Fantastic Voyage Diary 2018: Day 2

Ladies and gentleman, I have a confession to make. I can’t hang. I am ashamed to say that your grandmamas were out later than me. Evidently they’ve been on this cruise before and have figured out how to manage their schedules. They’ve learned the proper hydration techniques, they’ve figured out how to eat for fuel and they have mastered the art of the disco nap, so that at 2 and 3 in the morning they are fresh and ready to party. Because let me tell you, when I finally laid my head down around 2:30, people were still going, like the Fantastic Voyage version of the famed Energizer Bunny.

I’m a newbie, y’all. The schedule was packed  with activities from the 8 a.m. yoga class to the 2 a.m. Generation Divas show with the Jones Girls, En Vogue, and SWV. In between there was A LOT to do. If you, like me, needed a guide to the ship, then the 1st Timers seminar was the place to be.

That’s if you didn’t want to go to the ‘Business of Acting’ or the Fantastic Voyage Cooking Demo with Chef Darius “Cooks” Williams or the 3 0n 3 Basketball tournament. If you were keeping up the pace so far, you had options that included the African Headwrap Class, the Ladies Pamper Party, or the P.O.W.E.R. – 5 Keys To Inner Peace and Increased Productivity hosted by life coach Sheri Riley, author of Exponential Living Stop Spending 100% Of Your Time On 10% of Who You Are.”

Of course, there’s lunch to keep up your energy available at a multitude of restaurants or at the ever popular Lido Deck buffet. There’s also a constant party at the Lido Deck pool (and hot tub) including deejays. And of course, there is the Tyler Perry casting call, which attracts a daily long  line of aspiring actors hoping to catch their break if they are willing to abandon the afternoon’s activity schedule to audition.

Let’s talk Tom Joyner Foundation. Art sales bring in a lot of money for the Foundation, which is a vital part of supporting HBCU’s. As you know, The Fantastic Voyage benefits Tom Joyner’s commitment to providing scholarships at the nation’s Black colleges and universities. The onboard art gallery this year features Charles Bibbs, whose art has been collected by celebs and showcased on TV and film and an amazing new artist named Lobyn Hamilton, who creates amazing art out of vinyl records.

Now onto the night – and the Neo-Soul Live with Dwele and Raheem DeVaughn on the Lido deck./Guy Torry hosted, but look out for their opening comedian, Miss Pretty Ricki. She was hilarious. A little wind didn’t stop the warm vibes from flowing as the soul showmanship began. Dwele took advantage of the many phones recording the concert to grab a fan’s phone and sing directly to it. What a memory for this lady, who literally jumped up and down in excitement.

Dwele played to the crowd throughout, actually singing to people in the crowd and then striding through it. So everyone was already hyped up by the time Raheem DeVaughn came out, kicking into some of his most popular lovemaking joints. He mixed it up, though, with some conscious songs s as well as some of the ones his more amorous fans have come to expect. And some truly appreciated it – she threw her pink panties onstage and Raheem caught them.

If you missed the neo-soul concert, you had plenty of other choices.

The classic sounds of the Isleys and the O’Jays played Ovation Theater and some lucky lady got not just concert, but a ring. Who doesn’t want to be proposed to the Isleys music? If that weren’t enough, Jazz band Natural Change entertained folks in a lounge-style setting in Liquid Nightclub, while a man best described not as a Luther Vandross impersonator, but a Luther Vandross channeler performed Luther hits as well as those of Barry White’s.

Not tired yet? Monday’s theme night was the Sneaker Ball; dress code evening wear and sneakers. What a great idea – why isn’t this a nationwide thing I don’t know, because let’s face it, most grown folks still want to look cute but don’t want to kill their feet in high heels. We did spot Claudia Jordan in heels though, so there were a few holdouts.

Like I said, I couldn’t hang. But plenty folks could and they stayed up for Generation Divas – The Jones Girls, En Vogue and SWV rocked the boat into the wee hours. Listen, pace yourself if you choose to come on board this Fantastic Voyage. There’s way too much to do (and eat) so you’ll have to be prepared. Next up: Jamaica, where the ship docks and a very special show is planned.

Keep up with us for the daily updates from The Fantastic Voyage.

Signing off, somewhere in international waters.

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