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Capital Jazz SuperCruise | One Love Gospel Cruise | Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise
Rise and Rhythm CruiseJanuary 31 - February 5, 2026
We had a great time on the inaugural Rise and Rhythm Cruise which featured performances by award-winning gospel artists and R&B artists. There were also inspirational panel discussions, games, and exercise classes. The weather turned out to be a challenge; however, the event organizers had contingency plans that worked.
Things I Really Enjoyed
- Concerts: All of the concerts I attended on this cruise were top-notched.
- Represent Night: Represent Night was the first of four theme nights on the cruise. It was the day on which passengers wore clothing that represented their favorite sports team, university, fraternity/sorority, etc... This made meeting your fellow passengers easy - especially when you found someone representing the same entity as you.
- Communication: The cruise took place during an unexpected cold snap that had most of North America and the Caribbean in its grip. As a result, some of the concerts and other events that were supposed to take place outside on the Pool Deck had to be moved to the ship's indoor venues. The cruise organizers had contingency plans and kept us informed of the numerous changes that happened during the journey.
Things I Would Do Differently
- Pay Closer Attention to Perks: Having reached platinum status in Norwegian's loyalty program, we were given complimentary dinners in two specialty restaurants. I did not discover this perk until the cruise was half over. As a result, the available dinner reservation slots conflicted with two of the concert times.
Trip Report
Tampa Arrival
It had been 17 years since we last flew into the Tampa airport. I don’t remember it being as large as it is now. It has long corridors and trains between terminals.
We found our way to the hotel shuttle pick-up, which oddly enough looked the same as it did 17 years ago. We had booked the Holiday Inn Express Westshore for our overnight before the cruise. It is an airport hotel, which is much less expensive than the hotels in downtown Tampa near the cruise port. Those hotels were running between $600 and $800 per night. The Holiday Inn Express Westshore was around $260 per night. Furthermore, the Holiday Inn Express offers complimentary shuttle service to/from the airport. There was some initial confusion when the shuttle arrived to pick us up because it was Sheraton Four Points van; however, the driver assured us that he would be making a stop at the Holiday Inn Express.
We arrived at the Holiday Inn around 11:30 AM. We were told that rooms would not be ready until 3 PM. This was expected. We were then told that we were number 25 on the list of guests waiting to check in. We joined other guests who were sitting in the lobby, looking at their phones. While chatting with some of them, it became obvious that the hotel does a lot of business with cruise passengers. There were several people who told us that they had just come off of a cruise and had been waiting in the lobby since 7 AM! We were hoping to be checked in as rooms became available; however, this hotel does not seem to operate that way. They wait until 3 PM before they go down their list of guests waiting to check in.
It was a cold, windy, and rainy day. We had very little desire to walk around and explore the area. Therefore, we waited in the lobby for hours with the growing number of guests waiting to be checked in. Traci, who had not slept the night before due to packing and re-packing her suitcase all night, napped in a chair with her phone her hand. A lady later told Traci that she was impressed that she was able to sleep without dropping her phone. As we waited, I saw several people walking through the lobby, wearing pirates gear, beads, and miniskirts. I would later find out that they were likely participants in the Gasparilla celebrations happening around the city. I had never heard of the event. It is a very popular pirate festival in Tampa consisting of a parade and pirate ships.
The hotel check-ins begin at 3 PM. Around 4 PM, Traci asked a rather rude receptionist when we would be checked in. We finally got the keys to our room (Room 801) around 4:30 PM.
Not long after checking into our room, we headed out into the cold and wind to get something to eat. There are several restaurants in the vicinity as well as a shopping mall. We ended up at Season 52 which was already very busy at 5 PM. We did not have a reservation, so we were seated at the bar. Our meal was delicious.
After dinner, we headed across the street to pick up some snacks for the cruise. I know it sounds strange to bring snacks to a cruise where you can eat 24-7 if you want, but sometimes you just want some chips or candy which is not readily available on a cruise ship. Traci also picked up some small cans of ginger ale in case she got motion sickness on the ship. This was risky because sometimes the cruise line will confiscate beverages; other times, they don’t. I guess we’d find out. The good news is that the stabilizers on cruise ships are very good these days. In recent years we have not felt enough ship movement to make us seasick.
Breakfast was not included with our stay at the Holiday Inn Express. Therefore, rather than pay for a hotel breakfast, we decided to eat at a restaurant. There is a Waffle House a short walk from the Holiday Inn Express, but this was not going to work for Traci. She is dedicated to getting 10,000 steps per day. As a result, she chose Denny's, which was a 30-minute walk from the hotel. The roundtrip would put her very close to her goal. We arrived there in a little under 30 minutes thanks to the brisk pace that Traci established. It was another cold day of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but it did not feel too bad because the sun was shining and there was not much wind. I could actually feel a few beads of sweat forming by the time we reached Denny's. After our hearty Grand Slam breakfast at Denny's, we went across the street to Walmart to buy a few more snacks for the cruise and then made the walk back to the hotel in time for the noon check-out.
Cruise Embarkation
We needed to be on the ship by no later than 2 PM. Norwegian requests that you choose a boarding time slot. We chose the 1 to 1:30 PM time slot. Traci and I have learned over the years to choose a later time slot. Doing so normally helps us avoid standing in long lines. The technique worked on this cruise. We were checked in within minutes. Our only delay was that Traci needed to address some business via her laptop. She used the free Wi-Fi in the terminal before boarding the ship. We would have no internet access on the ship because the ship's internet package was more expensive than we were willing to pay.
We entered the ship at its Atrium deck which was quite crowded. Everyone was already in party mode. A DJ was playing very nice dance music. People were dancing and mingling. As usual for the theme cruises that we have done in the past, the women outnumbered the men. Most of the passengers were in their 50's or 60's. I know this because a host of one of the concerts did an age poll by applause.
The first order of business for Traci and me was to check into our assigned muster station as we were instructed to do when boarding the ship. Muster stations are where passengers are supposed to meet in the event of an emergency. When we first started cruising over 20 years ago, passengers were required to show up at the muster station wearing the life vest from their cabin. Gone are those days. You only need to meet the crew member at your assigned station so that he/she can check off your name.
After our muster station visit, Traci and I finally made our way to our cabin (#9556). We had a balcony cabin with ample room for storing luggage under the bed and hanging clothes in the closet. Our cabin had a refrigerator containing ridiculously expensive beverages. We replaced them with the sodas and waters we brought with us. Our cabin steward stopped by to introduce himself and to drop off our luggage. He did an excellent job keeping our room clean during our 4-night stay.
Traci and I have done enough Norwegian cruises to make it to Platinum level in their loyalty program. As a result, we had two bottles of water and a welcome letter waiting for us in our cabin. Shortly after we entered, a crew member stopped by to give us a gift of chocolate-covered strawberries. This caused Traci and me to say, "Uh oh!" and then laugh because the last time we received chocolate-covered strawberries, it was a consolation gift from a Mexican resort after Traci provided "needs improvement" feedback on the resort's customer satisfaction survey. To this day, we suspect that those strawberries were the cause of the case of Montezuma's Revenge that I ended up getting. I was the only person who ate them at the time. We joked that the resort tried to poison us because of Traci's feedback. Fortunately, we had no problem with the chocolate-covered strawberries we received from Norwegian. They were delicious.
welcome gift for being Platinum members in Norwegian's loyalty program
I decided to ask our cabin steward to bring us an iron and ironing board. You are not allowed to bring your own aboard due to the fire risk. I've learned over the years to borrow an iron as soon as I can to avoid getting on a waitlist. Traci and I spent the allotted hour ironing our clothes and hanging them in the closet.
With adminstrative stuff and chores done, Traci and I finally headed out to explore the ship. We were on the Norwegian Jewel. It has a capacity of 2,368 passengers. This was our 6th time on a Norwegian ship. Most of our previous Norwegian cruises were theme cruises (Gospel Cruise, Capital Jazz SuperCruises) chosen by the organization hosting the event. Our last two Norwegian cruises were non-theme cruises chosen by Traci and me due to their exotic itineraries (South Pacific, Middle East/East Africa). The layout of the Norwegian Jewel was similar to the last two Norwegian ships we were on; therefore, we did not have too many problems finding our way around. Because this was a gospel/R&B theme cruise, we heard gospel music being played softly over the PA system in the hallways and dining venues. The ship was decorated in a Rise and Rhythm theme with food art and posters of the artists on the elevator doors.
elevator posters
Something that was good to see was that there were cold water dispensers located in several common areas of the ship as opposed to only in the buffet. I do not know if this was a Rise and Rhythm thing or a new policy on Norwegian, but I appreciated the convenience of getting a cup of cold water for free.
We strolled by the Atrium again where the sail-away party was still in full swing. Our first of four theme nights was Represent Night during which you wear clothing representing your hometown, favorite sports team, university, fraternity/sorority, etc... I was wearing my Hampton University hoodie and Traci was wearing her Delta Sigma Theta sorority clothing. We met several Hampton alumni that day. Traci met many sorors from all around the country. It was our first day on the ship and we were already feeling like one big happy family.
Sail-Away Party
ready for Represent Night
cruising out of Tampa
For dinner that evening, we were hoping to dine at the Azura dining room. Norwegian ships normally have two complimentary dining rooms in addition to the buffet and the pub. There is the grand dining room located at the back (aft) of the ship and a smaller more intimate dining room located mid-ship. Traci and I normally prefer the mid-ship one which is called Azura on the Norwegian Jewel. We were not able to dine there on this cruise because it was reserved for artists only. Therefore, the grand dining room, called Tsar's Palace on the Jewel, became our most frequented dining venue. One thing I was beginning to notice after six Norwegian cruises is that the dining room menu seems to be the same rotation regardless of the ship. However, there has been a policy change. In the past, if you could not decide which entree you wanted to order, there was nothing wrong with ordering more than one entree - not anymore. There is a charge for ordering more than one entree.
Traci and I sometimes had lunch at O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill which is pub-style dining. Traci does not like buffets, so we only ate one meal at the Garden Cafe buffet during the cruise out of the convenience of grabbing a quick bite to eat.
We attended our first concert after dinner. It was that of gospel recording artist, Tye Tribbett. As expected, his performance was full of energy. It was one of my favorites. These evening concerts were supposed to take place on the outdoor Pool Deck; however, due to the cold weather, the Rise and Rhythm Cruise had to move the concerts to the ship's Stardust Theater, which is an indoor venue. This caused a challenge because although the Stardust is a big theater, it cannot accommodate the same number of passengers as the Pool Deck. To get around this, Tye Tribbett and other artists agreed to do two shorter concerts in the Stardust Theater so that everyone could attend. The code on your cabin key card determined whether you would attend the early show (7 PM) or the late show (9 PM). I thought the Rise and Rhythm Cruise organizers did an excellent job in communicating pivots like this.
After Tye Tribbett's performance, Traci and I went to O'Sheehan's for some fries and pretzel bites. Afterwards, we chilled in our cabin. Tye Tribbett's second concert was being simulcast on one of the ship's television channels. We went back to the Stardust Theater later for the 10:30 PM comedy show which started a little late. I am assuming that it took some time to clear the equipment from the stage after the Tye Tribbett concerts. We had to stand in line for a while before the doors of the Stardust Theater were opened. The good thing about this cruise was that everyone seemed to be patient and well-mannered. There were no issues of people trying to cut the long lines like I have seen on other cruises.
elevator posters
The comedy show featured comedians Akintunde and Cletus Kassady. Their performances were hilarious - especially that of Cletus.
Sea Day 1 of 2
The next day was a sea day. Traci and I had breakfast together in the main dining room. I was surprised at how bad the pancakes were that morning. They were really dry. That was the last time I ordered them on the cruise.
There were many events and activities hosted by Rise and Rhythm in which to participate on sea days. Traci and I split up to attend the ones that interested us. Traci took part in the yoga class, morning inspiration, the spades tournament, the line dance class, etc... I participated in the morning trivia. This event was one of the few that was facilitated by the Norwegian crew. The trivia was challenging. I only answered 5 out of the 20 questions correctly. I still ended up in second place because the winner answered 6 correctly.
yoga class
line dance class
spades tournament
I made my way up to the Pool Deck to listen to the Relationship Fireside Chat. The panelist included Tabitha and Chance Brown along with Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson. The panelists opened up about the challenges of maintaining their relationships while navigating fame and entrepreneurship. I did not stay for the entire session.
Traci and I met at O'Sheehan's for lunch. We were off to a bad start with the food on this cruise. Lunch was another let-down.
I was hoping to attend one of the artist Q&A sessions but they ended up being cancelled. I assume this was because of the schedule changes brought on by the unusually cold weather that made the outdoor Pool Deck activities a no-go. Instead, I went up to the Spinnaker Lounge hoping to attend the artist meet & greet. That did not work out either. They had a cut-off of 150 passengers. The line was already ridiculously long when I arrived ten minutes before the event and they were not accepting more passengers.
Traci played Bingo which was also a Norwegian activity - an expensive one ($79). She did not win any of the Bingo games, but she did manage to win $2 from a scratch-off ticket.
The ship captain made an announcement to give us some sad news. A passenger was experiencing a critical medical crisis and would need to be evacuated. This being a faith-based cruise, the leaders of some of the Rise and Rhythm activities paused their event and led us in a prayer for the person that was experiencing the medical crisis.
Traci and I met back at our cabin to get ready for dinner. The theme was 90's night. We dressed in our 90's nylon sweatsuits and bucket hat and headed to dinner in the main dining room.
90's Night
Tonight's concert was that of gospel artist Kierra Sheard. She did a 40-minute set. She said she had a cold, but I could not tell. She did a great job.
Traci was determined to get her 10k steps for the day, so off we went to the jogging/walking track of the upper deck. It was a windy night but what a beautiful full moon reflecting off the sea. We noticed that the ship had stopped. We could see the city lights of Cancun, Mexico along the shore in the distance. I am assuming the medical evacuation was taking place even though I did not see a helicopter or another boat/ship.
Traci and I attended our second concert for the night. It was that of soul singer, Leela James. She did a very nice 45-minute set. She did her more recent music that was in rotation on radio stations at the time. I was a little disappointed that she did not do her first major hit "Music". She explained that her concert almost did not happen. Her band missed the boat. I could not help but wonder if they were victims of the unusually harsh winter weather that brought cold, snow, and ice to the southern states of the U.S.. The weather had caused flight delays and cancellation. Fortunately for Leela James, she was able to get band members from some of the artists on the ship to learn her music at the last minute.
Kierra Sheard
Leela James
Traci was sleepy after the concert. I, on the other hand, was not totally ready to turn in for the night. I decided to make my way to O'Sheehan's for the "Midnight Buffet". This was not like the midnight buffets from cruises back in the day where there were elaborate food artistry and a variety of offerings. This buffet at O'Sheehan's was a limited set of finger food (spring rolls, sliders, etc...). I found a table and nibbled on the buffet offerings while tapping my foot to the music. It was a lively scene with 90's R&B music thumping to go along with the 90's theme night. Continue...
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Capital Jazz SuperCruise | One Love Gospel Cruise | Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise
