Throughout my years of being a travel professional, I have sailed on various cruise lines and have enjoyed all of my travels. Recently, I had a very unique opportunity to travel on Holland America's Westerdam, cruising 7-nights from San Diego, to Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was unusual because I was cruising with Entertainment Cruise Productions, who had chartered the entire ship for The Smooth Jazz Cruise!
The Westerdam is one of Holland America's mid-size ships that offers 7 night cruises to Mexico from San Diego, California, and then over to Alaska, departing from Seattle, Washington. I have cruised with Holland America several times before but nothing was like THE SMOOTH JAZZ CRUISE!!! I had never been on a completely chartered ship before, so I had no idea of what to expect. When I first boarded the ship, my main priority was getting to my stateroom so that I could see what it looked like, the location, the bathroom amenities and then out to explore the entire vessel. Little did I know the experience I was about to have.
After the mandatory safely drill, everyone headed to the Lido deck for the sail away party. If you have sailed on Holland America before, then you know that the sail away parties are normally pretty low-key affairs. You order a drink, wave goodbye to all of the strangers on shore, and figure out what time the casino is going to open. Not this time! On the Smooth Jazz cruise, I should have had a clue when I saw all of the sound equipment and the huge stage on the Lido Deck. It seemed like all of the guests onboard were gathered in one place, right there by the main pool, ready to party, and party everyone did. I observed guests from all other the world, all ages, including senior citizens ( 60 years and older) being entertained by our live band, doing line dances, and having a good time. Now this was the way to start a vacation!
From that point on, there was never a dull moment. Our first night's opening act was Boney James heading the line-up. I love going to all the shows whenever cruising, I am one of those American Idol judges that will judge everything about any of the nightly shows offered on all cruises. Not this time. Boney James was off the chain with his saxophone blowing in my ear, directly in front of me. Can you imagine that? Even the crew members that worked for Holland America were dancing and having a good time throughout the ENTIRE cruise. I have never seen so many smiles coming from a ship's crew.
Imagine having live concerts several times a day at various onboard venues. Headliners like Candy Dulfer, Norman Brown, Rich Braun, and Brian Culbertson offered nothing but their best each and every night. Everyday was like having front row seats at a jazz concert. When I thought that I had seen it all, I would go to another onboard location, and another group would be playing their saxophones, percussions, and bass guitars, And we were always dancing to the beat. By the 3rd night, I had to retire early because I was tired from all of the onboard activities. Guests were able to book shore excursions with the likes of Brian Culbertson, and Dave Sanborn.
One night, barbeque was served at the Lido pool on deck 9 offering live shows, and plenty of good food. One of the things that I really loved that night was how the more "lively" crowd hung out at the Lido pool, and then you would find the more laid-back group, relaxing at the back of the ship at the Sea View pool. To top it all off, we were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico overnight, and the views from the ship were awesome.
Other great experiences on this cruise, were the complimentary wine tastings with one of our favorite artists; song writing tutorials with Brian Culbertson; renewal of vows with Jonathan Butler, and we even had a church service with Jonathan Butler sharing the day's lesson with us. Everyone (and I mean everyone) was there giving thanks. Every night we had a "gift" in our stateroom, from glass coasters to wine openers. There were women's discussions with the stars, autograph signing, and, if you ran into one of the celebrities onboard, they were more than willing to take a moment to take pictures with you, answer your questions, or just jam. There was even an onboard talent show that featured unknown talent with the winner opening up the final show at the end of the cruise.
One of the things that I really noticed was the camaraderie onboard. I met more people than I usually do while cruising. It was a very uplifting experience that cannot be compared to anything else. I spoke to several guests that exclaimed that this was the best cruise that they had been on, and how they could not wait to go again. I would have to agree.
Overall, this is a cruise that has to be taken at least once in your life. Not really into jazz? Well there's a country music cruise scheduled in early 2014 for all country music lovers, and even better, there's the Seabourn cruise for 10 nights to the Mediterranean featuring 5 nights of Diana Krall. Next year's jazz cruise sets sail January 11-January 18, 2014, cruising the tropical islands of the Caribbean, on Holland American's Eurodam, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Too soon to go, well there's the one in 2015, featuring Natalie Cole and Kirk Whalum. So many special experiences to choose from!
My only question is if you have not booked your Smooth Jazz cruise with me, then who are you booking it with?
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