This River Cruise Line Is Offering Unique Black History And Cultural Experiences — Here’s What You’ll Tour

Added by popular demand, AmaWaterways has added new 2024 dates for its “Soulful Epicurean Experience” cruises. The first-ever sailings in 2023 on the Rhône in France will allow guests to celebrate the African and Black diaspora on the rivers. These unique experiences give passengers a chance to discover and celebrate aspects of Black history and culture unique to each country. 

“We are fortunate to work with many travel advisors in the Black community who advised and encouraged us to develop these special interest cruises celebrating Black history and culture,” said Kristin Karst, co-founder and executive vice president of AmaWaterways. “As our first Soulful Epicurean Experience cruise in France scheduled for 2023 sold out almost immediately, we are proud to give our global family additional opportunities in 2024 to celebrate and appreciate the diverse Black heritage found in France and Egypt.” 

Soulful Epicurean Experience

For the Soulful Epicurean Experience itineraries, AmaWaterways worked closely with a group of travel advisors representing the Black community to bring authentic, meaningful, educational, and inspirational experiences to the sailings. 

There was such an overwhelming demand for the cruise embarking on August 24, 2023, that two new June departure dates have been announced. Here’s what you’ll experience on the cruises. 

Secrets Of Egypt And The Nile Experiences

The 11-night Secrets of Egypt and The Nile itinerary includes a seven-night cruise from Luxor, plus three nights pre-cruise and one-night post-cruise in Cairo. The city has a long and rich heritage dating back to Black ancestry. During a tour of the city, passengers will visit the Egyptian Museum, home to a collection of Pharaonic art, ancient mummies, the treasures of Tutankhamun, the Boy King, and the Mosque of Muhammad. From here the tour will go to the summit of the Citadel of Saladin’s courtyard to catch views of the Pyramids of Giza. 

During the cruise, there’s also a visit to Aswan, and the chance to explore a Nubian village and meet ancestors of an ancient African civilization that once ruled Egypt. 

Colors Of Provence Experiences

For the Color of Provence itineraries, guests will start or end (depending on the departure date) with a three-night land package in Paris. They’ll take a Black history of Paris tour and explore slavery and its abolition as it pertains to the cultural and political relationship that developed between the United States and France. A full-day tour of the city gives guests the chance to visit several sites, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Monument to the Abolition of Slavery, and learn about the Code Noir, a decree passed by King Louis XIV in 1685 defining the conditions of slavery. 

In the city of Montmartre, guests will explore how cabarets and jazz musicians left their mark, take a walking tour through the African district and experience African food and street vendors, a gallery space and cultural initiative called Little Africa, which is located in the La Goutte d’Or district. 

The tour will also visit the Latin Quarter and Pantheon Square, where Josephine Baker,  a U.S.-born black entertainer and civil rights activist, was inducted in November 2021. Then follow in her footsteps and other black artists such as Claude McKay and Alexander Dumas as you explore Marseille, the oldest city in France, during a full-day Black Heritage tour.