Folks just want to party and there’s no party like one at sea. Truth is, nobody celebrates like us and that hasn’t gone unnoticed. There are a growing number of sailings designed with us in mind.
African American themed cruises are hot and can sell out fast. If you want to get on board this year, book now, and it’s certainly not too early to start booking for 2025. Peek at itineraries and see what all the buzz is about to find the one perfect for you. You can visit destinations on your bucket list, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, Paris, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and these getaways offer all kinds of entertainment. Hear live music you love, be it R&B, jazz, or hip-hop. Enjoy comedy shows and old school hip-hop foam parties as well as fun and games with a Black twist like bid whist, gospel brunches, dominoes, sorority step competitions and more.
Here’s a look at where to set sail to experience Black culture at sea.
Colors of Provence
If you haven’t checked Paris off your bucket list, there’s incentive to do so now with AmaWaterways’ new “Soulful Experience,” celebrating Black history and culture. Colors of Provence is a jaunt in mid-June that includes three nights in Paris before setting sail. Delve deep into Paris’ Black history through sites like the Arc de Triomphe, the Monument to the Abolition of Slavery, and receive insights into the Code Noir. Explore Montmartre’s jazz roots, the lively African district, and visit Little Africa in La Goutte d’Or. End with the Latin Quarter and Pantheon Square’s tribute to Josephine Baker from 2021. After a dreamy time in Paris, set off toward Lyon, cruise the Rhône River to Arles and take a full day Black Heritage tour in Marseille. Throughout the journey, enjoy experiences exclusive to this special itinerary, including guided tours showcasing little bit of everything, including food and wine. Also new from AmaWaterways this year are Black history themed trips in Egypt and Douro.
Grown & Sexy
How can you go wrong with a cruise called Grown & Sexy? Picture this: You’re kicking off summer early with a late May, five-night sail on the Vibe on Virgin that departs from Miami and goes to Puerto Plata and Bimini. With nine bars, two pools, an arcade, social club, nightclub, fitness classes, pajama party, scarlet red party and more, how fast can you pack your bags?
Fantastic Voyage
If you’re old-school you probably remember Lakeside’s “Fantastic Voyage,” which says, “just sail on…just slide, glide, slippity-slide.” You can do just that during the Tom Joyner Foundation’s ever-popular Fantastic Voyage on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. 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. An added bonus, your cabin purchase benefits The Tom Joyner Foundation and may qualify as a charitable contribution.
Soul Train Cruise
This year’s Soul Train Cruise sold out in March of 2023. That tells you everything you need to know about how popular this trip is. Look forward to the late January sailing in 2025. With Charlie Wilson, Jeffrey Osborne, Shalamar, The Brothers Johnson, Thelma Houston, and others performing, and hosted by Don Cornelius’ son Tony, “You can bet your last money it’s gonna be a stone gas honey.” When you need to take off your dancing shoes (after lessons from original Soul Train dancers, line dancing or from doing your own two-step), amuse yourself with happy hours, panel discussions, game shows, wine tasting and artist Q&As. Leave Fort Lauderdale and enjoy Costa Maya, Belize City and Cozumel.
Jazz Cruises
If jazz is your thing, you’ll be in heaven on board The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise or the Chris Botti at Sea voyage. 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. The Smooth Jazz Cruise’s lineup includes Jonathan Butler, Kirk Whalum, David Sanborn, Mindi Abair, Marqueal Jordan, among others as you travel through Labadee, Turks & Caicos and Nassau. Bonuses include culinary events, theme parties, autograph sessions, pool events featuring performers, and talent shows. As for Chris Botti at Sea, it stops in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Get ready for Corinne Bailey Rae, the Jazz Cruises Super Band, the Botti at Sea Party Band and more. Crack up as artists compete against each other in a Family Feud style game, and play pickleball, basketball, and enjoy musician interviews and panels.