Monday, April 1, 2024

Festival at Sea Cruises Offer Immersion into Black Culture

black cruise

In 2023 we were joined by 2,800 of our #FASFamily to sail the Caribbean for 8 nights on the Celebrity Equinox. In 2024, we’ll do it again … this time onboard the Celebrity Reflection. While there may be people who show up solo, most will come with at least a significant other or roommate, and many will turn up in groups of friends, extended family and fraternity/sorority connections.

#5 THE TOM JOYNER FOUNDATION FANTASTIC VOYAGE CRUISE

On board her full-ship charter Festival at Sea cruises, passengers will find the traditional African American card game of bid whist (instead of bridge), African head wrap demonstrations, and deejays who focus on music by Black artists. River cruise line AmaWaterways also hopes to celebrate greater diversity among its passengers by “providing a warm and genuine welcome to all guests,” says Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways. The river cruise company this year launched a new Soulful Epicurean Experience river cruise itinerary in France that highlights Black history and culture in Paris and Provence. The 2023 departure sold out almost immediately and AmaWaterways is preparing to announce two new dates for 2024.

JULY 13-21 • 8 NIGHTS!

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In addition, events such as an Electric Slide Freeze Competition, Bid Whist Tournament, parties every night and a UNCF white elephant auction made our first year historic. We began to grow by word-of-mouth from 250 people to finally being able to obtain our first full ship charter in our 5th year. Today our charters hold 3,000 people and still sell out every year. And it seems some guests on board cruise ships are ready for it, too.

Artist Interview – Phyllis Galembo: Maske

Most of Yarbrough’s cruises focus on the Caribbean, a region where her clientele see themselves reflected not just on the ship but in the people they see and interact with in the ports of call. That isn’t the case with Hurtigruten’s traditional offerings, which tend to focus on Norway and other north European destinations. But the hope is that a concerted effort on behalf of the BTAB and Hurtigruten Group will result in an environment that welcomes those who may never have considered going beyond something that feels more familiar.

Festival At Sea Video

Cruise lines roll out Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals - Seatrade Cruise News

Cruise lines roll out Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.

Posted: Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

However, now that a vaccine has arrived, some cruise lines are announcing that they will require passengers to be vaccinated before setting sail. Festival at Sea is the longest running African American-themed chartered cruise in the world. As a chartered sailing, the cruise lines and ships utilized by the cruise organizer may vary from year to year, though Celebrity remains a favored partner.

Many of the larger black cruises offer opportunities to raise money that will go back into the African–American community. The Fantastic Voyage, for example, helps Historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) with its Party with a Purpose theme and mantra. And on Festival at Sea, money is raised for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) through a Bachelor Auction Fundraiser. You'll find all of the things that people love about traditional cruising on an African–American cruise, but the difference is that American black vernacular and culture aren't limited to side chatter.

The musical selection is designed with you in mind … familiar soulful music piping through the speakers of restaurants, hallways, and casinos. Our shows and concerts have headline acts like Charlie Wilson, Dru Hill, Doug E. Fresh, Kirk Franklin, Bell Biv Devoe, Faith Evans, Baby Face, and more. DJ’s spin R&B, old school, house, reggae, gospel and more, while people gather outside on the main deck, in the lounges, in staged areas, and at night during our themed parties. Join our many dance classes, and you will get a chance to show your moves on the dance floor of multiple clubs. Even if you are not in a Fraternity or Sorority, our "STOMP THE DECK”  event will have you moving and cheering.

These trips from the company Jazz Cruises depart from Fort Lauderdale in January and February so make plans for 2025 now. The Jazz Cruise is seven days and nights of more than 200 hours of jazz music. Venture to Cozumel and Grand Cayman with performers including Dianne Reeves, Arturo Sandoval, the Eubanks Brothers, and 100 of the genre’s finest artists. There are “Learn” events that include musician interviews, panel discussions, instrument seminars and tutorials, comedy, trivia contests, Name That Tune games, and more.

Black Cruises: What to Know About African-American Cultural Cruises

(See below for cruises that focus on a particular genre.) The result is an on-ship atmosphere that can feel like an intimate concert and a music festival at the same time. Don't be surprised if you see people making their way to breakfast directly from the party the night before. While creating Father’s Day, the man Franklin grew up thinking was his father (whom he didn’t have the best relationship with) passed away, and shortly after that, he discovered his real biological father after a series of DNA tests. This was one of the most traumatic experiences Franklin had to go through, and someone else in the same position might have faltered. But for Franklin, who had his fair share of ups and downs throughout his life, his music and heavenly father God helped him get through this latest storm and also helped him come up with the name of the album. “I have no idea how I was able to finish this album with all that was going on at the time.

black cruise

An added bonus, your cabin purchase benefits The Tom Joyner Foundation and may qualify as a charitable contribution. Truth is, nobody celebrates like us and that hasn’t gone unnoticed. During International Women’s Day, Blue World Travel sent out a special email to guests highlighting the role 3 African American Women have played in the vaccination movement. Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, a 35-year-old African American viral immunologist that is the lead scientist on the team that developed the Moderna vaccine. Sandra Lindsay, the first person in the United States and an African American who received the Covid-19 vaccine outside of initial trials.

Some people just relax on the beach and enjoy the sights and sounds while catching island fever. You will see your fellow cruisers nodding their heads to one another like “Yeah we are on an island partying” and “Ah get it.”   Laughter, dancing, music, and games like Tug of War keep our guests entertained. You may have children in your life, but you’ll likely want to leave them at home with relatives to fully enjoy these sailings.

The options for onboard fun are seemingly endless, whether you're traveling as a couple, family, group or solo. The full ship charters of Celebrity Equinox offer everything from Bid Whist card games to step competitions. In her feature film debut in Coach Carter, Ashanti co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson, and the film was a #1 box office hit.

Passengers attend a costume party onboard the 30th Festival at Sea cruise, which took place in July 2022. Hurtigruten isn’t the only cruise line realizing it has missed the ball when it comes to Black travelers. In the years since the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, there has been a stronger emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the cruise industry. Leave from Miami for ports of call in Labadee, Haiti, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Get your party on with Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Bobby Brown, Tank, Method Man and Redman, among others this year.

While the amount of partying and socializing you do is entirely up to you, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. You can easily find yourself doing too much partying, drinking, and dancing, and not enough relaxing, sleeping, and reading. If you find yourself going with the flow of the group, don’t be surprised if your vacation ends up being the opposite of relaxing. Another thing that makes black cruise pricing higher than a normal cruise is the multiple layers of marked up pricing. In addition to price markups to cover live entertainment, black cruises often tack on fees that go to the company or organization planning the cruise. With all of these additional costs wrapped into the overall price, it can be hard to know how much extra you’re paying.

She was bestowed the “Musical Excellence Award.” The prestigious acknowledgement recognizes artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers whose originality and influence have made an impact. Avion Travel Network does not book clients into large, pre-planned black cruises. But if you’re interested in booking a cruise for 2 people, 100 people, or anything in between, contact us for information, pricing, and great service with no service fees and no price markups.

Unfortunately you’re not allowed to select any of these options – a pre-planned black cruise will already have selected them, so you’d be forced to conform to whatever they have planned. Soulful Experience Cruises focuses on Black heritage, history and culture within key stops throughout each journey. From a client perspective, some people were skeptical about whether an African American cruise product would be a quality experience. Luckily, those numbers were in the minority and we called this cruise, Festival at Sea…Cruising with an African American Twist. The response was overwhelming when we announced our first itinerary with an amazing line-up of Phyllis Hyman, Sinbad, Lenny Williams, and Def Comedy Jam Comedians.

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