StarVista LIVE Continues the Soul Train Legacy with Tony Cornelius as Host of the Soul Train Cruise

StarVista LIVE continues to bring the Soul Train experience to life at sea with the Soul Train Cruise, with Tony Cornelius serving as the cruise host.

Since its launch, the Soul Train Cruise has provided fans with an opportunity to experience the music, artists, dance and spirit of Soul Train in a live setting.

StarVista LIVE deserves recognition for bringing the Soul Train inspired cruise experience to life and continuing to develop an entertainment experience that has connected generations of music lovers.

The Soul Train Cruise has grown into a signature music experience, bringing together legendary R&B and soul artists, original Soul Train Dancers, musicians, comedians, DJs and special guests.

Tony Cornelius has remained an integral part of that experience as the host of the Soul Train Cruise, welcoming guests, introducing artists and sharing stories that connect the cruise to the history of Soul Train and his father, Don Cornelius.

For Tony, hosting the cruise is about more than introducing artists and participating in onboard events. It provides an opportunity to personally connect with generations of Soul Train fans while preserving the spirit of the franchise his father created.

“The Soul Train Cruise has become another way for me to connect with the audience,” Tony says. “I'm able to host, interact with guests and hear their stories. We spend seven days on the ship dedicated to Love, Peace and Soul.”

StarVista LIVE has played an important role in extending the Soul Train experience beyond television.

Through its music cruises and live entertainment programming, the company has created an environment where artists and audiences can come together in a way that celebrates the music and culture that made Soul Train a cultural institution.

The Soul Train Cruise brings together artists from different eras, original Soul Train talent and fans from across the country.

The experience allows longtime fans to revisit the music they grew up with while introducing younger generations to the artists, dancers and culture associated with Soul Train.

For Tony, that intergenerational connection is one of the most meaningful aspects of the cruise.

“Music has a way of bringing people together,” Tony says.

“The artists, the audience and the stories we hear on the ship all give me another perspective on what Soul Train means to people.”

As the son of Don Cornelius, Tony grew up around the production of the groundbreaking television program and later built his own career within Don Cornelius Productions.

He worked his way through production positions before moving into executive leadership, gaining experience across television production, programming and entertainment.

That firsthand experience gives Tony a unique connection to the history of Soul Train while allowing him to participate in its continuing evolution.

Tony is also looking toward the future with Soul Train Cruise 2.0 and the West Coast Initiative, which he sees as opportunities to expand the Soul Train experience and create additional opportunities for artists, musicians, entertainment professionals and audiences to connect.

“You can't live in the past. You have to respect the past, learn from it and move forward,” Tony says.

That philosophy reflects his approach to the Soul Train legacy.

Don Cornelius created Soul Train for his generation, and Tony believes the responsibility today is to preserve the history while finding new ways for the legacy to remain meaningful to future generations.

Tony Cornelius' connection to the Soul Train legacy continues through his work with the next generation of Soul Train experiences.

Soul Train Cruise 2.0, also known as the Fall Soul Train Cruise, sails November 7–14, 2026, bringing the Soul Train experience to sea with more than 50 live performances, artist Q&A sessions, dance lessons with the original Soul Train Dancers, nightly theme parties and a vow renewal ceremony.

For more information about the Fall Soul Train Cruise, visit fall.soultraincruise.com.

The Soul Train Cruise returns February 14–21, 2027, continuing the celebrated cruise experience that brings together music, entertainment and fans of the Soul Train legacy.

For more information about the Soul Train Cruise, visit Soul Train Cruise.

Through these experiences, StarVista LIVE and Tony Cornelius continue to connect the history and cultural significance of Soul Train with audiences across generations.

Don Cornelius created Soul Train as a platform for Black artists, musicians, dancers and entertainers at a time when opportunities for visibility on television were limited.

The program went on to become one of the most influential music and entertainment programs in television history, shaping music, fashion, dance and popular culture.

Tony experienced that history from inside the production rooms, behind the cameras and within the executive offices.

He learned the television business from the ground up and developed his own career while working alongside his father.

Today, his work with the Soul Train Cruise provides another avenue for that history to remain connected to audiences.

“People sometimes look at Soul Train as just a music and dance show, but it was much bigger than that,” Tony says. “My father built an infrastructure around the program.”

That infrastructure continues to inspire new generations, and the Soul Train Cruise provides a place where fans can celebrate it together.

For StarVista LIVE, the Soul Train Cruise is part of a broader tradition of creating music-centered experiences that bring artists and audiences together. For Tony Cornelius, it is also personal.

It is a connection to his father, his family's history and the millions of people who made Soul Train part of their lives.

StarVista LIVE continues to bring the experience to audiences at sea, while Tony Cornelius, as host of the Soul Train Cruise, remains a direct connection to the legacy of Don Cornelius and Soul Train.

The music continues.

The memories continue.

The legacy continues.

About Tony Cornelius
Tony Cornelius is a veteran television producer and entertainment executive with more than three decades of experience in television production, including network, cable, commercial and first-run syndicated programming.

The son of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius, Tony spent decades at Don Cornelius Productions, rising through the organization from production positions to executive leadership.

His career includes extensive work with the Soul Train franchise, including Soul Train Awards and television specials, as well as the TOBY Awards and BOMA.

Tony is the host of the Soul Train Cruise, continuing his longtime connection to the Soul Train legacy and the audiences who have embraced the franchise for generations.

He is also President and Founder of the Don Cornelius Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention awareness and community outreach.