On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Days 4 & 5: Starship Lands on the Pearl, Alan Parsons Takes It Home

On the Blue New Horizons Cruise logo

There was still lots of live classic rock music and other fun things taking place during the last two days of the On the Blue: New Horizons cruise. The floating music festival took place aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl April 5-10, 2024 with an amazing lineup of acts aboard including the Zombies, Al Stewart, Little River Band, Vanilla Fudge, Rare Earth, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple fame, John Ford Coley, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, the Young Dubliners, the Skatalites, Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues and many others. Having already made port at Puerta Plata in the Dominican Republic earlier in the cruise, the Pearl still had a stop in Nassau, the Bahamas on tap as she made her way back to Miami. And amazing concerts from Starship and the Alan Parsons Live Project were set to be highlights of the cruise's final two days.

The performance by Starship featuring singer Mickey Thomas was one of the most-anticipated shows of the cruise. The set began, appropriately enough, with the hit "Wild Again," a cut from the band's 1989 release Love Among the Cannibals that also featured in the Tom Cruise film "Cocktail." Later in the show Thomas would identify Love... as his favorite Starship album as he introduced another cut from the record, "It's Not Enough." The rest of the dynamic set consisted of hit after hit from the Starship catalog as well as numbers from Jefferson Starship and that band's predecessor Jefferson Airplane. Mickey was in fine form as he sang the biggies "Jane," "Sara," "We Built This City," "Find Your Way Back" and the tender "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" on which he duetted with Cian Coey who handled with aplomb and vigor the part sung on record by Grace Slick. Coey also took the spotlight as Starship paid homage to their roots with takes on the Jefferson Airplane hits "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love," staying faithful to Slick's original vocals while also putting her own stamp on the cuts.

Mickey Thomas of Starship

When the Pearl stopped in Nassau cruisers had a wide variety of shore excursions to choose from or they could just explore the city on their own. Lots of cruisers headed to beach adventures and some took it a step beyond the beach to go snorkeling or scuba diving in the pristine Bahamas waters, have an encounter with dolphins or stingrays (or even with swimming pigs on Rose Island), hit the Atlantis Aquaventure Water Park or take a scenic boat ride to Blue Lagoon Island.

Cannons at Fort Nassau

For those interested in a tour of Nassau there were several options, one of which included a stop at the historic Fort Nassau, originally constructed in 1697. It was not lost on cruisers that cannons surround the fort; why not see big guns ashore when cruising with the big guns of classic rock? Another favorite stop during the tour of Nassau was Bahamas Rum Cake Factory where rum-soaked goodies could be purchased and sampled. With flavors including pineapple, coconut, caramel, banana, Irish cream and many others there was a rum cake taste to suit everyone.

At Bahamas Rum Cake Factory

For those who wanted to stock up, a discount was offered if a six pack was purchased. Just outside the rum cake factory there's an open air bar where many chose to try a local beer, Kalik, which interestingly enough has a tie-in with music.
The big carnival-like celebration in the Bahamas is called Junkanoo, a popular event where cowbell features as part of the joyous music that powers the event's street parties; it seems that Kalik takes its name from the sound made when the cowbell is struck. Going ashore in the Bahamas during the On the Blue: New Horizons cruise was a special treat, literally!

Kalik beer

The last big show of the cruise in the Pearl's Stardust Theater was presented by the Alan Parsons Live Project. Parsons himself sang and played acoustic guitar on some songs, backed-up by a seven-piece band that featured lots of stellar singers that took turns with lead vocals. The band ran through a lengthy list of their hits and favorites including "Standing on Higher Ground," "Don't Answer Me," the delicate "Time" with PJ Olsson on lead vocals, "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You," "Damned if I Do" and "Eye in the Sky." A couple of really outstanding performances came with a raucous take on "Psychobabble" and a mash-up of "Breakdown" and the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired "The Raven." Parsons' musical tales of mystery and imagination provided the perfect way to bid farewell to another thrilling On the Blue cruise.

Alan Parsons

Fans who sailed on the On the Blue: New Horizons cruise and those who couldn't make it this time are all anxiously awaiting news of the next sailing. Dates and performers for that cruise will be announced here.

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