Soul Train, the televised presentation of ‘70s-‘90s music and dance, is a much beloved, iconic symbol of culture in the world of not just R&B music, but popular music around the globe.
My recollection of my teen years is filled with memories of gathering around the TV set in our Bronx apartment for the absolutely necessary weekly half hour of live performances by Black America’s hottest acts, funky dance moves performed by enthusiastic teenagers, and host and founder Don Cornelius’ unflappable cool. To relive these memories, hear those sounds, and enjoy a great oceangoing vacation sounded like a good bet – and that’s the premise of this particular cruise experience. You get the fabulousness of cruising to fantastic vacation locales, mixed with the nostalgia and musical excellence of the Soul Train brand.
I’d wanted to go on the cruise since it was first introduced; was even offered an opportunity to go back in 2014 but couldn’t get the time off. But thank the Lord, praise the Muses, and undying gratefulness to a dear friend, earlier this year I got to experience the Soul Train Cruise for myself. And it was AWESOME.
THE 2018 EDITION
For the 2018 sailing, we departed Jan. 27 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Holland-America’s mega ship Nieuw Amsterdam. This was the Soul Train Cruise’s seventh annual voyage combining entertainment, nostalgia, tourism, and plain old-fashioned fun.
I felt lifted from the moment I came aboard, thanks to the music mixes being piped through all the public spaces, which totally sets the atmosphere. My companion and I were singing along on the elevators, two-stepping in the public spaces, finger-snapping in the dining room, and getting others to join in. People had flown in from all across the United States, and some parts of Europe and the U.K. There were couples and groups of friends, people in their 40s and people in their 80s. There were folks on board of all hues, and people for whom this particular cruise had become an annual tradition. We were connected by the music we all knew and loved, and the atmosphere on board was congenial.
After being shown to our quarters, which were fairly commodious and modern by ship standards, I couldn’t help but get excited by the prospect of being entertained day and night by live performances from many revered artists. Crowded into the Mainstage Theater auditorium seats, people from all backgrounds and from overlapping generations, swayed together as one, grooving along with the performers. It almost didn’t matter what acts were booked to perform – the excitement, appreciation, support for both the performers and fellow cruisers – was tangible all through the ship.
The 2018 Soul Train cruise featured Rose Royce, Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Osborne, the Trammps, the new Stylistics, the new Miracles, Eddie Levert, Gerald Alston, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, the Pointer Sisters, the Whispers, and the indefatigable Charlie Wilson. Some of the performances were better than others, but the audience – there to relive their favorite memories with their favorite music – was not there to quibble. (For detailed reviews of the performances, see journalist A. Scott Galloway’s two-part coverage in EURWeb, beginning here.) The performances were spread out between midday, pre-dinner, and post-dinner times, in venues ranging from the two-story Mainstage theater, to the more intimate Billboard Lounge, and the party-hardy poolside areas. Dancers could visit the Crow’s Nest lounge after hours. And when the marquee acts weren’t on stage, there was a hard-working, soul singing sister named Alfreda who also entertained with a poolside band, and she was phenomenal.
Another highlight of the Soul Train Cruise experience was the chance to get more up close and personal with several of the name performers, something that isn’t easy to do at your average landlocked performance venue. Some of the acts took time to appear in small venues with the cruise host, Tony Cornelius, and velvet-voiced SiriusXM host Angela Stribling for intimate interviews that were also streamed on the ship’s circuit television channels. Consummate singer Jeffrey Osborne, who began his career as drummer for the band LTD, not only sat for an interview but later gathered drummers from the ship’s various performing bands for a fascinating drum workshop in the Crow’s Nest, explaining basic drum figures and giving live demonstrations, while Caribbean superstar Maxi Priest personally hosted a mixology class, stirring up original cocktails behind the bar of an upscale onboard lounge. Likewise, veterans Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis of Fifth Dimension fame, hosted a workshop on marriage and relationships, revealing their own challenges and offering advice to those in the audience. These sessions gave cruisers a chance to get to know the performers in a casual setting. In addition, Chuck Gamble of Philadelphia International and SiriusXM’s Angela Stribling hosted specially themed gatherings for attendees.
2018 PORTS OF CALL
The Nieuw Amsterdam also took us to just two ports of call: Oranjestad, Aruba, and Willemstad, Curacao. These islands off the coast of Venezuela are popular Caribbean tourist destinations, and I wish I could have spent more time exploring them. A third tour stop was originally scheduled, but a rocky Caribbean crossing cut the itinerary down.
In Aruba, we visited the local Oranjestad market stalls then taxied past numerous hotel and condominium complexes to windswept Eagle Beach, where the sparkling turquoise waters were intensely salty and thus super-buoyant, a plus for anyone whose swimming and floating skills are less than stellar. WE opted not to rent lounge chairs hawked by a young man in Spanish, but we did partake when a vendor with a cooler of ice cream treats came by. The sun was pretty strong, so strong that our SPF actually failed us.
In Curacao the next day, we took a different approach, as we were sunburned and exhausted from the previous day. I booked a bus tour, one of several offered via the ship’s onboard excursion service, that would take us to three island locations. I figured that would give us a sense of the island and limit our exposure to the sun and too much walking! Tours gave cruisers opportunities to shop, visit the beaches, try water sports, visit cultural centers, and more.
For our tour, we stopped first at the original Blue Curacao factory, where the unique and internationally known liqueur is manufactured. Talk about making lemonade from lemons – seems the conquering Spaniards in the 16th century planted Valencia orange trees on Curacao, but the rocky soil yielded some tiny, bitter, green citrus fruits that were dang near inedible and useless until a man came up with a way to use the oil in the skin to create this tasty orange liqueur. The bottles are also unique as well. We viewed the exhibits about the process, then sampled some tasty Curacao-laced beverages on a shady patio and patronized the gift shop.
The tour bus then took us out of Willemstad into the countryside to visit a working aloe farm, listen to an explanation of how the plants are grown and buy some aloe products (great for our sunburns). Next, we motored on to an art cooperative, an indoor-outdoor space where artisans create the popular local figurines known as chichis. “Chichi” is the Papiamentu word for sister, and these figures of buxom brown ladies, created in different sizes and painted in various styles of dress, are extremely popular and potent symbols of Curacao culture.
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
First of all, cruising is one of the most popular and cost-efficient vacation packages, since the fun starts the moment you walk onto the ship. You walk onto one of these cruise line ships, and you have entered the floating mega hotel resort that is your base of operations for the duration. On Holland America, our room was spic and span, cleaned multiple times a day as we dined, danced, drank, spent time at the pool, and contemplated visits to the spa or workout rooms. The days we spent wandering the length and breadth of the Nieuw Amsterdam, we marveled at its enormity, efficiency, and design. The crew is unfailingly polite, cheerful, and eager to serve. Cruises are noted for all this, and their stops in beautiful, sun-drenched Caribbean ports. But most importantly, we were entertained by a series of beloved acts every day and night, and the Soul Train spirit – The Hippest Trip in America – was evident everywhere we went. But most of all, it’s the other people on board who really make the experience warm, friendly, fun-filled, and joyous. In other words, you’re going to experience a whole lot of Love, Peace and SOUL!
Bookings for the Soul Train Cruise 2019 have already begun – and the ship is already HALF sold! -- so make your plans now. The ship sets sail from January 20 -27, with stops in the Dominican Republic, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Half Moon Cay. And the lineup looks out of this world: Motown legend Smokey Robinson, the beautiful and talented Gladys Knight, funk Pied Piper George Clinton (who recently said he’s retiring!), the incredible Stephanie Mills, hitmaker Evelyn Champagne King, funky Morris Day & the Time, smooth vocal trio Ray, Goodman & Brown, separate sets by classic memory making bands Bloodstone, New Birth, and the Chi-Lites, and EWF veteran Al McKay’s All-Stars performing the music of Earth Wind & Fire. I mean, that sounds phenomenal!
Drop everything, call your friends and family, tell your boss you will be on vacation that week, and get out your boogie shoes for the Soul Train Cruise. You won’t regret it. For bookings and info, start here.
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