Jazz Cruises - how do they work?

[Cour10ay]

We are booked on the Playboy Jazz Cruise for January 2009. The cruise is sponsored by Jazz Cruises LLC (they do the Dave Koz and Smooth Jazz Cruises, too.)

 

Can anyone tell me how the entertainment schedule works?

 

Are we given the headliner schedule upon boarding telling us who is playing when?

 

What about smaller venue shows - are they scheduled and known at the beginning of the cruise or are the smaller venue shows just announced the day of the performance?

 

I am asking because we have early dinner seating in order to make the 8:30 headliner show, but 6PM is REALLY early. If we had a schedule of shows upon boarding we'd be able to make other dinner arrangements for a bit later once we board.

 

We are really jazzed (sorry, bad pun) about this cruise so any info on the formats of the LLC cruises would be appreciated. BTW, this one is on the Westerdam.

 

Thanks!

[AZ Greg]

Hi Courtnay,

Great to hear you’re jazzed about your cruise and jazz.

Based on past experience, as you walk onboard you will be handed a nice souvenir book. That book will contain the schedule for the entire week. It will give you a daily breakdown of the weeks activities. It will list the headline performers for the 6:00 and 8:30 shows, normally different performers at each show, but they rotate so that every headliner will perform at a 6:00 and an 8:30 show during the week. If you want to skip dinner and take in a 6:00 show, you should be able to as long as you wait for the passengers that have the pass for 6:00 to go in first. We’ve done that by waiting until the rush is over then we go in and have had no problem finding seats.

The schedule also has who is playing in the lounges and the times, it will list the autograph sessions and who is signing, lectures, party’s, jam sessions, nightly themes, comedy shows, cooking demo’s, port times, if it is going on that week it will be in the book they give you. The back of the book can be used as a journal to record thoughts or autographs. If there are deviations to the schedule they will be announced or listed in the ships schedule that comes out daily.

As I look at my book from January, there is something going on practically every hour of every day. You will have plenty to pick from, and that is what you will see people doing around the ship right after boarding. Word of caution, there is so much going on be careful you don’t run yourself ragged trying to do everything (been there/done that). Remember shows in the smaller venues (lounges) tend to fill up quickly, so plan to arrive early if you want a prime seat.

I hope this helps. I’m sure you will enjoy your cruise. BTW I scanned a few pages from the book they give out, but I don’t know how to add it to this co if you would like to see them you can email me at rraider25@live.com and I send them to you.

[Cour10ay]

Wow, Greg, your info really filled in the blanks for me. Thanks so much!

 

Which cruise did you do last January?

[BettyNL]

Cour10ay: (big fat)HELLO from your neighbor on the Asian Cruise in January of 2008 !!

 

Imagine 'running' into you here??

 

David & I are taking a jazz cruise on Crystal the first week of December (Mexican Riviera out of LA)

 

Hope all is well with you & "G"...........

 

BettyNL

[Cour10ay]

Howdy there, Neighbor! Nice to hear from you. Wish we could do the cruise out of LA, too, but for us FL is a better choice since we can combine family visit and cruise. Someday we'll cruise together again, I'm sure. Seems I recall you and D are doing the Solstice TA.

 

Our little Med Cruise in May was fine, the weather was horrible, though. My eldest and his new bride just did their honeymoon on Wind Surf Rome to Venice and loved it, so we may give them a try soon. After the Jazz cruise our next will be another Med cruise with a group of American friends next Sept. The Schoonies are doing the Panama Canal in Jan, but we already had the jazz cruise booked.

 

Didn't realize you and D were jazz fans!