During the closing days of The Jazz Cruise ’26, the sailing aboard the Celebrity Summit in the Gulf of Mexico was marked by the unexpected passing of jazz clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski, who was found deceased in his cabin on February 1st, 2026, at the age of 66. The discovery followed his absence from a scheduled afternoon performance and was confirmed by organisers of the cruise event, which had departed Port Everglades at the end of January and brought together nearly one hundred musicians for a week of performances.
Peplowski, an American musician born in 1959 and known for his command of swing and mainstream jazz, had been living with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma since 2021; however, an official cause of death aboard ship has not been released.
The news of his passing was conveyed to passengers ahead of the evening’s main big band concert, an announcement that shifted the atmosphere in the ship’s entertainment space as guests absorbed information of a loss that occurred at sea.
Peplowski’s extensive career spanned decades and included work as a recording artist and performer on more than 400 albums, collaborations with notable figures in jazz and leadership roles in jazz festivals ashore. His presence had been a fixture of the weekly jazz programme aboard the Summit, and his role within that community resonated with both fellow performers and the ship’s guests.
In the aftermath of his death, those responsible for the cruise’s music programme and members of the broader jazz world prepared to mark his contributions with further remembrance, noting the blend of professionalism and musical breadth he brought to his craft up until the end of his life.
For more Celebrity Summit incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.