Everyone should have a musical guilty pleasure. Mine is Charlie Puth. On the surface, you could say that he is a pop singer and songwriter who rose to prominence by writing “cute” songs like “See You Again,” “One Call Away” and “Marvin Gaye,” as well as featuring other musicians like Wiz Khalifa and Meghan Trainor.
I have seen him perform once and he shared the bill with Meghan. It was a few years ago, before the Pandemic for sure. Notice how we use the Pandemic as the dividing line for so many events. We refer to our cruise programs as Pre-and Post-Pandemic. As I vividly remember, there were certainly no During Pandemic cruise programs.
Forgive me for that diversion, but somethings never go away in your mind. Someone told me that in a few years we would be laughing about the Pandemic. As we say when someone makes a bad joke about a tragic event…”too soon.”
Back to Charlie. Though I have not followed his career much in the past few years, he comes up in conversations in the most amazing and diverse ways. Our readers know that I was close friends with Lee Berk, who led his namesake prestigious music school (Berklee School of Music) for many successful years before retiring.
His recent death was one of the saddest events of my life. If you recall, I cancelled a trip to Berks Jazz Fest because Lee and his wife, Susan, were coming to St. Louis and I wanted to have dinner with them. Two weeks later, Lee died in a car accident.
One of our last conversations was about Charlie Puth. Charlie was one of the top students in the history of Berklee School of Music. I knew this because Eric Marienthal, our Music Director for several cruise programs, recorded the highest final score in the school’s history. That Charlie Puth was a Berklee grad makes me smile today.
Recently, when Kenny G was performing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 and ’26.2, he was invited to perform the National Anthem for the Super Bowl in-between the two. I came to learn that the invitation was made by none other than Charlie Puth, who also arranged for a plane to pick Kenny G up in Cozumel, fly him to Santa Clara and back in time for the second cruise.
By all accounts that I have read, Charlie’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl was a huge hit. Check out the USA Today article “Charlie Puth delivers a pitch perfect national anthem.”
This event came on the heels of learning that Charlie was one of the performers at a 2025 holiday party hosted by David Foster. David’s other guest star was Babyface who performed on the David Foster: The Hitman Cruise a few weeks ago. Remember the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” rage a few years ago? The premise was that every actor in Hollywood was connected to Kevin Bacon through film roles in six steps. In my life recently, it is the “Six Degrees of Charlie Puth”!
By now, most of you are wondering why am I going on and on about Charlie Puth in The Weekender, which is called “Your Saturday Morning JAZZ Fix Since 2016”? Well, another guilty pleasure of mine is watching Sunday Today with Willie Geist while in bed and drinking coffee. Last Sunday (March 8) was my first opportunity to do so in ’26 due to cruise schedules. As fate would have it, Willie’s Sunday Sitdown guest was Charlie Puth.
Charlie talked about his new recording, the singing of the National Anthem and other aspects of his career. When asked why he thought his songs were different than most pop music, Charlie said the magic words…”I like to add some jazz notes to my tunes.” He referenced his days at Berklee and the influences he has garnered from jazz musicians and songs.
When I heard this, I sat up and smiled. Perhaps my guilty pleasure of liking the music of Charlie Puth is not as “guilty” as I first thought. That revelation was certainly one of the best birthday presents I received that day.
Thank you, Charlie.
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.
Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione
For his latest release, Rick Braun celebrates the music of Chuck Mangione, one of his early heroes. On Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione, the trumpeter and longtime favorite of guests of The Smooth Jazz Cruise performs every track on the same Couesnon flugelhorn he played as a student at the Eastman School of Music (where Mangione had previously served as jazz director) and with the fusion band Auracle. Rick also used a cherished Giardinelli mouthpiece gifted to him by Mangione himself during a meeting at the 2007 Long Beach Jazz Festival.
The collection features an extraordinary roster of collaborators including original Mangione guitarist Grant Geissman, saxophonists Richard Elliot and Tom Scott, keyboardist Philippe Saisse and flutist Steve Kujala.
“Grant talked to me about Chuck as a guy who encouraged a lot of musical freedom from the people he worked with,” Rick says. “And you can really hear that in the music.”
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.