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As an author of cruising books and continuing that same premise in the form of a podcast, I have learned of a large variety of vessels, destinations and experiences that I barely knew existed before I started capturing these stories. Accordingly, as The Joy of Cruising Podcast listeners know, my cruising bucket list runneth over. In August, Cheryl and I got the opportunity to check our first river cruise off the list.

The itinerary of the cruise, 2024 Colors of Provence, Special Friends Soulful Epicurean Experience Aboard the Chartered AmaKristina was: 

7-Night cruise sailing the Rhone River through the South of France, embark from Arles, France, Avignon, Viviers, Tournon, Vienne, and disembark in Lyon, France 
 
3-Nights Paris, France

Friends in the title refers to Friends of Festival at Sea. Produced and founded by industry icon Patricia Yarbrough, President, Blue World Travel, in San Francisco, Festival at Sea offers an annual African American full-ship charter cultural cruise that has sold out for 40 years. Their affiliated brand, Friends of Festival at Sea specializes in high-end cruises on luxury ships to exotic destinations and filled the 156-passenger AmaKristina for our sailing.

I wrote about Patricia and Festival at Sea in my 1st cruising book, The Joy of Cruising amzn.to/3lAfyON, and hosted her on The Joy of Cruising Podcast Ep 39. Experiencing a Festival at Sea cruise is an inspiration. When I researched Patricia I learned about its affiliated Friends of Festival at Sea brand which sails the likes of Regent Seven Seas and Viking to exotic location like Africa, Singapore, and Paris, and doing a Friends of Festival at Sea vacation has been on my bucket list for years. 

As AmaWaterways is consistently rated among the world’s top river cruise lines it would have been an easy choice for our first river cruise journey. What made the choice of AmaWaterways that much easier was the introduction in Spring 2024 of its “Soulful” series of cruises. To diversify its customer base—which included a negligible percentage of people of color—AmaWaterways decided to take select itineraries and add components that would appeal to cruisers from or are interested in the Black and African diaspora. What made it a “no-brainer” was it a full ship charter by Friends of Festival at Sea, and they bring their own party including DJ, Saxophonist, dance instructor, and comedian, Damon Williams who also has been on the podcast

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