Second half of trip will be at Disney Springs and Universal Studios Theme Park
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – Steve Colonel, Chester High School Band and Choral Director, will retire in May of 2026. He intends to conduct his last CHS Band and Swing Choir trip in style next May of 2025. This activity has been a favorite since 2001 and ever since on an every four year rotation.
In 2025, Colonel and his YellowJacket Concert Band and Swing Choir, “Sound Affect”, will make the final “Band Trip” in style by performing on a Carnival Cruise Ship. Following that ocean performance, the group will return to dry land and spend two days at the Disney Springs and the Universal Theme Park.
Colonel began the “Florida Band Trips”, better known as “Chester YellowJacket Band and Swing Choir SWARMS Florida”, in 2001. In 2001 and 2005 the performances were located in the Magic Kingdom on the Tomorrowland Stage. Those performances were part of the “Musicfest Orlando” competition series. All other performances after that took place at Disney Springs. The upcoming Carnival Cruise performance will be a new experience for CHS.
Band trips have been conducted every four years giving every student an opportunity to take part in the band trip and travel to Florida during a trip cycle. Trips have taken place six times including 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022 (the 2021 trip had to be postponed due to COVID).
The upcoming 2025 trip will be the 7th and final trip coordinated by Steve Colonel and promises to be perhaps the most exciting and best trip yet!
The CHS Music Department and Music Patrons parents group have been preparing for the 2025 trip ever since the last trip concluded. Students have had the opportunity to begin fund-raising efforts the past three years. With just over a year to go before the band and swing choir set sail, Colonel and the CHS Music Department held an informational trip meeting on Monday April 22 in the CHS Colbert Gymnasium.
The trip will take place May 29 through June 5, 2025 and will be split between the Carnival Ocean Cruise to the Bahamas and the visit to Disney Springs and the Universal Orlando theme park.
The trip itinerary includes the following 7-days of fun and excitement.
Thursday May 29
Meet at CHS Colbert Gym for luggage check and final instructions. The group will board busses at 3:45 p.m. and depart for sunny Florida at 4 p.m. The two charter busses will travel throughout the night.
Friday May 30
After a long night of travel, the group will arrive in sunny Florida and unload at Port Canaveral where everyone will board the Carnival Cruise Ship “Glory”. The ship will set sail at 3:30 p.m. with an eventual destination of Nassau Bahamas.
Everyone will have the entire evening to enjoy all of the fantastic food, fun, and entertainment offered on the ship, topped-off by the first formal evening meal in the “Main Dining Room” at 8:15 p.m. The ship will sail throughout the night.
Saturday May 31
The ship will arrive at Nassau Bahamas in the early morning. From 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. the Chester group will depart the ship and enjoy a fun-filled day of sun, sand, shopping, and delicious food.
Sightseeing, swimming, and soaking up the island flavor is the goal of the entire day. Students will enjoy the balmy breezes, and dancing to a bouncy calypso beat. Nassau promises “sizzling fun in the sun!”
Sunday June 1
Sunday is “Performance Day” for the CHS Band and Swing Choir. It will be a FULL DAY at sea. Besides the Chester performance, the ship offers lots of exciting amenities such as unlimited food, shows, games, swimming, music, dancing, and more.
Sunday evening the group will meet in the “Main Dining Room” at 8:15 p.m. for their final formal dining experience on the cruise. The ship will sail throughout the night.
Monday June 2
After sailing all night, the ship will return to Port Canaveral at 8:00 a.m. Everyone will disembark from the ship by 9:30 a.m. and travel by charter bus to Disney Springs for a fun afternoon of shopping and entertainment.
At 4:00 p.m. the Chester group will transfer to Universal’s Cabana Bay Resort to enjoy an evening at the high class hotel. This will be the first time in the history of Chester High School Band and Swing Choir trips that the group will stay on resort property.
Tuesday June 3
Breakfast will be served at 7:30 a.m. at the Cabana Bay Resort. Following breakfast the group will transfer to the Universal Orlando Theme Park for a day of fun. Students can catch a show, ride amazing rides, or explore the World of Harry Porter. While at the park, students can have a blast at Universal Studios or travel back-and-forth to Islands of Adventures theme park.
Wednesday June 4
Wednesday June 4 breakfast will once again be served at the Cabana Bay Resort at 7:30 a.m. At 8:30 a.m., everyone will check out of the hotel and transfer to the Universal of Orlando Theme Park for Day Two of fun and adventure.
Students will have the opportunity to enjoy attractions that they missed on Day One at Universal, or see new and exciting attractions. Students will meet at the busses and load for the trip home at 6 p.m.
Thursday June 5
After departing Universal Orlando Theme Park on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m., the charter busses will travel all night and stop for breakfast Thursday morning June 5.
Following breakfast, the Chester contingent will make the final stretch to Chester. Arrival time at Chester in uncertain, but historically, students have arrived back at Chester High School in the late morning or early afternoon hours of Day 7.
After presenting the trip itinerary, Mr. Colonel answered questions and began covering numerous details of business relating to the trip.
What is included in the cost of the trip?
* All meals on the ship including 24-hr. access to pizza and ice cream
*Cruise: coffee, tea, water, lemonade, & juices at breakfast
*Cruise: All taxes, fees, and pre-paid gratuities
*Cabana Bay Resort: $15 gift card for breakfast
*2-Day admission to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
* $20 Universal dining gift card for each day at the parks (Tuesday & Wednesday)
What is NOT included within the trip cost?
*Cruise: “specialty” restaurants
*Cruise: Soda (You can purchase a Bottomless Bubbles soda card for $9.50 per day
* Cruise: souvenirs
* Breakfast enroute Friday morning May 30
* Food that is wanted inside the parks (Besides the $20 gift card)
* Breakfast and possibly lunch on the way home Thursday June 5
Mr. Colonel said, “The actual costs will not be possible to determine until we get closer to the trip dates. Another factor will be the final number of people that end up actually going on the trip.”
“Buses seat 55 people. If both busses are filled (110) people, the costs will be less than if there are empty seats. At this point, Mr. Colonel intends to limit the trip to the first 110 students and adults that commit to go on the trip. An early cost estimate is $1,900 per person for the basic costs of the trip.”
Parents and others that wish to purchase the entire trip package “except transportation” can do so and provide their own transportation. If anyone decides to take that option, they will be responsible for being at Port Canaveral in time to catch the departure of the ship!
To travel out of the country, all travelers have two options which will enable them to travel:
Option 1: is to carry an OFFICIAL COPY of a birth certificate AND a VALID STATE ISSUED DRIVER’s License.
Option 2: A PASSPORT is necessary. If for any reason a participant has to leave the Bahamas before the ship leaves, it will be necessary to have a PASSPORT. Mr. Colonel highly recommends that travelers get a passport for the trip.
Fund raising has already begun and each student has a “Trip Account” set up. Now that the trip is just a little more than a year away, Mr. Colonel has set up a payment timeline for students and adults going on the trip.
That timeline is as such:
May 15, 2024: Trip reservation form and $100 deposit
August 16, 2024: Balance of $400
September 30, 2024: Balance of $600
December 15, 2024: Balance of $750
February 15, 2025: Balance of $1,150
March 15, 2025: Balance of $1,400
April 15, 2025: Total trip balance is due.
Note: the above balances are per student or adult going on the trip. These deadlines are required in order for Mr. Colonel to pay the tour company on its timetable.
Mr. Colonel said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us! I am committed to helping every student who wants to go on the trip to be able to do so. If money is an obstacle in any way for you, please set a time to meet with me to see if we can come up with a way to help you out.”
“There are still some fundraisers in which to participate over the course of the next year. Please take advantage of those opportunities!”
Interested students or parents that wish to go on the trip must complete a 2025 Trip Reservation Form and pay a $100 reservation fee. ASAP. Parents or guardians must also complete and sign a Permission form for each child. Medical Treatment forms must also be completed and signed. Finally, a Code of Conduct form must be thoroughly read and signed by both the parent or guardian as well as the student.
Mr. and Mrs. Colonel as well as the Music Patrons officers will serve as “official” chaperones for the trip. There will be 10 chaperons in all. Each student will be assigned to one of the ten chaperones.
There will be several times each day at which each student will be expected to report to his or her chaperone for a check-in to assure the security and safety of each student. Students must adhere to the Code of Conduct throughout the day. Students, Directors, Chaperones and Parents are expected to represent Chester High School by demonstrating upstanding character and moral behavior throughout the entire trip.
In the coming year, until the trip date, there will be continuous updates, informational announcements, meetings and potential changes to various aspects regarding the trip as needed.
Chester High School Band and Choral Director, Steve Colonel, addresses parents and students Monday April 22 at CHS Colbert Gymnasium. The occasion was the first trip meeting pertaining to the 2025 Band and Swing Choir trip to Florida to perform on the Carnival Cruise Ship, “Glory”. Jim Beers Photo
Student and parents get in line to pick up documentation forms of various sorts pertaining to the 2025 Band and Swing Choir trip to Florida. Jim Beers Photo
A good crowd of parents and students attended a meeting Monday April 22 to get information regarding the upcoming 2025 YellowJacket Band and Swing Choir trip. The two musical groups from Chester High School will travel to Florida where they will board the Carnival Cruise Ship, “Glory” to perform. After returning to dry land, the CHS Musical groups will spend two days at the Universal Studios Theme Park as well as the Islands of Adventure Theme Park. Jim Beers Photo