The 18+ Edition

A recent article in USA TODAY shared the announcement by United Kingdom cruise line, Marella Cruises, that it was “earmarking one of its ships, Marella Discovery 2, for adults only cruises.” The article outlined Marella’s plans to replace the kid’s spaces with an arts and crafts area, karaoke, meeting rooms and a speakeasy.

“The cruise line (Marella) joins a small number of cruise lines that cater just to adults – such as Virgin Voyages – or have designated adults-only ships.”

I smiled when I read this article. The writer was presenting, as news, the idea that someone would take a cruise ship and create a program just for adults, while altering the kid’s rooms for adult activities.

This “new” idea has been around at least as long ago as 2001 when The Jazz Cruise first sailed as a full ship charter. With more than 105 subsequent sailings of all adult full ship charters now completed, Signature Cruise Experiences understands fully the idea that some folks want to be on a ship where all the activities are geared to their interests and that they can be on an elevator where all the buttons have not been pushed and in a restaurant where, for the most part, people are quietly enjoying their meal.

From the very start of our operations, we adhered strictly to the “no kids” policy. Once in a while a performer would need to bring a child, but that exception usually carried with it the requirement of a babysitter or nanny. Children have never been permitted to roam the ship after dinner and were precluded from attending the shows.

This was not done to promote risqué behavior, but was imposed to maintain the proper atmosphere for enjoying music, dancing, adult conversation and sharing a drink. Nothing untoward on our programs has ever been promoted or tolerated, but neither has the inclusion of toddlers as part of the manifest of guests. 

As for altering the children’s sections of the ship, we take all the Kids Club areas and convert them into rehearsal rooms for the performers. We also use those rooms for storage of instrument cases and other equipment. Looking over the paraphernalia we scatter in that space, I cannot help but believe that the kids would prefer playing with our stuff to whatever toys and games are made available for them on regular cruises.

There are the Disney cruises and there are the Signature Cruise Experiences cruises. Both have their proper place and following. Seldom is there an overlap of guests.

For those of you preparing to pounce on me for our apparent hypocritical actions in allowing “underage” performers to sail on the ship, we call that gambit our “Piano and Mom” exception. Yes, Taylor Eigsti, Emmet Cohen, Brandon Goldberg and Joey Alexander all performed on our cruise programs, though they were too young to be cruise guests otherwise. 

Long live the exceptions that prove the rule.

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Journey of Jazz, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise and Top Shelf Country Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com.

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Where’s Alonzo?

Alonzo Bodden, our comedian-in-residence, will be appearing at the Grand Comedy Club in Escondido, CA on July 24-25, and the Punchline in Irving, TX on July 30-August 1. He looks forward to seeing folks from our cruises at his shows.

“Temperatures are up, prices are up, so it’s time for some cool laughs and I work cheap,” Alonzo says.  “Let’s reflect on the Reflecting Pool. I’ve got lots of new material and we’ll have a great time.”  You can also catch Alonzo in his recurring role as a panelist on NPR’s popular show Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me.

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Bria Skonberg’s Indigo

On her latest album, Indigo, trumpeter Bria Skonberg showcases her gifts as a vocalist, backed by a chamber-like ensemble of strings, alto flute and bass clarinet, anchored by a rhythm section featuring Eric Wheeler on bass and Darrian Douglas on drums, and of course Bria on trumpet. A companion to Brass, her trumpet-focused album released earlier this year, Indigo was produced by her longtime collaborator Matt Pierson and features arrangements by Gil Goldstein, who has worked with a veritable who’s who in modern jazz.

“Approaching my voice as a standalone instrument opened up possibilities I hadn’t made space for before, such as developing timbres, exploring my full range, and writing more intricate soli lines,” Bria says. “I loved hearing and navigating Gil’s arrangements, which feels like finding a pathway through a mystical forest. One of the greatest gifts was working on lyrics with Ann Hampton Callaway whom I first heard live on The Jazz Cruise. I knew in that moment she was a genius and it’s been a dream ever since to collaborate with her. She added the verse to ‘So It Goes’ which adds another layer of meaning and elegance.”

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Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs

SCE Sailings in ’26

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