Love and Harmony Cruise to set sail this weekend
Beres Hammond, Buju Banton and Tarrus Riley, among those to perform
Published:Friday | April 12, 2024 | 12:07 AMKwela Cole/Gleaner Writer
The Norwegian Pearl sets sail on April 13 to explore the bright blue waters of the Caribbean Sea for the 2024 iteration of the Love and Harmony Cruise. The musical experience upon the sea is booked out a year in advance and will have onboard over 2300 fans of reggae, dancehall and soca.
“The audience is a mature global audience and lovers of Caribbean culture so each year the organisers select artistes with an extensive catalogue who will get our patrons whom we affectionately call ‘Harmonizers’ feeling the love and hearing the harmony. It’s a family atmosphere aboard [the cruise] and this year with a stellar line-up of Buju Banton, Tarrus Riley, Alison Hinds, Ghost, Chris Martin and our Captain Beres Hammond, the performances are the icing on the cake,” shared Ronnie Tomlinson, director of public relations for the Love and Harmony Cruise.
Harmonizers can expect a complete cultural immersion into the colourful world of Caribbean music, food and people, during their time aboard the Love and Harmony Vessel. Tomlinson boasted about the delicious cuisine her team has planned, all possible by acclaimed chefs Richie Rich of The Richie Rich Caribbean Taste restaurant in The Bronx, New York and Rodney Bowers out of Toronto, Canada.
“One of the main things our Harmonizer family look forward to is the Caribbean cuisine. The morning meals of ackee and saltfish, fried breadfruit and bammy, various [types of] porridges and special meals like oxtail, brown stew fish, mackerel, green banana and ital dishes. Our Harmonizers really enjoy the Caribbean meals,” said Tomlinson.
Along with the wide variety of tasty meals promised to patrons is a non-stop party atop the waves, with a packed itinerary of events guaranteed to keep the good vibes going. With musical guests hailing from across the Caribbean and a variety of indigenous genres, Tomlinson assures a little bit of something for everyone. Themed parties, comedy shows, as well as the star-studded music line-up add to the anticipated excitement.
“[Harmonizers] will also enjoy the themed events like the Sail Away party, ‘90s party, Pyjama party, All-White Night and this year we have a School Uniform party. That is in addition to our domino, ludo, basketball and football tournaments. We have seen persons posting their neck-ties from Knox and Manchester High School, as well as schools across the US and UK. In addition to the comedy show this year, we have Chris ‘Johnny’ Daley and comedian Leon Parkins and the always memorable karaoke.”
Booking ahead of time is highly recommended as the 2025 staging is all ready 50 per cent sold, according to the Love and Harmony director. She said the cruise selling out up to a year in advance is a regular occurrence.
“Due to the high demand, the organisers have chartered a bigger vessel for Love and Harmony Cruise 2025. Next year we will set sail aboard Norwegian Joy.”
The 2024 Love and Harmony Cruise is set for departure from Miami, Florida on Saturday, April 13 and returns on Thursday, April 18, to Miami, Florida.