You could be having unforgettable memories on Black Cruises

Black Cruises

Black Cruises and the cruise industry are back! For first-time or infrequent cruisers, consider the following “Cruising 101 Tips.”

Cruise Line Operators:
Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity, and many others own very large cruise ships for multi-day journeys. They follow strict onboarding & offboarding schedules, so be timely. Big Cruise Line Operators are required to follow Cruise Ship Law which is a bit convoluted because the ports of call in so many nations have different laws. The big brands do, however, attempt to follow high sanitary and safety standards. If something is not right in your room, report it to the Cruise Line Operator staff. Some Cruise Line Operators include one-day excursion activities on an island they own.

Cruise Group Operators:
Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage, Festival At Sea, Soul Train Cruise, and others listed below organize themed cruises for groups, in this case, Black Cultural Cruises. Some cruises take up a quarter, half, or all of a ship big cruise ship. Other Black Cultural Cruises may have groups of 100-200. The largest Cruise Group Operators have staff to help your journey be more comfortable or better informed. They also tend to have the best entertainment. Only Cruise Group Operators can answer questions about their pricing and services.

Shore Excursion Operators
Independent operators who arrange dining, shopping, cultural tours, snorkeling, and other activities. Their quality and pricing vary. In the Passenger Welcome pitch & brochures, Cruise Line Operators will provide extensive lists. Some have special arrangements with local businesses and receive a commission on sales from tourists in their group. The largest and oldest Cruise Group Operators sometimes have connections with Shore Excursion Operators too. Focus on the Price-Value of the shore excursions you want.

Busiest Domestic & International Cruise Ports
The busiest cruise ports typically have more amenities. From America’s Lower 48 states to the Caribbean, Mexico & Alaska consider excursions from Port Canaveral on Space Coast, Miami, Port Everglades Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, New York & New Jersey, New Orleans, Tampa, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Baltimore. If cruising to the Southern Caribbean consider excursions from Puerto Rico or St. Thomas USVI. In Europe, consider excursions from Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Southhampton, and Marseille.

Packing for a Cruise    TSA ID Requirements    Hurricane Status    Travel Insurance Pros & Cons

Established Black Cruises

Capital Super Cruise
A spin-off cruise from the Capital Jazz Concert in the Washington-Baltimore metro area
PORTS: Puerto Rico, Tortola BVI, St. Croix USVI, St. Maarten/St. Martin
DATES: January 15-22, 2023
ITINERARY: Entertainment includes concerts, theme parties, DJ jam sessions, contests, dancing, Open Mic, workshops, card games, karaoke, films, golf tournament, fitness classes

Aventura Latin Dance Cruise
Get your Latin Dance groove on with a ship take-over in the Caribbean
DATES: Febraury 3-7, 2023 and watch here for the 2024 date
PORTS: Miami, Cuba, and the Bahamas
ITINERARY: Features Day & Night Dance Parties, great dance workshops and watch world-class shows in Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha, Zouk, Kizomba, Reggaeton, Hip-Hop, Merengue & more!

Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise
“Party with a Purpose” in the Caribbean with Tom Joyner and friends
PORTS: Fort Lauderdale, Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica
DATES: May 20-27, 2023
PAST ITINERARY: here

Love and Harmony Cruise
A medium size cruise group that emphasizes friendship and good times harmony
DATES: April 4-9, 2023
PORTS: Fort Lauderdale, Ocho Rios, Nassau
ITINERARY: Includes Live Concerts day & night, meet the performers, parties throughout the ship, plus Roots and Afrobeat music

Festival At Sea
Oldest black cruise operator that let’s you cruise with over 2000 black folk
PORTS: Fort Lauderdale, Nassau, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica, Montego Bay Jamaica
DATES: July 20-27, 2023
ITINERARY: Many people make it their Family Reunion at Sea. Events include ​Theme Nights, Speed Dating, Gospel Brunch, Worship Service, Bible Study, Bid Whist, Dominoes, Aqua Zumba, Steppin’ Classes, Urban Line Dancing, UNCF Bachelor Auction, Boot Camp Workout, African-American Idol, Urban Ballroom Dancing, Family Feud, Jewelry Raffle Giveaway, Stomp The Deck Frat & Sorority Step Competition, 2-on-2 Basketball Tournament, Gospelcise, African Attire Evening & Fashion Show and Renewal of Wedding Vows.

Grown and Sexy Cruise
Calls itself the “Biggest Party at Sea” and you can’t blame them for trying
PORTS: Miami, Great Stirrup Cay Bahamas, Nassau,
DATES: May-26-29, 2023
ITINERARY: Includes 1 Dinner at a specialty restaurant; Events include Theme Parties, the “SEXYFEST” Island beach party on Great Stirrup Caye, the Nassau “WE TURN UP” party, comedy show, karaoke, game shows, contests

Jamrock Reggae Cruise
Jamrock Productions invites you to take a journey to Jamaica
PORTS: Miami, Falmouth Jamaica, Ocho Rios Jamaica
DATES: December 4-9, 2023
ITINERARY: Experience top-tier Reggae artists as they perform in multiple venues on the ship. In addition, there will be sound systems blazing the vibes all day and all night

Smooth Jazz Cruise
Its like a mega-Jazz concert at sea. After the music, enjoy up-close meet-ups with Jazz greats
DATES: 1/25/2024-2/01/2024 and 2/01/2024-2/08/2024
PORTS: Miami, Aruba, Curacao
ITINERARY: An line-up of nightly performances by Marcus Miller, Boney James, Alonzo Bowden, Jeffrey Osborne, Brian Culbertson, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer, Rick Braun, Norman Brown, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Vincent Ingala, DW3 and more

Soul Train Cruise
Official cruise of the legendary Soul Train TV show
PORTS: Fort Lauderdale, Tortola BVI, St. Maarten
DATES: January 23-February 3, 2024
ITINERARY: An incredible line-up of nightly Soul, Funk, and R&B performances by The Temptations, Boyz II Men, Stephanie Mills, En Vogue, Melba Moore, Tower of Power, The Dramatics, Rose Royce, and War; activities include Dance the Soul Train Line, dance lessons from original Soul Train Dancers, 25+ Celebrity-hosted events, panel discussions, artist Q&A sessions, happy hours, game shows, wine tasting, trivia contests, Karaoke, pool parties and more

Huddle On The Sea Cruise
Join sexy, accomplished, beautiful people at sea
PORTS: Miami, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curaçao
DATES: February 10-18, 2024
ITINERARY: Includes Lypc-Sync Battle, Bad & Boozy Beach Bash 2, HOTS Play Date, Pre-Super Bowl Tailgate Party, Trick or Treat Costume Party, HOTS Fitness

Other Black/Soulful Cruises

Blacks Over 40 Cruise
This a cruise for those truly grown folks who put the “P” in PARTY.
PORTS: New Orleans, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel
DATES: TBD
ITINERARY: In the company of peers, mix and mingle with mature folks from all over the country, renew old friendships and make new ones.

NPN Cruise
Cruises tailored to continuing education for professionals, primarily in the medical field with a sprinkling of entertainment
DATES: TBD while transitioning to new management
PORTS: Miami to all points in the Caribbean and last, a Mississippi River Cruise

Oprah Cruise
Join Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, and friends celebrating all things Oprah
PORTS: Fort Lauderdale and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
DATE: TBD
ITINERARY: Let’s be honest, this is your chance to party and converse with Oprah

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