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

[NinS]

What an incredible seat HB! I'm looking forward to the reports from your 2024 sailings. 

StarVista also announced that the Big Easy Cruise is moving to January in 2025. It seems like they're taking over the Holland America ship for quite a few weeks as they'll also have the Country Music Cruise (dates already announced) and likely the Soul Train Cruise (which has sailed on HAL for years and sold out its 2024 edition almost instantly).

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, NinS said:

What an incredible seat HB! I'm looking forward to the reports from your 2024 sailings. 

StarVista also announced that the Big Easy Cruise is moving to January in 2025. It seems like they're taking over the Holland America ship for quite a few weeks as they'll also have the Country Music Cruise (dates already announced) and likely the Soul Train Cruise (which has sailed on HAL for years and sold out its 2024 edition almost instantly).

I thought that seat was pretty sweet too. There was some work involved in getting it, along with a bit of luck and some hoping and prayer.

 

I'm a little surprised that StarVista has already announced another sailing for Big Easy. Its sales seem sluggish from what I can see from up here in the cheap seats.

[George C]

Wonder why some music charters have reserved seats and some (most). Don’t the one thing I really dislike about seats in front is people standing in front of you , we normally get seats in first row of balcony . By the way penthouses and royal suites have great perks but we get nothing for seating . Several of the venues we go to in Dallas have security and they don’t allow people to stand in front of the stage , I am happy spending extra to get front row seats there.

[NinS]

George,

 

As someone who has done a number of music cruises I can tell you that this is a hotly debated topic. Look at StarVista: Their 50s/early 60s Malt Shop Cruise has reserved seatings. Their mid to late 60s Flower Power Cruise, with many of the same acts, does not. Every year the Flower Power attendees get asked in the post-cruise survey if they want reserved seating and the mere possibility leads to an annual outcry on the Flower Power FB group. Their argument is that Woodstock didn't have reserved seats and neither should a floating rock music festival. Or if they want to sit with friends they can't just all show up together at the theater.

 

Then there's Cayamo (singer/songwriter Sixthman cruise) which has an incredibly complicated program where based on your alumni status you get a certain number of reserved seats for specific shows that you request. About a third of the theater (the center aisle about half way back) is reserved for each show with the rest being GA. The nice thing about this system is that the fans of each specific act are up front when they perform, and if you don't get a reserved seat you can still show up early and get a great seat up close on the sides. As far as I know none of Sixthman's many other music charters do anything similar, perhaps in part because the main headliners are playing the pool deck, not the theater.

 

As someone who often enjoys the small venue performances I do like the reserved seat option because I can see someone else and then waltz in 5 minutes before showtime and have a great seat. One of the negatives is that while even the high balcony seats at these ship theaters are pretty good seats, there is the odd obstructed view seat behind a pole, or on Holland America ships there's a row that is totally obstructed because you're in a pit directly behind the rows of folding chairs set up on what is usually the dance floor. Imagine getting stuck with that seat for the entire cruise! 

 

Reserved seats are usually a carrot used by the charter company, but as you pointed out priority tends to be given to those who have sailed multiple times or reserved their cabins early, not to people who splurged for the most expensive cabin. 

 

For The Jazz Cruise there are only two or at most three "early/late" shows for the entire cruise. The rest is all GA, and since there's so much small venue action the theater never exceeds capacity even when the entire ship can attend a show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[George C]

We received a pin on our last rock and romance cruise saying we have done 5 of them . I can see that they are positive and negative things on that . We book following year while on the cruise, last year we actually bought it before . We normally can get fairly good seats . One of the concerts last year we couldn’t even get a seat (they didn’t have the normal 2 seating , I watched most of the show in the suite lounge 😁

[Honolulu Blue]

@NinS and @George C:  Thank you both for your perspective on music charter seating on various cruises across companies and cruises.  I'm still trying to digest it all and may comment further later.

 

For now, I'll just comment on the seating arrangements I've seen and experienced on my cruises:

 

• All concerts outside the main theater - first come, first serve
• The 80s Cruise 2022 (year 1 for me) - I bought in late so no reserved seats were offered to me.  By stopping by the theater 15-20 minutes before showtime, I could generally find seats in the middle between rows 6 and 12.  I thought they were just fine.
• The 80s Cruise 2023 - I had could pick reserved seats and did, but the very best seats were all taken.  I got row 6 off to one side.  Not bad, but I preferred to be in the middle of the action.
• The 80s Cruise 2024 - i told that story in the posts I made yesterday.  I still think they're pretty sweet.  😀  We'll see how they turn out.
• Ultimate Disco Cruise 2022 and 2023 - first come, first serve.  I didn't have any problem getting a seat in the middle between 6 and 12 rows up.
• The Princess 80s themed cruises - on the Regal I mostly sat myself in the lower tier center and up a dozen rows or so.  I could have gotten better seats if I wanted to; the ship wasn't that full at the time.  On the Ruby earlier this year, I mostly sat in the balcony center 2 to 4 rows up.  My camera seemed to like that view.  And I didn't mind either.

[Honolulu Blue]

Today is the day the UDC is supposed to announce its return!  Here are my burning questions:

 

1. Which cruise line and which ship?  The two sailings of the UDC I had were both on the Summit.  The rumor mill is pointing toward a return to Celebrity but possibly another ship.
2. If it's the Celebrity Summit, do I get first dibs on my previous cabin?  I had the same cabin on both UDCs.  It would be nice to reward my loyalty by saying that I could have my previous cabin no matter what.  Of course, this goes out the window if they choose a different ship or cruise line.
3. Will they announce any performers today?  If so, who?  Will any of them be the non-disco-era performers they seemed to transition to?  I'd love for them to announce a tentative lineup.  I'm especially rooting for KC & the Sunshine Band and Kool and the Gang, though I think the latter is much more than disco.  Speaking of being more than disco, I liked Expose on last year's cruise, along with Queen Nation and Ashlie Amber on this year's voyage.  I'm sure I would have liked Billy Ocean had she showed up to perform.
4. How big will the price increase be?  Prices for just about everything have gone way up since 2019.  I paid about $2400 all-in for UDC 2022 and $2500 all-in for the '23 edition.  I'm bracing for sticker shock. 😮

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Today is the day the UDC is supposed to announce its return!  Here are my burning questions:

 

1. Which cruise line and which ship?  The two sailings of the UDC I had were both on the Summit.  The rumor mill is pointing toward a return to Celebrity but possibly another ship.
2. If it's the Celebrity Summit, do I get first dibs on my previous cabin?  I had the same cabin on both UDCs.  It would be nice to reward my loyalty by saying that I could have my previous cabin no matter what.  Of course, this goes out the window if they choose a different ship or cruise line.
3. Will they announce any performers today?  If so, who?  Will any of them be the non-disco-era performers they seemed to transition to?  I'd love for them to announce a tentative lineup.  I'm especially rooting for KC & the Sunshine Band and Kool and the Gang, though I think the latter is much more than disco.  Speaking of being more than disco, I liked Expose on last year's cruise, along with Queen Nation and Ashlie Amber on this year's voyage.  I'm sure I would have liked Billy Ocean had she showed up to perform.
4. How big will the price increase be?  Prices for just about everything have gone way up since 2019.  I paid about $2400 all-in for UDC 2022 and $2500 all-in for the '23 edition.  I'm bracing for sticker shock. 😮

I'm quoting myself because the UDC has updated their site with news about the upcoming 2025 cruise.  I'll do a TL,DR for those with busy schedules:

 

1. It's on the Norwegian Pearl.
2. New ship, so no dibs on any cabins.
3. No performers announced, but (direct quote) "We are working on another fantastic lineup as we speak, which we can promise will feature many of your favorites from past Ultimate Disco Cruises, plus some very exciting new names."
4. Alumni rate is $2399, plus $300 in grats/port fees.  $2700 total all-in.  Could've been worse. 🤑

 

All right, for the die hards out there (and me, in the future), here are some notes from the site:

 

• There's a 30 second promo video with scenes from past cruisers.  "Disco Inferno" from the Trammps is in the background.  Is this a hint?  They were on the cruise this year.  I didn't go see them.
• We have dates and a ship - February 19-24, 2025 on the Norwegian Pearl.  I'm sailing on the Pearl next year with the McDonald LaBelle Cruise.  We'll see how it goes.
• No itinerary announced, but with only 5 days, we can't go very far
• Quoting the site again:  "One of our most exciting cruises was the Ultimate Disco cruise, which sailed 2019 through 2023.  As wonderful as this cruise experience was, it did not reach the same level of customer support and commercial success as our other cruises have achieved."  It didn't sail in 2021, because nothing sailed in 2021.  And yes, it was exciting - a great experience.  I get that they were disappointed with us, but the '19 edition was its first sailing, the '20 edition was sailing on the edge of a pandemic, and the '22 edition sailed in the middle of an ongoing pandemic.  I'd say it's got some excuses for being disappointing.  It's nice to know we're getting a second chance.
• The gauntlet is thrown.  Another direct quote:  "The decision to sail is contingent upon guest demand and we will judge that demand by asking for modest deposits from guests."
• Gauntlet details #2.  Quoting:  "We will assess guest demand and confirm if we are sailing no later than November 20th, 2023. Should we decide not to sail, your deposit will be fully refunded within 45 days."  It's disappointing that they plan to keep our $$$ for up to 45 days if the cruise doesn't go, but maybe that's just corporate CYA and they'll do refunds much faster.
• Suites have a $600 per person deposit; it's $300 for the rest of us peasants.
• The bottom features a list of performers that have performed on past cruises.  It appears they're relying on this to hook us.  I've seen many of them live and shared the ship with some of the others.

 

Since there doesn't seem to be much of a hurry to get my $$$ down (the deadline is November 20), I'll put the cash down in the next few days.  I want the UDC to rise again! 💃

[NinS]

HB, if you want an inside single there seem to be only five left (there are usually very few to begin with). If you want another kind of room you can probably take your sweet time. 

 

It'll be interesting to see whether other StarVista cruises migrate over from Celebrity to the Pearl.

[Honolulu Blue]

UPDATE:  I booked my cabin on the UDC for 2025.  It's on deck 5, near the stairs and also a little closer to the main theater than I'd like.  Maybe the doors will be thick enough?  We'll see.

 

There are just a few solo cabins left as of this writing.  That's encouraging.  👍 I didn't check the other classes.

[Honolulu Blue]

Just now, NinS said:

HB, if you want an inside single there seem to be only five left (there are usually very few to begin with). If you want another kind of room you can probably take your sweet time. 

 

It'll be interesting to see whether other StarVista cruises migrate over from Celebrity to the Pearl.

Great minds think alike.  I was writing when you posted this.  I thought I saw 20+ solo interiors available when I booked.  That's exactly the kind of room I wanted (StarVista doesn't have any solo OVs or balconies available).

[George C]

we have royal suite 6140 for the third time for rock and romance, very nice suite 😁😁, we should book something smaller since we don’t spend that must time in our suite but hate to give this up. 

[Honolulu Blue]

Update: solo interior cabins are completely gone for the UDC 2025. Other cabin availability seems low. It looks like a very successful first day. We!! played, StarVista. 😎

[Honolulu Blue]

This is a quick note to apologize for missing a detail.  I should have known that the dates for the UDC overlapped with that of one of the Smooth Jazz cruises; therefore, it could not have ever been on the Summit.  I suppose Celebrity preferred a confirmed reservation to a contingent one - or maybe Jazz Cruises just asked first.

[Honolulu Blue]

Yesterday I listened to a random American Top 40 countdown from November 9, 1985.  It had five songs from performers that I saw, or will see, on my various musical travels.  There will be photos, so this post might run a little long for that reason.  I won't be offended if you skip this one and move on the post about the latest Jazz Cruises announcements.

 

First, at #36, was Ray Parker, Jr. with "Girls Are More Fun".  This is a cute song that he may or may not play on The 80s Cruise next year.  I stole this photo from the TEC site; I swear the rest of them I took by my own hand with my own equipment (for better or worse):

 

 

At #18 was "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down" by Paul Young.  I have a love-hate relationship with this song.  I found out much later in life that this was a remake, like his much bigger hit from the same era.  I saw Paul on last year's edition of TEC:

 

 

At #17 was "Fortress Around Your Heart" by Sting.  As I've mentioned before, Sting is my favorite singer.  This is my favorite song from him as a solo singer.  I saw him in Grand Rapids about a year and a half ago.  He didn't play this song.  ☹️  I suppose I forgive hm:

 

 

At #9 was "Be Near Me" by ABC.  Good song, not my favorite from them.  They were on TEC last year:

 

 

And #6 was "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston.  As I'm sure you all know, Whitney has been dead for some time.  But fortunately, we had a talented tribute artist named Ashlie Amber sing some Whitney songs for us on the Ultimate Disco Cruise earlier this year.  This was Ms. Houston's first #1 hit on the pop charts, it happens to be a favorite of mine, and yes, Ms. Amber played it:

 

 

Seeing the results of this, it turned out to be kind of fun.  Don't be surprised if I do it again sometime.  🙂

Edited October 1, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[Honolulu Blue]

According to unconfirmed Internet rumors, The Trammps and Boogie Wonder Band will be joining us on the UDC - if StarVista decides we're worthy.  As I mentioned some posts back, they were on this years cruise, but I didn't go see them.  I did see one of BWB's concerts by the pool.  I'm looking forward to seeing them again.  This is them:

 

[Honolulu Blue]

I woke up to a pleasant surprise... it seems Rock & Romance has been busy adding EVEN MORE performers to this cruise.  I don't think they've subtracted any since Ms. Manchester dropped out,  Here's what it looks like they've added:

• Troubadours (the music of Carole King and James Taylor)
• Being With(out) David Bowie
• Rockin' the Yacht
• Bee Gees Gold (if I didn't them earlier, which is entirely possible 🙃)

 

By my count, they're up to 31 acts!  That's quite a few cabins!!  Aruba's airport is going to be very busy with all that switching around.

[George C]

12 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I woke up to a pleasant surprise... it seems Rock & Romance has been busy adding EVEN MORE performers to this cruise.  I don't think they've subtracted any since Ms. Manchester dropped out,  Here's what it looks like they've added:

• Troubadours (the music of Carole King and James Taylor)
• Being With(out) David Bowie
• Rockin' the Yacht
• Bee Gees Gold (if I didn't them earlier, which is entirely possible 🙃)

 

By my count, they're up to 31 acts!  That's quite a few cabins!!  Aruba's airport is going to be very busy with all that switching around.

I still think they need another headliner, none of the new acts would be a headliner, although I am sure they will be entertaining. I think all are new to rock and romance except Bee Gees Gold. 

[Honolulu Blue]

48 minutes ago, George C said:

I still think they need another headliner, none of the new acts would be a headliner, although I am sure they will be entertaining. I think all are new to rock and romance except Bee Gees Gold. 

You may be right about the headliner thing.  None of them really stands out to me as BIG NAMES other than Foreigner, though it's interesting to see how the top 7 lines up and changes.  And I'm sure the new acts are designed to fill up the secondary theaters.

[George C]

22 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

You may be right about the headliner thing.  None of them really stands out to me as BIG NAMES other than Foreigner, though it's interesting to see how the top 7 lines up and changes.  And I'm sure the new acts are designed to fill up the secondary theaters.

Here is my thoughts on headliners so far

Foreigner - headliner before

Don McLean 

Dave Mason 

Randy Bachman- headliner before

Generation Radio - lead singer from Chicago has been a headliner before

maybe War , maybe Peter Asher 

 

[NinS]

14 hours ago, George C said:

 

 

Here is my thoughts on headliners so far

Foreigner - headliner before

Don McLean 

Dave Mason 

Randy Bachman- headliner before

Generation Radio - lead singer from Chicago has been a headliner before

maybe War , maybe Peter Asher 

 

On both Flower Power and Malt Shop Peter Asher has done matinee theater shows. That's a good slot for him, since they are very much based around his stories as much as his music, even though it isn't quite an evening "headline" show. It's an excellent presentation.

 

WAR seems to always play the pool on other StarVista. So do the Cowsills.

 

I agree that none of the remaining acts are likely to carry their own full-length theater show, but then you have nine mid-tier (in terms of popularity, not quality) original recording artists, many of them from the yacht rock era. That's a lot to have to plug into the lounges and pool along with all of the tribute artists. So perhaps two or three of them will do a package theater show?

[Honolulu Blue]

3 hours ago, NinS said:

 

On both Flower Power and Malt Shop Peter Asher has done matinee theater shows. That's a good slot for him, since they are very much based around his stories as much as his music, even though it isn't quite an evening "headline" show. It's an excellent presentation.

 

WAR seems to always play the pool on other StarVista. So do the Cowsills.

 

I agree that none of the remaining acts are likely to carry their own full-length theater show, but then you have nine mid-tier (in terms of popularity, not quality) original recording artists, many of them from the yacht rock era. That's a lot to have to plug into the lounges and pool along with all of the tribute artists. So perhaps two or three of them will do a package theater show?

 

Thank you for your perspective on things.  It's good food to chew on.

 

As for combined shows, with all those performers (31 acts!), it seems that Rock & Romance might have to try some.  Deniece Williams and Evelyn "Champagne" King did a combined set on the Soul Train Cruise earlier this year in the main theater.

 

Speaking of Soul Train, they announced some details about their 2025 voyage on their FB page.  I'll just put in their graphic which lists all the info we know about it so far:

 

[George C]

Last year Peter Asher was listed then canceled , he was there on rock and romance at least once before Covid he did a early show and a very late show on one Cara Lee was singing with him along with James Taylor sister , I could see others join him for main show. I still think will add at least one more main act , would love to see America again they were on this a couple of times and there the reason we signed up for our first , they sent me a email saying we could get a 5 percent discount.

[Honolulu Blue]

According to the latest Internet rumors, here's who will be on the Ultimate Disco Cruise in 2025 (if it goes):

• Raniere Martin (Donna Summer tribute probably)
• Rose Royce
• Tavares
• Boogie Wonder Band (we knew this from previous rumors)
• Trammps with Earl Young (knew this also)
• Bee Gees Gold
• Stone City Band
• a Rick James tribute band
• Denny Terrio as host

 

Most of these have been on the UDC before (the ones who have not I put in italics above).  Tavares was scheduled to be on this year's UDC but dropped out.  My reaction is this is a good back half of the lineup, but I'm hoping for bigger names to eventually commit.

[Honolulu Blue]

The same megacasino that hosted Pat Benatar and Styx this summer is hosting Queen Nation on December 29.  I liked them, but I didn't like them enough to brave potentially bad roads and bad weather to go see them.  Besides, they'll be at Rock & Romance, and I'm sure I'll see them then.