Cruising and All That Jazz - pt. 3 by Paul Motter, CruiseMates Editor Updated Sept. 19, 2008
Jazz cruises hit a high note on the high seas with full-ship music cruise charters that fill the bill.
Performance Scheduling Schedules for the Smooth Jazz Cruise, David Koz Cruise and Playboy Jazz Cruise work like this: Every evening there are two performances by two artists. The shows are one hour per artist (two hours total), performed for the second dinner seating before dinner and then performed again after dinner for the first dinner seating.
With each night of a seven-night cruise featuring two different artists, there are lots of musicians on board -- usually fifteen or more separate ensembles. There are also afternoon concerts during days at sea. After the regular main showroom performances, the late evening is taken up by jam sessions into the wee hours.
There are so many bands on board that the individual musicians can get together in different ensembles and play almost anytime they want. As for passenger participation, Lazaroff said the audience is mostly fans, not players, although there are some. But there are more than enough players in the performing bands to spawn some extraordinary jam sessions.
The eight-year-old Jazz Cruise has a different format -- more like a free-form jam session from the get-go. While many bands perform scheduled sets, the charter may have as many as 30 different ensembles, scheduled to play throughout the ship in different rooms each night, plus several daytime sets. There is less focus on headliners and pre-set performances, and more on relaxed schedules for each artist and jam sessions.
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A talented audience member could be invited to sit in, but you'd better have your chops together. To prove it, you can attend a "behind the instrument" get-together, an artist's clinic hosted by one of the performers. Artists are also drafted to host cocktail parties, so you have a chance to meet and mingle with the best players in the world.
Jazz Cruise Schedules The four jazz cruises are always scheduled by pairing two departures back-to-back, making it convenient for people who have to travel from far away (Europe or Asia, for example) to take more than one cruise. Lazaroff says one couple from the Netherlands is scheduled for all four of the upcoming charters.
Even though Lazaroff has settled on Holland America's Westerdam for all his cruises, each departure sails on a unique itinerary, including the back-to-back cruises.
The Dave Koz Cruise sailing November 2, 2008 goes to Grand Turk, St. Thomas, St Barts and Half Moon Cay. The Jazz Cruise, sailing November 9, visits Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Belize.
The company just announced an itinerary update to the Dave Koz cruise: The recent hurricane weather in the Caribbean has seriously damaged Grand Turk. Holland America has cancelled that port on all cruises but the Dave Koz cruise will replace that stop with the fabulous port of Samana (Dominican Republic). Samana is a prime port-of-call and will offer guests a fantastic day of sun, activities and beautiful beaches.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise, sailing January 18, 2009, calls at San Juan, Santa Barbara de Samana, Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and Half Moon Cay. The following week's Playboy Jazz Cruise visits San Juan, Nevis, St Barts and Half Moon Cay.
The price for one cruise starts at about $1,800 per person (double occupancy) and goes up from there according to stateroom category. The Jazz Cruise, which is more free-form, tends to be slightly less expensive than the others. Which is most popular? They all sell out, so it is hard to say.
All onboard events are included in the cruise fare. The charter takes over the entire ship and its entertainment venues, so you won't see the Holland America Singers and Dancers do their "Salute to Broadway." But you might see Chaka Khan or Herbie Hancock do an hour show each plus sit in with other artists.
Win a Cabin and Event Tickets for Two: Enter Here: Saildate January 25, 2009: Winner selected November 30, 2008.
Win a cabin and full entry tickets for two people to all events aboard the 2009 Playboy Jazz Cruise Hosted on the Holland America Westerdam Itinerary: Roundtrip out of Fort Lauderdale. Hosted by Marcus Miller, produced by JazzCruisesLLC. Playboy Jazz Cruise Contest - Enter Here
Summing Up If you read the music cruise articles here in CruiseMates, or ask anyone who has been on one, it is almost impossible to explain how much fun you can have. You become so immersed in the music you forget you are on a cruise. Or you enjoy the cruising and take the music as icing on the cake.
The combination of the two is far more than the sum of one and one. The excitement of the experience comes to you from someplace deep inside of you, and overwhelms you with a "wow, this is as good as it gets" feeling. But don't just take my word when you can hear it straight from the horn's mouth.
