Never can say goodbye.
In the fall of 2024, Crystal Cruises brought a special entertainment act onboard Crystal Serenity on a sailing from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale: two-time Grammy Award-winning artist Gloria Gaynor, best known for the disco anthems “I Will Survive” and “Never Can Say Goodbye”.
During that sailing, which a Fodor’s contributor found transformative, Gaynor performed a special concert with a ten piece live band and surprise guests among her backup singers. The next day, a sea day, Gaynor also participated in an intimate Q&A session with passengers onboard.
The sailing proved so popular with passengers on the sailing that Crystal will be giving passengers another chance to sail with the disco legend, and enjoy another intimate concert and Q&A. Passengers booking Crystal Serenity’s October 7, 2025 sailing from New York City will enjoy Gaynor’s second performance onboard Crystal.
“Performing aboard Crystal Serenity was an absolutely wonderful experience—the warmth of the guests, the elegance of the ship and the incredible energy made it truly special”, Gaynor said in a statement. “I am beyond thrilled to return this October for another unforgettable journey, sharing my music and connecting with everyone once again.”
Cruise line entertainment can be a hard needle to thread. Cruise lines must choose live theatre acts that have broad enough appeal to fill a theatre onboard a ship with plenty of other distractions. On the 2024 sailing, Gaynor easily filled the theatre onboard Crystal Serenity, and the Q&A session was also well-attended with engaged fans.
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Fans can expect to hear Gaynor’s legendary disco hits, and songs from her 2019 Grammy Award-winning album Testimony, and her upcoming new five-song album, Happy Tears. Her latest single, “Fida Known” pays homage to the soul of the disco beat without sacrificing a contemporary, modern sound.
It makes for a truly memorable show. Gaynor is renowned as a disco artist—a music form that relied heavily on pre-recorded music—but today insists on high production value in her contracts, with a live band and backing vocals.
This year, the seven-day, roundtrip New York sailing will call at ports in the US and Canada during peak foliage season, calling at Newport, RI; Provincetown, MA; Boston, MA; Bar Harbor, ME; and Saint John, NB, Canada.
Crystal Serenity has also had something of a glow-up since the last Gloria Gaynor sailing. New onboard is an outpost of the Monte-Carlo steak temple Beefbar, with a Crystal-exclusive menu, and an opulent new onboard gaming program from Le Casino de Monte-Carlo. Those new outlets join existing specialty restaurants Umi Uma (the only Nobu restaurants at sea) and Osteria d’Ovidio, serving sumptuous Italian cuisine. Even the ship’s standard dining room, Waterside, turns out superb global cuisine.
Concert-goers will also enjoy the ship’s well-appointed rooms and suites, with ocean views, butler service, plush beds with linens from Jesurum 1870 and bath amenities from Ortigia Sicilia. Crystal Cruises operates on an all-inclusive model, including most beverages, an allocation of specialty dining reservations, wifi, onboard entertainment, lectures, and workshops, and onboard gratuities. Shore excursions are individually priced.
The October 7 sailing will also feature Crystal’s regular, full program of onboard entertainment, including tribute artists, lectures, stand-up comedy, live music (including a lively piano bar), and the line’s famous White Party.
