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Calling all jazz cruisers


wwcruisers
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Hattack -- good to hear from you, my friend -- hope that you are doing well.

In the e-mail that we got from Michael Lazaroff yesterday, this was what he said about the newly announced 2022 Jazz & Smooth Jazz Cruises:

"Same Great Lineup: Every musician who was scheduled to appear on the '21 sailings has been invited to sail in '22. No one has said No."

LOL -- by January 2022, it's hard to say who will need a party at sea more -- the artists or the fans!

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I'm still working on inviting my former neighbor The Respiratory Therapist to join me in January 2022 ( she has been a tad busy ) ..I have a friend who makes customize  NR 95 Mask who has volunteered to make up a package of 7 with a Smooth Jazz Cruise theme to give my invitee for her birthday along with an MP 3 Player loaded with all the music from our favorite artists who will be on the cruise 

 

fyi, if you need an Alonzo Bodden "fix", he has a regular gig as the bus driver on CBS Hit "Bob (Heart) Abashola " 

 

remember a great Father's Day gift for your DH is an " Inspiratory Breathing Exerciser " along with a Candy Dulfer CD so he can practice 

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  • 1 month later...

Just chillin' on the deck, enjoying the sunshine (nothing to take for granted, here in the Puget Sound) and listening to Boney James' latest, 'Solid'. Now, I'm old-school -- I still buy CD's (although I have recently learned to 'stream' my favorite artists). But my message here (and I think that my friend Hattack would agree) is: The best thing that those of us who love jazz (or any other music form) can do right now, is to support our favorite artists -- any way that we can. Regardless of the method by which you are accessing their music -- make sure that they're getting paid. If we want a vibrant music scene, coming out of this dark time -- it's up to us to find ways in which to support it, now! Just my $0.02 ....😎

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funny you should mention Boney James...received his email today stating you can purchase a Boney James Mask on his website in his store ..I'll check on Candy Dulfer's website to see if she is doing the same so you can order one for your DH for Christmas 

 

New Orleans Musicians and their friends are doing some amazing interline concerts to benefit Musician 's families directly impacted by CV 19 

 

if you have not already done so, check out PBS Streaming "The Freedom Riders" Documentary for free and listen to the music of the Civil Rights Era ...all of our current favorite Smooth Jazz Artists would have fit right in with those times (think Boney James "Ride" walking across the Pettis Bridge 

 

the unique relationship between Smooth Jazz Artists that perform on the Full Charter Cruises and their most loyal Fan Base that attend year after year should be a case study on how everyone can all get along for an incredible week of fellowship ..in 2004 Prince performed at the Essence Festival and he showcased Candy Dulfer , which resulted in Candy picking up 50K new fans 

 

stay safe & Sheltering in Place and wear your Boney James Mask & Smooth Jazz Cruise Cap and T-Shirt when you go to the store

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WWCruiser...which sailing are you booked on again so I can start planning for my former Neighbor birthday invitation. this month .....I pre ordered Boney James's Face  Mask, T-Shirt CD combination for her and I can bundle an invitation  in with them ...never asked a potential cabin mate out on a Smooth Jazz Cruise  date 17 Months in advance before ( better check the fine print in the Cruise Insurance  Policy under  Cancel for Any Reason to make sure it covers if she gets married to someone else ...lol)...your DH is lucky he doesn't have to worry about finding a cabin mate-  ...lol 

 

this weekend is a Virtual New Orleans Louis "Satchmo"  Armstrong Festival so I will be watching on my laptop on my screened in back patio and drinking Pusser Rum Painkillers which my friends and I would normally do in the French Quarter today 

 

to fill me "cruise itch ",  next weekend I have decided to take a Sunday ride to the Houma Louisiana Ship Yards  and take photos of the construction of the Viking Mississippi River Boat that is being built there set for sailing in August 2022 ...you might consider dropping a hint to your DH that you would like to take a River Cruise Music Charter from New Orleans to Memphis in 2023 

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LOL HATTACK -- there certainly ARE a lot of Smooth Jazz Cruise sailings, in early '22, aren't there? My DH and I are booked on the "All Star Edition" (Jan 21-28). What a fabulous line-up -- and, last I checked, there are still lots of good cabins left! If I recall correctly, this is the sailing that ECP subbed-in for the Blue Note cruise. And you are right -- 17 months (and counting) sounds like a long time. But it will pass in the blink of an eye!

 

Oh Man -- a river cruise music charter on the Mississippi sound like just what the doctor (well, Dr.John, anyway) ordered!! 😎

 

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got it, thanks, great line up ..maybe they will add Richard Elliot ...when this CV 19 comes under control would really like to travel to Memphis and visit the new Stax Museum of American Soul Music which would be a great late night  All Star Jam Session Theme on the Charter ...Candy Dulfer would fit right in with Booker T & The MG's 

 

Rick Braun European River Cruise Jazz Get-A-Way has found the formula for opening  the door for the format to be applied for US Waterways  on a Riverboat and with the pending introduction of Viking River Cruises "Viking Mississippi " in the Fall of 2022 it could be a game changer 

 

in 2009 we took a River Cruise to the South of France on Peter Deilmann, and visited Brick and Mortar Jazz Clubs from Lyon to Paris and it was incredible 

 

I suspect one of the unintended results of CV 19 is Cruisers will start looking for alternatives to Mega Ship sailing in the Caribbean and Europe and start looking at River Cruising not only on the Mississippi River but also in your neck of the woods in the Pacific Northwest 

 

January 2022 is probably a good benchmark to resume cruising especially for full charter music cruises which is so intertwined with the closeness between our favorite artists and their most loyal fans so 17 months in the big picture of CV 19 is not a long time 

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Interesting that you mentioned Richard Elliot. He was originally booked for this past (Jan/Feb 2019) SJC. But, he canceled a few months beforehand, due to health concerns. No idea what that was about, or when he'll be back to performing -- but I would love for him to join the '22 SJC line-up! Watching him and Rick Braun play together is worth the price of the booking, just by itself!

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I'll keep Him in my Prayers along with Sheila E....I lived in Oakland during the heyday of Tower of Power which like many  of the great Horn Bands of the 70's & 80's  served as the training ground and launching pad for  several  of our era Solo Smooth Jazz Superstars  that we enjoy on our charter cruises ..I remember when Warren Hill launched his first sailing in 2004 followed by Rick Braun's in 2005 , I became hooked with the combination of Cruising and Smooth Jazz which when blended with the great Motown & Stax music and a variety of Artists onboard for the week provided 7 days and nights of  Full Immersion and the best value for one's dollar 

 

Blue Note at Sea is the perfect transitional conduit laboratory to merge fans of Straight Ahead & Smooth Jazz along with Lagniappe of doing it on a cruise ship which provides an alternative to the phasing out of traditional Brick & Mortar Jazz Clubs 

 

ironically Charter Music  Promoters and Cruise Lines have identified which Class of Ships are most adaptable to full music charters which are generally older, smaller, fewer bells and whistles and very lucrative for all stakeholders so I am sure they are collaborating now to ensure that we will be CV 19 safe by January 2022 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Recently received notice of some changes to our Jan. 2022 Smooth Jazz Cruise. The sailing that we are booked on ('All-Stars Edition' -- now called the 'Back to Sea Cruise') has a new departure date and port. Originally, we were sailing on Friday, Jan. 21. That departure date has been moved back to Monday, Jan. 24 (still a 7-night cruise). Our embark/debark port has been moved from Port Everglades (Ft.L) to Miami, as well.

 

In his e-mail, Mr. Lazaroff explained that the changes were necessary, in order to secure a 'revolutionized' (re-furbed) Millie-Class ship, for all of the 2022 Smooth Jazz Cruise sailings. No indication of exactly which ship we will be assigned, in the amended booking documents. However, from my time on the X boards, it looks like Summit and Millennium are the only two ships who fit that bill. At this point, it appears doubtful that the other two Millie-Class ships (Infinity and Constellation) will be re-furbed any time soon.

 

While I'm not all that wild about the Miami port swap (prefer flying into Hollywood Int'l), the other changes do not present a problem for us, at this time. I'm just so happy that the folks at ECP are working so diligently to make this cruise a reality -- and to deliver on the quality product that they have promised -- and that we have come to expect from them. 😎

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I received an email that I cleared the Wait list yesterday, so I actually look at both sailings and could not decide because of the line ups ..the only logical solution would be to book B2B to make sure I see all of my  favorite artists and a double dose (lagniappe) of Candy Dulfer but to do that I have to find a winning lottery combination  or find a very rich benefactor ..but I'm also looking at Dave Koz in 2022 

I will dig back thru my photo albums to find the Cuban Diner for breakfast that is in walking distance from our Cruise Hotel in Miami for your and your Husband ..it's well known  secret to the Artists so do not be surprise if you see several of your favorite artists having breakfast ..we sat at the counter next to Keiko Matsui as I tried to explain to her what Crawfish and Scramble eggs with Tabasco Sauce taste like ( I actually sent her a Sampler Kit of Tabasco Sauce thru her agent )

 

..FLL airport has always been much easier to navigate because it is newer, bigger and fewer international carriers 

 

without live Music New Orleans is suffering greatly but we will come back twice as strong 

 

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Hattack -- hope that we see you on the 'Back to Sea' (formerly All-Stars) cruise, in Jan '22. I really like that line-up! Knowing a good place to go for good Cuban food in Miami would be appreciated. On previous cruises out of Miami, we've stumbled on one good place in 'Little Havana' (but can't remember the restaurant's name, or where it is). But, oh MAN, crawfish scramble sounds delicious!😋

 

My DH -- who actually gets most of the communication from ECP, reports that they are 'postponing' (and maybe ultimately cancelling) the winter 2021 'Jazz Land Cruise' in Las Vegas. Apparently, the hotels there had led them to believe that they could fill the venues to higher capacity, than can be achieved under the current Covid restrictions. Sadly, until we have a workable vaccine, I just don't see how any jazz venues (land or sea) will work.😥 Just hoping that things are back to some semblance of normality, before January 2022!🤞

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but then you will miss Vanessa Williams , Jeffrey Osborne, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Nick Colionne on the following weeks ..Lagniappe would be to add Chante Moore to either sailing 

 

does not surprise me in the least that the Las Vegas effort did not materialize in 2021 ..I think most Jazz Cruisers have come to grips that 2022 will be our year to resume our week long love affair at sea  with our favorite artists and we are already planning and saving for 2023 

 

you do know you can upload your favorite SJC photos posing with your favorite artists onto a 13 month calendar website (Dec 2020- Jan 2022 ) so you can have a countdown calendar...of course the month of your DH birthday will have his photo with Candy Dulfer ...lol  

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Oh yes -- a b2b in '22 would be nice. But, this (hopefully) being our first venture back into travel, post-Covid -- DH and I are just going to stick to 'baby steps', LOL! Interesting that you mention pictures of Candy Dulfer, for the calendar (great idea, BTW). The one picture that my DH took was of me and Candy, on the day we ran into her in a San Juan shoe store. He said: 'Now you can tell folks that you've been shoe-shopping with Candy Dulfer!' LOL! (Oh and what a totally cool and gracious lady she is!)

 

 

 

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and I suspect most of your friends are probably thinking "who is Candy Dulfer " when they view your SJC photos ...I miss attending  Church on Sundays so since the NFL is back, i will put  on Kirk Whalum's " The Gospel According To Jazz " Part 1 & 2, pick out a good book I've been wanting to read for a while and take a break from all the chaos around us 

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I have been recently undergoing Treatment that requires having extensive MRI's taken once a month that requires me to lie still  in the MRI machine for about an hour..I happen to be wearing my Dave Koz Cruise to Alaska T-Shirt and was stunned when the Technician actually knew who Koz was and is a big Smooth Jazz Fan , so thru Spotify or Apple he was able to program from the Cloud The Best of Dave Koz  for me to listen to on the headset and before I knew it the hour was up...listening to the music reminded of the cruise  which placed my mind in a very relaxed state.......I'm schedule for another round of MRI's next week and will request Richard Elliot's "Essential" collection ...I order him Boney James new CD "Solid" along with the official T-Shirt to surprise him on hopefully my final visit in mid October 

 

Pretty confident that Jan 2022 will be enough time for a Vaccine to be developed and implemented and the Promoters working with the Cruise Lines & CDC to have a process and procedure in place for a safe charter ..the challenge will be to maintain as much as possible the close connection between Charter Guests and Jazz Artists on the ship 

 

I would suspect that your DH would not be a happy camper taking a photo with Candy standing 6 feet away and with a mask (unless of course it was a Candy fan club mask ) 

 

it's one thing to hear the music on the radio or see the artist at a land Festival or brick and mortar Jazz Club...very different experiencing them live on a cruise ship for 7 days and nights and hanging out with your new friends who love Smooth Jazz as much as you do 

 

it's very hard to be a vocal Smooth Jazz fan and live in New Orleans 

 

 

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Hattack -- you are a braver person than I! The one time (many years ago) that I had to have an MRI -- it took quite a bit  of Valium to get me into that tube, LOL. Not sure that EVEN listening to Boney could have accomplished THAT! But seriously, hope that your treatment goes well, my friend. For your future medical treatment playlist -- may I recommend 'Dave Koz & Friends: Summer Horns' (my favorite track: God Bless the Child, feat: Gerald Albright). 😎

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will do...I'm really  into listening to Gregory Porter  ( All Rise) & Ranky Tanky & Anthony David's Tribute CD to Bill Withers 

 

interesting that the SJC has moved to Miami and leaving on a Monday which should translate into slightly lower air fare & hotel rates for Jan & Feb 2022 ..don't forget to take Tuesday off from work to recover 

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LOL Hattack -- I'm hoping that, by then, my DH will have retired. He's been able to work from home, for the past six months -- which suits him just fine. But once we have an effective vaccine and we can travel again, I think that he'll be logging-off the company computer, for good!

 

The Navy is moving my son (and his family) across country -- from VA to San Diego, at the end of this month. Still a long way from the Puget Sound -- but, at least they'll be in the same time zone! I've disliked flying, for past couple of decades. Once cruising safely resumes, we may look into the option of taking Pacific Coastal sailings down to SD, and taking the train home. But, no planes, trains, or cruise ships for us, until this plague is gone -- or we have a truly effective way to deal with it (I'm thinking a good vaccine). In the meantime, I'll just have to continue to enjoy my grandkids, via Skype/Zoom, etc.

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interesting...My Son is career Air Force and received a promotion from Boston to Edwards AFB near Ontario California in June which should be his final posting before he retires in 2022 so hopefully I will be visiting He and His Family next September  and then go visiting one of my cruising friends in San Diego ...Celebrity normally has great rates on their spring/fall repositioning cruises from San Diego to Seattle  for Summer Season Alaskan Cruises 

 

In reading Cab Calloway biography "Hi De Ho" he talks about chartering

 private Pullman Rail Cars for He and His Band to travel from New York  City to California to perform engagements during the 30's-50's in part because when travelling thru the Deep South they could avoid the Jim Crow Era discrimination practices 

 

on the Band;s 1st trip to Europe in the 1930's, they traveled by Transatlantic Ocean Liner and did not experience any Discrimination and performed for the 1st Class guests in exchange for reduced passage which in essence was an early version of The Jazz Cruise as we know it 

 

in his retirement your DH could become a Jazz Promoter bringing a group of West Coast Smooth Jazz Fans  on Celebrity from Seattle to San Diego and Amtrak back to Seattle and invite Candy Dulfer and Friends to perform private concerts 

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  • 2 months later...

Christmas came early this year! ECP just notified us that the legendary George Benson will be joining the line-up of our 'Back to Sea' cruise -- Jan 24-31st, 2022 (the first of THREE Smooth Jazz Cruise sailings scheduled for that year)! And -- yes -- according to the website, there are still good cabins available for that sailing! 😎

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I notice no Key West as Port of Call due to an embargo for large cruise ships...where is your hubby going to get his Key Lime Pie fix ....lol  

 

met George Benson on the Capital Jazz Super Cruise several years back...he performed on the Lido Deck Sail Away Party out of Aruba...he was awesome 

 

would love if they booked Roberta Flack & Leslie Uggams 

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