Rock and Romance, 80s Cruise, and my other 2024 music adventures

[Honolulu Blue]

21 hours ago, George C said:

Some people were lined up 2 hours early to get best seats for foreigner , they were ten deep by the stage we like the first row balcony so nobody can block our view.

Good to know, thanks. I'm definitely spoiled by past experiences on other music charter cruises. More notes...

[Honolulu Blue]

Today we're in Curacao. I have some decent free Internet access, so I can catch up with the news if the world and other stuff.

 

 

Where was I? Oh yes, yesterday onboard. I eventually retreated to the ship from a short visit to shore in Aruba. The weather was decent, warm but not hot, with some wind. It's actually similar here today, but let's back to yesterday (a Foreigner song that Lou Gramm played last year but Foreigner did not play for whatever reason).

 

Last night's main theater concert was Ambrosia and a bunch of Yacht Rock spare parts working together - Peter Beckett of Player, the one guy from Looking Glass, and John Ford Coley. The spare parts weaved themselves in and out as they played their songs - along with some of Ambrosia's own. They also played Gary Wright's Love Is Alive as a memoriam to him.

 

This was both less confusing and more enjoyable than I made it sound. The lady to the right of me seemed more familiar with and enjoyed the Looking Glass and Coley songs. I was more in line with Player and Ambrosia. 

 

I thought it was cute that the guy from Ambrosia noted that Player's Baby Come Back was in a bunch of Swiffer commercials a while back.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall this was well worth the price of admission (stop staring at me like that! 🤣).

 

After dinner in the trough, I checked out the Dave Mason concert that was being streamed. I gave him four songs, respected the musicianship, but didn't hear anything I recognized, so I turned him off. Sorry George. I really did give him a shot.

 

 

 

I then went up to the Sky Lounge for the first time on this cruise to see Bella Donna, tribute act for Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac.

 

There weren't many people here at this time and I had a nearly unlimited choice of seats. 

 

They were in the process of doing sound checks and actually performed a song straight through.

 

 

Steadily the room filled and with 19 minutes to go, there were barely any seats left.

 

I have to say that Bella Donna put on quite a show. The Stevie character (she was introduced,  but I didn't catch her name or any of her band mates, sorry) particularly impressed me with her constant outfit changes and 6" platform boots. I imagine only being able to do two things in 6" platform boots - falling down and trying to avoid falling down.

 

 

 

 

 

I got to record a video of Rhiannon, one of the Fleetwood Mac songs that Stevie sings lead on. I like the regular 4 minute version, but this one lasted for 6. It wasn't half bad, but it was no Kashmir. 😲

 

Anyway, Bella Donna went through about a dozen songs, roughly evenly split between Mac songs and solo Stevie songs. One thing that might have disappointed some of her fans was that they did not get to Leather and Lace, her duet with Don Henley. However, they did do her duet with Tom Petty.

 

Overall I liked the show about as much as I expected to and I'm glad I expanded my bedtime to attend.

 

And that ended day 4 of my current adventure. I'm sure there will be more to write about soon. It's just a matter of when I'll be able to do it.

[Honolulu Blue]

Let's see how much I can say and show in 20 minutes. I have Internet access, but a concert soon.

 

Anyway, I saw the @George Cendorsed Cara Lee by the pool yesterday afternoon. She was good and the weather wasn't too punishing. This show focused on female singers of the 70s. I got to sit on the front row. 

 

 

 

 

Then, in the evening, I got to see my first nighttime concert by the pool. This was billed as the Yacht Rock show. I liked that kind music back then. I still like it today, now that I understand it better. They played a couple of Boz Scaggs songs, one each from Ambrosia, Player, and Pablo Cruise; and they closed with one from Christopher Cross (who will be on TEC next year).

 

 

 

 

BTW, I was in the front row again.

 

In the meantime, we left Curacao and are steaming back to Miami at 18 to 19 knots. The food remains solid.

 

Gotta run. Peter Asher is calling my name.

Edited March 19 by Honolulu Blue

[George C]

We walked by a stage where Cara Lee was rehearsing and she stoped and told us she loved our St Patrick’s days outfits . I enjoyed Dave Mason last night but annoyed he didn’t preform Dylan’s “ all along the watchtower “ which was a big hit of his . Loved Peter Asher’s acoustic show last night but it ended about 1:30. Was able to congratulate Peter Asher on getting trustee award from the Grammys recently, he appreciated my commitment.

[NinS]

Hi @George C! Were there any special guests at Peter's acoustic set?

Also how did you like Don McLean? He's got a bit of a reputation but I have to say I've seen nothing but raves about his show and his interview/meet and greet on Facebook from my friends who are on the ship.

[George C]

11 minutes ago, NinS said:

Hi @George C! Were there any special guests at Peter's acoustic set?

Also how did you like Don McLean? He's got a bit of a reputation but I have to say I've seen nothing but raves about his show and his interview/meet and greet on Facebook from my friends who are on the ship.

Peter had several quest Randy Backman , John Ford Coley , lead singer from looking glass who did Brandy , Cara Lee and a few others . I loved Don McLean possibly best show of the week , all major stars do two shows on early and one late so everyone can get a seat, his show a few days ago some people said he was just ok and first show didn’t include Castle in the air, after singing Vincent he said he skipped next song earlier then sang Castles, then a brand new song filled by a fantastic 15 minute version of American Pie with the audience singing along. 

[Honolulu Blue]

9 hours ago, George C said:

We walked by a stage where Cara Lee was rehearsing and she stoped and told us she loved our St Patrick’s days outfits . I enjoyed Dave Mason last night but annoyed he didn’t preform Dylan’s “ all along the watchtower “ which was a big hit of his . Loved Peter Asher’s acoustic show last night but it ended about 1:30. Was able to congratulate Peter Asher on getting trustee award from the Grammys recently, he appreciated my commitment.

It sounds like you got around! All that sounds great and I'm glad you were able to experience it all.

 

This was a four concert day, so this is going to take a while to write and plan put. Your patience is appreciated (as always). Thanks in advance. 

 

The first concert was the LSB Experience at 10 AM by the pool. The sun wasn't too bright yet and the ship didn't wiggle around too much. LSB was obviously filled with talent, but most of their songs were from the early 70s - generally too early for me to appreciate. 

 

 

 

A couple of hours later came the Peter Asher experience. I think it would be a stretch to call it a concert, since there were only about half a dozen songs in the hour plus show. Mostly, Mr. Asher told stories of his days as a singer, a talent booker, and a manager. The stories were great, but a lot were from the 60s, which wasn't what I wanted. 

 

So, I guess the experience was OK? It was all right, but not something I'm clamoring to repeat. 

 

 

 

Later on, I went back by the pool to see Orleans. It was warmer and the sun was higher in the sky. I didn't have any issues with it.

 

I thought they were good, in line with expectations for them. They played a medley of songs of the mostly more famous label mates they played with at Asylum Records in the late 70s. One of them was The Eagles, which I will hear more of tomorrow. But that's getting ahead of the story. 

 

 

 

 

I snuck in a burger at the nearby grill and took it into the buffet to eat. It was good, really hitting the spot. It was no Guy's, however. 

 

Last, but not least, we got an evening treat in the main theater- Generation Radio. This was an all-star group of musicians headed by Jason Scheff, former bassist and lead singer for Chicago.

 

I hoped these guys would be good. Boy, were they. I thought this was the best concert on the cruise so far. They grabbed me from the start with the best song anyone has played so far - Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone.

 

They mixed in Chicago tunes with Kenny Loggins, Journey, Tom Petty, and one uptempo Generation Radio original. Alas, they had to put in several Rascal Flatts songs, and this I thought was the weakest part of the show.

 

There were more songs here from the 80s than any other decade. So I think this show would have had a more natural home on The 80s Cruise, of all places. I'm not sure how the R&R veterans will make of it, though the ladies on either side of me seemed to like the show and its performers well enough. 

 

 

 

 

 

When I returned to the room, I found the schedules for the next day on my bed.

 

 

Tomorrow is the last full day of this cruise. I habe a busy day planned. We shall see if I can survive it. 😵‍💫

Edited March 20 by Honolulu Blue

[Honolulu Blue]

Good morning! I've already been to a concert today, out by the pool. I really like 10 AM concerts. 9 would be even better, but I'm sure most people would think that was absolutely crazy. 

 

Anyway, I went to see the tribute band Creedence Revived. They were very good. They played all the songs you and I know and love from them. Sadly, there was no room for any John Fogerty solo songs. 😕 I happen to like those better.

 

 

 

 

That's all for now. Thete will be more to report, but my Internet is going to expire soon. For the record, it's worked well the vast majority of the time - as it should for the price that I paid for it (mostly covered by OBC). Thanks Elon. 👍

[Honolulu Blue]

I'll cover yesterday's events in a later post, but while I have a bit of time, I'll cover our arrival into Miami. We docked early, I left on time, line to debark was relatively short, Customs liked my pretty face, and soon enough I was out the door.

 

I found the shuttle I purchased to the airport ($20, a rare bargain these days) and here I wait. It's a mini bus that holds about 15 passengers, plus a small attached trailer for all the luggage. 

[Honolulu Blue]

Moving back to yesterday afternoon... I saw Hotel California, tribute band for the Eagles. They were very good, though they played a couple of songs that weren't as familiar to me.

 

 

 

 

An hour later, after some drinks, I went to see the Doobie Others, which did Doobie Brothers songs. I thought this was the best performance of the day,  though not by a lot. There was a lot of musical comfort food here. I wonder how many Doobie songs Mr. McDonald will play on our upcoming cruise. 

 

 

 

 

 

I initially wanted to see Randy Bachman in the main theater, but at the last minute I decided to head to the cabin to watch the livestream. Mr. Bachman,  of course, was the founder of both the Guess Who and BTO. IIRC, @George C recommended him. He was good, though he liked his storytelling time. And even with the stories, the show was only about 1:15 - the shortest show I saw in the main theater all week.

 

I apologize in advance for the pictures.

 

 

 

 

Then the night called me and I had to surrender to it.

 

I'll sum up my experience in a few days while I work on other things. Thanks for following along.

[Honolulu Blue]

While I wait for our plane to get here (it's delayed), ill take a little time to review an email that just showed up in my box.

 

Sixthman is adding another country music charter cruise in addition to OCC and Cayamo. It's called Boots on the Water and it's a 5-day sailing next February on the Norwegian Gem. Yee haw!

 

In the same email came an initial lineup for Train's Sail Across the Sun Cruise that will also sail next February. Living Colour will be onboard, and they were on The 80s Cruise in both 2022 and 2023.

[George C]

8 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

While I wait for our plane to get here (it's delayed), ill take a little time to review an email that just showed up in my box.

 

Sixthman is adding another country music charter cruise in addition to OCC and Cayamo. It's called Boots on the Water and it's a 5-day sailing next February on the Norwegian Gem. Yee haw!

 

In the same email came an initial lineup for Train's Sail Across the Sun Cruise that will also sail next February. Living Colour will be onboard, and they were on The 80s Cruise in both 2022 and 2023.

It was a pleasure meeting you, we didn’t attend one outdoor concert or use the pool which is unusual. Looking forward to rock and romance 2025.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, George C said:

It was a pleasure meeting you, we didn’t attend one outdoor concert or use the pool which is unusual. Looking forward to rock and romance 2025.

That does sound unusual. Iwas around the pool a lot, but it was because they were playing the music that appealed most to me at the time. Perhaps things will be different next year. 

 

Speaking of next year, it was great to hear you and your lovely wife, and I'm sorry we won't do the rock and romance thing together next year. I am sure it will be a great experience for you.

[Honolulu Blue]

Small update on jury duty... as I've mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I'm on jury duty next week.  They actually had my status on the phone starting 5 PM yesterday, but I didn't call until this morning.  They asked me to not report on Monday, but keep calling starting Monday night for the other days.  I was kind of hoping for a complete dismissal like I got 3 years ago, but it's all right.  I'll get through this.

 

And now I want to talk about that wacky weed.  Prior to this Rock and Romance Cruise, I had not smelled or witnessed anyone smoking MJ on any of my cruises.  On at least two occasions while I was attending poolside concerts on this cruise, I could smell Willie Nelson's favorite medicine.  I didn't witness anyone smoking or vaping while I was there, though I confess most of the time my eyes were on the performers.  No judgement on anyone for doing this, and I'm not a narc or informant, but the obvious questions are 1) how did they get that stuff onboard? and 2) did anyone else notice?  Nobody said anything while I was there (thankfully) and I didn't hear any buzz on the ship about this.

 

Again, this isn't a big deal (it actually confirmed my impression that the R&R group is a fun bunch that I really should hang out with), but I wanted to note it before I forget about it.

[Honolulu Blue]

More small notes:

 

• According to an Internet rumor, the UDC is about 80% sold out.
• I got the news by text, e-mail, and phone message - I have to report for jury duty tomorrow morning.  I have the usual mixed emotions on this.  We'll see what happens on the morrow.

[Honolulu Blue]

Nothing to do with music, but I'd like to report on my experience with jury duty this morning.  I reported to my appointed building.  Yours truly and about 45 others were asked to report to a holding area where we were given instructions and general guidance about what was about to happen.

 

An hour later, our judge, prosecutor, defense lawyer, and defendant (yes, it was a criminal case) showed up on the screen.  Fourteen numbers were pulled, which made up the initial jury box.  They got to go to the courtroom.  Ten more numbers were pulled to be backups.  They had separate seating in the courtroom.

 

Many questions were asked by the judge, prosecutor, and defense lawyer.  Some of the answers were disqualifying on the spot.  Some of the potential jurors were excused by both lawyers based on their answers and other things.

 

They ran out of backups and dug for 10 more.  I was in this group of 10, having dodged the first two groups.  So I got to go to the courtroom and watch the proceedings live.  Still more questions were asked and one more person was picked from the backup pool to sit on the potential jury.  It happened to be the guy sitting next to me.  More questions and finally the lawyers on both sides decided they had enough jury strikes and found a 14-man lineup they could live with.

 

For me, this ended jury duty for the day.  I was told to call them and not to wait for a call from them.  A little birdie told me that with what happened today and Friday being an off day for us (Good Friday), that it would be unlikely I would be called for another round of this this week.  We shall see.

 

I apologize for telling this story.  I promise I'll have some more music and cruise related content soon.  In the meantime, how about a picture of Jason Scheff of Generation Radio?  I'd sure like to see him and his new band sometime - even if I have to suffer through a few Rascal Flatts songs to do so.

 

Edited March 27 by Honolulu Blue

[wwcruisers]

HB -- thank you for your service! Seriously --- without people who are willing to patiently sacrifice their time, the justice system could not function.

[Honolulu Blue]

15 minutes ago, wwcruisers said:

HB -- thank you for your service! Seriously --- without people who are willing to patiently sacrifice their time, the justice system could not function.

Thank you kindly. 😀

 

BTW, I was not asked to report today and will not have to report tomorrow. Jury duty for me seems to be done. Who knows when I'll get called again?

[NinS]

Interesting to hear your experience as my next round of jury duty is in July. (It was slated for last month but I pushed it back.)

 

I was thinking of @Honolulu Blue when I saw this: https://www.retromanialive.com

 

Fun lineup but the few times I looked into actually going to Branson (back when they had a lot of legendary country acts performing there) I realized it was just too far from anywhere to be worth my while.

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, NinS said:

Interesting to hear your experience as my next round of jury duty is in July. (It was slated for last month but I pushed it back.)

 

I was thinking of @Honolulu Blue when I saw this: https://www.retromanialive.com

 

Fun lineup but the few times I looked into actually going to Branson (back when they had a lot of legendary country acts performing there) I realized it was just too far from anywhere to be worth my while.

So, your district bought your vacation excuse too, eh?  I suppose it's standard for most jurisdictions around the country.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed my story about jury duty this week.  Perhaps it might be a lesson to you, or perhaps wherever you are are either more organized or less than where I happen to be.  I thought things moved rather efficiently and that it wasn't too painful.  Just another thing I've done in my life.  It wasn't terrible, but I hope I don't have to hurry back.

 

I saw that Retromania Live link a couple of days ago.  Since you brought it up, I might as well take a bit of time to discuss it.  The lineup has a whole bunch of performers who have performed at TEC, or will be performing next year.  Night Ranger was there in 2022, Lou Gramm last year, Stephen Pearcy this year, and Quiet Riot next year.  In addition, Jesus Jones will be doing the Real Real Real thing on The 90s Cruise next year.  And don't forget about KC and the Sunshine Band - they were on my UDCs in '22 and '23.  I'm holding out hope he'll make it next year.

 

There's lots of good stuff here.  I'm tempted, but this is the weekend I plan to be in Columbus to swoon over Paula and catch a couple of other performers of less note.

[NinS]

Here in Mass we're actually allowed one extension to the date of our choice for any reason. You can do it online. It makes things a lot easier for both the jurors and, I imagine, for the court.

[Honolulu Blue]

6 minutes ago, NinS said:

Here in Mass we're actually allowed one extension to the date of our choice for any reason. You can do it online. It makes things a lot easier for both the jurors and, I imagine, for the court.

It was the same for me here in Michigan, except I think I could do any number of deferrals (what they officially call extensions here) had I had valid excuses.

[Honolulu Blue]

The short version of the R&R summary video is already up:

 

 

I didn't see me or @George C.  It's possible I missed one or the other of us.  The concert footage went by quickly, but I'm pretty sure I was at that Cara Lee concert, and I think I was at that Lez Zeppelin show.  The others I'm not so sure about; I think they preferred late concerts in this video.

 

I always like watching these videos hoping to see myself or people I know.  This year's TEC should have one out soon.  I expect it to be longer than this, likely in the neighborhood of 4 minutes.  And I expect a much longer summary video of R&R to come out in a few weeks or months.  That one will be 30+ minutes.  SPOILER ALERT:  No one from SVL interviewed me on this cruise, so you won't be hearing any soundbites from me.

 

Sorry this went a little longer than expected.  These videos bring out some memories and thoughts.

[Honolulu Blue]

A couple of tidbits I found as I was surfing the Net.  

 

I found the Soul Train Cruise fall edition's site and this is the initial lineup they have:

 

Ehhh... I've seen several of these guys on the UDC.  They've got some work to do to make it worth my $$$, IMHO.  They just might be able to do it, so I'll keep an eye on it.  BTW, the price for single cabins for this sailing is $3750 - the same as the other '25 sailing of this cruise, and about the same as next year's Rock and Romance thing.

 

Also, I found out about another 80s cruise for 2025 that I WILL NOT BE SAILING ON.  I wrote up that story in a new thread here:

 

[Honolulu Blue]

I blew a detail about the StarVista souvenir reels.  I said they were 30+ minutes, and they were - in 2022.  Last year, they didn't do one for the UDC at all, and the ones for Flower Power and Rock and Romance were about 12 minutes each.  So I'm not sure as I was about how long they'll be when they come out, but eventually they'll come out, and it will be very interesting reviewing the one from R&R when it does come out.