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For me, I decided to go on Ubersoca Cruise at the end of August and was actively searching for someone selling their cabin spot. I lucked out with an affordable spot and was able to complete the name change and take over payments without issue. In fact, the older I’m getting, the more I want to be more in tune with my Caribbean roots. My family are proud Vincentians and my father, who passed in December of 2022, also made it a point to teach me about my Garifuna heritage and Vincy culture. So, this invite truly came at a great time when I’ve been feeling this urge to connect more with my Caribbean ancestry.
Meet The Team Behind The Black-Owned Ubersoca Cruise, A.K.A Carnival At Sea
For this theme, we were encouraged to channel our favorite revolutionary figure or culture of resistance. I decided to dress as my favorite African (Burkinabé) revolutionary, Thomas Sankara. However, after a drink in my system, I was ready to brave the rain and wade in the pool. There were people jumping into the pool, throwing buckets of water onto the crowd, slipping and sliding and writhing and gyrating…it was crazy and wild and entertaning. Before getting on the ship, we thought the lines would be ridiculously long but Royal Caribbean and Ubersoca Cruise ensured that there were mobile bars everywhere.
WILD African Safari POOL PARTY
Perhaps it is because of where we were seated on floor 4, but I felt like the whole affair was very demure. I heard the entertainment but could not see Johanna Chuckaree perform on the piano; I didn’t see the dancing on the main floor nor did I see the steelpan players. I quickly ate my food, drank some wine, took some pictures and went back to my room to pack.
Ubersoca Cruise Is Now The Largest Themed Cruise At Sea
The crowd was dense and initially, I felt quite uncomfortable in the thick of it. We eventually moved to the outskirts a bit for relief and space to move. I eventually found my way onto the stage speakers, where I stayed until I was ready to leave.
It’s hard to believe that we’ve had 5 years of Ubersoca. The cruise with a cult following now has its sights on its 5-year anniversary and plans have already been set in motion for another epic instalment of the cruise. DJ Avalanche gave out bottles of baby powder to the crowd and we went berserk with it. If you were towards the front of the stage, you were proper doused and it was FUN! The music was varied and excellent, from the most popular tracks out of St. Lucia to the more obscure from Martinique; from current to old. We eventually left only after we were forced out to accommodate the cleaning crew.
In 2018, they added an additional sailing, sold out the first, and booked most of the second which took place right after the first. Over 7,000 people from countries including Australia, Kuwait, Poland, France, Sweden, Japan, UK, USA, and the Caribbean— took part in this carefully curated and well-executed Caribbean experience. The team was able to sell out 65% of the ship, but they knew that providing a top-notch experience would be the key to drawing in new passengers, and keeping the returning ones coming back.
Fan frenzy for Buju Banton on Love and Harmony Cruise - Jamaica Gleaner
Fan frenzy for Buju Banton on Love and Harmony Cruise.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 05:09:13 GMT [source]
This year, I rewore my costume from St. Lucia Carnival. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism understands the power of the music more than anyone, which is why such an incredible celebration takes places at sea. The Caribbean is full of jewels – from its people, paradises, food, tunes, and vibes. This cruise was a cumulation of all this and for that, I think I speak for all guests who are proud of their Caribbean heritage when I say we are truly grateful it exists. The John Compton Highway was the backdrop for a vibrant parade of bands that will get to sample the local soca artists who will welcome the cruise to their breathtaking destination. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to sample Saint Lucia’s delicious cuisine and vibrant local art, making this a unique and memorable experience.
I ended up changing after taking pictures and continuing on with my night. Since its inaugural sailing in 2016, over 16,000 people have traveled with Ubersoca Cruise to partake in what can only be described as a bucket list ‘experience beyond the music’. The following year (2017), the team sold out their Cozumel sailing.
We ended the night popping champagne, shuffling between the Promenade and Star Lounge and savoring the last few hours of our time on the ship. Unfortunately, they stopped serving alcohol in preparation of our arrival back in Orlando, and the shock to our systems was a bit severe LOL. Bunji Garlin and Preedy surprised us with their performances as they weren’t scheduled to grace the stage until that evening.
The team always adds in time for passengers to link up, exchange business information and ideas, and to gain knowledge on topics that affect us as a culture. After taking a few cruises with his family, Nathaniel Turner realized that the programming on cruise ships didn’t necessarily cater to him, or Caribbean culture. Instead, he thought it would be pretty cool to create an experience for Caribbean culture in a cruise format. I was feeling ill due to seasickness, so I was not fully enjoying myself much. After about an hour, I was ready to go back to my room and change.
Atlanta – Ubersoca Cruise is now the Largest Music Festival at Sea! Once described by Kes as “the crazy idea that might just work…and it did”, USC is now in its 5th year after completing 2 back to back sold out cruises in November 2019. The team also enlists the help of their own culinary team to curate an authentic Caribbean menu for the duration of the sailing, that features dishes and flavors from nearly all Caribbean nations. If it wasn’t for Kevin Crown bringing the jab jab vibes, I would have been annoyed. He switched things over and saved the night in my opinion. I did not have time nor money to dress the part, however those who did looked stunning!
The longest I may have ever waited for a drink may have been 5 minutes, if that. The DJs were playing our fave tracks, a couple of people were finishing their nips and there was a fete in the parking lot. We were doing last minute packing and giving our luggage to the cruise attendants, while catching up with friends and acquaintances. DAMM membership cost $250 and went towards your reservation if you decided to go.
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