Cruise Through the African Diaspora

Cruise lines offer cultural adventures to Africa and South America

two people sitting on the deck of a cruise ship

Cruises allow pathways to trace historical roots, celebrate cultural legacies, and build sustainable communities while exploring and sharing the global narrative of the African diaspora.

Getty Images

Annita Stokes Thomas,

AARP

Published October 23, 2024

Cruise lines today offer itineraries with diverse options for African American travelers to engage in the African diaspora by visiting destinations along the West Africa coastline, as well as South Africa and South America. AARP’s recent survey found travelers 50-plus are increasingly looking for adventure near and far. Twenty-nine percent of vacationers 50 to 59 are especially interested in visits to unique or off-the-beaten-path destinations, with 21 percent of those surveyed planning to travel internationally by cruise in 2024.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry’s trade association, notes the intent to cruise continues to grow and be strong among “forever cruisers” and potential new cruisers. Cruise lines are creating ways to respond to this growth, such as offering enriching and meaningful ways to experience the world through the lens of African heritage. Cruises allow pathways to trace historical roots, celebrate cultural legacies, and build sustainable communities while exploring and sharing the African diaspora’s global narrative.

The four itineraries below are designed to immerse travelers in the rich heritage, culture and traditions of destinations in Africa and South America.

AmaWaterways offers river and land packages to Egypt, Colombia, France, or Portugal with experiences related to the African diaspora.

Courtesy Ama Waterways

AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways “Soulful Experience” river and land packages to Egypt, Colombia, France, or Portugal feature immersive experiences related to the African diaspora. Guests enjoy performances onboard from jazz bands and the likes of Nigerian pianist David Onka, a finalist on Germany’s Got Talent. Culinary traditions are another part of the AmaWaterways experience.

AmaWaterways’ Soulful Experience tours take you to locations where Black history details are not well known. Guests traveling through Europe can join a Senegalese food-tasting tour, a history of jazz lecture, or jazz and wine performances. In addition, tours in Paris include a Paris Black history tour and a Josephine Baker tour. Travelers to Egypt experience authentic cultural traditions as well as Nubian cuisine. A Nubian Egyptologist guides travelers on an essential oils and linen tour.

“My clients, particularly those aged 50 and above, are drawn to cruises that allow them to explore the cultural and historical significance of their heritage,” says travel adviser Geisha Cumberbatch, owner of Dream Vacations, who has booked clients with AmaWaterways.

Cost: AmaWaterways’ “Soulful Experience: Secrets of Egypt & the Nile” is available from $5,055 per person based on double occupancy with a 20 percent savings through Dec. 31, 2024.

Windstar Cruises docks in locations filled with cultural traditions.

Courtesy Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises

Windstar sails to Costa Rica, Belize, and the Panama Canal and docks in ports such as Cartagena, Colombia, and places filled with cultural traditions. Windstar works with local vendors to support the communities and create sustainable commerce by sourcing everything from rum-spiced cakes from small bakeries in the Caribbean to turndown amenities aboard their ships. “Our goal is to elevate local brands that our guests may not be familiar with, and also ensure our spend and dollars impact the community where we sail,” says Sally Spaulding, Windstar’s account director.

In Roseau, Dominica, travelers spend a day with a local family, creating traditional dishes using local produce with Dominican flavors.

Cost: Windstar Cruises’ 7-Day “Panama Canal, Cartagena, San Blas Islands & More” itinerary is $3,021 for all-inclusive, or $2,398 for cruise only.

Travelers who participate in a safari excursion while sailing on a 49-day Holland America cruise stay at Thornybush Game Lodge.

Courtesy Holland America

Holland America

Holland America’s “49-Day Grand World Voyage” extends the African diaspora experience for those excited to see and do more. With port stops in South Africa, safari excursions take cruisers into the wild. Guests leave the ship in Durban for a four- to five-day inland stay to experience wildlife and see Victoria Falls, says Melissa Wheeler, public relations specialist for Holland America. Those who disembarked for that excursion then rejoin the ship in Cape Town. This excursion includes accommodations at Thornybush Game Lodge within Kruger National Park, viewing Africa’s Big Five game — lions, leopards, rhinoceros, elephants and African buffalo — in 4x4 vehicles, or stretching your comfort zone with a safari on foot.

Cost: Holland America’s “49-Day Grand World Voyage” sets sail in March 2025 with fares starting at $8,609.

Seabourn

Sailing around the West Coast of Africa on Seabourn’s African itineraries can take you to ports with meaningful ties to the African American community. The “31-Day Enchanting West African Shores” itinerary offers a rich history and stories for travelers. In Benin, an old Portuguese fortress that was part of the slave trade or Senegal’s House of Slaves on Gorée Island, can be an emotional experience for those who stand in what is called “the Door of No Return.” For nature lovers, walk along Namibia’s Namib Desert dunes where each step brings you closer to the sea.

Cost: Seabourn’s “31-Day Enchanting West African Shores” sets sail in January 2025 with fares starting at $11,219 per person based on double occupancy.

Elephants are one of Africa’s Big Five game that can be seen during an inland excursion in South Africa.

Courtesy Annita Thomas

Tips for a successful trip

Before embarking on such unique adventures, it helps to gather a few tips from experts. “Our destination forums are a great place to start when planning your cruise — you can research by region and port and read comments from others or post your own questions,” says Chris Gray Faust, executive editor of Cruise Critic. “We also have a 55-plus forum for travelers in that age bracket to exchange insights and tips specific to travelers of that age.”

Inspiration can come from hearing the experiences of others. Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon has traveled the world as a travel writer. On her first trip to Africa, she cruised from Dakar, Senegal, to Cape Verde Islands and the Gambia. Before traveling to Africa, Greaves-Gabbadon “wondered if any of the countries would feel like ‘home.’ ” When she disembarked in Dakar, “I felt changed. Not because my first visit to Africa had been a homecoming. But because it wasn’t. My cruise illuminated the diversity of the continent and ignited a desire to see more.”

Greaves-Gabbadon has a plan for her next trip. “I’m eager to visit the continent again, but this time specifically to explore the countries from where my DNA originates: Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Mali.”

%{postComment}%

Annita Stokes Thomas is an on-air personality of the award-winning Travel With Annita radio show.