Fierce competition changes color of cruise world

Ebony, Jan, 2003 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

THERE is a cruise for every interest and stage of Black life. There are cruises for everybody--single s, couples, preachers and professionals. There is a comedy cruise, a gospel cruise, a Black singles cruise, a Black family and entertainment cruise. There are even cruises focusing on Black hair care and on Black hooks.

Two groups, Blue World Travel's Festival at Sea and the Tom Joyner Foundation's Fantastic Voyage, charter an entire ship of more than 3,000 people.

Groups like the National Professional Network (NPN) target Black movers and shakers with their Leadership Summit & Spa at Sea; BlackSingles.com targets Black singles; Bartlett's Celebration At Sea promotes a Jazz and Classic Soul cruise; the Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook travels with family and friends on a "Too Blessed to be Stressed" Caribbean Cruise; and Bishop T.D. Jakes has a gospel and spiritual cruise. SoulofAmerica.com has a cruise designed to empower Black travelers, which focuses more on the destination and does not include entertainment.

The cruise industry is actively pursuing the African-American market, says Adam Goldstein, executive vice president, Brand Operations, Royal Caribbean International. "We feel very, very, comfortable serving the African-American community and we count on having that relationship for a long time," he adds. Goldstein works closely with the founders of the NPN cruise and the Tom Joyner cruise and has cruised with both groups and the Festival of the Sea.

"In the end it comes back to economic impact," he says. "It comes back to discretionary income, wealth and the ability to consume leisure travel product, and the African-American community has the wherewithal to do that."

Industry experts say that the ability to charter a whole Voyager-class cruise ship is a big deal, and brings with it a certain amount of clout, the kind of clout that Tom Joyner's 8 million listeners in 120 cities bring. Although Joyner is a newcomer to the cruise game, he has industry veterans marveling at his power--even to negotiate ports of call. "When you pre-pay for every room on the ship, it's your ship to do with as you please," says Oscar Joyner, a member of the board of directors of the Tom Joyner Foundation. The group is known to "party with a purpose" and features onboard activities like theme nights, big-name entertainment and basketball tournaments. This year's cruise is set for Memorial Day week, May 24-31, 2003, and will sail to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Nassau, departing from Miami. He says net annual profits from the cruise exceeds $1 million and is used to help students at historically Black colleges. This is their fourth year.

San Francisco-based Blue World Travel is the only other group to book an entire ship. This is its 12th year hosting the Festival at Sea cruises which are famous for their customizations or "cultural twists" as President Patricia Yarbrough calls them, such as onboard bid whist tournaments, fashion shows, church services, and its own DJs. The group has featured the Isley Brothers, Yolanda Adams and comedian D.L. Hughley. This year's Festival at Sea cruise sails July 5-12, 2003, from Port Canaveral and goes to Key West, Belize City, Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

The National Professional Network's 2003 Leadership Summit & Spa at Sea celebrates 11 years of mixing business with pleasure by adding water, as their motto states. This year the cruise sails from Miami July 25-Aug.2, 2002, and hits ports of Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. For the first time NPN has formed a partnership with Howard University to provide medical, legal and other professional continuing education units while on board. "Where else can you hear NAACP President Kweisi Mfume teach in the afternoon and Patti LaBelle sing the same night?" asks Dr. William Tedford, NPN co-founder. NPN co-founder Madeleine Moore says NPN pioneered the African-American cruising niche. "We didn't want to be a love boat, we didn't want to be a hip-hop musical festival on water, we wanted to be the leadership forum--deep-water thinkers gathered around issues of importance to our people by day and serious partying by night," she says. The group sponsors Town Hall meetings, entrepreneurial products and services showcases, seminars and networking programs.

Other scheduled African-American theme cruises in 2003 include:

* Bishop T.D. Jakes' Eastern Caribbean Cruise, Nov. 9-16, 2003.

* The Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook "Too Blessed to Be Stressed" second annum Caribbean cruise, July 18-27. Children and families are welcome.

* Bartlett's Celebration at Sea plans two cruises in 2003, Presidents Week, Feb. 16-23, Miami, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios and Labadee and Aug. 10-17, to San Juan, Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

* BlackSingles.com Fifth Anniversary Cruise is set for Sept. 20-27, to the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. John, St. Maarten and Nassau's private island.

* The Black Woman's Guide Hair Care Seminar Western Caribbean Cruise, June 14-19.