Page 40 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2023 SPECIAL CRUISE EDTION

Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise

Story by Michael Kinsman
D nearly two decades of anticipa-
ana Somayaji was brimming with

tion as she stepped aboard Hol-
land America Line’s Koningsdam
in San Diego last October for the
Legendary Rhythm & Blues
Cruise.
The unabashed blues music fan from Nash-
ville, Tenn., had sky-high expectations. As it
turns out she had underestimated her adven-
ture.
Somayaji’s goals were to enjoy the music,
dance up a storm, and meet some kindred spir-
its along the way.
“From the first moment I was aboard, I knew
it was special,” she says. “I got on elevator and
asked a stranger if they were having a good
time, and their eyes sparkled and they just lit
up and started talking about the bands they
wanted to see. They were just so happy, and
that made me happy.”
It’s exactly what the Legendary Rhythm &
Blues Cruise set out to do when it started in
2002. The goal of managing partner Roger
Naber was to build a community of blues fans
who enjoy the opportunity to see their favorite
blues artists in intimate settings.

Photography by Joseph A. Rosen & Michael McGrath

40 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SPRING 2023