Table Of Content
- When Will Future Soulful Experience River Cruises Take Place?
- #7 SOUL TRAIN CRUISE
- Get on board with an exciting travel trend: Ocean voyages created for us!
- What are AmaWaterways’ Soulful Experience Cruises?
- The First Black Cruise Experience And Its Inspirational Feminine Founder
- Festival At Sea Video
- Festival at Sea Cruises: What Is It?

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.
When Will Future Soulful Experience River Cruises Take Place?
In addition to the historic excursions that are offered with a Soulful Experience sailing, regional historians provide lectures onboard the sailings. On the first Soulful Experience cruise, Boris Klein (professor of history & geography at Lycée La Martinière-Duchère in Lyon) discussed the France’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on the country and the world. The rewards from her journey to creating these experiences were bountiful and have touched the lives of so many. Read on to learn more about Yarbrough's story where she shares the beauty of a people and her vision for rewriting how they historically once encountered ship experiences. For itineraries with private island stops, we have a beach party and bring our DJ’s.
#7 SOUL TRAIN CRUISE
For that reason, when choosing which black cruise to book, you will also want to consider which cruise line and ship has been chartered. We take a closer look at these black-themed cruises, so you can whittle down your options and find the right opportunity for your next getaway. Ashanti recently starred in Honey Girls, in partnership with Build-A-Bear Entertainment and Sony Pictures’ rom-com The Plus One, that she will Executive Produce and star in, alongside Cedric the Entertainer, released September 29, 2023. Ashanti will also star in No Address, a film about a group of people that are experiencing homelessness and realize they must bond together as a family if they are going to survive, to be released in 2024. She redefined pop, soul, jazz, and funk, and has helped mold the contemporary music landscape into what it is today.
Get on board with an exciting travel trend: Ocean voyages created for us!
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.

The cost of those singers and other special events are generally passed down to consumers by being bundled into the price of the cruise. This means even if you don’t attend or enjoy a certain show or event for whatever reason, you’re still paying for it. Whether they are wellness seekers, animal-lovers or science buffs, you're likely to find African–Americans in the mix on most cruise ship sailings.
The First Black Cruise Experience And Its Inspirational Feminine Founder
Theme cruises provide some of the best travel experiences as the focus is all about a specific interest. This relatability is what that draws specific groups of people to these sailings, and the camaraderie is practically guaranteed before stepping aboard the ship. Over the past 20 years, our Friends have celebrated Carnival in Rio, climbed the Great Wall of China, cooked in a Culinary Art Kitchen onboard a luxury ship in Northern Europe and seen the Pyramids on a journey from Dubai to Athens. Our 2020 cruises will feature a 14-Night Southeast Asia itinerary to Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Hong Kong. Due to popular demand, our second departure will sail from Cape Town on another 14-day voyage to South African, Namibia, and Mozambique. Through her California-based travel company Blue World Travel, Yarbrough has been offering cruises that focus on Black travelers first.
Festival At Sea Video
7 Black Friday cruise deals to book this year - USA TODAY
7 Black Friday cruise deals to book this year.
Posted: Sun, 19 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
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.
Fantastic Voyage
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.
Festival at Sea Cruises: What Is It?
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.
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.
When Blue World Travel’s Festival at Sea Charter was cancelled, the agency made sure that all customers knew their deposits and payments were secure. Immediate notifications were extended and complete refunds were provided, guests commended the agency on the way their funds were protected and returned to them. Anyone who appreciates authentic African American culture will have a blast on the Festival at Sea cruise.
When you book a black cruise, you instantly forfeit the options that many people consider “must haves” when planning a vacation. For example, when you find a black cruise to book, you’ll notice that the time of your vacation is strictly limited to the date of their pre-planned cruise. In 2023, river cruise line AmaWaterways curated its unique Soulful Experience cruise, which quickly sold out and was well received by participants.
Currently, cruise lines have not yet returned to sailing at sea and are navigating the implementation of changes that will be a part of the new experience. The CDC is currently leading the charge for implemented guidelines to keep cruisers safe. In November of 2020 the CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, enforced strict Covid-19 protocols to enable organizations to resume sailing. This included rigorous testing in the months prior to the vaccine rolling out.
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.