While We Are At Sea

Though we are at sea for the next several weeks (January 28 – February 25), please know that while some of us are away, our office will be open during normal business hours, our email lines will be open and the websites for each of our cruise programs will be available 24/7.

These services are available to guests who have questions about their upcoming ’25 Sailings and those who wish to complete or discuss a ’26 Reservation. To contact us, you may choose among the following:

  Call the Office: 
Toll Free US & Canada – 888.852.9987
Toll Free International – 01.800.852.99872
Monday – Thursday: 10 AM ET – 6 PM ET
Friday: 10 AM ET – 5 PM ET

Inquire by E – Mail:
info@scecruises.com

Learn More or Make a Reservation:
www.scecruises.com or review SCE Brand Book
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Stateroom Availability

With 13 active cruise programs, it is difficult to keep up with Stateroom Availability. To assist you with your planning, below is a chart that we will update weekly in The Weekender. 

Cruise Programs 2025

Cruise Programs 2026

Hot Offers

Inside Staterooms are available on Journey of Jazz ’25. From now through February 28, you can reserve an Inside Stateroom on the cruise for under $2,000/person. Reservations are based upon double occupancy, available for new reservations only and non-commissionable. Further, this discount may not be combined with any other offer (Promo Code: ATSEA).

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.2 has been fully reserved for months. Guests do cancel their reservations for various reasons and we place those staterooms with guests on the Wait List. If you are on the Wait List or wish to reserve a stateroom for one of these sailings, call the office for availability and pricing.

Sullivan Fortner’s Southern Nights

The pianist Sullivan Fortner, who was a big hit during the last two weeks with our guests sailing on The Jazz Cruise and Botti at Sea, has just released Southern Nights, his fifth album as a leader. 

Recorded live at the iconic Village Vanguard in NYC, the album features a wide-ranging repertoire, including tunes by Allen Toussaint and Clifford Brown, and tributes to Sullivan’s late mentor Bill Lee and Lee’s sister, the underappreciated pianist and educator Consuela Lee, as well as an original from Sullivan. Accompanied by bassist Peter Washington and drummer Marcus Gilmore, Sullivan celebrates his roots in the Crescent City.

“New Orleans is at the top of the Caribbean,” he explains. “It’s definitely not America. The Spanish and Caribbean influences run deep, and you can hear that in the music.”

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Signature Jazz Cruises’ Programs

JOURNEY OF JAZZ ’25
Limited Time Promotional Pricing

Now through February 28, or until fully reserved, promotional pricing is available on Inside Staterooms for Journey of Jazz! Make your reservation today using promo code ATSEA for significant savings*! Exciting land-based concerts and excursions are also available! *Discount applies to new reservations only. 

BOOK NOW

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HOMECOMING: THE CRUISE ’26
Open Booking Now Available!

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. Sailing January 15 – 20, 2026 (including MLK Day), this cruise will deliver Excellence, Education and Entertainment. ALLBLK’s 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. Reserve Your Stateroom Today! 

BOOK NOW

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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

THE JAZZ CRUISE ’26
Open Booking Starts February 19!

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 who registered for the Pre-Sail are selecting their staterooms now, and Open Booking will begin on February 19!

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THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.1 & 26.2
Open Booking Now Available

 The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2 are in Open Booking (anyone may reserve any available stateroom) and staterooms are more than 85% reserved. Reserve your stateroom today!

BOOK NOW

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THE TOP SHELF COUNTRY CRUISE
Headline Artist Just Announced – Keith Urban

Fans of the country genre love the music that represents the simple, humble American lifestyle and they love to party. Top Shelf Country Cruise brings these ideas together on a luxury ship for one unforgettable week, February 27 – March 6, 2026! The inaugural sailing will feature headline artist Keith Urban and widely popular personalities from iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show, led by Bobby Bones himself. Pre-Sail reservations are open now through tomorrow, February 9! Visit topshelfcountrycruise.com for more information and join the Pre-Sail today! 

LEARN MORE

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THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE ‘26.3
Open Booking Now Available

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!
Pre-Sail Reservations Accepted Until February 11!
Open Booking Begins February 28

We’re thrilled to be able to announce that Boz Scaggs, Elvis Costello and Melody Gardot will be onboard the Botti at Sea ’26 . Of course, Chris Botti will be there with his very talented band and, as always, we will fill the remaining performance slots with a variety of great music, comedy and more. Establish your priority for reserving a stateroom NOW by joining the Pre-Sail. 

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Mug Shot of the Week

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: From Botti to Smooth appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.

Taking one comment out of context can be a dangerous thing to do and I have not been able to listen to the entire interview, so there is no judgement being offered here when I both applaud what Kirk Whalum said and offer a spin on his point in favor of virtually every musician who performs on The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Trying not to bury the lead, I agree that, though some of the “smooth jazz” music you hear streaming on the radio reflects a sameness, the real stars who are regarded as “smooth jazz” artists are individual, unique and authentic.

Part of the angst is the title of the genre. In college, a professor of mine ranted about the term “Holy Roman Empire,” claiming that it was neither “holy,” “roman” nor much of an “empire.” As we have discussed on several occasions, “smooth jazz” suffers from the same criticism. The good stuff is hardly “smooth” and if “jazz” is shorthand for instrumental music, then perhaps that works. In my mind, “jazz” is improvisational music. In the broadest of explanations, you either take a known song and “jazz it up” or you have an original composition which includes solos and improvised parts of the song. True songwriters are likely cringing at that explanation, but for those of us who are more fans than fanatics, this interpretation may suffice.

Back to the world of music. In every genre, there are songwriters and musicians who present in a formulaic manner. Unless you are knee deep in that genre, you have a difficult time differentiating the performers. I am not familiar with Country Music. To me, most of it sounds the same or at least similar to other tunes. Yet, when I hear Garth Brooks or Vince Gill, I know that I am listening to something different, something special. In no way does this condemn or lessen the quality of other Country Music, as true aficionados of the music will be able to differentiate among the multitude of vocalists in cowboy hats and boots. Please excuse my snarky comment here. Sometimes you need to vent.

In speaking with our guests, I applaud those who seek out the deeper cuts and the lesser-known performers and work hard to differentiate them. I am often criticized for not inviting more of the lesser known “smooth jazz” performers onto The Smooth Jazz Cruise. Unfortunately, here is where basic math rules the day. The cruise is seven days and seven nights long. There is a set number of performances that we can jam into that timeframe. To utilize a slot for someone other than the most well-known performers makes sense only if that performer appears to be on the road to being special. As I have said many times before, making The Smooth Jazz Cruise different is easy. Making it better requires a great deal of thought.

This conversation is particularly pertinent as we are putting the final touches on the lineup for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2. We will be announcing the details on 8.14.24 and rebooking for current guests and pre-sale reservations for all others will begin the following day (see below for more information). You will see a lot of names that have defined the cruise for years. You will see some well-known names that are new or long overdue for the cruise. What you will not see are any musicians who are indistinguishable from the pack.

Remember, there are only so many slots on the cruise. For every name we add, another must be subtracted. When you see the lineup, and you feel that a certain musician should have been included, ask yourself which of the named musicians would you remove? As Shakespeare wrote, “ay, there’s the rub.”

Back to the comments from Kirk Whalum. He is 100% correct that being authentic and creative beats being formulaic and a genre clone. Again, part of the problem is the name itself. If I thought it would not upset folks, I would change the name of The Smooth Jazz Cruise. To what? I have no idea. Plus, that name, I believe, does not conjure up an image of a particular music form, but, rather, is shorthand for seven days and seven nights of great entertainment, camaraderie and fun.

As a closing argument, does anyone think that the music of Marcus Miller, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Candy Dulfer and Jonathan Butler are the same? Or formulaic? Or contrived to fit a genre? Of course not. The point Kirk Whalum makes is is well taken which is why The Smooth Jazz Cruise will always be looking for those musicians whose sounds and compositions stand out.

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

Peter Cincotti to Join Us for Botti at Sea ’25

The greatest lineup of stars has a new member, the amazing singer/songwriter Peter Cincotti. Though we can announce his participation on the cruise now, he has been part of the plan almost from the beginning. The terms and conditions of his other commitments required us to keep his involvement under wraps.

Peter is one of those young phenoms who has transitioned brilliantly through adulthood. Under the guidance of the legendary music producer, Phil Ramone, Peter is the youngest performer (20 years old) to have their debut album rise to No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. But his career began before that. This singer songwriter began playing piano at three years old, was gigging in high school, performing at the White House (Bill Clinton) at that time and, at 17, won an award at the Montreux Jazz Festival for his rendition of A Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie).

His career has been a whirlwind of success fueled by immense talent, engaging personality and leading man good looks. He and his wonderful band will join us for the final few days of Botti at Sea ’25 and will perform numerous times, both in The Theatre and in other venues. We are excited and honored to add Peter Cincotti to the amazing lineup of stars for the cruise.

The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2
Will Be Announced on 8.14.24

It has become a tradition to start the reservation process for the next set of sailings (’26) right before Labor Day of the year immediately before (’24) of the upcoming sailings (’25). This may not be the easiest plan to follow, but it does provide fairness for those wishing to secure reservations for future sailings and reduces the stress of having the reservation process on a cruise thereby diverting our guests from their primary goal – enjoying the music!

With more than 4,000 people on the Waitlist for the ’25 Cruises, the pressure to secure a reservation for one of the ’26 Cruises runs high. Initiating this process now provides everyone with ample time to complete whichever procedure they may elect to follow


How to Reserve a Stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 or ‘26.2

Your reservation path depends upon your status for the ’25 Sailings.

Group 1: Guests Sailing on either The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘25.1 or ‘25.2
Guests sailing on either The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25.1 or ’25.2 have the exclusive right to rebook their current stateroom on their respective sailing at the rate consistent with their cruise status at any time between 08.15.24 through 09.15.24. A modest deposit is due at that time with no further payments required until after the ’25 Sailings.

Such guests will receive information about the ’26 Cruises and instructions as to how to rebook their current stateroom by email in advance of 08.15.24.

If a guest wishes to reserve a different stateroom, they must complete the reservation for their current stateroom and contact us with their preference(s) for a different stateroom. They will not be obligated to reserve their current stateroom if their preferred stateroom is not available.

Group 2: Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’25 Waitlist
If you are on the Waitlist for a ’25 sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise AND are booked on another Jazz Cruises’ sailing in ’25, you will receive Priority Booking upon completing your Pre-Sale reservation for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26. More information on the Special Program for Guests on The Smooth Jazz Cruise Waitlist can be found here. Guests on the Waitlist for the ’25 Sailings who complete the Pre-Sales Reservation will also be provided preferences for the ’26 Cruises. Here, too, a modest deposit, fully-refundable if no stateroom is reserved, will be required as part of the process.

Group 3: Guests Not Sailing on The Smooth Jazz Cruise in ’25
If you are not a guest on a ’25 sailing of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, you are urged to complete a Pre-Sale Reservation at your earliest convenience. Your priority in the system is dependent upon your cruise status and the date upon which you completed your Pre-Sale Reservation. Again, a modest deposit, fully-refundable if no stateroom is reserved, will be required as part of the process.

Schedule for Reserving a Stateroom for The Smooth Jazz Cruise ‘26.1 & ‘26.2

08.14.24
• Details of The Smooth Jazz Cruise ’26.1 & ’26.2 are announced
• Instructions for Guests on a ’25 Cruise to Rebook their Current Stateroom are delivered by email
• Instructions for all other guests wishing to complete a Pre-Sales Reservation are delivered by email and posted on The Smooth Jazz Cruise website

08.15.24 – 09.15.24
• Guests on a ’25 Cruise may Rebook their Current Stateroom for a ’26 Cruise
• Guests on the Waitlist for a ’25 Cruise and all other guests may complete a Pre-Sale Reservation

09.19.24 – Completion
• All Guests on the Waitlist for a ’26 Cruise will be contacted in order of priority to select a stateroom for one of the ’26 Cruises.

DownBeat Critics Poll Winners

Congratulations to so many artists associated with Jazz Cruises programs—past, present and future—for taking first place in the prestigious DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll. Among the winners in this year’s survey of more than 100 jazz journalists were:
 
Cecile McLorin Salvant: Female Vocalist
Kurt Elling: Male Vocalist
Kenny Barron: Piano
Christian McBride: Acoustic Bass
Gary Smulyan: Baritone Saxophone
Anat Cohen: Clarinet
Charles Lloyd: Hall of Fame, Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Tenor Saxophone
Immanuel Wilkins: Jazz Group, Alto Saxophone
Emmet Cohen Trio: Rising Star Jazz Group
Taylor Eigsti: Rising Star Piano
Jennifer Wharton: Rising Star Trombone
Alexa Tarantino: Rising Star Clarinet
Cory Henry: Rising Star Keyboards
Benny Benack III: Rising Star Male Vocalist
 
Among the numerous runner-ups in the various categories were a host of notable artists who have sailed with us multiple times over the years, including Marcus Miller, John Clayton, Gregory Porter, Samara Joy, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Catherine Russell, Dianne Reeves, Ingrid Jensen, Wycliffe Gordon, Ken Peplowski, Paquito D’Rivera, Allison Miller, Billy Hart, Johnathan Blake, Matt Wilson, John Pizzarelli, Jose James, Sullivan Fortner, Bill Charlap, Randy Brecker, Charles McPherson and so many more.

Signature Jazz Cruises’ ’25 Programs

1-Day Tickets to STL Jazz Fest
Are On Sale Now!

Mug Shots of the Week

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: Commander Kirk – Going Where We Have Gone Before appeared first on Signature Cruise Experiences.