I am home today, in St. Louis, having spent last week on the inaugural sailing of Top Shelf Country Cruise, our first country music cruise in over 10 years The headliner was Keith Urban and featured Lee Brice, Scotty McCreery, Parmalee, LeAnn Rimes and so many others keeping our guests moving their boots from morning to late into the night.
The cruise was on a larger Celebrity ship than we charter for our jazz programs and there were nearly 2,500 guests. Only 47 had sailed with us before, so there was a significant amount of “learning” going on, both guests learning about us and us learning about them.
Keith Urban performed in Nassau at the Cruiseport Amphitheatre immediately adjacent to our docking slot (and solely for us). Many guests enjoyed the concert from the ship, but most reveled in the beautiful night and setting of the open air venue. Our team did a lot of work to make that happen and I applaud their efforts.
The week’s entertainment also included country music radio star Bobby Bones, along with his team, Amy Brown, Lunchbox, Eddie, Morgan and Raymundo. They were the lead-in performers and were very funny. Country music broadcasting legends Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase also served as hosts throughout the week, bringing their decades of industry experience to interviews, artist introductions, tastings and much more that added to the experience. So, from the start, the guests were having a ball. The cruise experience escalated from there and, by all metrics, this program was an amazing success.
One clear winner on the cruise was St. Jude Children’s Hospital, a favorite charity of mine and, as fate would have it, of Bobby Bones as well. Between auctioning off a chance to have breakfast with Bobby, some cruise upgrades and a guitar autographed by every performer, more than $250,000 was raised.
Between that lovely result and one of the most inspirational Heroes’ Breakfasts we have ever produced, Top Shelf Country Cruise not only was good, but it did good.
It’s time to talk music. To be clear, my knowledge of country music is very limited. When iHeart approached us about doing a “country” cruise, my response was “which country do you have in mind?” The performances on the ship were wonderful. You cannot help but be drawn in by the energy on stage and in the crowd.
One guest who knew me and my taste for music, said to me “just substitute guitars for saxophones and you have country music.” That comment was more funny than apt. The differences are profound. It is simply a matter of taste and what you enjoy. Not all jazz works for me and there was a lot of country music that made me smile.
Here is the takeaway, though. I spend most of my time at our shows watching the crowd, not the performers. Whether the program is jazz, smooth jazz, adult contemporary, or country music, the smiles on the faces of the audiences are the same. And, after all, isn’t that what live music is all about?
I am not expecting most readers of this note to be signing up for Top Shelf Country Cruise ’27, but, our entire team will be looking forward to the next sailing. It was a lot of fun.
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.
John Pizzarelli’s Dear Mr. Bennett
The charismatic John Pizzarellli has just released Dear Mr. Bennett, an album celebrating the life and legacy of the iconic singer. John and his trio, featuring bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, perform several of the timeless songs made famous by Mr. Benedetto. Thanks in part to his father Bucky Pizzarelli, who often played with Bennett, John had a lifelong affinity for the great singer and later became close with him on his own. In fact, the illustration on the album cover was done by Tony, a dedicated visual artist, who drew an image on a napkin of John while the singer and guitarist was performing at the Café Carlyle in NYC.
“Tony’s artistry was just so magnificent,” John says. “And he was able to continually reinvent himself. He went from being a pop singer in the ‘60s to a singer/entertainer who always had to play second fiddle to Sinatra in the ‘70s. Then, because he was such a great singer, he was able to do what he really wanted to and move from making commercial records to working with the likes of Bill Evans, George Barnes and Ruby Braff. He had one of the great second acts and became a superstar all over again with the MTV generation, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga.”
A Tale of Two Itineraries
They were the worst of itineraries and, now, they are the best of itineraries.
With apologies to Charles Dickens, The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1 & ’27.2 were a Tale of Two Itineraries.
From the start, our goal was to include calls on Grand Cayman and Jamaica on both sailings. Celebrity Cruises told us that this would not be a problem, but, as we approached the time for sailing on the ’26 cruises, no confirmations were forthcoming. Sadly, our first messaging to guests included a repeat of the ’26 ports-of-call.
We were able to fix the problem for ’27.2 early during the sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1, but, only now are we able to confirm the new set of ports-of-call for ’27.2.
To most of our guests, these changes are welcomed, but, if you are booked on either cruise and these changes do not work for you, feel free to contact us at any time before March 31, 2026, and we will cancel your reservation.
Welcome to the world of theme charters! Consistent with the opening of the baseball season, let’s quote Yogi Berra on this one…”it ain’t over ‘til it is over.”
Signature Cruise Experiences Upcoming Programs
Sailing in the Next 12 Months
Botti at Sea III (’26)
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent and Fabulous Excursions & Events
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 Botti will be Elvis Costello, Boz Scaggs, Melody Gardot, Peabo Bryson, Regina Belle, Emmet Cohen, Veronica Swift, 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.
We recently had Chris Botti participate in a livestream for both booked guests and those interested in sailing. Members of our team detailed the events, shows and special excursions that this cruise offers in a 60+ minute video presentation which you can see below.
Botti at Sea III incorporates two experiences. First, is another edition of our famous cruise programs with nightly special shows, hours of additional music and intimate and insightful opportunities to learn more about our performers.
The second aspect of the programs is a robust offering of excursions and events when we dock in San Francisco (overnight) and in Victoria, BC (full day). You can visit wineries in Napa or Sonoma, tour Napa Valley on the Napa Valley Wine Train, dine at the finest restaurants, see special shows at SFJazz, and more. Each of these events are curated, produced and presented by us.
To learn more about the cruise and the amazing excursions, check out the Botti Cruise Livestream Video on-demand on our website and on YouTube.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise
’26.3 (9.11.26 – 9.18.26)
’27.1 (1.31.27 – 2.7.27)
’27.2 (2.7.27 – 2.14.27)
3 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 ’26.3 is fully reserved. Guests wishing to sail on the cruise should Join the Wait List now. Any cancellations by current guests will be filled by the Wait List.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.1 and ‘27.2 are both in Open Booking. ’27.1 is more than 80% reserved and ’27.2 is more than 90% reserved. Please note that the itineraries for both sailings have been updated.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.1
Tampa – Cozumel – Grand Cayman – Tampa
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.2
Tampa – Grand Cayman – Ocho Rios – Tampa
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’27
1.12.27 – 1.17.27
Stay Tuned for the Lineup and Detail
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 (Foster ’26) was a runaway hit program. From the first note to the last song, the brilliance of David Foster was evident in every show and event. As you recall, David wanted to learn more about how the cruise programs unfold before he casted the lineup for David Foster: The Hitman Cruise Encore Sailing ’27.
That time is right around the corner. Once the lineup is announced, guests on Foster ’26 will be invited to finalize rebooking of their staterooms after which those with Pre-Sail Reservations will be eligible to select a stateroom and complete a reservation. There is still time to complete a Pre-Sail Reservation (no deposit or obligation required). Just click below.
The Jazz Cruise ’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 the world leader in presenting “straight ahead” jazz at sea.
Rebooking for The Jazz Cruise ’26 Guests is complete. Guests with Pre-Sail Reservations are selecting staterooms and completing reservations now. The cruise is in Open Booking, where anyone may reserve any available stateroom. The Jazz Cruise reaches Fully Reserved every year and staterooms for The Jazz Cruise ’27 are being reserved faster and sooner than ever.
Journey of Jazz ’27
1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Now 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 and 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.
Details for the overnight stay in New Orleans are nearly complete. There will be special jazz shows in the city, dining at iconic New Orleans restaurants (Brennan’s, Commander’s Palace, Arnaud’s and more), tours of the city on land and by ship and much more. Each event in New Orleans will be curated, produced and presented by Signature Cruise Experiences.
Journey of Jazz ’27 is in Open Booking. You may select and reserve any available stateroom at this time. This may be the jazz experience of the year.
Sailing in 18 Months
Botti at Sea IV (’27)
10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec
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 8.15.26!
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘27.3
10.13.27 – 10.20.27
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3, which departs from Quebec City on 10.13.27 and sails through Canada terminating in Boston on 10.20.27, has been announced and will be an exciting combination of our customary great music, Fall colors and other special events.
From now through 3.31.26, guests sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (’26 Guests) have the exclusive opportunity to reserve their ’26 stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3. Those who are not ’26 Guests may establish their priority for selecting a stateroom for that cruise by completing a Pre-Sail Reservation. Pre-Sail Reservations will be activated in mid-April.