The crowd on the last night of entertainment aboard the 2022 Love and Harmony Cruise was nothing near that of Reggae Sumfest or similar reggae shows in Jamaica. But it sure felt like it when the iconic reggae singer Beres Hammond took the stage at 10:20 pm. For the next 85 minutes, a hungry crowd waiting for about two hours was mesmerized by the passionate and melodic voice of Beres blasting through the speakers.
The Love and Harmony Cruise all-white party was a fitting end to four nights of reggae music and engaging activities on Holland America’s MS Nieuw Amsterdam. Close to 2,000 fans packed the upper deck to see and hear Beres sing, and it would be a massive lie if anyone said he was not worth it.
The undisputed king of reggae lovers’ rock had the crowd in his hand from the minute he opened with Solid Love from his 2004 album Beres Hammond. Then two songs later, when he said, “hush, What can you do to stop a man from trying,” the party went ballistic. He raised the temperature for the next ten minutes, especially in the ladies’ hearts with favorites; Come Back Home, Step Aside, One dance, and She Loves Me Now.
It was classic Beres at his best as he interacted with the crowd and his band. Forty minutes into his set, Buju Banton joined him on stage, and the two kicked the party energy another notch up; the crowd showed its appreciation with more noise and waving lights. Another of his protégé, Beenie Man, who thrilled the cruise crowd the previous night, also joined Beres on stage to add more fire to the performance.
Beres gave the crowd 26 of his best hits, including Tempted, Double Trouble, Resistance, Pull Up the Vibes, No disturbances, and Falling in Love.
“It was the perfect ending,” according to Carol Noseworthy, who was on board with her three friends. Fifty-five-year-old Jasmine Knuckle and her husband thought the performance was worthy of the trip. “The last time we saw Beres was 15 years ago. The pandemic shelved our plans for 2019, but we are glad we got another chance. He is my favorite reggae singer,” she said.
When the show ended at 11:35, another satisfied crowd went to the bar to get colling down drinks. Dexter and his schoolmate Rory took their wives on the cruise because it was on their bucket list. “Man, I love the show. Beenie and Buju were amazing, but Beres took it a step further. Our wives had a lot of fun, and I think our dog houses are locked for the next three months,” he said to much laughter from the rest of his party.
Overall, the five nights of The Love and Harmony Cruise were a fantastic change for persons who had not been out to enjoy themselves like this since 2019, because of the COVID pandemic.
Next year’s cruise is already set for April 4th to 9th, and based on activities at the onboard booking desk, it will be sold out again. There was a long line of persons taking advantage of early rates and securing their cabins. Confirmed entertainers include Pop Caan, Sanchez, and Beres.
The Love and Harmony Cruise will make a final stop in The Bahamas today before docking in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow morning.
