Nationwide — If you search online, you’ll find a lot of black cruises to consider for your next vacation. Black cruises have been around for a long time and have gained in popularity over the past 20 years. The term “black cruise” typically refers to a large number of black passengers all booked on the same cruise ship at the same time, as part of the same group. What makes the typical black cruises unique is that they almost always include events that cater to a black audience, such appearances by well-known R&B singers who go along on the cruise to perform their hit songs in person. Some of the best black cruises also have additional large group events such as white parties and step shows to keep their black audiences entertained.
Black Cruises Can Be Expensive
Just when people are figuring out that cruises are affordable and a very good value for a great vacation, this discovery can be undermined by the price of many black cruises. Since black cruises usually bundle in live entertainment by well-known R&B singers, those professional singers have to be paid, and they are not cheap. 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.
Another thing that makes black cruise pricing higher than a normal cruise is the multiple layers of marked up pricing. In addition to price markups to cover live entertainment, black cruises often tack on fees that go to the company or organization planning the cruise. With all of these additional costs wrapped into the overall price, it can be hard to know how much extra you’re paying.
Black Cruises Are Not “All Black”
One of the biggest misconceptions of black cruises is that everyone on the cruise ship will be black. In reality, that’s usually far from the truth. Depending on the company and event, a black cruise might be a group of anywhere from 50 to 500 people. But the average cruise ship now holds over 3,000 people and will usually be sold out, or nearly sold out. This means you’re in for a rude awakening if you’re looking forward to boarding a ship for a great time with 3,000 of your unrelated brothas and sistas, because most passengers on the ship will be white or a mix of other races. In reality, a black cruise group is usually just a minority subset of the ship’s larger population.
Black Cruises Have Major Limitations
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. Many people will require more scheduling flexibility.
Other major limitations of black cruises are the cruise line, the specific cruise ship, and the destination of the cruise. 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.
Black Cruises Can Be the Opposite of Relaxing
Aubrey Williams of Avion Travel Network says he became a cruise travel agent because he always had a passion for cruising, and one of his best pastimes on a cruise is to relax and unwind. It took a while, but eventually learned how to come back from a cruise feeling well-rested and ready to take on the rigors of real life after a great vacation. He comments, “Before I figured it out, my past vacations were the opposite. I remember coming home from vacations completely exhausted and feeling like I needed a second vacation to rest up from my first vacation. At some point it occurred to me that I was doing my vacations all wrong, spending a lot of money and subconsciously defeating the purpose.”
Black cruises are often defined by a lot of big parties and events that take place day and night on the ship. They have a way of pulling you in and leaving you void of all energy by the end of your cruise. While the amount of partying and socializing you do is entirely up to you, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment. You can easily find yourself doing too much partying, drinking, and dancing, and not enough relaxing, sleeping, and reading. If you find yourself going with the flow of the group, don’t be surprised if your vacation ends up being the opposite of relaxing.
Should You Book a Black Cruise or Choose a Traditional Cruise?
Like any other activity or event, it depends on which you think is the best fit for you. Here’s a quick set of bullets to help you decide:
Book a Black Cruise If…
* You don’t mind the higher, marked up pricing.
* You need to have live, well-known R&B entertainment.
* You have plenty of flexibility in your travel dates.
* You want more partying and less relaxing.
Book a Traditional Cruise If…
* You prefer a more affordable price without the forced extras.
* You can do without the live R&B singers during your vacation.
* You want to pick your own travel dates, cruise ship, and destination.
* You want more relaxing and less partying.
Where and How to Book a Traditional Cruise
Avion Travel Network is a black-owned travel agency that specializes in cruise vacations. Since 2010, they’ve been booking cruises for couples, friends, families, and groups. Their group cruises (usually 20 to 100 people) include family reunion cruises, church groups, alumni groups, fitness and yoga cruises, retirement groups, and countless other group themes. They work with all major cruise lines and cover cruise destinations such as The Caribbean, The Bahamas, Alaska, Mexico, Europe, and The Mediterranean, and more.
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.
Learn more by visiting www.AvionTravelNetwork.com or sending an email to info@AvionTravelNetwork.com
