Cruise Ship Performer Found Dead on Celebrity Summit

A festive, music-focused cruise ended in heartbreak this week with the sudden passing of one of the 100 performers on board, Ken Peplowski.

According to a blog post from Signature Cruise Experiences, the clarinetist and saxophonist died on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, while sailing aboard Celebrity Summit.

Peplowski was a headlining star of The Jazz Cruise ’26, a 7-day sailing from Port Everglades that brought dozens of musicians together for the special cruise. News of the tragedy came on the final day of the trip as the ship prepared for its return to Florida.

A Final Performance

Some knew there was a problem when on Sunday afternoon the 66-year-old failed to show up for a 4:00 PM program with a quartet led by his close friend, pianist Shelly Berg.

After a search of the ship, he was found dead in his cabin.

Community Shares Grief

The tragic news traveled quickly online, where fans shared what happened. One member of the r/Jazz community on Reddit posted a comment after the news broke, writing, “Sad news—just heard Ken Peplowski died today after playing a set on the jazz cruise yesterday. RIP to a great player.”

Commenters praised the musician’s talents and expressed their sadness over the news. 

“My husband and I were on the jazz cruise with Ken. Our hearts are broken. He brought joy and kindness to a world that is desperately in need of both. That, along with his unparalleled talent as a musician and leader, are such a wonderful legacy”, one comment read.

Another comment came from a cruiser that was on the same ship:

“I’m on the jazz cruise. Ken and I talked for a few minutes a couple of days ago and I asked him how he was doing and he said he was doing very well and he was in remission from cancer. He didn’t die from the cancer. He had a heart attack last night I saw him perform a wonderful concert with Paco D’Revera and Anat Cohen – three amazing clarinetists…”

Facing a Difficult Battle

While the official cause of death is still being determined, cruisers who were fans of the musician confirmed that Peplowski had been fighting multiple myeloma since 2021.

This rare form of blood cancer is often fatal. Despite his health struggles, he remained a popular musician on stage, even hosting a party during the cruise to showcase one of his albums.

Ken’s Bio

Ken Peplowski was a jazz musician known for his skill on both the clarinet and tenor saxophone. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he started his professional career at just 10 years old playing in a family polka band.

He really became popular and well known when in 1984 he joined Benny Goodman’s final band. Over the next 40 years, Peplowski recorded more than 50 of his own albums.