Rock and Romance, 80s Cruise, and my other 2024 music adventures

[Honolulu Blue]

Hi everyone.  In this thread I will be chronicling my adventures on music cruises in 2024.  This is a continuation of my thread on 2023 at

 

First, the lineup for TEC 2024:

 

I'll take the time to discuss the acts I'm interested in, my favorite song(s) from them, and my estimates on how likely they are to play it:

 

38 Special

My favorite - "Teacher Teacher" (20% chance they'll play this during the show I'm watching)

 

Air Supply

My favorite - "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" (90%)

 

Debbie Gibson

My favorite - "Out of the Blue" (75%)

 

Ratt

My favorite - "Dangerous But Worth the Risk" (20%)

 

Ray Parker, Jr.

My favorite - "The Other Woman" (90%)

 

Sheena Easton

My favorites - "Telefone" (50%), "You Could Have Been With Me" (40%), "Are You Man Enough" (10%), and "Jimmy Mack" (5%).  Odds she'll sing at least one - 65%.  Odds she'll sing all four - 2%.

 

Wang Chung

My favorite - "Dance Hall Days" (80%)

 

Midnight Star

My favorite - "Operator" (90%)

 

Animotion

My favorite - "Obsession" (LOCK)

 

I haven't seen any of these acts live, ever, on any of these cruises, or indeed ever.  I did see Jessie's Girl and Trial By Fire on last year's TEC.

 

Here's the lineup so far for the 70s Rock & Romance Cruise:

 

Foreigner

My favorite - "Down On Love" (5%)

 

WAR

My favorite - "Low Rider" (90%)

 

Melissa Manchester

My favorite - "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" (LOCK)

 

Queen (Queen Nation)

My favorite - "Another One Bites the Dust" (LOCK)

 

The Eagles (Hotel California)

My favorite - "I Can't Tell You Why" (60%)

 

There are other acts of interest on the above list; more research is needed to figure out my favorites and/or what else they've done.

 

I saw Queen Nation on the UDC, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.  They didn't play "Bohemian Rhapsody" there, and I'm wondering if they'll do it this time around.  I think this will be less of a party hard crowd, so I think there's a good chance.  I'd put the odds at 60% if they're by the pool and 90% if they're anywhere inside.  Here's a shot of them live:

 

I saw the REAL John Fogerty live a couple of years ago.  He played almost all the CCR songs I knew and liked.  And I saw Lou Gramm, ex lead singer for Foreigner, on this year's edition of The 80s Cruise.  He skipped over "Waiting For A Girl Like You" for... reasons.  I don't think Foreigner is going to skip it here; let's peg the probability at 90%.  Here's Lou in fine form on TEC:

 

Both of these are 7-day cruises going to Aruba and Curacao as their only ports.  The really funny thing is I will have a cruise next January (not a music themed cruise) that ALSO goes to Aruba and Curacao, though it goes other places.  

 

TEC sails February 29-March 7 from Port Canaveral.  R&R sails March 14-21 from Miami.  I could find a cruise to plug the gap between them, but I'll probably just pack and head home in between.  I'm not thrilled that they're both Thursday-Thursday, but it is what it is.

 

I'm considering booking another music themed cruise.  This one would be in April, using a new charter company, on a ship that's new to me, with artists that I've never seen live before.  Go see the previous thread for more details, but I'll tell you more about it if and when I book.

 

This introduction has been much too long already, so I'll cut it off here.  I've loved my experience exploring my musical favorites - especially on cruises.  I expect my experiences in 2024 to be just as good.  Wish me luck!  

 

 

[George C]

Air supply was excellent on rock and romance pre Covid, they had a huge band with them , super talented. 
 We are super happy with 2024 lineup for rock and romance, suites are all booked already , saw Don McLean almost 40 years ago in Dallas and always wanted to see Dave Mason , plus several of our past favorites like Mellisa Manchester LSB and others . 

[Honolulu Blue]

It's official:  I've booked a place on the McDonald LaBelle Cruise.  Allow me a few minutes to talk about the nuts and bolts; some will be more interesting than others:

• It's scheduled to run April 10-13, 2024
• It will be on the Norwegian Pearl, a popular charter ship for Sixthman, but...
• This isn't a Sixthman cruise.  I'll tell you about the charter company behind it in a little bit.
• The itinerary at this time is somewhat incomplete.  All that's mentioned is that we leave at 4 PM from Miami, sail to Nassau the next day, dock in Nassau the day after that, and return to Miami at 7 AM on the last day
• In addition to the headliners, we have appearances from comedians George Wallace and Alonzo Bodden
• There are also other musicians that are scheduled to be onboard, whom I'm ashamed to admit I don't know
• This cruise has free shuttles to Miami from Tampa/Sarasota/Naples and The Villages/Orlando/West Palm Beach.  I haven't heard of this for domestic cruises, even charters.  The fact that The Villages has its own shuttle makes me wonder about how old some of these cruisers are going to be.  
• I also wonder a bit about the ethnic diversity of the passengers.  Mr. McDonald has a soulful voice, as does Ms. LaBelle.  And jazz has historically had fans of every color.
• This is my first cruise with the charter company Jazz Cruises, which split from Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP) a few years ago.  ECP runs The 80s Cruise, along with a couple of other charter experiences.  
• This will be my first sailing on Norwegian.  I've tried a couple of other times, but they didn't work out.  I'm looking forward to figuring out a new ship and a new cruise company.
• This will be my shortest cruise by far.  My previous shorties were 5 days.  I have taken 3-day trips to Las Vegas and Reno, so the whiplash won't be an unknown feeling.
• I got an oceanview on deck 4, a little too close to the medical center for my tastes.  But better than an interior on that deck or the one above, IMHO.
• The cabin price was $1500, plus $170 in port fees + gratuities = $1670.  Not bad, all things considered
• I'm putting $417.50 down and paying $125.25 for the next 10 months
• It's possible that I could book cruises around this one, but I don't think I'll bother.  I'll keep you updated if I do.
• I picked the first show seating, as I've done for all my music charters so far.  That one has shows scheduled for 6:30.
• My favorite song from Mr. McDonald, besides the ones from the Dobbie Brothers and Steely Dan, is "Sweet Freedom".  I assume he'll play it, though it' more peppy and poppy than jazzy.
• My favorite song from Ms. LaBelle is "New Attitude".  I assume she'll play this one.

 

That's all I have to say about this cruise at this time.  I'm looking forward to it.  But I have a bunch of other adventures to get through first.

[Honolulu Blue]

I started a thread for the McDonald LaBelle cruise at 

@George C did the honors of starting the roll call thread for next year's Rock and Romance cruise at 

And I did one for the 2024 edition of The 80s Cruise at 

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Honolulu Blue
added the roll call threads

[Honolulu Blue]

I got a small e-mail update from The 80s Cruise (which I'll abbreviate TEC much of the time here) with two items of interest.

 

First was the fact that former VJ "Downtown" Julie Brown was officially invited to the 2024 edition.  She was a substitute on last year's cruise for former VJ Nina Blackwood, who was on several of the 80s cruises going back to 2020 and beyond.  I thought Ms. Brown did a good job and played well with the other former VJs in hosting events, etc.  

 

The other item is that they're still working on pictures for last month's TEC and they will be released soon.  I'm likely to be in several of them, if they didn't break the camera or weren't tossed out for being unfit for general audiences.  😛 We'll see.

 

Here's a picture of Ms. Brown (she's on the far right) with others introducing Lou Gramm in concert on last month's cruise:

 

(the others, if you're curious, are interviewer Lori Majewski on the left, and former VJ Mark Goodman in the center)

[Honolulu Blue]

I got a notice that Flower Power has sold out, so I decided to check to see how my music charters are doing.

 

Rock & Romance is sold out except for basic interiors, basic ocean views, and basic balconies.  

The 80s Cruise is sold out except for interiors and balconies.

The McDonald LaBelle Cruise shows all cabin classes available.  

 

It seems to be just a matter of time before the first two sell out, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mikey and Patti also sell out in the near future.

[Honolulu Blue]

I found a site that has a few more details on this McDonald LaBelle cruise -> Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle to Host Cruise Getaway in 2024 (broadwayworld.com)

 

It smells like a press release, but it's interesting nevertheless and worth the (relatively) short read.  Here are my chosen highlights:

 

"Patti LaBelle's influence on popular music for decades would be hard to measure because of its enormity; likewise, her influence on my career as an artist is equally difficult to measure," notes McDonald. "Not just from a music industry perspective, but for its spiritual rejuvenation for me as an artist as well. I look so forward to this chance to perform with her again!"

 

-----------------

 

LaBelle says, "I'm looking forward to joining my dear friend Michael for such a special event! It's sure to be an unforgettable time and in a beautiful setting! I can't wait to see everyone there!"

 

-----------------

 

"Being able to present two of the most iconic voices of my lifetime is an honor for me and everyone at Jazz Cruises," says Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of Jazz Cruises. "It will be a getaway not to miss."

 

------------------

 

[T]his very special event will be hosted by noted bassist/producer Marcus Miller who, along with saxophonist Eric Marienthal, will be part of McDonald's band. Miller will also host a full afternoon of classic R&B music in a tribute to the stars of the genre, highlighted by a celebration of Luther Vandross, who Miller worked with for many years as a composer, arranger and producer.

 

------------------

 

Comedian Alonzo Bodden, known for his appearances on NPR's popular "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" radio show, will lead a two-hour comedy show onboard with comic legend George Wallace as well as Leslie Mendelson. 

 

-----------------------

 

TL,DR - Everyone says nice things about each other, we'll get an afternoon salute to classic R&B - with an emphasis on Luther Vandross, and we'll get a two-hour comedy show.  Sounds like fun. 

[George C]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:39 PM, Honolulu Blue said:

I got a notice that Flower Power has sold out, so I decided to check to see how my music charters are doing.

 

Rock & Romance is sold out except for basic interiors, basic ocean views, and basic balconies.  

The 80s Cruise is sold out except for interiors and balconies.

The McDonald LaBelle Cruise shows all cabin classes available.  

 

It seems to be just a matter of time before the first two sell out, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mikey and Patti also sell out in the near future.

Have you booked the suggested hotel for the night before the charter cruise like Rock and romance, we normally book a hotel with a view of ship but it might be fun being in a hotel with lots of others like fans. ( although we have met others at our normal doubletree and last month Leo Sayer was staying next door at the Marriott)

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, George C said:

Have you booked the suggested hotel for the night before the charter cruise like Rock and romance, we normally book a hotel with a view of ship but it might be fun being in a hotel with lots of others like fans. ( although we have met others at our normal doubletree and last month Leo Sayer was staying next door at the Marriott)

I did this for The 80s Cruise last year.  They had two suggested nearby hotels and I picked the better of the two (Crowne Plaza).  There were some fans and decorations there, but I didn't get to interact too much with them at the time.  I don't know what they're going to do next year yet.  

 

For Rock & Romance, I'm considering staying in their recommended hotel (Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon), but I heard a fair number of bad reviews on R&R's FB page.  It's hard to justify a mediocre $250+ hotel room even if I could get close to the stars.

 

I haven't heard of a recommended hotel for the McDonald LaBelle Cruise.  There might not ever be one.

[Honolulu Blue]

I looked at the McDonald LaBelle Cruise bookings a few minutes ago and saw this:

 

@George C:  Did you guys sneak in a booking on me? 😁  Just kidding.

 

[George C]

Just bought some nice tickets for Boz Scaggs who we saw on rock and romance about 5 years ago, he was born and raised in Dallas area.

[Honolulu Blue]

I saw the announcement on FB that Rock & Romance is under 100 remaining cabins.  I wonder if that's enough for TPTB.  90% occupied in under 6 weeks; you'd think that would make them happy.  But Flower Power and Sold Train both sold out within 6 weeks, so...

[Honolulu Blue]

Sometimes I'm a bit slow, but I'm starting to notice a trend among music charter cruises.  A bunch of them are heading to Aruba and Curacao as their only ports.  They're both nice ports, Aruba has an airport with good connections to the world, and we music fans don't care much about the ports anyway - right @George C? 😄  Here's a list of the ones I've found:

 

• Malt Shop Memories (Ft. Lauderdale)
• The Smooth Jazz Cruise #1 (Miami)
• The Smooth Jazz Cruise #2 (Miami)
• Chris Botti at Sea (Miami)
• The 80s Cruise (Port Canaveral)
• 70s Rock and Romance (Miami)

 

Is this just coincidence, or is something else involved?  Who knows??

[Honolulu Blue]

The good news is I got another e-mail from ECP and The 80s Cruise.  It's always good to hear from them.  The bad news is they announced a new headliner and it's... The English Beat.  Let's just say that I was hoping for better.  Oh well, we've gotta have bands that other people want to listen to, since I can't pay for this charter by myself. 🤑

[Honolulu Blue]

Another week, another e-mail from TEC.  The good news is no one has dropped out yet.  The bad news is they've added a couple of bands that just don't do anything for me - Tommy Tutone and My Posse In Effect. The latter band is interesting in that it's a band-specific tribute act (in this case the Beastie Boys) and TEC hasn't had a lot of those in the past.  I wish I knew TEC were interested in tribute acts - I can name five from my Princess adventures that I would prefer seeing to this one.

[Honolulu Blue]

Rock & Romance has just added Gino Vannelli.  Some research needed, but my initial reaction is that I don't wanna stop... by and see him perform.  But I assume others are excited about him.

[George C]

48 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Rock & Romance has just added Gino Vannelli.  Some research needed, but my initial reaction is that I don't wanna stop... by and see him perform.  But I assume others are excited about him.

My wife really enjoyed his songs on rock and romance a couple of years ago , I liked his interview where he told a story that he was broke and ready to leave LA then decided to wait in front of A and M music and ran up to Herb Albert who signed him to his label. Just got my Ickes to see Judy Collins she will be in Dallas a couple of months before our cruise.

[Honolulu Blue]

This is a very quick post to report what I've seen around the Net:

 

• Rock & Romance just announced that they're SOLD OUT.  Good for them!  Of StarVista Live's offerings for 2023-24, only Sandy Beaches and The Big Easy aren't sold out.
• The 80s Cruise 2024 is saying they're at 97% sold.  That translates to under 50 cabins available.  I'm pretty sure they'll sell out soon.

[Honolulu Blue]

Here's a fun graphic that was e-mailed to me.  It's for High Seas Rally (full charter with some music - not my type - but mostly for motorcycle fans), but I think most of it applies equally well to music charters:

 

 

[Honolulu Blue]

In the Things Are Tough All Over department, I just got an e-mail from the Rock and Romance people trying to get me to book the Big Easy Cruise.  They're offering either a cabin discount of up to $400 or 15% off the cabin.  Some interior cabins and the top-level Pinnacle Suite are gone, but the rest of the cabin categories have availability.  I'm sure some people are wondering why they suspended the UDC for this.

[George C]

We got same email , definitely not interested. Wouldn’t mind doing a jazz cruise and would love to do flower power .  We are seeing Boz Scaggs next weekend in downtown Dallas there is a new hotel across the street and a good Italian restaurant so we will spend the night , hotel has a jazz brunch that we will go to the next day. We had seen Boz a few years ago on rock and romance cruise he was really good .

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, George C said:

We got same email , definitely not interested. Wouldn’t mind doing a jazz cruise and would love to do flower power .  We are seeing Boz Scaggs next weekend in downtown Dallas there is a new hotel across the street and a good Italian restaurant so we will spend the night , hotel has a jazz brunch that we will go to the next day. We had seen Boz a few years ago on rock and romance cruise he was really good .

Sounds like fun. Have a great time! 😃

[George C]

Boz Scaggs concert was great played 90 mins straight and after a standing ovation he said I glad you liked it, I have lots of friends and family here and did another 30 mins , would love to see him back on rock and romance, hoping we can do a back to back with flower power in 2025 or 2026 when my wife retires. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by George C

[Honolulu Blue]

2 hours ago, George C said:

Boz Scaggs concert was great played 90 mins straight and after a standing ovation he said I glad you liked it, I have lots of friends and family here and did another 30 mins , would love to see him back on rock and romance, hoping we can do a back to back with flower power in 2025 or 2026 when my wife retires. 

Thanks for the update.  I'm glad Mr. Scaggs was good to you and your fellow concertgoers.  I was wondering about your reticence to book the obvious B2B.  Now I understand better. Let's hope things go according to plan.  🙏

[Honolulu Blue]

Sixthman snuck in an interesting music cruise on me.  It's called the Summer of '99 Cruise.  It will be hosted by Creed and feature other artists I remember from the '90s - like 3 Doors Down, Buckcherry, The Verve Pipe, and Louise Post of Veruca Salt.  Not half bad, if I do say so myself.   It's on the Norwegian Pearl and sail April 18-22, 2024.  Nassau is the only listed port.

 

The presale (which I missed) seems to have sold all the cabins, but there is sure to be a waiting list.