‘Tis The Season…Cruise Season That Is!
The Antidote to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
No, I am not making this up. Post-holiday depression, often called “holiday blues,” is a recognized, if not real, malady that impacts folks in January each year. For those of us who live north of the Mason-Dixon line, I always thought that this depression was caused by 31 days of grey skies, cold temperatures and lousy television offerings.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) presents feelings of sadness, fatigue, isolation and loneliness. I applaud the effort to create the on-point acronym, but the illness sounds like vanilla depression, right? The observers of SAD do make some points that highlight the feelings for this time of year…feeling overweight, fearing spending debt and doubting one’s importance to others resulting from spending time in larger than usual crowds during the holiday.
Quoting anything from Animal House (the movie) is risky for several reasons. Not everyone has seen the movie. The odds of the comment being juvenile is significant and disclosing familiarity with such cinema might impact one’s jazz cred! Nonetheless, here we go!
After learning that their frat house was on double secret probation, the members of Delta Tau Chi, in the face of great despair and concern, determined that the only appropriate course of action was….ROAD TRIP!
Starting a week from tomorrow, I will be on a 33-day road trip and loving it. It is cruise season! 33 days of great, great music and hanging with the coolest passengers in the world. No better way to ward off SAD or any other ailment for that matter.
Check out our last minute from SAD to GLAD column. There is still time to hook yourself up with one of our five programs just around the corner. I may have overstated that a bit, as three of the five programs are fully reserved. Sorry, sometimes I get ahead of myself, particularly during cruise season.
To those who will be sailing during those 33 days, be sure to stop and say hello. I cannot wait to see you. No SAD for that group!
Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences
From SAD to GLAD: Last Minute Leads & Deals
We have established that SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Believe it or not, psychologists combat SAD with GLAD (Gratitude, Learning, Accomplishment and Delight). This technique has been documented and is implemented throughout the country.
At Signature Cruise Experiences, we present our own form of GLAD. We offer Great music from top talent, Luxury accommodations, Amazing production and De – very best guests in the world. And, at times, we can offer Great Leads And Dealss.
Check out these amazing offers for David Foster: The Hitman Cruise and Christian McBride’s World at Sea:
1.15.26 – 1.20.26 • Celebrity Summit • Embarkation: Ft. Lauderdale
David Foster, Michael McDonald, Babyface & More
96% Reserved
SPECIAL OFFER
Remaining Ocean View Staterooms: $1,200
1.20.26 – 1.27.26 • Celebrity Summit • Embarkation: Ft. Lauderdale
Christian McBride, Samara Joy, Ledisi, Cècile McLorin Salvant & More
90% Reserved
SPECIAL OFFER for REMAINING STATEROOMS
Concierge & Aqua Class Staterooms: $1,800
Ocean View Staterooms: $1,2000
Other Signature Cruise Experiences Programs
The Jazz Cruise
’26 (1.27.26 – 2.3.26) / ’27 (1.17.27 – 1.24.27)
Still the Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea
The Jazz Cruise is the first program that Signature Cruise Experiences ever produced. Since its first sailing in 2001, The Jazz Cruise has been full reserved every year and is 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.
Fewer than 20 staterooms remain for The Jazz Cruise ’26 (6 Staterooms with Verandas; 12 Ocean View Staterooms).
The Jazz Cruise ’27 has been announced. At this time, ’26 Guests are invited to rebook their current staterooms for The Jazz Cruise ’27 and those not sailing in ’26 may establish their priority for the ’27 sailing by completing a Pre-Sail Reservation.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise
’26.1 (2.3.26 – 2.10.26) ’27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27)
’26.2 (2.10.26 – 2.17.26) ’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27)
’26.3 (9.11.26 – 9.18.26) ’27.3 (10.13.27 – 10.20.27)
6 Sailings of “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.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 are fully reserved. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which sails in Fall ’26 from Vancouver to Los Angeles with a stop in Victoria and a special overnight stay in San Francisco has only 17 Concierge Class and 12 Inside Staterooms remaining available.
Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 and guests who completed Pre-Sail Reservations have had exclusive opportunities to reserve a stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1 & ’27.2. Those procedures have been completed. Both sailings are now in Open Booking, which means that anyone may reserve any available stateroom either by calling the office or completing a reservation online.
Though these sailings are more than a year from now, they are each Both sailings are more than 75% reserved, so we urge you to act soon.
Soon, the details and reservation procedure for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3 will be announced. At that time, guests sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (’26.3 Guests) will have the exclusive opportunity to reserve their ’26 stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3. Guests not sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 will be eligible to establish their priority for the cruise by completing a Pre-Sail Reservation during the same time that ’26 Guests are rebooking their staterooms.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3 starts in Quebec City on 10.13.27 and sails through Canada terminating in Boston on 10.20.27. Fall colors and other special events will be featured. This itinerary is one of the most popular itineraries in the cruise industry and we are excited to be able to present this trip to our “smooth jazz” guests
Botti at Sea III (’26)
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent
Botti at Sea III (’26) is in Open Booking. Anyone may select any available stateroom and complete a reservation.
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.
Botti at Sea IV (’27)
10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec City
A Canadian itinerary in the Fall is one of the most popular cruise itineraries in the industry. Fall colors, beautiful scenery, hands on adventures in famous ports-of-call. If nothing else was taking place on the ship, a cruise with these features would be in high demand. So, when Chris Botti decided to take his amazing cruise program from Boston to Quebec City, with a full complement of the entertainers and performers that you have grown to love and expect, not only was he gilding the lily, but he was creating one of the top music cruise experiences ever offered.
Stay tuned for more programming and reservation procedure details. As is always the case on a Signature Cruise Experiences program, guests on Botti at Sea III (’26) (’26 Guests) will be able to rebook their current staterooms and those who are not ’26 Guests will be eligible to submit a Pre-Sail Reservation which will establish their stateroom selection priority after the ’26 Guests complete their rebooking procedure. Look for most of this to happen around 8.1.26!
Journey of Jazz ’27
1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Journey of Jazz is in Open Booking
Journey of Jazz ’27 will be an amazing cruise program featuring hosts Marcus Miller and Gregory Porter, a full lineup of great musicians and vocalists, a special two days in New Orleans which features Wynton Marsalis and a group of his hand-picked musicians.
In its second season, Journey of Jazz proudly combines the very best music with opportunities to live the jazz life and learn more about the history of jazz. As an example, Journey of Jazz ’27 will present Ledisi as a main show performer on the ship. In keeping with the theme of the cruise, Ledisi will perform her universally beloved Tribute to Dinah (Washington) program.
We will be sharing more information about the program in the upcoming weeks, but, for now, Journey of Jazz ’27 is in Open Booking. The rebooking procedure for guests on Journey of Jazz ’25 (’25 Guests) and the Pre-Sail Reservation procedure for those who are not ’26 Guests have been completed. This makes “now” the very best time to complete your reservation for Journey of Jazz ’27.