Singing At Sea 2024 Recap Roundup

Hey Friends,

This is Odie checking in for this Saturday. I hope you are doing good.

I appreciate all of you who have let me know you are enjoying my vacation recaps from the last two weeks on Saturdays. Click here and here to see the previous posts. Today is the final recap for this year. 

Singing At Sea PSA. 

Several people have contacted me in the past, interested in the Singing at Sea cruise. I highly recommend this cruise chartered by Templeton Tours! We are planning to go next year! 

2025 is already booking up fast for the 49th annual Singing At Sea. Several categories are already sold out. Next year, it will all take place on the Carnival Freedom again. The dates are January 27-February 1st 2025. 

The ship sails from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday. Tuesday is spent at sea. Wednesday is a port day at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Thursday is also a port day at Grand Turks. Friday is another sea day sailing back toward Florida. Saturday morning, the ship arrives back at Port Canaveral. The bars and casinos are shut down on the ship for the week. You are surrounded by fantastic food, fellowship and great Southern gospel music for your time on the ship.

Contact Templeton Tours here for more information. You can put down a deposit to reserve your spot today. The remaining balance is due in November 2024. The Southern gospel groups on board get credit for every passenger who signs up with their group as your tour host. You can choose any group from the list of entertainers for the week. 

11th Hour was our host this year. They were great to sail with, and we highly recommend them as a host group. It will not give you any special perks, but if you sign up for the 2025 cruise, tell Templeton Tours that  Andrea Boggs recommended it! 😆

Thanks to Jeff Templeton and Templeton Tours for making an excellent cruise available for the Southern gospel enthusiast and cruise fan! All the groups work hard to give us the music we love! The Singing at Sea is my favorite vacation.

Singing At Sea 2024  Final Recap 

I hope you are ready for an extended photo trip on the Singing at Sea 2024. Warning: this is a picture overload! This was  5 nights and 4 days packed with fun, food, beautiful scenery, music and fellowship.

Monday Afternoon

Anthem Edition singing the sail away concert.

Lunch with a view.

First of several Guys Burgers that I  enjoyed.

Some of my cousins from the Boggs side were also on the ship. It was excellent to see Edith, Rhonda and their spouses!

Welcome Aboard with Karen Peck Gooch and Mark Bishop

Gold City

Dinner

Nicole found some friends from Mississippi that she knew.

Karen Peck and New River

This large theater spans decks 3,4 and 5. The stage is on deck 3, and we were sitting on deck 5. My iPhone zoom capabilities worked well!

Odie and Nicole enjoying night one of the cruise. This is when we started planning for next year.

The Whisnants

Our host group 11th Hour.

Carolina Band

Pizza for a late night snack.

 

Tuesday Sea Day

Breakfast

Coffee

Soul'd Out

Doug and Kyra McKinney with Odie.

Odie and Trynda

Nicole and Odie in cruise mode.

My favorite view.

The Whale Tail of the Carnival Freedom. Last year, this ship went several months without a tail. Due to a fire in the ship's funnel, it took a while to replace it.

Sterling C. Sample

Parade of Pianos

How many piano players can play one piano?

Elaine Wilburn introduced special guest Eddie Crook.

Lunch

The Sound

Voices of Lee

11th Hour

Levi Mills of The Sound and Odie.

Tuesday evening was Captain's night. Here are a few pictures we took before dinner.

We got to meet the Captain.

Captain's Reception

Todd, the Cruise Director

Captain and Officers

Dinner

Pictures with Hope and Gracie Bowling.

Bill Shivers and Odie.

Brian  Free and Assurance

The only seat available for Nicole for this set was the drum stool.

This is me with long time friends Tamara and Lesley.

Troy Peach Hoast of Southern Gospel Mid-days on Singing News Radio was this venue's MC for the weak.

The Kingdom Heirs closed out Tuesday night.

One of the daily ice creams we enjoyed from the trip. This is usually how we would end the night.

Wednesday

The Taylors

Breakfast

Bro. Steven,  Abby and Sis. Trynda

Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

We met the Parsons Family from Goshen, Indiana, on the cruise. This is Bro. Parsons and one of his daughters. It was neat to find that we know many of the same people.

 

Time for coffee

I found friends from Georgia even while shopping in Amber Cove.

Nicole said this cup was made for me since I love ice cream.

Wednesday Night

Kelly Crabb and the Bowling Sisters

Carolina Band

Dinner

Kenneth was one of our waiters at dinner.

Tanner Duckworth

11th Hour meet and great.

Garrett and Amber's son, Vinny Saunders, 17 months old, was the star of the show.

We got to hear some of their new music coming out soon.

Amber's Dad joined her and Victoria for part of a song.

It was great to get to chat with Amber Saunders for a little bit!

Nicole and I loved sailing with 11th Hour! Garrett, Amber Saunder, and Victoria Bowlin were so nice to us all week!

The legendary tenor Danny Funerburk.

Karen Peck and New River

Lowie was one of our sweet tablemates at dinner. Karen Peck and New River is her favorite group. I captured this moment of Lowie enjoying Karen's singing.

Tribute Quartet joined Karen Peck and New River on stage for their final song.

Tribute Quartet closed out Wednesday night.

Bro. Darren and Sis. Tammy Mize

Thursday 

Bro. and Sis. Long

Grand Turks

Lunch

Thursday Night

Mark Bishop singing with 11th Hour

11th Hour

Troy Peach

The Erwins

The Matthews Family

Brian Free and Assurance

Sis. Carol from Georgia and Nicole

Dinner

We had wonderful tablemates for dinner. It was great to visit with Lowie, Sue and Don from Pennsylvania.

Karen Peck and New River

This little boy in the picture had to come to see Karen Peck after he was in his PJs.

Tribute Quartet

Jeff Tolbert and Primitive Road

Special Guest Larry Riddle

I met Joseph Reed. He is the Morning Show host for Singing News Radio. I am listening to his show as I type.

Night Owls Diaries Live with Grant Gibson and Matthew Gooch closed out Thursday night. I was glad to be there for their first live show in front of an audience. 

Night Owls Diaries is a weekly show online. It comes from the bus late at night while Matt and Grant drive the Karen Peck and New River bus.

Grant Gibson and Odie

Odie and Matt Gooch

Nicole Odie and Tamara 

Friday Sea Day

Breakfast with my favorite view.

Hymn singalong with Wesley Pritchard.

Amy Lambert Templeton

Wesley Pritchard and Odie

Jonathan Wilburn and Odie

Jeff Easter and Odie

The Whisnants

2 Whisnant brothers and 2 Erwin brothers sang together.

Katie Erwin and Carter Whisnant

11th Hour

Amber's sister and Dad joined her for a song.

Becky Mathews and Odie

Mark Bishop was the MC in this theatre all week.

The Browders

Sis. Carol and Odie

We met the Cruise Director and the Assistant Cruise Director.

2 of our 3 fantastic waiters for the week.

The dining room staff sang for us.

Dinner

Troy Peach and Jeff and Sheri Easter

Levi Mills jumped on the drums for Jeff and Sheri's set.

C.T. Townsend joined them for Party Time.

One more picture with our dinner tablemates.

Odie and C.T. Townsend

It was great to see these ladies and their families on the cruise. Stephanie, Lesley, Tamara and Odie.

My final ice cream of the cruise.

Saturday Go Home Day

Andrea was our room steward for the week. She took great care of us!

Final cruise breakfast for the year.

Off the ship, waiting for the shuttle to the airport.

Time for one last vacation selfie at the airport with Nicole before we went to our separate flights.

See you later, Florida... 

 and hello, Ohio.

I came home Saturday night to this warm welcome.

Singing at Sea 2024 was a success! We had so much fun! We got to see most of the groups that sang during the week. We heard many of our favorites sing multiple times. Nicole and I are looking forward to next year. Until then, we have countless happy memories to relive.

Thanks for joining for this week's recap. See you next time!

Odie