BOSTON, HEART JOIN CARNIVAL CONCERT LINEUP

Credit: Carnival

Prior coverage: "Olivia Wows Them in Carnival Concert."

Carnival Cruise Line unveiled the roster of artists for its upcoming Carnival LIVE concert series. The Band Perry, BOSTON, Lionel Richie and Heart are all set to perform on board this summer and fall. The spring series kicked off last month and includes performances by Journey, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Smokey Robinson and Styx.

Concerts are held in the ships’ main theaters -- ranging in guest capacity from 900 to 1,300 -- and performed on Carnival vessels while they are docked in one of three ports of call: Cozumel, Nassau and St. Thomas. Here's more from Carnival:

"The Band Perry will perform July 28-29-30 on Carnival Sensation, Carnival Fascination and Carnival Magic, respectively, while those ships are docked in Nassau. During these shows, guests can enjoy up-close-and-personal performances by this award-winning trio who recently won Best Country Duo/Group Performance for Gentle on My Mind at the 57th Grammy Awards.

"Fans will get 'more than a feeling' as they enjoy four shows this summer by rock superstars BOSTON which has sold more than 31 million records worldwide, including 17 million copies of their self-titled debut. BOSTON brings their high-energy performances to four Carnival ships in Nassau – Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy – Aug. 19-22.

"Multiple Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer Lionel Richie will have audiences 'dancing on the ceiling' on Carnival Freedom Oct. 14 and Carnival Pride Oct. 15 while those ships are docked in Nassau. One of the most popular recording artists of all time, Richie has sold 100 million albums worldwide and is only one of two songwriters in history to have a number one record for nine consecutive years.

Credit: Carnival

"Rounding out the series is Heart, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and have sold more than 35 million records during their accomplished musical career that spans more than 35 years. Guests can enjoy three shipboard performances in Cozumel by these rock legends: Oct. 20 aboard Carnival Paradise, Oct. 21 aboard Carnival Ecstasy and Oct. 22 aboard Carnival Breeze.

"Carnival LIVE tickets for 2015 range from $35 to $75 for general admission, significantly less than land-based venues. VIP tickets are available for $125 to $250 and offer seating in the first four rows, a photo opportunity with the artist and a commemorative concert pass.

"A full listing of the 2015 Carnival LIVE concert series is available by visiting www.carnival.com/CarnivalLIVE."

CARNIVAL SETS CONCERT LINEUP FOR 2015

Carnival Cruise Lines has unveiled its new Carnival LIVE Concert Series roster for spring 2015. The lineup Journey, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Smokey Robinson, and Styx, coming back for their second time.

Concerts are held in the ship’s main theaters – which range in seating capacity from 900 to 1,300 – which guarantees guests an up close and personal experience.

Here's more from Carnival:

"Carnival LIVE voyages will originate in Miami, Port Canaveral, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Fla; Charleston, S.C.; and, for the first time, Galveston, Texas, the line’s second largest home port.

"The 2015 Carnival LIVE Concert Series kicks off next March and features one or more major artist each month, performing multiple shows on Carnival vessels docked in one of three ports of call: Cozumel, Nassau and a new port for the program, St. Thomas. Artists board the ship in port, perform in the main show lounge, and then debark following the concert.

· Journey kicks off the 2015 roster with two rock anthem-filled performances on March 18 and 19 in St. Thomas.

· The award-winning Little Big Town brings their unmistakable sound to “Fun Ships” in Nassau for three appearances on (March 30 and 31 and April 1).

· Guests “Cruisin’” to see Smokey Robinson sing timeless classics from his 50-year music career can catch the icon April 21, 22 and 23 in Cozumel.

· In May, country trio Rascal Flatts, one of the top-selling live artists in any genre, will perform a series of three shows for guests in Cozumel (May 5, 6 and 7).

· Rock fans are invited to “Come Sail Away” to see one of four Styx concerts to be performed in Nassau (June 16, 17, 18 and 20)."
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OLIVIA WOWS THEM IN CARNIVAL CONCERT

Olivia gives the fans what they want
 (Photo: Cruising Squared)

ABOARD CARNIVAL ECSTASY -- It's Saturday and we are docked in Nassau, Bahamas. After a day of fun, food and shopping, it's getting closer to the event many passengers on this cruise have waited for: Olivia Newton-John in concert.

Prior to that evening's show, the group that opted for "VIP" tickets waited for Ms. Newton-John to arrive, sipping champagne in the Stripes disco. Besides admittance to a private reception, VIP ticket holders had the chance to have a personal photo made with the singer-songwriter-actress who has sold over 100 million records worldwide during her career.

For us, it marked something of a reunion.

During most of the 1970s, I was the rock music writer for The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, and it was my duty (because someone has to do it!) to review all the new albums as well as the concerts that came through town. And the Metroplex being what it is, Dallas-Fort Worth played host to the biggest names in the business.

During that time, Ms. Newton-John made a concert appearance at the Six Flags Over Texas Music Mill Theater, and I had the pleasure, along with Pam, to go backstage and interview her. So having the opportunity to meet her again was a special treat for us. Even better, she is as beautiful and gracious now as she was then.

After the photos were all done, we made our way to the VIP section of the Blue Sapphire Lounge, where the crowd was amped up and ready to party, including the women in the front row sporting the "Pink Ladies" jackets made famous in "Grease."

Backed by a band and backup singers, Ms. Newton-John  took the stage and launched into a series of hits and musical styles that spanned every phase of her career, from her country-western beginnings, to her mega-hit "Grease," "Xanadu" and beyond.

The songs included hits like "If Not for You," "Let Me Be There," "If You Love Me, Let Me Know" and "Have You Never Been Mellow," from her early years. She also did her own version of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," another audience favorite.

But the biggest reaction came when she performed the music from "Grease," where she teamed on-screen with John Travolta to create one of the biggest hit musicals to ever come out of Hollywood. While Mr. Travolta couldn't make the scene, he was ably represented in the high-energy duet, "You're the One That I Want." The vibe continued on "Summer Nights," and it was clear her gyrating fans are, as the song goes, "Hopelessly Devoted to You." Another highlight was "Magic," from the musical, "Xanadu," where her co-star was Gene Kelly.

One of our favorites was another Newton-John mega-hit, "Physical," which, along with her spandex attire in "Grease," helped shift her Sandy, girl-next-door image.

She finished her set with a heart-felt version of "I Honestly Love You." I think the fans that crowded up to the stage were saying, "back at ya."

Entertainer, cancer survivor, businesswoman ... what may be most impressive is she is still out there, doing what she loves and what she does best -- a baby boomer doing us other baby boomers proud and amassing a new fanbase at the same time.

Clearly, when it comes to measuring the success of the Live Concert series, Carnival has a hit on their hands. -- Gerry and Pam

Pam, Olivia and Gerry

CRUISE REVIEW: 'CARNIVAL ECSTASY'

Carnival Ecstasy, docked in Nassau

ABOARD CARNIVAL ECSTASY -- The dictionary defines "ecstasy" as "an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyous excitement." That's a perfect description for the many fans of Olivia Newton-John, who have been eagerly anticipating this 3-day voyage to the Bahamas that departed June 27 from Miami. The highlight of this cruise is an in-person appearance by Ms. Newton-John as part of the "Live Concert" series Carnival is hosting throughout the year.

It's our first time aboard Ecstasy, one of the longest-tenured ships in the Carnival fleet, having debuted in 1991. With several upgrades over the years, she is wearing her age well.

Before we get to the main event -- the concert -- let's take a quick tour and highlight some of the ship's features:

OUR STATEROOM: Ours was an ocean-view stateroom on Deck 5. It was plenty roomy; lots of storage space. The bathroom was nicely appointed and functional. Jose, our steward, was excellent in all regards. Our one complaint -- and it's a common one -- not enough electrical outlets (maybe all rooms should come equipped with 6-power strips).

THE SERVICE: 4 stars here. We found everyone we encountered uniformly friendly, smiling and helpful. 

THE FUN: Carnival is all about family and fun. There was plenty of both on this trip. We saw family reunions, family celebrations -- a big quinceanera included -- and lots of kids and parents gathering material for "here's what I did on my summer vacation." The pools were jammed and anyone not swimming was jammin' to the music from the poolside DJ.

Serenity (All Photos: Cruising Squared)

If you're looking for something more relaxing, go to the aptly-named Serenity on Deck 9, adjacent to the Starlight Lounge. It's the adults, 21 and over retreat where you can grab a lounger, soak in a hot tub or just chill with your favorite beverage. Nice!




THE SHOWS: Setting aside the Olivia Newton-John concert for now, the productions in the Blue Sapphire Lounge were very entertaining, especially if, like us, you're a big fan of British or Motown music. "The Brits" (featured in the clip above from YouTube)  is a fast-paced homage to the British Invasion groups of the 60s, like Herman's Hermits, The Kinks and of course The Beatles, with clever costuming and imaginative set changes (we loved the "Magic Bus" sequence). "Motor City" did much the same for the great era of the Detroit Motown sound, from Aretha Franklin to Michael Jackson. Fans of comedy could go to the Starlight for either the PG or R-rated versions of stand-up.

Cherry prepares the martini flight

THE BARS: As our readers know, Cruising Squared is always on a mission to find and report on the best martinis. We hit the jackpot on this trip at the out-of-the-mainstream Society Bar on Deck 9. Bartender Cherry introduced us to the Stoli vodka "mini-martini flight," where you pick four cocktails from eight choices. You can opt for the Classic Cosmo or get crazy with the Spicy Chipotle. There are no wrong answers for this one, and Cherry is there to help you every sip of the way. As a bonus, you'll also get a martini charm. We call that a win-win!

THE FOOD: Overall, we would rate the food good to average. The buffet at the Lido deck's Panaroma Bar and Grill offered good selections. You can choose anytime dining at the Wind Star, or set seating at the Wind Song dining rooms. And if you stroll down the City Lights promenade on deck 9 you may encounter The Taste Bar, where you can get food samples. In our case, it was two choices from Carnival's new eatery, the Blue Iguana Cantina. Yum-o.

There is one category that no one does better than Carnival -- those inventive towel animals. Here was one we found camped out on our bed, and wearing my sunshades:

Well, enough of the preliminaries. Time to get to the main event: Olivia! That's coming next ... -- Gerry and Pam

IN CONCERT WITH CARNIVAL

Carnival has combined two of our very favorite things -- cruising and music -- into one when they created their Live Concert series. Later this week, we'll have the opportunity to experience it first hand when we embark on the Carnival Ecstasy out of Miami bound for the Bahamas. Performing on that cruise will be famed songstress and "Grease" star, Olivia Newton-John.

Olivia Newton-John (Carnival)

This Live Concert will have a special meaning for me. In another lifetime, as the former rock music writer for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I had the opportunity to interview Newton-John at the beginning of her career. She was doing a concert at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Wonder if she will remember that? (Insert smiley face here). 

The Live Concert series features 15 artists altogether representing just about all the music genres. The list includes: 38 Special, Chicago, Daughtry, Foreigner, Gavin McGraw, Jennifer Hudson, Jewel, Kansas, Lady Antebellum, LeAnn Rimes, Martina McBride, REO Speedwagon, STYX and Trace Atkins.

There are 49 performances in all on various Carnival ships. The series wraps up on Dec. 15 with REO Speedwagon on Carnival Fascination.

Carnival notes: "Tickets cost $20-40 each and a limited number of VIP tickets are also available for each show for $100-$150 each. The VIP experience includes an artist meet and greet, complimentary photo with the band, seating in the first three rows and a commemorative laminated concert pass. All tickets can be purchased through Carnival’s online shore excursion system prior to sailing, or on board participating ships at the shore excursion desk based on availability."

They also note guests must be booked for their cruise before they can purchase tickets to the Live Concert.

Rock music
writer Gerry

Looking back, why didn't someone think of this brilliant idea sooner? It would be so much better to review concerts on luxury cruise ships vs. those smokey arenas.

Look for our complete report, coming up here. -- Gerry