Celebrity Summit. Photo: Mike Van Moonlight / Shutterstock The body of American musician Ken Paplowski, 66, was found after he failed to show up for a scheduled performance on a cruise.
The tragic incident occurred in early February on The Jazz Cruise '26 aboard the Celebrity Summit ship of the Celebrity Cruises cruise line from the Royal Caribbean Group.
The company that organizes the theme cruise recently announced the death of the esteemed clarinet and saxophone player. "It’s rare that we have to give bad news to our guests and the community at large. But on February 1st, the final day of The Jazz Cruise ’26, Ken Peplowski died suddenly. Ken was 66. The cause of his death has yet to be determined."
The announcement further said, "He was without question the quickest and sharpest wit amongst all our artists. Ken always brought joy to every gig or occasion. No one came away from a conversation with him without a laugh or smile. His humor was both incisive and self-deprecating. He would as easily make fun of you as he would himself. A truly rare combination."
Michael Lazaroff, Senior Director of Signature Cruise Experiences, added: “For myself, I considered Ken a good friend, someone with whom I could pick up the phone and talk to for an hour or so about life, music, politics, sports, comedy, literature, film…well, you get the idea. He was a friend to me, but he was a friend to many people. That was clear when he went public with his illness and the jazz community, including fans and fellow musicians, came forward during his time of need with support (both economic and emotional). It was the least that we could do for someone who gave us so much joy for so long."