Let’s clarify one thing about this blog before we begin: It is not about age discrimination.
As cruise lines search for entertainment lightning rods to attract passengers to ships, they are reaching further into the…uh, age bag. They are recruiting entertainers of our age, and older. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
However, it does come with some risks.
It was announced this week that Norwegian will host a Simple Man Cruise. It’s named after 
a song made famous by the group without a vowel — Lynyrd Skynyrd. The southern rockers will be joined on the ship by other musical performers of their era, their style and their age. Most notable of them is the Doobie Brothers (right), and two of the Doobies might be “don’t bies” when the Norwegian Pearl sets sail from Miami on October 12.
The group’s drummer (Michael Hossack) and touring bassist (Skylark) have been sidelined since 2010, due to unrelated health concerns. There is no guarantee they’ll be back drumming and bassing by fall.
Having seen Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in concert at the age of 70, we’re quite enthusiastic about seeing talented musicians no matter how old they are. The operative word is talented. It’s just that, at our age, it can be risky business promising so far in advance that they’ll be there at show time.
DAILY DEAL:
Celebrity Century
15 nights
April 20, 2012
San Diego (return): Honolulu, Lahaina (Maui), Kona, Kilauea Volcano (cruising); Hilo, Ensenada (Mexico)
Oceanview $1,699
www.celebritycruises.com