Ned Rifken: Press

Please read the following evaluation of Ned Rifken submitted to Carnival Cruise Lines Headquarters by veteran Cruise Director Shawn Bussey.

"There is not a rating high enough for Ned's performances!!!! He gets TONS of great comment cards out here from the guests!!!!! He is always loved ... complete with standing ovations during the singing with the Big Band Show! THEY LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE him out here! I hope we can please keep him forever and a day. He also brings new music at times to change up his show and display his diverse range! He's incredible! Sincerely our favorite entertainer out here!"

A Sample of Ned Rifken Reviews From Cruise Critic.com

“Could you tell me if Ned Rifken, "Carnival's Ambassador of Swing", sang on your cruise. We saw him on our Hawaiian cruise last October. I'm not a huge big band music kinda guy, but we just loved his show. Quite talented and entertaining. Thanks!”

“Just got off the Spirit myself on 2/18.....yes, we did see Ned Rifken...he was great! I only wish he'd stayed on stage longer.”

”I watched Ned by chance. I was getting tired of the abuse in the casino, so I thought I'd just go see what "Carnival's Ambassador of Swing" was all about. I was hooked after his first song. I could have sat there and watched that guy all night. Loved his rendition of Mack the Knife and What a Wonderful World. He was easily our favorite show of the 12 day cruise. Can't wait to see him again. This time, I'll take a bucket of beer with me so I won't miss anything.”

“Music was plentiful on Spirit. We really liked Ned Rifken and the big band style in his show.”

“I think there will be several of us that want to hit the Supper Club. I was looking at the days and trying to figure out which day would be good. Either one is fine with me with the only other deciding factor would be if Ned Rifken is on board and performing one of those 2 nights.”

“So every night of the cruise, they had a different show each time. And on one of the nights, they had a night where this one guy, named Ned Rifken, sang a bunch of Big Band songs. I really enjoyed his performance and remember thinking, if this guy has a cd, I am going to buy it.”

“I truly enjoyed his show. Not only can he sing but he is a true entertainer too. I would love it if he was on the Pride for our Ladies Only cruise in April!!”

“The show tonight was Ned Rifken, who is Carnival's Ambassador of Swing. He is a really talented singer! He sang songs by Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and a whole bunch of other people and he was outstanding!!”

“If Ned is ever on a Carnival ship that you are on, don't miss his show because it was one of the best ones I have seen.”

"What a wonderful world..."

Then there was the night singer Ned Rifken performed. Before he sang his closing song, he told a story about his mom and how the song was dedicated to her memory.

Then he asked us to think of the people in our lives who were irreplaceable, and, if we were lucky enough to be sitting next to them, to hold them extra tight through the duration of the song. For a change, Wayne and I were good at following directions and did just that.

Then Mr. Rifken sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." I can say pretty confidently I was not the only one without dry eyes afterwards.

I was embarrassed the song had moved me, but Wayne was there to wipe my tears.

"Thanks, babe," I said.

"No problem. After all, that's what marriage is..."

Ned Rifken, a singer who was flown in to perform one night, sold his album (Ned Rifken, No Worries) after the show. It was $15 and he sold it himself so cash was needed. He is a great performer and his show is called Ned Rifken Singing with the Big Band (it is NOT Big Band Music). He does have a website Ned Rifken - No Worries We talked to him after the show. We just knew that we had heard him before. Turns out he also performed on the cruise we went on in Jan 06 PLUS will be on the cruise Nov 6, 2007 with us. He is definitely worth seeing.

We have been on the Spirit 3 times ... it is a beautiful ship. Be sure to go to the show ... Singing with the Big Band with Ned Rifken (Carnival's Ambassador of Swing). http://www.nedrifken.com/home.html Ned is awesome and performs every week on the Spirit. You won't want to miss his show. We've made a point of seeing his show each time we've sailed on the Spirit.

Music was plentiful on Spirit. We really liked Ned Rifken and the big band style in his show.

We went to a few shows. The Spirit Dancers and the Band were really good, and we enjoyed them. Ned Rifken-Singing with the Big Band was a REALLY good show.

After dinner we poked around the ship for a bit and then headed to the Taj Majal for Powerball Bingo. Another losing night. Then we were treated to the singer Ned Rifken and the comedy of Jerome. Ned was very good.

"Singer Ned Rifken was great, even if you don't like big band"

Most of the Carnival ships have reduced their orchestra to 8 musicians and only have 2 lead singers for their Big Las Vegas style shows. They flew in Ned Rifken, the “Carnival Ambassador of Swing” for another night with the orchestra. This was a “don’t miss” performance.