Jan 2014 Newsletter #2
Soul Train Cruise 411
Time to Plan Your Week Onboard the Soul Train Cruise 2014
The Soul Train Cruise sets sail next month. We have been putting the finishing touches on our programming.
Not only will you hear incredible music from R&B royalty in intimate venues throughout the week but imagine getting up close and personal with the Artists during a cooking demonstration with Ron Isley, a men’s health seminar with Charlie Wilson, a drum seminar hosted by Jeffrey Osborne, Q&As with the stars, panel discussions, and many other interactive events. There are just a few cabins left on this amazing voyage, but it’s not too late to get onboard or invite a friend.
Preview the Fun With the Soul Train Cruise Souvenir Program
Our Entertainment Cruise Production Guests have been asking for this for years, so we have decided to let the cat out of the bag early this year.
The image at right will take you directly to the souvenir program for the Soul Train Cruise, 
complete with all of the performances, events and themes. Our Guests will also receive the souvenir program as they board the ship, but we thought we would give them a little extra time to better plan their week. That is good news for those who will be sailing with us on the cruise!
As you can see from the program, guests on the Soul Train Cruise will be treated to more than 16 talented Artists, more than 30 live performances and more than 25 interactive celebrity events. From a very special Don Cornelius tribute to an uplifting gospel hour featuringGerald Alston and Guests, there will be countless one-of-a-kind performances throughout the week. There will also be panel discussions, meet-and-greets, and even a live television show taping of "Backstage Pass."
For those who are still considering sailing with us, don’t delay. There are only a few remaining cabins, so please act quickly to be part of the fun. As you can see, it’s going to be an amazing sailing, and you don’t want to miss out on being part of this very special event. Plus you can still take advantage of our Sail Now / Pay Later Program. Learn more about cabin availability, rates and payment options.
Join Peabo Bryson and Tony Cornelius in a Toast to the New Don Cornelius Family of Wines
A leisurely afternoon of wine tasting with Peabo Bryson? Dreams really do come true on the Soul Train Cruise!
Join Peabo and Tony Cornelius for this very special onboard event on Feb. 26 and enjoy exquisite wines paired with soul food and creole-
inspired hors d’oeuvres, exclusively curated by winemaker / sommelier Andre Mack for the new Don Cornelius Family of Wines, a wine club benefiting The Don Cornelius Foundation.
Savor a velvety pinot noir with salmon croquettes and a bright chardonnay alongside collard green and ham hock empanadas, or perhaps taste a rich cabernet with mini ribs. Better yet, pair a Riesling with a tender shrimp delicacy. The highlight of the day is sure to be Chandon’s Sparkling Red (served with a jambalaya tartlet), a wine as fun and adventurous as Soul Train Cruise guests themselves. With the grace and complexity of pinot noir, the zesty characteristics of California zinfandel and the vitality of a sparkling wine, Sparkling Red excites the palate with rich and concentrated flavors of plum, black cherry and sweet cranberry with hints of bergamot and spice. Rarely seen in the U.S., sparkling red wines have a long tradition in the Loire Valley, Germany and Australia. With their creative blend, Chandon builds on European winemaking by giving it an innovative California twist.
Your taste buds will never be the same again.
The soiree on Feb. 26 introduces the Don Cornelius Family of Wines wine club, which will showcase varietals from around the globe with selections that include private-label reserves and award-winning wines in limited production. Proceeds from the sale of the wines will directly benefit The Don Cornelius Foundation.
“Every wine club member becomes one more voice of change knowing that each purchase goes towards supporting the mission of The Don Cornelius Foundation and the work of healing our families and communities,” said Tony Cornelius. The Don Cornelius Foundation’s mission is to establish programs for awareness, prevention and support for those contemplating suicide, or survivors who have lost loved ones to suicide. Further information can be found at www.TheDonCorneliusFoundation.org.
“Our wine-tasting experience aboard the Soul Train Cruise embodies everything the Don Cornelius Foundation was established to do,” Cornelius 
adds. “In keeping with the tradition of entrepreneurship as it relates to television, music, business and the arts, the Foundation is also committed to establishing partnerships to support the underserved and underrepresented. My father believed in pride of ownership with his productions and their ability to be self-sustaining and long-standing. It’s the backbone of our wine club and the very core of our purpose.”
The Don Cornelius Family of Wines club platform also encompasses wine education, cultural indoctrination and food pairings, with an emphasis on matching traditional soul food meals with great-tasting varietals. “Our vision is to engage the expertise of the country’s premiere sommeliers and top celebrity chefs who will offer their style and other creative options that are more suited to ethnic consumer palates and foods,” added Cornelius.
To fulfill this vision, The Don Cornelius Family of Wines has partnered with award-winning sommelier/winemaker Andre Mack to curate and vet the wines featured in the club, as well as develop the food and wine pairings for the Soul Train Cruise event. Mack achieved the rank of sommelier after meeting the rigorous requirements, extensive education, training and formal examinations of the profession and went on to win the Best Young Sommelier title by Chaine des Rotisseurs in 2003. He has worked at Thomas Keller’s world-renowned French Laundry and was head sommelier at Keller’s Per Se in New York City, managing a 2,500-selection award-winning wine list. In 2007, Mack founded Mouton Noir Wines. The Wall Street Journal calls him “a wine overachiever” and CNBC hailed him as a “hero in the wine world.”
The wine-tasting event is the latest collaboration between cruise producers, Entertainment Cruise Productions and StarVista/Time Life, and The Don Cornelius Foundation, the official charity of the Soul Train Cruise. The two organizations work closely together to honor the place of “Soul Train” in popular culture and continue Don Cornelius’ tremendous legacy. In addition to the onboard activities, new offshore events are in development, including a People All Over the World campaign which will kick off with a wine and music festival in the beautiful Napa/Sonoma wine region of California.
Save the Date for the Next Sailing of the Soul Train Cruise
Guests onboard the February sailing of the Soul Train Cruise will have the first opportunity to book their cabin on the next Soul Train Cruise, sailing again on the luxurious Holland America m/s Eurodam Feb. 22 through March 1 and making Caribbean ports of call in sunny Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas and the always beautiful private island of Half Moon Cay. We’re working on the lineup of R&B legends and, trust us, you won’t be disappointed. Guests booked on the 2014 cruise will have the first opportunity to book their cabins for 2015. The cruise will then open for public sale once we return from this latest cruise.