3 months ago
25
The 2025 instalment of the Love & Harmony Cruise is now in the record book and what a fantastic musical voyage it was. The annual reggae cruise, which set sail aboard the luxurious Norwegian Joy from Miami to Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, then back to South Florida, proved to be the perfect getaway for family, friends and loved ones looking to create memorable moments.
This year’s cruise featured performances from Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Richie Stephens, Elephant Man, Capleton, Sanchez, Cham, Bounty Killer, Louie Culture and soca star Edwin Yearwood. The entertainment offering peaked on night four of the five-day cruise at the Singers In Action All White Concert, headlined by ‘The Boss’ Beres Hammond, backed by the Harmony House Band, and award-winning reggae crooner Richie Stephens, who got the party started. Both singers were in fine nick, delivering the perfect mix of reggae and love ballads on the sold-out music odyssey.
The temperature on the Norwegian Joy spiked when Hammond walked on stage with his five backup singers and backing band to rapturous applause and belted out hits from his decades-deep catalogue.
New York business entrepreneur Michael Williams, who was celebrating his 61st birthday, was enthralled by the She Loves Me Now singer when he segued into the reggae ballad No Disturb Sign from his 1994 major label début on Elektra Records.
“Beres may not be as agile as 10 years ago, but he still has the pipes,” the Kingston-born Williams shared with The Gleaner.
Earlier, Stephens, dressed in a full-white, two-piece suit, accentuated with matching a fedora, romped on stage with a blaze of energy crooning, “ I am trying to get close to you,” as he was enthusiastically greeted by the music-thirsty crowd that had just returned from an exciting but exhaustive eight-hour stop in Ocho Rios.
“It was an absolute pleasure to perform for fans on the same night as Beres Hammond,” Stephens told The Gleaner. “I must thank Beres, Joey Budafuco, Jabba and the entire Love & Harmony crew for giving me this opportunity to showcase my talent on this esteemed global stage,” he noted.
In addition to award-winning entertainment, there were other attractions such as a mini water park, racetrack, miniature golf, and more than 30 onboard events, including dominoes, ludo and egg-and-spoon races. ‘Harmonisers’ also enjoyed themed events that featured selectors Glamour Wayne, Marcus Wanted, Bobby Konders & Jabba and Marlon Famous, who has worked on the cruise every year since 2017.
Famous showed his versatility on the Sail Away, Soul To Soul and School Uniform parties. The gospel party with selector Glamour Wayne, originally from Gemini sound system, offered a different experience, with more than 100 ‘Harmonisers’ extending their stay on the dance floor. The comedy show with Johnny Daley and Lemon also kept guests entertained throughout the Caribbean voyage.
Among the celebrity patrons seen aboard was Jamaica-born, retired US Olympic 400 metres champion Sanya Richards-Ross, who is expecting.
English (US) ·