Oscar Joyner: Gearing Up For Another 'Fantastic Voyage'

With 30 percent of African Americans taking cruises, and African Americans more likely to have taken a cruise ship vacation in the last three years than Americans as a whole, it's no wonder that Tom Joyner's annual Fantastic Voyage Cruise, known as "The Party with a Purpose," has earned a reputation for being the premier annual African American travel event.

What began 10 years ago as a chartered cruise to raise money for Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) has evolved into a partnership with Royal Caribbean that continues to gain increased popularity every year. Joyner, who is one of the most recognizable syndicated radio personalities in the country, calls on some of the biggest names in the music world to show up -- and they certainly answer. In the past three years alone, everyone from Chaka Khan and Patti LaBelle to New Edition, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Ledisi and Erykah Badu have entertained Fantastic Voyage cruise-goers with their delightful sounds.

This year's Fantastic Voyage will head West and for the first time set sail from Los Angeles for a Mexican Riviera itinerary from May 17 to May 24. The lineup features a lively mix of soul singers such as Babyface, Smokey Robinson, Kem, Michael McDonald and Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band, as well as some of the greatest old-school hip-hop acts such as MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Eric B, Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane and Slick Rick, among others.

BlackVoices.com sat down with Oscar Joyner, son of Tom and president of Reach Media, the parent company of 'The Tom Joyner Morning Show,' 'The Tom Joyner Sky Show' and its digital component BlackAmericaWeb.com. Earlier this year, Joyner added the title of Broadway producer to his resume with a revival of David Mamet's classic play 'American Buffalo,' which starred Cedric the Entertainer and John Leguizamo.

Joyner remains incredibly proud of the work he's done with the Fantastic Voyage Cruise, which continues to sell out one year in advance and raises $1 million annually for HBCUs.

Tom Joyners Fantastic Voyage

Tom Joyner's Fantastic Voyage
Year after year, Tom Joyner's Fantastic Voyage, an outing to raise scholarship dollars for historically black colleges and universities, is a sellout. BlackVoices.com gives you an insider's view of the week-long 2008 trip, which took place aboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas ship.

Mardi Gras Night
What a sight for sore eyes! Tom Joyner and J. Anthony Brown definitely cracked up the audience when they dressed up as Tinkerbell and Captain Hook at the Fantastic Voyage's signature Mardi Gras celebration. Cruisers also joined in the party wearing lots of beads and throwing confetti in the air during the Royal Promenade parade.

Cruise-goers
After setting sail from Miami, cruisers took part in 'Represent Night' on the Royal Promenade deck showing off their alma maters, sororities, fraternities, hometowns and favorite sports teams.

Water Fight
Every year, Tom Joyner and his morning show crew host the Light Skinned vs. Dark Skinned water fight. Here's Tom with some cruise guests with colorful water weapons at CocoCay in the Bahamas.

Charlie Wilson/Tom Joyner
Charlie Wilson, who performed with the Gap Band, took a moment to thank Tom Joyner for putting on the Fantastic Voyage Cruise. The R&B crooner sang a bevy of hit singles at the Arcadia Theater.

Beach Water Fight
A private island stop wouldn't be the same if it didn't provide an opportunity for grown folks to relive their childhoods with an old-fashion water gun fight. No one is leaving dry. This annual event always takes place at one of the Cruise's private island stops.

Deelishis
Bootylicious reality television star Deelishis from the hit VH1 series 'Flavor of Love' takes part in a special production of 'The Vagina Monologues.'

Chaka Khan
On the second day at sea, things couldn't get any better than having celebrated songstress Chaka Khan wow cruisers at a special concert at the ship's Arcadia Theater. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly also took the stage, completing a night of music that cruisers are sure to remember.

Frankie Beverly/Charlie Wilson
Two of the top soul singers, Charlie Wilson and Frankie Beverly, collaborated on a song for some of their fans. They brought the crowd to their feet with this unexpected duet.

New Edition
Johnny Gill sings his heart away at a New Edition performance on the cruise. Bobby Brown also performed a few of his solo tunes late night on the ship and was said to cause a bit of controversy picking up women behind the scenes, as well.

"It was Royal Caribbean [International] that finally decided to do a deal with us," he revealed. "We started 10 years ago chartering cruise lines of lesser stature than RCI, always hoping one day they would lift their policy of not allowing full-ship charters for resale."

"In the past, they would let you charter a ship, but you couldn't resell the cabins for a profit," he further explained. "Once they sailed with us for a couple of years, they created an entirely new Charter and Incentive Sales division, and The Tom Joyner Foundation (TJF) was their first client."

Since the partnership, Joyner, who also serves as senior vice president of TJF, said, "Not only did they let us charter a ship, but they saw the value in the new marketing opportunities to African Americans. RCI immediately became a paid sponsor of the Fantastic Voyage cruise. Not only do they allow us to resell their ship and make $1 million, but they also use 'The Tom Joyner Morning Show' and its digital component to actively promote their cruise line."

With chartering the entire ship comes license to put on African American-themed activities. Not only does the movie channel aboard the ship play only classic black films, but the midnight buffet offers soul food, the elevator music is customized, there are panel discussions with black celebrities, water gun fights when the ship docks at the beach, as well as activities such as stepping lessons from Chicago music industry titan George Daniels or an exercise class called "Sweatin' in the Spirit" taught by Donna Richardson Joyner.

Joyner did note that this trip is not gimmicky like other cruises marketed to African Americans.

"Most times these cruises promote how many people come aboard and what entertainment they have," he furthered. "What they don't explain is that the total number aboard for their group is only a fraction of the total number of passengers. So while you may be excited to sail with 500 black folks for a cause, it's not as much fun when you realize that it will be you plus 500 black folks as well other 'frequent cruisers,' we'll call them, who make up the total 4,000 passengers for the trip."

He adds, "You can only make this kind of party when you have the entire ship and nothing less than the entire ship. Cruise ships don't get any bigger or more grandiose than RCI. They truly are the Cadillac of the Seas."

The 2009 Fantastic Voyage Cruise still has cabins for sale, but it is sure to sell out once the remainder of its star-studded roster of talent is finally announced within the coming weeks. If the success of past years is any indicator, this year's Hollywood cruise will certainly have another great turnout.

Tom Joyners Fantastic Voyage

Deelishis
Bootylicious reality television star Deelishis from the hit VH1 series 'Flavor of Love' takes part in a special production of 'The Vagina Monologues.'