For fans of contemporary jazz and R&B, the fourth annual Dave Koz and Friends at Sea cruise will be hitting up four Caribbean destinations this November.
Put on by Jazz Cruises LLC, the cruise will take place from Nov. 2-9. The cruise departs from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and makes stops in four Caribbean ports: Grand Turk, St.Thomas, St. Barts and Half Moon Cay.
Hosted by saxophonist Dave Koz, other artists headlining the cruise include horn-based soul group Tower of Power, Grammy-award winning R&B singer Deniece Williams, trumpeter Rick Braun, Grammy-nominated singer Eric Benet, keyboardist George Duke and South African singer, songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Butler.
“I am so proud to be the host of this cruise for the fourth annual sailing,” Koz said in a press release. “Every year I wonder how we are going to top what we did the year before, but we manage to do it. The artists perform in ways that you do not see on land; the bands are comprised of stars in their own right.
“The ship is beautiful, the food and service is perfect and the ports-of-call are spectacular,” he continues. “And, most importantly, nearly 2,000 of the greatest fans in the world are onboard to share the experience. It may not be heaven, but it is very, very close.”
A total of 40 musicians will be performing throughout the cruise, which allows guests to mingle with the musicians in between afternoon and evening performances. Club-like settings for the soul and R&B sound give guests an intimate “behind-the-instruments” feel.
Other artists include saxophonist Najee, saxophonist Candy Dulfer, guitarist Jeff Golub, saxophonist Euge Groove, keyboardist Brian Simpson and guitarist U-Nam.
The cruise takes place on the 1,848-passenger m/s Westerdam from the Holland America Line. Prices, subject to change, range from $1,700 to $7,500 per person.
More information on artists and reservations is available the cruise’s Web site, Dave Koz Cruise.