NEW YEARS EVE Archives - Signature Cruise Experiences

Our Take: The Final Shows of Steve Tyrell

Kim Kelley — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000

I just learned that, on February 13 and 14 at Catalina Bar (Hollywood), Steve Tyrell will be making his final performances as a singer. Perhaps best known for his iconic vocal of The Way You Look Tonight in the 1991 movie Father of the Bride, that turn was but a small part of his legacy. Over the past few years, Steve’s health has not been good. He has undergone heart surgery and has had an extended period of recovery. Having just turned 81, Steve has decided to move on from an amazing career as an artist, performer, producer, songwriter, radio host and more.

His Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II breakthrough ignited the interest of classic standards for a modern-day audience. Soon, everyone was presenting the Great American Songbook, but, for my take, no one did it better than Steve. We can no doubt debate which of our favorite singers have the best range or vocal prowess, but no one can sell a song or enchant an audience like Steve.

Not knowing about his soon-to-be retirement, I recently wrote about how much I loved going to New York during the holidays to see Steve at Café Carlyle. If I could turn back the clock for one more holiday event of my life, it would be an evening with my wife listening to Steve.

I must have invited Steve to perform on The Jazz Cruise at least ten times before he finally relented. He claimed to have an inner ear issue, but I believe it was simply being uncomfortable at sea. Once on board, however, he was a hit and he became a regular until illness curtailed his travels. Often accompanied by his amazing wife, Janine, the Tyrells became the “It” couple on the cruise.

Steve is the kind of guy with whom you would want to share a beer. The use of the singular when describing the beverage is poetic license and wholly inaccurate. Scheduling his show on the ship opposite an NFL Playoff Game was never undertaken. We would lay the playoff schedule next to his performance schedule to make sure that not only was he not performing during the games, but that he would have ample time before the game to get ready and after the game to unwind.

Unfortunately for me, February 13 and 14 are days 30 and 31 of our upcoming 33 days at sea, so I will not be able to be there in person for the show. Trust me, I will find some way to participate. I consider Steve to be one of the great gifts of my life in the music world. I love musicians with heart and musicians who are true professionals. Steve is both with plenty to spare.

Steve is retiring from singing. He is not leaving us yet, but it saddens me to know that I will never hear him sing live again, much the same way I felt when David Sanborn died. Any shrink worth a dollar would say that depression is the realization of your own mortality. Maybe. Even probably. But that doesn’t change the sadness attributable to seeing and hearing someone perform for the last time.

I understand that tickets for the show are on sale now. If you decide to go, tell me and I will arrange a Facetime connection during the show. Yes, even us old guys can find a tech solution when pressed.

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, 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.

Upcoming Schedule for Editions of The Weekender and Jazz Notes

As we move into ’26, Signature Cruise Experiences will soon be “at sea” for a considerable amount of time.

Cruise	Sailing Dates
David Foster: The Hitman Cruise	1.15.26 – 1.20.26
Christian McBride’s World at Sea	1.20.26 – 1.27.26
The Jazz Cruise ’26	1.27.26 – 2.3.26
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1	2.3.26 – 2.10.26
The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.2	2.10.26 – 2.17.26

We know that our fans can exist without their weekly ration of The Weekender and Jazz Notes, but we want to make sure that you know that we are thinking about you even when we are sailing. Subject to change, here is the schedule for those notes during the upcoming cruise season.

The Weekender will be issued every Saturday, as usual. The editions may be shorter in content, and we will be highlighting our activities at sea as the primary news items. Real time photos will be included and we will try to provide a glimpse of the vibe and excitement of each cruise program.
Jazz Notes is scheduled to be issued on the following Wednesdays:
1.14.26 / 1.28.26 / 2.11.26.
Weekly editions will begin again on 2.25.26.

Over 40,000 people open each of these notes every week, so we take our commitment to providing the information very seriously. We love to hear your feedback and we take great pride in responding as best as we can. Our goal is to always answer your questions with candor and transparency. We cannot make everyone happy, but we can be consistent and thoughtful.

Signature Cruise Experiences
End of the Year Program Update

VIEW ALL SCE UPCOMING PROGRAMS

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

1.15.26 – 1.20.26
A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of Talent
Take Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

The amazing lineup of David Foster, Michael McDonald, Babyface, Take 6, Nathan East, Peter Cincotti, Pia Toscano, Emmet Cohen, Jessica Vosk, Shelèa (and more) is in place for this 5-day Cruise Getaway from Ft. Lauderdale on Celebrity Summit.

Truly a weekend getaway (Thursday – Tuesday) vacation, there will be more than 7 days of music presented in a 5-day cruise! Only a few staterooms remain available…special Cruise Prices for Ocean View Staterooms. Be sure to use Promo Code: BREAK when booking online or by calling the office.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea

1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

Boasting one of the most robust and decorated lineups we have ever presented and led by 9X GRAMMY® Winner Christian McBride, this program will present more than 220 hours of top music over 7 days at sea. Besides Christian’s lineup of amazing ensembles that he leads (Inside Straight, Ursa Major, Christian McBride’s Big Band, Remembering Ray Brown, Christian’s Trio), the cruise also features some of the very best vocalists in the genre: Ledisi, Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Angélique Kidjo, Melissa Walker and José James. Ledisi, Samara and Angélique were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards last month.

Staterooms remaining are available at FINAL Prices. Be sure to use Promo Code: FINAL when booking online or by calling the office.

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 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.

The Jazz Cruise is fully reserved every year and fewer than 20 staterooms remain for the ’26 sailing. 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 and The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which sails from Vancouver to Los Angeles with a stop in Victoria and a special overnight stay in San Francisco, is 97% reserved All that remains available are 18 Concierge Class Staterooms and 16 Inside Staterooms. Certainly one of the oddest inventory configurations we have ever seen.

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. As of Monday, both sailings are in Open Booking, which means that anyone may reserve any available stateroom either by calling the office or completing a reservation online. Both sailings are more than 75% reserved.

Guests sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (’26 Guests) will soon have the exclusive opportunity to reserve their ’26 stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3. This sailing 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. 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 ’26.3 Guests are rebooking their staterooms.

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.

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 8.1.26!

Journey of Jazz ’27
1.25.27 – 1.31.27
Open Booking Begins 1.6.26

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.

The rebooking procedure for guests on Journey of Jazz ’25 (’25 Guests) has been completed and the Pre-Sail Reservation procedure for those who are not ’26 Guests is currently in progress. We will be sharing more information about the program in the upcoming weeks, but, for now, Journey of Jazz ’27 will start Open Booking on January 6, 2026 – which makes “now” the very best time to complete your reservation for Journey of Jazz ’27.

The post Our Take: The Final Shows of Steve Tyrell appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

Jazz Notes: 12.30.25

Kim Kelley — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year Edition

I have always found New Year’s Eve to be a time for reflection, more than a time for elation. For those who feel the opposite, what are you celebrating that night? That ’25 is over? That ’26 is beginning? I understand the idea, but I cannot connect the dots between those feelings and wearing party hats, drinking champagne and singing “Auld Lang Syne.”

If ’25 was a great year, why do we celebrate it being over? If it was a bad year, why are we celebrating at all? To celebrate the new year has some teeth to it, but, again, I see this as a time for thought, a time to set goals and reassess dreams.

There is a difference between “goals” and “resolutions.” Goals matter. Resolutions are more often trivial. I have had the same set of resolutions for 20 years. One of these years, hopefully soon, I intend to enact them, or at least the ones that require the lowest level of energy and sacrifice.

I have chosen ’26 as the year that I stop swearing. I am committed to making that happen. Just curious, do you have to start a resolution on New Year’s Eve when you announce them or do you start on New Year’s Day? Damn it. I need to find out.

The average lifespan of a New Year’s resolution is 11 days. Certainly, I can beat that. For those of you fortunate enough to be sailing with us on David Foster: The Hitman Cruise, look me up on January 15 and I will share my progress.

On a serious note, on behalf of the team at Signature Cruise Experiences, thank you for a wonderful ’25 and we hope to see as many of you as possible in ’26. Until then, enjoy life, be safe, stay healthy and never let a day go by without music.

Michael Lazaroff
Executive Director
Signature Cruise Experiences

The Two Newest Vocalists to Join David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

If you missed the earlier announcement, Katharine McPhee has been offered a part in an upcoming movie that will start production during the cruise dates. Though we will miss her dearly, our goal is to enhance the careers of our performers, so granting her time for the movie was an easy call. Shoshana Bean was considered for the cruise, however, her previous engagements were so close to our sailing dates that it wasn’t possible to include her. Luckily for us, the stars have aligned!

David Foster is known for how his production and arrangements have changed and shaped the careers of countless female vocalists like Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand and Whitney Houston. So it was no surprise when it came time to find a replacement for Katharine on the cruise, David had ample choices and has worked hard to find just the right voices for the cruise. I say “voices” because David has decided that he needs two vocalists to do the job right.

Welcome to the cruise, Jessica Vosk and Sheléa!

Vocalist and musical theater actress Jessica Vosk is best known for her performance as Elphaba in the musical Wicked – first on tour and then joining the show’s 15th anniversary on Broadway. She played the green witch for two years and was featured performing “Defying Gravity” in the PBS Great Performances 50th Anniversary Concert. However, since her Broadway debut in 2014 in Jason Robert Brown‘s The Bridges of Madison County, Vosk has played prominent roles in many high profile productions, including Waitress, Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter, Becoming Nancy, Something to Dance About, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland and, most recently, Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen. In March 2026, she will star as Cee Cee Bloom in the Broadway production of Beaches, alongside Kelli Barrett.

Vosk had an unconventional journey to Broadway, beginning her career on Wall Street before taking the leap of faith to pursue her dreams on stage. In addition to her theatrical work, Vosk has made many concert appearances at performing arts centers and concert halls, including her 2021 debut at Carnegie Hall. She has released two independently produced solo albums – Wild and Free (2018) and A Very Coco Christmas (2020) – both of which debuted on the Billboard and iTunes charts.

Also coming aboard David’s cruise is singer, songwriter and pianist Sheléa, a protege of Stevie Wonder who has worked with hit producers such as Quincy Jones and, of course, David Foster.

Born in Redwood City, CA and raised in Bakersfield, CA (also the home of Gregory Porter), Sheléa was inspired by the vocal gifts of both Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston and has performed numerous tributes to the latter. With a rich foundation in soul, R&B, jazz and gospel, Sheléa has released three full-length albums and an EP. Her gospel roots contributed to her starring role as Dorinda Clark-Cole in the 2020 Clark Sisters biopic The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. An accomplished songwriter, Sheléa wrote and performed the track “Love Fell On Me” for the 2011 film Jumping the Broom.

“Growing up in a home where we listened exclusively to gospel music, I have beautiful memories of being a toddler harmonizing with my mom and sitting at a wooden piano, writing little songs,” says Sheléa. “I’ve always said I didn’t choose music. It’s a divine thing and God chose me to be a vessel of musicality. No matter what I’ve been through in my life, I’ve never lost my childlike love of singing and creating it.”

NOLA, NOLA NOLA, NOLA
Journey of Jazz ’27 – New Orleans

It is Bowl Season and colleges all over the country are rooting for their team to bring home the honor of winning a bowl game. Congratulations to NC State, winner of the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. The name of that bowl game saves me four paragraphs of describing how silly the bowl season has become.

Though no college cheer includes a tribute to NOLA (New Orleans, LA), for those guests on Journey of Jazz ’27, the cries of NOLA, NOLA will be heard loud and clear in the Bayou as we spend two amazing days and one glorious night in the Crescent City.

The fine points of the opportunities will be presented soon, but we can share with you now most of the amazing events during our stay.

Wednesday, January 26, 2027

8:00AM – Journey of Jazz ’27 arrives in NOLA

9:00AM – Hidden Gem of New Orleans Tour (4 hours)/Discover Magazine Street (3 hours)/MardiGras World (3 hours)

11:00AM – Steamboat Natchez Tour & Lunch – Exclusive for JOJ Guests

2:00PM – Live Concert at New Orleans Jazz & Blues Market (2 hours)

3:30PM – Poolside NOLA Jazz Show

5:00PM – First Seating Fine Dining Dinner Options

5:30PM – Wynton Marsalis – Onboard Performance for Guests with BLUE Cards

7:30PM – Special Show in The Theatre: Rebirth Brass Band (All Guests)

7:45PM – Second Seating Fine Dining Dinner Options

9:30PM – Wynton Marsalis – Onboard Performance for Guests with RED Cards

11:30PM – NOLA, NOLA Party – Poolside Show and Party with Wycliffe Gordon

Thursday, January 27, 2027

9:00AM – Hidden Gem of New Orleans Tour (4 hours)/Discover Magazine Street (3 hrs.)/MardiGras World (3 hrs)

9:30AM – Brunch at Brennan’s – Exclusive for JOJ Guests

1:30PM – Live Concert at New Orleans Jazz & Blues Market (2 hours)

3:30PM – Poolside NOLA Jazz Show & Sail Away (All Guests)

6:00PM – Journey of Jazz ’27 departs from NOLA

Signature Cruise Experiences Programs

VIEW ALL SCE UPCOMING PROGRAMS

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 – 1.15.26 – 1.20.26
Sails in 16 Days; A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of Talent
Take Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

The amazing lineup of David Foster, Michael McDonald, Babyface, Take 6, Nathan East, Peter Cincotti, Pia Toscano, Emmet Cohen, Jessica Vosk, Shelèa (and more) is in place for this 5-day Cruise Getaway from Ft. Lauderdale on Celebrity Summit. Truly a weekend getaway (Thursday – Tuesday) vacation, there will be more than 7 days of music presented in a 5-day cruise! Only a few staterooms remain available…special Cruise Prices for Ocean View Staterooms. Be sure to use Promo Code: BREAK when booking online or by calling the office.

Christian McBride’s World at Sea – 1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Sails in 21 Days! Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

Boasting one of the most robust and decorated lineups we have ever presented and led by 9X GRAMMY® Winner Christian McBride, this program will present more than 220 hours of top music over 7 days at sea. Besides Christian’s lineup of amazing ensembles that he leads (Inside Straight, Ursa Major, Christian McBride’s Big Band, Remembering Ray Brown, Christian’s Trio), the cruise also features some of the very best vocalists in the genre: Ledisi, Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Angélique Kidjo, Melissa Walker and José James. Staterooms remaining are available at FINAL Prices. Be sure to use Promo Code: FINAL when booking online or by calling the office.

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 the world leader in presenting “straight ahead” jazz at sea. The musicians call the cruise “Jazz Heaven” for good reason. Every one of the 210+ hours of music are dedicated to this great music. The musicians are the very best jazz musicians in the world and they proudly adhere to the tenets of great jazz.

The Jazz Cruise is fully reserved every year and fewer than 20 staterooms remain for the ’26 sailing. 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)

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 and fewer than 35 staterooms are available for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3, which sails from Vancouver to Los Angeles with a stop in Victoria and a special overnight stay in San Francisco.

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. Starting yesterday, 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. Both sailings are more than 75% reserved.

Guests sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.3 (’26 Guests) will soon have the exclusive opportunity to reserve their ’26 stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’27.3. This sailing 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. 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 ’26.3 Guests are rebooking their staterooms.

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

Stay tuned for more programming and reservation procedure details.

Journey of Jazz ’27 – 1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Open Booking Begins 1.6.25

As shown above, 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. Journey of Jazz ’27 will start Open Booking on January 6, 2026 – which makes “now” the very best time to complete your reservation.

The post Jazz Notes: 12.30.25 appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

OUR TAKE: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Kim Kelley — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 08:00:00 +0000

I often scoff at idioms. Generally, they appear when a more complex thought should be utilized. Reviewing some common idioms proves this point.

Do the phrases “break a leg,” “better late than never” or “it’s not rocket science” tell the real story you wish to share? To me, doing so is like “cutting corners.” I prefer to “get my act together,” “hang in there” and “bite the bullet.” Otherwise, let’s just “call it a day” and “hit the sack.”

Occasionally, an event or a series of events can be a “blessing in disguise,” force one to “hit the reset button” and “cut somebody (or something) some lack.” Last Sunday, December 22, “a light went on” and forced me to “go back to the drawing board” about the meaning of one particular idiom.

“Seeing the forest for the trees” refers to the admonition to see the big picture either together with or in lieu of the elements that comprise that situation. One can be so engrossed in a particular tree that they forget that they are amid a larger space, in this case a forest.

For those new to this column, not mentioning jazz by the fifth paragraph is the “final straw” before matters “get out of hand.” So, “to make a long story short” and to make sure that we do not “miss the boat,” let’s talk about the musicians that were on television last Sunday night. (Note: It was only recently that I came to know that “don’t miss the boat” was an idiom. I was taught it was a commandment.)

On Sunday, CBS’ celebrated news program, 60 Minutes, featured a segment on Samara Joy, which included some time with Christian McBride. Later that evening the annual Kennedy Center Honors show was aired. Arturo Sandoval was one of the honorees and Chris Botti performed in his honor, together with his band. Other performers included Keb Mo, Debbie Allen, Randy Brecker, Kendrick Scott, Chucho Valdes, Don Was and Kamasi Washington.

Sometimes, when we are working on our cruise programs, we view our stars without the stature and recognition that they enjoy elsewhere. We are so immersed in the trees (tasks and undertakings to make the cruises work) that we lose sight of the forest in which we reside. That forest is the international world of top talent, amazing musicians and world-renowned performers.

Earlier this year, my wife, Paula, was escorting Paquito D’Rivera and Chucho Valdes from one site to another in Miami. She described that four block walk as being part of a rock star entourage, with many, many people stopping to say hello and pay their respects. A similar reaction occurred years ago when David Sanborn joined the musicians of The Jazz Cruise for the pre-cruise meeting. The muttering of “that’s David Sanborn” resembled the “wave” that fans initiate in arenas and stadiums.

Seeing musicians that we know well and are part of our cruise programs year after year on national television and in worldwide settings is an example of the “proof is in the pudding” that our guests know and understand the significance of the entertainment they enjoy on our programs.

Jesus suggested that “a prophet has little honor in his hometown.” I doubt that is an idiom. Probably just a wise saying, but it points out the fact that let’s not forget the forest while discussing the trees.

The big picture here is that we are blessed to be able to enjoy great music, performed by the very best musicians in the world, and we have access to them that is unlike most other music genres. Next time you are fighting about the merits of fusion, the importance of smooth jazz or the current state of straight ahead jazz, just remember to realize that you are in the greatest forest in the world of music.

“Does a tree that falls in the forest when no one is there make a sound?” is not a question we need to ask in jazz. We will always be there. We will always hear those sounds. We will continue to plant and nourish our trees.

God bless our music and may everyone enjoy a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

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 and Homecoming: The Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com.

What Are They Doing on New Year’s Eve?

Several of our artists have made plans to perform shows tied to the welcoming of the New Year. Here’s a partial list (in alphabetical order). Our apologies for any we may have missed.

Mindi Abair
December 29-31
Loews Coronado Bay Resort, San Diego, CA

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Monty Alexander
December 28-31
Blues Alley, Washington, DC

LEARN MORE

Benny Benack III
December 28-31
Black Cat, San Francisco, CA

LEARN MORE

Alonzo Bodden
December 31
Helium Comedy Club, St. Louis, MO

LEARN MORE

Chris Botti
December 28-31
The Blue Note, New York, NY

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Rick Braun with Gerald Albright,
Richard Elliot and Peter White
December 30
Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL

LEARN MORE

Kurt Elling & SuperBlue
December 31
The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC

LEARN MORE

Boney James
December 29-31
Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA

LEARN MORE

Gregory Porter
December 30
Dolby Theater, Hollywood, CA

LEARN MORE

Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’25
Lineup Just Announced!

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.

Guests sailing on The Jazz Cruise ’25 may reserve their current stateroom for the ’26 sailing now through Jan. 31, 2025. New guests and those not sailing in ‘25 may join the Pre-Sail now.

JOIN PRE-SAIL

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
Reserve Your Stateroom Today!

Both sailings for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25 are fully reserved and the Waitlist has more than 4,000 entrants.

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2 are in Open Booking (anyone may reserve any available stateroom) and are over 80% reserved. Reserve your stateroom today!

BOOK NOW

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
Now in Open Booking!

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.

BOOK NOW

BOTTI AT SEA’25 is Fully Reserved!
BOTTI AT SEA ’26 Just Announced!

Sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with calls on San Francisco and Victoria, BC, Botti at Sea III (’26) is moving to the West Coast in September ’26!

The website for the cruise will be available early next year, just before Botti at Sea II (’25) sails in February! Establish your priority for reserving a stateroom NOW by joining the Pre-Sail.

JOIN PRE-SAIL

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
Open Booking Now Available!

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!

Open Booking has begun! Reserve your stateroom today!

BOOK NOW

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Excursions Available to Book Now!

In addition to a spectacular lineup of musicians, Journey of Jazz ’25 includes a brilliant offering of special excursions, events and entertainment while the ship is docked in both Victoria, BC and San Francisco, CA.

Check out the wide range of Signature Jazz Cruises’ curated trips to Wine Country, Special Land Based Concerts and more. New opportunities are available to book now.

BOOK NOW

HOMECOMING: THE CRUISE
New Cruise Just Announced!

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. Our newest cruise, sailing January 15 – 20, 2026 (including MLK Day), will deliver Excellence, Education and Entertainment.

Homecoming: The Cruise is produced in association with the National HBCU Alumni Alliance and features Babyface, Chanté Moore, Take 6 and more! The best part is that we will award over $200,000 in scholarships to deserving organizations! Establish your priority for reserving a stateroom NOW by joining the Pre-Sail.

BOOK NOW

Mug Shot of the Week

Bill and Hilda S
Connecticut

Guests on the ’24 jazz cruises received The Weekender mug, which we hope you will use with your Saturday morning coffee while you read the latest edition. Please share a picture of yourself & your mug with us so that we can include it for the 100,000+ folks who receive The Weekender each Saturday.

Tag us @thejazzcruise, @bottiatsea, @thesmoothjazzcruise, #jazzcruises and #theweekender. Email your photo to MugShot@scecruises.com.

The post OUR TAKE: Seeing the Forest for the Trees appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

OUR TAKE: The Weekend Before Thanksgiving

Kim Kelley — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:35:00 +0000

For those who follow this column, you may remember that I love Thanksgiving. The menu is simple, known by all, but flexible enough to highlight individual and family heritage recipes. No gifts. No Thanksgiving Eve. Lots of amazing leftovers.

Who could ask for more?

Thanksgiving is late this year, but it seems like Christmas is being celebrated earlier than ever. I am old enough to remember the beginning of Black Friday sales, which was named as such because retailers usually went into the “black” on the Friday after Thanksgiving. As with most things today, the concept has been tortured, compromised and beaten to death.

Thank goodness for our music. Amid an everchanging, overintense world we can rely upon a great recording, or, even better, a great live show, to settle our nerves, restore our optimism and touch our humanity.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending an Emmet Cohen concert. Emmet was in town with his trio (Reuben Rogers and Joe Farnsworth). For countless reasons, I cannot say his name or listen to his music without smiling. First, performing on The Jazz Cruise was one of his inaugural professional gigs. Second, the development of his career has mirrored, almost in lockstep, with that program. Third, his growth, maturity and career path are very admirable and, to whatever extent The Jazz Cruise and our company had in that development means a great deal to us.

Before delving further into the personal traits that make Emmet special, let’s agree on one very important aspect of his career. The man can play! Serious chops. Warm and engaging stage presence and nearly perfect song selection for the event at hand. In a world where moments of bliss are thrown around like manhole covers, Emmet continues, night after night, to bring unbridled joy to his audience.

Watching Emmet navigate the jazz world, his baseline (and his bass line for that matter) has always been “respect.” He respects, even worships, the jazz musicians who have paved the way for him, the audience and, most of all, the music. I have watched other stars, such as David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Chris Botti, Christian McBride and Gregory Porter show a similar reverence. None of them, including Emmet, would do anything to cause embarrassment or lack of gratitude for the music or their time on the bandstand.

There are many other musicians with the same dedication and staunch reverence for the bandstand and the music. Confining my comments only to those musicians who have performed multiple times with us on our cruises, certainly John Clayton, John Pizzarelli, Wycliffe Gordon, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Catherine Russell are graduates of the School of Jazz respect as well.

There are many more who certainly qualify, but I have had the privilege and honor of working with those musicians for several years and each of them, regardless of where they are in the spectrum of jazz when it comes to their musical choices, present themselves with dignity, authenticity, and a deep respect for their craft.

Finding folks whose first goal is to provide a product or a service to others, rather than concentrate on what is best for them personally is harder than ever. Of course, all great musicians take pride in their work. They should. That type of motivation is healthy and nearly a requirement for excellence.

But what matters is which metric they use to measure their success. The great ones know that audience satisfaction is the only metric that matters. If that is achieved, then the other “goodies” will follow naturally and without further effort.

When Emmet performs, he will constantly be looking at the crowd, measuring their reactions, determining if he is connecting and making decisions about how to move forward with the next music. Guess what, for Emmet, checking out the audience is also like taking a victory lap or basking in the sun.

The ever present smile on his face reflects his realization that he is making a whole bunch of people very happy.

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea and Journey of Jazz. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com

Signature Cruise Experiences Thanksgiving Break

Our offices will be open for questions during normal business hours on Monday and Tuesday and until 2 PM ET on Wednesday. The office will be closed on Thursday (Thanksgiving) – Sunday and will reopen on Monday, December 2 at 10 AM ET.

The staff of Signature Cruise Experiences wishes you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Tours

The Thanksgiving holiday is coming up and we all know what that means: Family reunions, turkey dinners, sleepy football watching and perhaps some uncomfortable conversations. True, but musically, it means the onset of holiday music here, there and everywhere – in stores, restaurants and eventually in your head, and not all, or even much of it, good.

But several of our favorite artists will be out there on tour bringing you the good holiday music. ‘Tis the season. Here’s a rundown on just a few of the special tours happening during the coming weeks.

Samara Joy

Samara Joy, the great young vocalist who was a sensation not only on our sailings but all over the world, will perform holiday music with her family in a show called “A Joyful Holiday Featuring The McLendon Family” at theaters and performing arts centers across the country December 3-23.

LEARN MORE

Mindi Abair

On November 30, Mindi Abair kicks off her aptly named “I Can’t Wait for Christmas” tour that travels all over the country ending on December 23, just in time to open one of her vintage bottles of wine on Christmas Eve. Then, like Gregory, she’ll host some New Year’s shows, in her case in Coronado, CA, December 29-31.

LEARN MORE

Gregory Porter

The co-host of Journey of Jazz ’25 and a longtime favorite of Signature Jazz Cruises’ audiences, Gregory Porter will be touring in the U.S. to support his GRAMMY®-nominated album Christmas Wish December 8-18. He also performs New Year’s shows at the Paramount Theater in Seattle (December 30) and the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles (December 31).

LEARN MORE

Rick Braun

Another favorite of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Rick Braun recently released his first holiday music album, It’s Christmas, and he’ll be doing shows in Seal Beach, California with his friends Peter White, Richard Elliot and Keiko Matsui. Rick will be hosting Rick Braun’s River Cruise at Christmas from Budapest on December 9 and will host Braun’s New Year’s Eve 2024 on December 30 in Orlando, FL.

LEARN MORE

Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs

The Jazz Cruise ’26 Full Announcement on 11.26.24!

The Jazz Cruise ’25 is fully reserved and cancellations will be filled directly from the Waitlist. Reservation details for The Jazz Cruise ’26 will be available soon! Sailing from January 27 – February 3, 2026, The Jazz Cruise ’26 will depart from and return to Ft. Lauderdale with calls on the private island of CocoCay and San Juan. Keep an eye out for the cruise lineup and website – coming November 26!

LEARN MORE

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & 26.2 – Reserve Your Stateroom Today!

Both sailings for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25 are fully reserved and the Waitlist has more than 4,000 entrants. The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2 are in Open Booking (anyone may reserve any available stateroom) and are over 80% reserved. Reserve your stateroom today!

BOOK NOW

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 is Here – New West Coast Sailing!

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.

BOOK NOW

Botti at Sea ’25 FULLY RESERVED! Botti at Sea ’26 JUST ANNOUNCED!

Sailing from Los Angeles to Vancouver, with calls on San Francisco and Victoria, BC, Botti at Sea III (’26) is moving to the West Coast in September ’26! The website for the cruise will be available later this year and the amazing lineup will be announced just before Botti at Sea II (’25) sails next February! Join the Pre-Sail today!

JOIN PRE-SAIL

Christian McBride’s World at Sea – Sailing January 20-27, 2026!

Christian McBride will be hosting a new Signature Jazz Cruises’ program, Christian McBride’s World at Sea!

The cruise will set sail from Fort Lauderdale in early ’26 with stops in Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The full lineup and website will be announced on November 26, but you can establish your priority for reserving a stateroom NOW by joining the Pre-Sail.

JOIN PRE-SAIL

Journey of Jazz ’25 – Excursions Available to Book Now!

Hosts Marcus Miller & Gregory Porter will take you on an incredible musical journey onboard Journey of Jazz. The cruise also features a special show from Diana Krall while the ship is in-port in Victoria!

Land-based excursions are now available to book! Check out Signature Jazz Cruises’ curated trips to Wine Country, Special Land Based Concerts and more HERE.

BOOK NOW

Mug Shots of the Week

Yolanda B. and Sharon S.
California

Tag us @thejazzcruise, @bottiatsea, @thesmoothjazzcruise, #jazzcruises and #theweekender. Email your photo to MugShot@scecruises.com.

The post OUR TAKE: The Weekend Before Thanksgiving appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

NEW YEARS EVE Archives - Signature Cruise Experiences

Our Take: The Final Shows of Steve Tyrell

Upcoming Schedule for Editions of The Weekender and Jazz Notes

Signature Cruise Experiences End of the Year Program Update

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

1.15.26 – 1.20.26A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of TalentTake Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

Christian McBride’s World at Sea

1.20.26 – 1.27.26Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

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 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”

Botti at Sea III (’26)9.18.26 – 9.25.26Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent

Botti at Sea IV (’27)10.6.27 – 10.13.27Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec

Journey of Jazz ’271.25.27 – 1.31.27Open Booking Begins 1.6.26

Jazz Notes: 12.30.25

Happy New Year Edition

The Two Newest Vocalists to Join David Foster: The Hitman Cruise

NOLA, NOLA NOLA, NOLAJourney of Jazz ’27 – New Orleans

Wednesday, January 26, 2027

Thursday, January 27, 2027

Signature Cruise Experiences Programs

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 – 1.15.26 – 1.20.26 Sails in 16 Days; A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of TalentTake Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

Christian McBride’s World at Sea – 1.20.26 – 1.27.26 Sails in 21 Days! Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

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 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)

Botti at Sea III (’26) – 9.18.26 – 9.25.26 Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent

Botti at Sea IV (’27) – 10.6.27 – 10.13.27 Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec

Journey of Jazz ’27 – 1.24.27 – 1.31.27 Open Booking Begins 1.6.25

OUR TAKE: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

What Are They Doing on New Year’s Eve?

Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’25 Lineup Just Announced!

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2 Reserve Your Stateroom Today!

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3 Now in Open Booking!

BOTTI AT SEA’25 is Fully Reserved!BOTTI AT SEA ’26 Just Announced!

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA Open Booking Now Available!

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25Excursions Available to Book Now!

HOMECOMING: THE CRUISENew Cruise Just Announced!

Mug Shot of the Week

OUR TAKE: The Weekend Before Thanksgiving

Signature Cruise Experiences Thanksgiving Break

Holiday Tours

Samara Joy

Mindi Abair

Gregory Porter

Rick Braun

Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs

The Jazz Cruise ’26 Full Announcement on 11.26.24!

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & 26.2 – Reserve Your Stateroom Today!

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.3 is Here – New West Coast Sailing!

Botti at Sea ’25 FULLY RESERVED! Botti at Sea ’26 JUST ANNOUNCED!

Christian McBride’s World at Sea – Sailing January 20-27, 2026!

Journey of Jazz ’25 – Excursions Available to Book Now!

Mug Shots of the Week

Signature Cruise Experiences
End of the Year Program Update

1.15.26 – 1.20.26
A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of Talent
Take Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

’26 (1.27.26 – 2.3.26) ’27 (1.17.27 – 1.24.27)
Still the Greatest Jazz Festival at Sea

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”

Botti at Sea III (’26)
9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent

Botti at Sea IV (’27)
10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec

Journey of Jazz ’27
1.25.27 – 1.31.27
Open Booking Begins 1.6.26

NOLA, NOLA NOLA, NOLA
Journey of Jazz ’27 – New Orleans

David Foster: The Hitman Cruise ’26 – 1.15.26 – 1.20.26
Sails in 16 Days; A 5-Day Weekend Getaway with a Week’s Long Schedule of Talent
Take Advantage of Special Ocean View Stateroom Cruise Prices

Christian McBride’s World at Sea – 1.20.26 – 1.27.26
Sails in 21 Days! Christian’s Ensembles + World Class Vocalists

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 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)

Botti at Sea III (’26) – 9.18.26 – 9.25.26
Chris Botti hosts a West Coast Cruise with Amazing Talent

Botti at Sea IV (’27) – 10.6.27 – 10.13.27
Chris Botti Takes His Cruise from Boston to Quebec

Journey of Jazz ’27 – 1.24.27 – 1.31.27
Open Booking Begins 1.6.25

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’25
Lineup Just Announced!

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
Reserve Your Stateroom Today!

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
Now in Open Booking!

BOTTI AT SEA’25 is Fully Reserved!
BOTTI AT SEA ’26 Just Announced!

CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE’S WORLD AT SEA
Open Booking Now Available!

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Excursions Available to Book Now!

HOMECOMING: THE CRUISE
New Cruise Just Announced!