Cruise News: Joe Bonamassa, Dave Koz Announce 2026 Sailings
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Music cruises are routinely selling out way in advance of their set-sail dates, especially if they feature very popular acts like blues rocker Joe Bonamassa and jazz man Dave Koz. So it's no surprise that Joe and Dave have already announced their respective cruises for 2026. Here's what we know so far.
Joe Bonamassa's Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea XI - March 25-29, 2026
Joe's Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea X sails in about two months and it is sold out; all the more reason for fans to look into booking their cabins now for the next Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea sailing in 2026. The cruise will take place aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl as she sails from Miami to Key West, Florida and Nassau in the Bahamas, two longtime favorite ports for cruisers. Performers that'll be joining Joe that have been announced so far are Beth Hart, Los Lonely Boys, Tommy Emmanuel, Mike Zito, Ruthie Foster, Robert Randolph Band, Jimmy Vivino, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Ally Venable and DK Harrell; many other acts will be announced as the sailing date nears. As always, each act, including Bonamassa, will perform at least twice. When not enjoying the concerts or time ashore during days in port cruisers can enjoy all the amenities the Pearl has to offer including lots of eating and drinking options, spa, casino, pool and hot tubs and more. Fans interested in booking cabins can register for the presale now
here.
Dave Koz & Friends at Sea 2026: South America - March 22-30, 2026
It'll be smooth jazz and smooth sailing as Dave Koz takes one of his cruises to South America for the first time. The talent has not yet been announced for this thrilling cruise which will depart from Sao Paolo, Brazil and call at Rio de Janeiro and Ilhabela, also in Brazil, Montevideo in Uruguay and finish in Buenos Aires, Argentina. To give cruisers plenty of time to explore the delights of Rio and Buenos Aires, Dave has arranged for the cruise to make overnight stops in both vibrant cities. The ship for the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea 2026 cruise will be the Celebrity Equinox. Unlike other Koz cruises of late, this will be a one-time sailing with no second week added. Cabins for the eight day cruise will go on sale February 5, 2025 for those who've sailed with Dave before and on February 11, 2025 for everyone else. Find details
here. A limited number of cabins are still available for the Dave Koz & Friends at Sea 2025 sailing from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to two ports in Norway and three ports in Iceland set for June 7-14, 2025. Details are
here.
The always-busy Koz has also just announced a tour for landlubbers as he'll be touring with famed jazz pianist Bob James. The pair will be embarking on their Just Us tour from mid-March through early April and they'll have a new duets album, also called Just Us, dropping on March 7, 2025. See all tour dates here.
