05/17/2026
[BOOK LUXURY BLACK CULTURE CRUISES]. āWE must give our flowers to , the creator of the Soulful Experience with Ama Waterways.
She saw Black travelers getting overlooked in luxury travel and said ānah, we deserve this too.ā Then she created riverboat cruises across Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America where Black history and culture ARE the storyānot some footnote.
For 7 days [My Wife and I] sailed through the NetherlandsāAmsterdam, Utrecht, Zierikzeeāand BelgiumāGhent, Antwerp, Tervuren, Rotterdam, and Brussels.
We learned about the Moors, the colonial trade that built Amsterdamās wealth, and the Congolese people who were taken by King Leopold and placed in his human zoo. We even had the surprise gift (not on the itinerary) of visiting Marilyn Nance Spirit, Grace, Faith, Rage exhibit in Rotterdam. The exhibit felt like looking into a family album.
It wasnāt all history lessons, yāall. We danced on the first night with champagne flowing. Had cousin walks to hip-hop clubs in Amsterdam. Ate a Juneteenth dinner by Chef Alexander Smalls that had us in a CHOKEHOLD. Did karaoke and performed āKnuck If You Buckā with the conviction of the ancestors. And yeah, Kim Fields and Carla Hall were on the boat with us.
This felt like the best family reunion experience. Itās one of those trips youāll never forget and wish it didnāt have to end. You can tell from the moment you step on the boat that this was curated FOR US because everythingāthe food, the music, the activitiesāfelt intentional and familiar.
The Soulful Experience proved what we already knew: Thereās Black history everywhere. We just needed someone brave enough to center it.
Thank you, Jasmine. You did your BIG ONE on thisā
Creator:
Note: Ama Waterways is not Black-owned but this initiative is definitely Black-led and shows what happens when are in the room! Our culture and history are celebrated!
