It is one thing to talk about the History of Jazz. It is quite another thing to make that story live with music. For years, Marcus Miller has presented a 60 – 75 minute show which traces the history of jazz from the early days in New Orleans through the end of BeBop and the beginning of Cool Jazz. Lately, he has added some post-1950 teachings, but we still have not reached the world of jazz post-2000. After all, the subject matter is difficult and giving each defining song its due takes time.
Once you accept that the life of jazz is a journey, the idea of a Journey of Jazz cruise makes a lot of sense. The idea has been bouncing around our development team for years. The time never seemed right and the itineraries never seemed to jive with the concept. But, once we learned about the West Coast sailing of Vancouver – Victoria – San Francisco – Los Angeles, we jumped at the idea. Yes, that part of the world has a great jazz heritage (think Dave Brubeck/Chet Baker/Etta James), but the allure was more related to the lifestyle that this itinerary suggested – jazz, wine, great food, beautiful cities and countryside.
For Journey of Jazz, Marcus will use the first night of the cruise to complete the mission he has started over the years. Participating will be his co-host, Gregory Porter, the amazing Dee Dee Bridgewater, Music Director Eric Marienthal and a whole host of top musicians. As for additional insights to the history of jazz, the cruise features the Brubeck Brothers and Ravi Coltrane. Now there is some serious jazz history ready to be shared.
Journey of Jazz features a top lineup of female vocalists as well. In proving that point, in reviewing a recent list of the 25 greatest female jazz singers of all time, 20 are deceased. Of the five remaining, two are sailing on Journey of Jazz. We have mentioned Dee Dee Bridgewater, the talented vocalist and actress who has earned three GRAMMY® Awards, a Tony and induction as an NEA Jazz Master. The other is Diana Krall. To date the top-selling female jazz singer of the 21st Century, this three-time GRAMMY® winner, from British Columbia, combines a sultry voice with dexterous piano skills. For the record, another is Dianne Reeves, who is not on Journey of Jazz, but this 5-time GRAMMY® winner has sailed on our programs for years.
The remaining two living female jazz vocalists in the top 25 are Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux. Maybe one day. Journey of Jazz also features 3X GRAMMY® Award winning Cécile McLorin Salvant, whose place on the list of the Top 25 will be secured with time. And, of course, one of our favorite vocalists, Niki Haris, who cannot be defined by any single genre, will be onboard in several capacities.
In keeping with the theme of “journey,” for the first time in more than a decade Signature Cruise Experiences is curating its own excursions. For a complete list of special land-based events, click HERE and our favorite comic, Alonzo Bodden, will walk you through the choices. For those seeking the shorthand version, guests will be able to purchase tickets for a Warren Wolf show in Victoria along with several other offerings, including whale watching. While we are in San Francisco for two full days (one night), we are producing a special show at the famous SFJAZZ theater featuring the legendary Ron Carter with his quartet (Renee Rosnes, Jimmy Greene, Payton Crossley). Famous food critic, Michael Bauer, will be your guide for dining opportunities including San Francisco’s #1 dim sum restaurant.
For the adventurous, we will have tours of wineries in Napa and Sonoma and guests can spend the day on the Napa Valley Wine Train. One train has already sold out, but we have managed to secure another one. Again, check out offerings, make your selection and get ready to enjoy your excursions. Recently, someone asked us the following question “with all these amazing excursions, will there be less music on the cruise?” The answer is a resounding “NO!” Journey of Jazz has a full schedule of music every late afternoon and night when in port and all day when we are at sea.
The only activity that will be less than our other cruises will be sleeping. Not much time for that.
Finally, though some staterooms with balconies remain, most of the available staterooms are Ocean View and Inside Staterooms. These staterooms are the least expensive on the ship, but, to provide as many jazz fans as possible with the opportunity to sail on this amazing journey, for the time being, we are lowering the price of those staterooms even more. This Special Offer for Ocean View and Inside Staterooms will not last long, so we urge you to call the office or go online to take advantage. Use the Promo Code: JOURNEY.
As you can see, I am as excited about this cruise as any we have ever produced. Great music. Great excursions. Great Journey!
By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea, Journey of Jazz, Homecoming: The Cruise and Top Shelf Country Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com.
What’s Hot?
McBride B2B The Jazz Cruise
Scheduling the inaugural sailing of Christian McBride’s World at Sea (CMW) back-to-back (B2B) with The Jazz Cruise ’26 (TJC ’26) was meant to create a one-of-a-kind two-week jazz vacation. CMW ends on January 27, 2026 at 7AM ET. TJC ’26 starts boarding four hours later. Guests on both may remain onboard or spend some time in Ft. Lauderdale until we sail that afternoon.
Evidently, the message was clear and well received!
Hundreds of guests have decided to take advantage of this opportunity and have reserved a stateroom on both sailings! There is still time to complete what we call our Jazz Double Play.
Completing the Jazz Double Play
If you have a reservation on either CMW or TJC ‘26, please call the office to see if we can place you in that same stateroom for the other cruise. It may be that we switch your current reservation to keep both reservations with the same stateroom. If that cannot be done, no worries, Celebrity Cruises’ staff will move you to your new stateroom in minutes.
If you do not have a reservation for CMW or TJC ’26, you can call the office or go online to complete your reservation. Again, if you cannot reserve the same stateroom for both sailings, we have you covered!
Jazz Double Play Benefits
Besides the opportunity to spend two weeks enjoying the music of more than 170 world class jazz musicians, guests who go for the Jazz Double Play are entitled to the following special benefits:
- Transition Day Brunch – January 27, 2026
- Reserved Seating for CMW Main Show Events
- Your Cruise Status is applied to both cruises and, to help cover your expenses, you will receive an onboard credit which you may use in any way you wish during the two weeks of sailing. The amount of the onboard credit/person is as follows:
- Suite: $500
- Conciere/AquaClass/Veranda: $400
- Ocean View/Inside: $300
Jazz Double Play by the Numbers
| Days of Cruising | 14 |
| Number of Musicians | 170+ |
| Hours of Music | 400+ |
| Memorable Moments | Countless |
Butler, Bodden Elliot at the 3rd Annual Desert Jazz Festival
Artists from the Signature Cruise Experiences’ family will be gracing the stage for the 3rd annual Desert Jazz Festival located in Rancho Mirage, CA in the beautiful Coachella Valley October 2-5, 2025. This full VIP experience is a 3-night, 4-day event filled with music, comedy, food, golf, pickleball and community all nestled within the gorgeous San Jacinto mountains.
In addition to the stellar talent highlighted there will also be concerts featuring the extraordinary vocals of Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle with more to be announced soon.
For a limited time, anyone who has sailed on any of our cruises in ’24 or ’25 will get 10% off using exclusive code DJFSC10 (valid until April 16th).
Spring Jazz Festivals
With April coming, we’ll soon be seeing not only showers and flowers, but also a flurry of jazz festivals. Here are details on several (listed in chronological order) that will be featuring artists from our Signature Cruise Experiences programs.
Denver Jazz Festival
Date: April 3-6
Location: Various venues, Denver, CO
Lineup: Dianne Reeves & Romero Lubambo, Charles McPherson & Terell Stafford, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, others
Earl Klugh’s Weekend of Jazz at the Broadmoor
Date: April 3-5
Location: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO
Lineup: Earl Klugh, Bob James, Brian Culbertson, Eric Darius, Damien Escobar, Leslie Odom, Jr., others
Berks Jazz Fest
Date: April 4-13
Location: Various venues, Reading, PA
Lineup: Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun & Richard Elliot, David Sanborn Tribute – sponsored by Signature Cruise Experiences and The Smooth Jazz Cruise, others
Alexander Zonjic’s Cabin Fever Jazz Festival
Date: April 5
Location: Southfield Pavillion, Southfield, MI
Lineup: Alexander Zonjic, Keiko Matsui, Peter White, Lin Rountree, Angela Davis
Charleston Jazz Festival
Date: April 21-29
Location: Various venues, Charleston, SC
Lineup: Paquito D’Rivera, Jazzmeia Horn, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, others
Seabreeze Jazz Festival
Date: April 23-27
Location: Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater, Panama City Beach, FL
Lineup: Gerald Albright, Brian Culbertson, Boney James, Najee, Eric Darius, Norman Brown, Vincent Ingala, others
Stateroom Availability
Having been at sea for four weeks, we thought it best to share what is new with respect to our next 9 cruise programs and to highlight special offers for select programs.
Cruise Programs 2025
| Journey of Jazz ’25 | Nearly 85% Reserved. Balcony Staterooms Available – Special Pricing for Ocean View and Inside Staterooms (Lowest Price Ever – Promo Code JOURNEY) |
Cruise Programs 2026
| Homecoming: The Cruise | Open Booking Now; For Special Prices on Staterooms, use Promo Code: HTC |
| Christian McBride’s World at Sea ’26 | Open Booking Now; For Special Prices for Ocean View and Inside Staterooms, use Promo Code: CMW |
| The Jazz Cruise ’26 | Open Booking Now |
| The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 | 96% Reserved – Open Booking Now |
| The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.2 | Fully Reserved |
| Top Shelf Country Cruise | Over 8,000 Pre-Sail Reservations Received Open Booking Now |
| The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 | 76% Reserved – Open Booking Now |
| Botti at Sea ’26 | Open Booking Now |
Hot Offers
Ocean View and Inside Staterooms are available on Journey of Jazz ’25. You can reserve an Inside Stateroom on the cruise for under $2,000/person and there are special prices for Ocean View staterooms. Reservations may be completed online or by calling the office and are based upon double occupancy, available for new reservations only and non-commissionable. Further, this discount may not be combined with any other offer (Promo Code: JOURNEY).
Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs
Limited Time Promotional Pricing
Promotional pricing is available on Ocean View and Inside Staterooms for Journey of Jazz! Make your reservation today using promo code JOURNEY for significant savings*! Exciting land-based concerts and excursions are also available! *Discount applies to new reservations only.
Limited Time Promotional Pricing
Join us for a celebration of HBCUs and inspired by the tradition of the Divine Nine Challenge from recent sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Sailing January 15 – 20, 2026 (including MLK Day), this cruise will deliver Excellence, Education and Entertainment. For the best available prices on all Stateroom Categories, use promo code HTC during the booking process. Reserve Your Stateroom Today!
Limited Time Promotional Pricing
9X GRAMMY® winner Christian McBride will host our newest Signature Jazz Cruises’ program, Christian McBride’s World at Sea! The cruise will feature legions of musicians who comprise the various ensembles that are the hallmarks of Christian’s music world AND first-class comedy talent. See the full lineup here!
Right now, special pricing is available for Ocean View and Inside Staterooms. To save, use the promo code CMW during the reservation process. Open Booking has begun! Reserve your stateroom today!
Open Booking Now Available!
Hailed as “Jazz Heaven” by musicians and guests alike, The Jazz Cruise ’26 lineup will feature some of the most iconic musicians from the straight-ahead jazz genre. See the full lineup here. Anyone may now reserve any available stateroom. This program always hits “fully reserved.” The only question is when!
Open Booking Now Available
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 is in Open Booking (anyone may reserve any available stateroom) and staterooms are more than 95% reserved. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.2 is Fully Reserved, but you may join the Waitlist. Reserve your stateroom today!
Open Booking Now Available
The inaugural sailing will feature headline artist Keith Urban and widely popular personalities from iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show, led by Bobby Bones himself. Top Shelf Country Cruise is now in Open Booking! Anyone may select any available stateroom and complete a reservation. Guests are not required to submit a Pre-Sail Reservation and may proceed directly to the Stateroom Selection process. Reserve your stateroom today!
Open Booking Now Available
For the first time in many years, The Smooth Jazz Cruise will sail on the West Coast, embarking in Vancouver, sailing to Victoria and San Francisco before disembarking in Los Angeles. Exciting land excursions will be available in the ports-of-call! The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 is in Open Booking! Anyone may now reserve any available stateroom.
Open Booking Now Available
We’re thrilled to be able to announce that Boz Scaggs, Elvis Costello and Melody Gardot will be onboard Botti at Sea ’26. Of course, Chris Botti will be there with his very talented band and, as always, we will fill the remaining performance slots with a variety of great music, comedy and more. Open Booking has begun. Reserve your stateroom today!
Send us Your Mug Shot
We know many readers of The Weekender like to peruse each edition over their morning coffee. And, if you’ve sailed with us, you likely have at least one (or perhaps many) Signature Cruise Experiences mugs just for that purpose. Over the years, The Weekender has featured several pictures of cruisers showing off their mugs, pictures we affectionately refer to as “Mug Shots.”
If you want to share your “Mug Shot” with the 100,000+ readers who receive The Weekender each Saturday, email a photo of yourself and your mug to mugshot@scecruises.com. Who knows? You may just see yourself in a future edition.
Mug Shots
Linda M.
North Carolina
Tag us @thejazzcruise, @bottiatsea, @thesmoothjazzcruise, #signaturecruiseexperiences and #theweekender. Email your photo to MugShot@scecruises.com.