Here Comes The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 & Chris Botti at Sea III!
Our ’25 Cruise Programs concluded just a few weeks ago. In a mere 78 days, we set sail for the first five of our ’26 Cruise Programs, which will keep us at sea for 33 days. Then, ten days later, we set sail again for a week.
The final two sailings in ’26, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 and Botti at Sea III, depart in Q3 ’26. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 sets sail in 318 days, followed by Botti at Sea III just seven days later (325 days from now). These two cruises complete a spectacular round-trip journey:
- The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 sails from Vancouver to Victoria, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- Botti at Sea III then turns around and sails back from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Victoria and Vancouver!
This is the same popular itinerary featured on our recently completed Journey of Jazz ’25 sailing. It has proven to be a guest favorite, especially because of the outstanding land events and excursions we have curated. In upcoming editions of Jazz Notes and The Weekender, we will share details of those land events, along with commentary from guests on Journey of Jazz ’25.
With so much happening in Q1 ’26, we realize we haven’t spent enough time discussing the great offerings in Q3 ’26. These sailings are certainly not a secret!
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 will be the 36th sailing for this program. In addition to hosts Marcus Miller and Boney James, the cruise features a star-studded lineup of “smooth jazz” artists along with two amazing bands, WAR and Tower of Power. It’s no surprise that fewer than 60 staterooms remain for this program!
As the title indicates, ’26 will be the third sailing of Botti at Sea. Chris Botti has once again put together an incredible lineup of superstars. Pinning down Chris to a particular music genre is impossible and his performer selection reflects the depth and breadth of his musical tastes. Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson and a host of others will be performing. Try to label that talented group!
In this edition of Jazz Notes, we will take a moment to learn more about some of the stars of Botti at Sea. Our Music Consultant, Lee Mergner, chronicles Chris Botti’s amazing schedule of performances nd I will talk about our dear friend, Peabo Bryson. We will take up the other stars in later editions.
Note to Guests: Both The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 and Botti at Sea III are in Open Booking. The land events for Botti at Sea III are available for reservations now, and they will be available for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 shortly.
Kick Off Your ’26 Sailing Season with
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise & Christian McBride’s World at Sea!
Signature Cruise Experiences ’26 Cruises start in 78 days with two brand new cruise programs, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise (1.15.26 – 1.20.26) followed immediately by Christian McBride’s World at Sea (1.20.26 – 1.27.26). Both sailings are out of Ft. Lauderdale, are on Celebrity Summit and feature some of the most exciting and heralded musicians and vocalists in the world.
The talent combines for nearly 70 GRAMMY® Awards, 25 of them shared by the two hosts! This will be 12 days of great music, great camaraderie and great fun.
Join us for either sailing or for both sailings. A limited number of staterooms are available in various categories and, if you act soon, you will be eligible for our best pricing for any cruise.
Promo Codes for Special Pricing
- For David Foster: The Hitman Cruise, the Promo Code is BESTVALUE
- For Christian McBride’s World at Sea, the Promo Code is FINAL
We Love Peabo!
Peabo Bryson has graced Signature Cruise Experiences’ programs many times over the years. His performances are a delightful walk down memory lane, with each song charting another hit, a classic romantic duet or a tune that helped define a special time in your life.
We felt he was the perfect vocal balance to artists like Boz Scaggs and Elvis Costello on Chris Botti at Sea III. When we learned that Regina Belle would also be available to join him for their megahits, “Without You” and “A Whole New World,” we knew we had truly added a touch of magic to the lineup.
Peabo’s voice and style are instantly recognizable. In a genre with many successful and well-known balladeers, being so distinctive is a testament to Peabo’s commitment to being authentically himself – a trait we have always deeply admired.
But when I think of Peabo, one special and very touching image always comes to mind. On a past cruise program, Peabo was performing with another famous duet partner, Roberta Flack. Unfortunately, she began to struggle on stage while playing the piano and singing the lyrics of their song.
Like a brother, Peabo immediately put his arm around her, guiding her gently through the rest of the tune. What could have been a sad or awkward moment for her and the audience was transformed into a beautiful, memorable example of professionalism and care. Peabo can be difficult at times, even a bit of a “diva,” but when it truly counts, he is lovely, kind and endearing.
It has been a few years since he last sailed with us, and I, for one, cannot wait to see this impeccably dressed, always elegant, master of song perform once again on our ship!
Michael Lazaroff
Executive Dircector
Signature Cruise Experiences
On the Road Again with Chris Botti
James Brown was famously known as “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” but Chris Botti can rightly claim the mantle of “The Hardest Working Man in Jazz.” Chris does as many shows as any jazz musician out there – between 100-200 per year, including a month-long residency at the Blue Note in New York City
For those few who haven’t seen Chris live, you are missing not just a stellar performance by a masterful trumpeter, but also a veritable all-star variety show featuring both his bandmembers and special guests. Past and present bandmembers include violinist Caroline Campbell, pianists Esteban Castro, Taylor Eigsti and Julian Pollack, saxophonists Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and Andy Snitzer, guitarist Leonardo Amuedo, bassists Daniel Chmielinski and Zach Moses, vocalists Sy Smith, Veronica Swift, John Splithoff and Alicia Olatuja.
On any given night, the cast can expand with notable bold-faced names with whom Chris has a history. You can find many of these past star-studded performances with artists like Sting, Andrea Bocelli and Jill Scott on his Youtube channel here. This is especially true in December during those shows at the Blue Note where you never know who will sit in. One of Chris’s true gifts is his innate ability to seamlessly blend the music of genres and styles beyond jazz.
This fall, Chris starts his tour on November 20 with a concert at the Plaza Theatre in El Paso, Texas, followed by shows in Phoenix, Boston, Saratoga Springs, Alexandria and other U.S. cities until his residency at the Blue Note from December 8 through January 4. He then performs for one week each in both San Francisco and Seattle. He picks things up again in February and March with another lengthy tour at theaters and performing centers throughout the country. If that sounds like it might be too much, take it from Chris himself, it’s exactly what he wants.
“These are the musical equivalent of First World problems,” he says. “I mean, when you’re a seven-year-old kid, you say, ‘My dream is to play music in front of a bunch of people.’ And then it happens. It’s a spectacular feeling.”
We hope you’ll join Chris and his friends on Botti at Sea in September 2026, and in the meantime you have plenty of opportunities to experience his musical magic in any of dozens of cities. See his tour dates here.
Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant
Jazz Cruises Conversations podcast
Lee Mergner with Niki Haris
Episode #106 in the series of talks is from the recent Journey of Jazz cruise and features a listening session with Niki Haris spinning and talking about several tracks from her album Lift Thine Eyes. The stellar vocalist talked about the inspiration behind the music and even sang along with the tracks. Eric Marienthal was featured as her special guest saxophonist.
Click the image on the left to hear Niki talk about her father, the great jazz pianist Gene Harris.
Signature Cruise Experiences Programs
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise
1.15.26 – 1.20.26
A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of Talent
The amazing lineup of David Foster, Michael McDonald, Babyface, Katherine McPhee, Take 6, Nathan East, Peter Cincotti, Pia Toscano, Emmet Cohen (and more) is in place for this 5-day Cruise Getaway from Ft. Lauderdale on Celebrity Summit.
Truly a weekend getaway (Thursday – Tuesday) vacation, there will be more than 7 days of music presented in a 5-day cruise! The remaining inventory includes only Veranda, Ocean View and Inside Staterooms.
Secure the best pricing available with our BESTVALUE promotion. Be sure to use that promo code when booking online or calling the office.
Christian McBride’s World at Sea
1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists
Boasting one of the most robust and decorated lineups we have ever presented and led by 9X GRAMMY® Winner Christian McBride, this program will present more than 220 hours of top music over 7 days at sea. Besides Christian’s lineup of amazing ensembles that he leads (Inside Straight, Ursa Major, Christian McBride’s Big Band, Remembering Ray Brown, Christian’s Trio), the cruise also features some of the very best vocalists in the genre; Ledisi, Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Angélique Kidjo, Melissa Walker and José James.
Staterooms in all remaining categories are available at Best Value Cruise Prices. Be sure to use Promo Code: BESTVALUE when booking online or by calling the office.
The Jazz Cruise
’26 (1.27.26 – 2.3.26) – Still the Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea
’27 (1.17.27 – 1.24.27) – Stay Tuned for More Information…Soon!
The Jazz Cruise is the first program that Signature Cruise Experiences ever produced. Since its first sailing in 2001, The Jazz Cruise has been the world leader in presenting “straight ahead” jazz at sea. With the new trend in land based jazz festivals including non-jazz music, The Jazz Cruise surpasses land based events for “straight ahead” jazz, too.
This cruise is fully reserved every year and fewer than 75 staterooms remain for the ’26 sailing. Past Guests may use the Promo Code: SHIP to reserve a stateroom at favorable prices based on their sailing history. Information about The Jazz Cruise ’27 will be available on or before November 13, 2025.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise
’26.1 (2.3.26 – 2.10.26)
’26.2 (2.10.26 – 2.17.26)
’26.3 (9.11.26 – 9.18.26)
’27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27)
’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27)
’27.3 (10.13.27 – 10.20.27)
6 Opportunities to sail on “The Greatest Party at Sea”
Known as “The Greatest Party at Sea,” The Smooth Jazz Cruise has sailed over 30 times since 2004. Year after year, there is a waitlist for staterooms and the cruises hit “fully reserved” earlier and earlier. Rich with great musicians, great fans and great times, The Smooth Jazz Cruise has created a community of fans that span the globe. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2, both of which sail in the Caribbean, are fully reserved with significant waitlists. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which will sail from Vancouver to Los Angeles with calls in Victoria and San Francisco, is more than 95% reserved at this time. This is a great opportunity to secure a reservation on this cruise which establishes your priority for other sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise.
Botti at Sea III (’26)
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent
The wait is over. It is time to begin the planning process for Botti at Sea III (’26). The lineup has been set for a few months. Joining Chris will be Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle, Emmet Cohen, Candy Dulfer, John Splithoff, Morgan James, Benny Benack III, Kandace Springs, Harold Lopez-Nussa Trio ft. Gregoire Maret and more. The cruise will sail from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with calls in San Francisco and Victoria. Open Booking has already started, meaning any guest may select any available stateroom and complete a reservation online or by calling the office.
Journey of Jazz ’27
1.25.27 – 1.31.27
Where is Journey of Jazz Headed Next? New Orleans!
The inaugural sailing of Journey of Jazz ended a few weeks ago. The cruise was a wonderful experience and both hosts, Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter, are coming back for the next voyage. In keeping with our theme of great jazz experiences, Journey of Jazz ’27 will be headed to New Orleans for a special overnight jazz experience. Guests who sailed on Journey of Jazz ’25 have until December 12, 2025 to rebook their current stateroom. Others may complete a Pre-Sail Reservation through December 10, 2025. The full lineup will be announced on November 4, 2025.