste.

[Ms411]

Myrtlewood, we've already reserved.

 

Hattack, I'm in Old San Juan, and there's a thrift store not far from my hotel. Lots of albums and photos of old musicians. Classic store! I didn't see any jazz on my quick survey, but there may be in the photos.

[hattack]

Thanks for looking

[westwingjazz]

Is this the official roll call for Capital Jazz Supercruise...Is anyone as excited as I am. I hope this is the official roll call.....I ready to meet, chat, and countdown with the people I am going to spend 8 days with. This is not my first cruise...but my first theme cruise:D. My husband and I have been on many cruises....and we have enjoyed ourselves until after dinner.....we are not left with many choice but comedy clubs or techno dance. But I am in love with the idea of sailing at sea...with Jazz artists and jazz music!! This is what I call heaven on the high seas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hattack]

welcome...look under the roll call section...click on Carnival Freedom and you will find the roll call thread...but please continue to join our conversation on this thread

You guys are in for a treat on your first SuperCruise....lots of folks from your area will be on the cruise (they will be easy to spot on Sunday when we have the NFL tailgate theme party at noon on the lido deck, don't forget your Falcon jerseys)

The best way I can describe the SuperCruise is that you are taking two vacations in one week..you combine what you love about a regular cruise with a week of total immersion into jazz and soul music (or heaven as you phrase it). This year we are doing an 8 day cruise versus the normal 7 day, so it's like having a bonus day of both

Every night the cruise comes alive with musical performances in several venues around the ship. We normally don't get back to our cabin untill about 230am. You will see the artists perform in various venues multiple times during the week. You will also be treated to artists that you might not of heard of, but will become fans of (check the SuperCruise website when they post theSuperCruise Underground Lounge artists line up). On port days there are no major music events planned until late afternoon. On sea days (we have 4 this cruise) you have multiple opportunities to meet the artists at workshops, q&a sessions,celebrity cooking sessions, cd signings/picture sessions, exercise class, walking around the ship (they love to take pictures with you) etc. We will have the "Sisters Network Celebrity Auction for Breast Cancer Awareness" again this year where the winner has dinner with their celebrity. Last cruise Ken Ford raised more $$$$$$ then Chante Moore!!!!!!!!

If you have friends that have been on a SuperCruise before, they wiill tell you about the noon time concerts on the lido deck on sea days and the midnight allstar jam sessions and the fun theme nights...or you can look at the pics on the SuperCruise website. You will also be able to book for next years SuperCruise while you are on this years cruise

Feel free to ask any questions. Have you ever attended the Capital Jazz Festival the first weekend in June? I have friends that live in the Atlanta and I am working on them to come on their first SuperCruise this year

[Ms411]

hattack, here's the issue. Three of us booked for the same cabin. I was the last to book. When I made my reservation, I reminded Stephanie that I was the third party under the original reservation, and she acknowledged it. I asked her if I was going to be charged at 1/2 the quoted cabin rate, and she said yes, I woud be since I was the third to book. After my deposit cleared, she told me what my payment plan would be starting Feb 15.

 

I got my e-mail receipt for the $300 deposit, but I have nothing showing how much more I owe. Based on the payment plan Stephanie gave me over the phone, I would be paying the same fare as though we were only 2 in a cabin.

 

I e-mailed Stephanie earlier this week, and asked her to e-mail me a more detailed receipt showing my balance due.

 

The next day I got a voicemail from her saying she had typed an email response, but hit the DELETE button instead of the SEND button, so she was going to give me the info over the phone and for me to call her back.

 

I sent her a text asking her to email me.

 

I didn't get an email from her, so the next day I sent another email asking for a detailed receipt before close of business on Monday.

 

I feel really uncomfortable with this, and mainly because this is the second time I feel she's given me/us the run around.

 

You're such a cheerleader for this cruise, I'm not sure you're the one I should be asking, but I'm posting hoping that others will have an opinion.

 

Calling her is not an option, because I want it in writing this time.

 

Your thoughts?

[hattack]

thanks for sharing..I would suggest giving Stephanie alittle more time to get the situation resolved. We all received an email around Jan 13th that our first billing would be delayed due to an upgrading of their billing system, but also reminded us to make sure we made our first payment due by Jan 15th. Once the system is up and running all 3 of you will receive an email invoice, that will show all 3 names in the cabin, the first 2 names will show the full p/p cabin charge and the third person should reflect one half fare...it will also show payments received to date (including your deposit) and your booking number...be aware, you may or may not have a specific cabin assignment yet, because cabins with 3 and handicap cabins are not assigned until around June 15th (when final payments are due) this is in part because there are only a fixed number of handicap cabins and cabins that can sleep three. If the demand for these cabins are greater then the supply, then the Capital Jazz staff can make adjustments that actually could work to your favor...make sure you have your copy of your payments made (if by credit card,go to your bank account online and print out the page that shows the date of the payment). When you receive your first statement (which should be before Feb.15th, ) then Stephanie can go into the system and make a manual adjustment. Go back to the payment page on the website. There is something in the details that speaks to the specific policy of the guidelines when more then one person is making payments for a cabin. It tries to address the issue of what happens if one of your roommates doesn't make a monthly installment payment on time . If you have an arrangement with your cabinmates that the other two give your money to the third person, and that person pays on their credit card,the invoice (depending on the upgrades in their billing system being made) may or may not be able to break it out per person, it could not last year, but knowing my good friends at Capital Jazz they fixed it because alot of guests are sharing 3-4 in a cabin that don't live in the same household...they are very good at fixing issues that crop up every year so it doesn't happen in future cruises. Stephanie is probably anxiously waiting for the IT folks to get the enhanced system online so she can get back to you. She cannot control their timetable so please be patient...it will all be worked out...

How was your hunt in San Juan? find any good jazz junk for my collection?

[Ms411]

Ha, ha! I saw so much stuff in there, but since I don't know what you already have, I figured it was a waste of my time looking around. If I had your phone number, I could have asked if you have some of the things I saw, but...

 

I've heard some great jazz while I was here. Sheraton Old San Juan had a combo out on their plaza tonight. Carli's was very nice. I did take a photo of the photos on his wall if you want a copy of that.

 

Thanks for the info on the payment system, but that's all Stephanie had to do was say they're upgrading the system and I would get a detailed invoice when the upgrade is live. She's had two opportunities to just say that, and she hasn't.

 

Now that I think about it, when my friend was trying to decide on a cruise, Capital Jazz was one we looked at. But, they still had cabins available for 2011, but all the other cruises we looked at were sold out for 2011 and some even for 2012. It gave me the impression that their cruises weren't as popular as some of the others, so I called and ask why they still had cabins. I think now that it was Stephanie who said some people hadn't paid, so the cabins became available. I probably would have explained that on the website, but then, I'm always thinking how best to communicate without creating confusion. I only like to say things once.

[hattack]

Capital Jazz has a pricing philosophy that I think makes good business sense. They discount at the front end (early bird special) and then raise the price in increments until the ship is sold out (which at the rate the cabins are selling, should be by Easter). If folks cancel or fail to pay, the then open cabin categories are sold at a set rate that is never lowered then what others paid who complied with the payment schedule. They maintain a waitlist per cabin category to meet requests. In other words, they don't discount at the end to fill the ship (lesson learned as I understand ). SuperCruise 4 (2010) sailed full, last year probably at 98%.

Tom Joyner's Fantastic Voyage sails March 25 , if you check his website or listen to his morning radio show, has lots of cabins open in every category...he likes to say (things happen )...the last few years he has deeply discounted at the end to fill his ship, experienced folks know that, so they play the wait game. I love Tom and support his foundation, but that is not the way to do business for the long term. Folks who have done both the Fantastic Voyage and The SuperCruise loved them both, but repeat on The SuperCruise and not the Fantastic Voyage

Capital Jazz has a very high rate of returning guests (if I were to guess, this years cruise will probably have 70% that have cruise with them before, and probably 25 to 30% that have been on all 6 SuperCruises). in part, because of the pricing integrity of their product and value for their dollar. Most of the popular full charter music cruises sail full because of the high repeat guests business and a strong pricing program (demand exceeds supply). Capital Jazz is a relative new kid to the party, but in 6 short years has become wildly successful and has established a unique niche. The same can be said for Dave Koz and Friends who will have his 3rd cruise in 2012 out of Rome that I am booked on (my SuperCruise streak of 3 could be broken). I have been on The Smooth Jazz Cruiise, The Jazz Cruise, Festival At Sea, The AllStar Smooth Jazz Cruise, The Oldies But Goodies Cruise and will be going on the first ever Soul Train Cruise in Feb of 2012, loved them all, but the Capital Jazz SuperCruise is my favorite