Wynton Marsalis joins Marcus Miller & Gregory Porter for
Journey of Jazz ’27 in New Orleans!
Wynton Marsalis joining Journey of Jazz ’27 may be the most exciting headline for Jazz Notes that we have ever presented! Each of these three jazz icons are among the most talented in the world! Individually, they are headliners, collectively they are a “can’t miss” event!
For those not yet “hip” to Journey of Jazz, our first sailing was a 7-day trip from Vancouver to Los Angeles, with a full day in Victoria and an overnight in San Francisco. While in those ports, the guests were treated to special jazz programs, high-end dining, excursions to wine country and more.
Musically, the cruise traced the origins of jazz and highlighted its past, near-past and current trends. From a leading Big Band to iconic vocalists to famous instrumentalists to the offspring of some of the greatest musicians ever, the cruise blended musical, culinary and participatory experiences that have defined and supported the jazz community for years.
Yes, the “Journey” was more than a 7-day cruise. It was a trip through the history of jazz and a menu of experiences that jazz fans have savored for decades. To many, Journey of Jazz ’25 was the perfect jazz outing. We agreed and are creating another chapter in this “Journey” for January 24 – 31, 2027 on Celebrity Cruises’ Summit.
Marcus and Gregory are returning as your hosts and the itinerary features an overnight in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. Your “tour guide” for New Orleans will be none other than Wynton Marsalis. Be sure to check out Lee Mergner’s touching and insightful take below on what Wynton Marsalis means to jazz and what his participation in Journey of Jazz ’27 means to the program (and to you).
From now through December 12, 2025, Guests who sailed on Journey of Jazz ’25 have the exclusive right to rebook their ’25 stateroom for Journey of Jazz ’27.
Those who did not sail in ’25 may establish their priority for Journey of Jazz ’27 through the Pre-Sail Reservation procedure. Instructions for rebooking or for completing a Pre-Sail Reservation may be found on the Journey of Jazz ’27 website.
I have buried the most important date – December 3, 2025 – the day that we present the Program Lineup for the cruise. With the announcement of Marcus Miller, Gregory Porter and Wynton Marsalis, Journey of Jazz ’27 is off to an amazing start, but, trust me, there will be more. We will also begin to share the details of the various NOLA excursions and events. Our team of NOLA experts are working overtime to create events that are unique and on-brand with our world of jazz.
Whether you are Rebooking or completing a Pre-Sail Reservation, no Deposit is required and no obligation is made until ten (10) days AFTER the announcement of the Program Lineup.
Signature Cruise Experiences has been on a “journey” for jazz since 2001. Creating a cruise program that highlights that odyssey has been one of the most rewarding experiences in our history. The best part being sharing it with you.
Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences
The GRAMMY® Nominations Are Announced
The GRAMMY® nominations were announced last Friday, November 7, and, as is always the case, the nominees included several artists with ties to Signature Cruise Experiences’ programs.
From Christian McBride’s World at Sea:
- Christian McBride was nominated in three categories: Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Instrumental Album (both for Trilogy 3 – Live with Chick Corea and Brian Blade) and Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album (for Without Further Ado – Vol. 1).
- Samara Joy, who appeared on that big band album as well as released her own Portrait album, received two nominations – one for Best Jazz Performance and the other for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
- Ledisi is up for two awards – for Best Traditional R&B Performance and for Best R&B Album – both tied to her recording, The Crown.
- Angélique Kidjo was nominated for Best Global Performance.
- Finally, Sullivan Fortner received a nomination for his Southern Nights album in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category.
From The Jazz Cruise ‘26:
- Sullivan Fortner is sailing as well on The Jazz Cruise, which was also represented in the list of nominations by featuring Paquito D’Rivera & the Madrid-New York Connection Band for La Fleur de Cayenne is nominated in the Best Latin Jazz Album category.
Finally, Gerald Clayton, who has sailed on several of our programs, was nominated in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category for his recording Ones and Twos.
We wish all of them the best with the awards to be given on February 1. Even though a few are competing against one another in some categories, they’re all winners to us.
Wynton Marsalis:
Bringing New Orleans to the World (and Bringing the World to New Orleans)
It’s difficult to bring a proper perspective to the legacy of Wynton Marsalis. Not because his impact is in question, but rather because he’s had such a powerful influence in so many spheres. As a musician, he is clearly one of the most virtuosic trumpeters of his, or just about any, generation. As a composer, he is one of the only jazz musicians to receive a Pulitzer Prize. As a mentor, he is someone who has nurtured multiple generations of jazz greats – from Christian McBride to Jonathan Batiste. . As an educator, he is a person who has overseen the distribution of hundreds of big band charts from the jazz greats to high school programs all over the world.
As a jazz advocate and presenter, he is the founder and leader of Jazz at Lincoln Center, arguably the greatest non-profit jazz organization in the world. There’s plenty more that he’s done and he still does, but that’s enough for now.
What we wanted to share here is how he represents and champions the music of New Orleans, his birthplace. It started with his father, Ellis Marsalis, the pianist, educator and esteemed patriarch of New Orleans jazz. Interestingly, Wynton and his brother Branford did not immediately embrace jazz in their early years as teens, preferring to play in the horn sections of R&B and funk bands. Eventually, both fell in line, so to speak, and would come north to study – Branford for jazz at Berklee and Wynton for trumpet performance at Juilliard. Both apprenticed, like so many jazz greats before them, with Art Blakey’s band and both were signed to record deals by Dr. George Butler, who saw in them a means to reach younger audiences.
That kicked off the Young Lions movement, during which a slew of younger artists were signed to record deals and promoted as future stars. Wynton, of course, was the brightest star and even branched out to classical music, which Butler often attributed as a turning point in the trumpeter’s career. Although his early records and sound were a direct link to Blakey and the Miles Davis Quintet of the ’60s, Wynton always retained the New Orleans influence in his music. In time, he would immerse himself in the music of Louis Armstrong and, not only include that influence in his recordings, but also champion Pops as one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century. That seminal influence would manifest itself directly in albums like Crescent City Christmas and Congo Square and indirectly in just about every recording or concert he has done in the last three decades.
In part because he was a role model, but also because of his hands-on involvement, Wynton mentored and/or collaborated with generation after generation of New Orleans jazz musicians – including Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Marlon Jordan, Herlin Riley, Wessell Anderson, Adonis Rose, Jonathan Batiste and so many others. I remember doing an interview with Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, more than a dozen years ago backstage at the Newport Jazz Festival. Towards the end of the interview, he saw Wynton getting into a car about 100 yards away and he ran that distance and leapt over a fence to shake Wynton’s hand before he left for his next concert. When Troy came back to the interview, he said to me, “That man changed my life.”
Indeed, Wynton Marsalis changed the lives of so many artists, and not just those in New Orleans. From the SCE family, Wycliffe Gordon, Sean Jones, Russell Gunn and Christian McBride were all appreciative recipients of Wynton’s unique ability to pay it forward.
We’re honored to have Wynton perform for the Journey of Jazz guests and share his appreciation for the music of his hometown while we’re in New Orleans in January 2027.
Lee Mergner
Jazz Consultant
Signature Cruise Experiences
Jazz Cruises Conversations Podcast:
Emmet Cohen with Benny Benack III
This episode from the recent Journey of Jazz cruise features an interview with Emmet Cohen by his longtime friend Benny Benack III. Emmet shared the story of his journey from being a student at the University of Miami to being a regular, then host, on The Jazz Cruise. He also talked about his Masters Legacy Series of recordings with his elders. And, of course, he explained the creation and evolution of his Emmet’s Place online concert series.
Click above to hear Emmet talks about the origins of the Emmet’s Place video concert series
Finding Cruisers at Exit Zero Jazz Fest
If you attend any jazz festival in this country, you’re likely to see several of our guests supporting and enjoying the music. Such was the case at the recent Exit Zero Jazz Festival in Cape May, NJ, where our own Lee Mergner caught up with eight guests from The Jazz Cruise, Journey of Jazz and McBride’s World at Sea. This photo of (l to r) Mike and Cathy Axel, John and Susan Corkery, Dr. Greg Koons, Vicky and Tony Jacobine and Jan Koons was taken minutes before Cassandra Wilson‘s performance celebrating the 30th anniversary of her seminal album, New Moon Daughter, which closed out the festival.
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.
Staterooms in all remaining categories are available at FOR A SONG Cruise Prices. Be sure to use Promo Code: FORASONG when booking online or by 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 FINAL Prices. Be sure to use Promo Code: FINAL 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 50 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.
Guests sailing on ’26.1 & ’26.2 have until November 26, 2025 to reserve their current stateroom for ’27.1 & ’27.2, respectively. Guests not sailing on either ’26.1 or ’26.2 may queue up for the ’27 cruises by completing a Pre-Sail Reservation. Pre-Sail Reservations are activated in the order received starting on December 4, 2025. Over 600 Pre-Sail Reservations, representing nearly 1,200 guests, have completed a Pre-Sail Reservation for the ’27 Cruises.
Guests on ’26.3 have opportunities to book on any of the ’27 cruises, subject to rules which have been shared with them. If you are a guest on ’26.3 and you have not received that information, please call the office (888.852.9987).
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. Joining them on the cruise as the special guest host in New Orleans is Wynton Marsalis. Indelibly sketched in our minds as the ultimate NOLA jazzman, we are honored to have him join us on the program. 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 shortly after Thanksgiving.