June 3 -18, 2025

Smooth Jazz, Squiggly Roads, and Surreal Landscapes: Our 6th Voyage with Captain Koz

It’s been a couple of years since our last Dave Koz Jazz Cruise—not that we were ghosting the man, but the world had other plans. One year, it was Covid (because who doesn’t love a global pandemic?), and the next, it was the war in Gaza (apparently even jazz isn’t immune to international conflict). But despite all that, this year’s cruise reminded me that the love of smooth jazz—and the community of die-hard jazz cruisers—is stronger than global chaos, airline delays, and even the buffet line at midnight. This marked our sixth voyage aboard the Good Ship Koz, and let me tell you, it’s still the smoothest sail on the seven seas.

Now, there are plenty of jazz cruises out there, but what makes the Dave Koz cruise stand out—besides the fact that you can high-five Richard Elliot at breakfast—is the crowd. Most people on board are repeat offenders. Like us, they’ve been hypnotized by the sax and keep coming back like jazz junkies chasing the next note. This thing has sold out 14 years in a row, and after this year, I’m convinced Dave Koz could announce a jazz cruise to the moon and people would start booking lunar excursions with carry-on saxophones.

The magic? It’s all jazz, all the time. No mixed genres, no awkward DJ pool parties—just top-tier smooth jazz from morning coffee to midnight jam sessions that spontaneously erupt in stairwells and pool decks. There are masterclasses, Q&As, artist meetups, and more than 200 interactive events (yes, I counted until I got distracted by a Sax solo). And the artists? They don’t hide behind velvet ropes—they mingle, dine, and even dance with the rest of us mortals. Dave says it brings out their best. I say it’s just hard to be uptight when you’re in a Hawaiian shirt eating shrimp cocktail with Peter White.

My Favorite Music Moments of the Cruise.…….

The itinerary never repeats, and this year we kicked things off in Amsterdam, where Gina and I spent a few pre-cruise days wandering the city, doing cultural stuff like touring the Anne Frank House, pretending we understood Dutch beer science at the Heineken brewery, and politely skipping the Red Light District (too much neon, not enough jazz). We walked enough to justify a second dessert at dinner every night onboard. You’re welcome, waistline.

Then came Norway. Leirvik and Maloy were the first two ports, and wow—if Ikea ever needed live-action scenery, this is it. Norway’s natural beauty is so dramatic, it feels like someone turned the “Epic” filter up to 11. The Norwegians have a word for their outdoorsy lifestyle—friluftsliv—which loosely translates to “living your best REI catalog life.” Fishing, kayaking, wild camping… I was ready to trade my passport for a pair of hiking boots and a smoked salmon subscription. The food was incredible, especially the fish soups. Hot tip: they basically sous-vide the fish in the broth just before serving. I may never recover from the flavor.

We did some puffin and whale watching, which Gina adored. Me? I felt weird being on a boat without a fishing rod. Watching whales breach is great, but part of me kept wondering, “Could I catch that on a 10-weight fly rod?”

Then—bam—Iceland. If Norway is a fantasy novel, Iceland is the sci-fi sequel. This place looks like Tolkien and George RR Martin got into a bet. Geothermal activity, active volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, and landscapes so alien I half expected a hobbit to offer me fermented shark. The people believe in elves and trolls—and I believe them. The government literally rerouted a highway once to avoid disturbing an elf habitat. California won’t fix a pothole in under a year, but Iceland will detour a freeway to spare a fairy.  And I thought California was more fairy friendly.

Nearly all Icelandic energy is renewable—geothermal and hydropower. The water is so pure you feel bad brushing your teeth with it. They even use geothermal heat to grow food year-round in greenhouses. Honestly, if we end up colonizing Mars, I think Icelanders should be in charge.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Leirvik, Norway

Måløy, Norway.

Húsavík, Iceland

Isafjördur, Iceland

Reykjavík, Iceland

After everything we’ve seen—jazz legends, surreal landscapes, and steaming bowls of Norwegian fish soup—I can say without a doubt this was the most unforgettable cruise yet. Iceland might just be the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited. And the fishing? Oh, we’ll need a whole other blog post for that.

Next year,  Captain Koz is headed to South America and the year after that Japan.   We will be on those for sure.  Till then, keep it smooth.

Some Cool Highlights of our Cruise

Meng’s Original Music for the Cruise

The Whales of Iceland #1

The Whales of Iceland #2

The Artic Char of Iceland #1

The Artic Char of Iceland #2

 

 

I didnt bring my Drone or Big cameras and upon returning with regret,  I stumbled upon this amazing photographer and videographer that filmed this the same month as we were there.  About 80% of the photos were taken with the RX10 III and RX100 VII, and the videos were shot with the DJI Mini 3 Pro.  He is Italian and goes under the handle  ” Sidecarural ”