‘Soul Mates Cruise Notes’ Series

Welcome to Soul Mates Cruise Notes, the first of a series of notes dedicated to The Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle Cruise, Jazz Cruises’ newest full ship music charter.

Famously, Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle combined for a mega hit “On My Own” years ago. Back together and no longer apart, they have combined to be Soul Mates for a One Time Only Cruise Getaway, The Michael McDonald & Patti LaBelle Cruise, hosted by Marcus Miller and featuring the comedy of George Wallace and Alonzo Bodden.

The cruise sails in just over 200 days, which sounds like a long time, but the Soul Mates want their fans to have as much information about the cruise as soon as possible, particularly since the ship is nearly 60% sold out already! They want every fan to have the opportunity to join them for 4 days of great music and fun at sea!

To fulfill their wishes, Jazz Cruises will be providing a monthly update on the cruise named Soul Mates Cruise Notes in honor of our amazing headliners. Each edition will feature one or two entertainment aspects of the cruise along with details of special events and opportunities that guests will have on the sailing. You will be thrilled to see how much fun you can have in a four-day cruise!

For those of you who have not completed a reservation yet, we will keep you posted as to what staterooms remain available and our best estimate as to when we expect to stop taking reservations. With those ground rules out of the way, let’s talk about the cruise!

How Did This Cruise Come To Be?

Jazz Cruises has been producing cruises since 2001 and has presented over 85 full ship charters mostly featuring music. As its name connotes, most of those music cruises featured Jazz. Jazz Cruises has never produced a 4-day cruise as their programs are customarily 7 days in length. Yet, here we are with a 4-day program that features two of the most important and iconic “soul” performers in the world. How did this happen?

In this case, the availability of a ship led the way. Norwegian Cruise Line was seeking to fill a void in its itinerary for the Norwegian Pearl. This ship has been retrofitted to provide maximum venues for music charters. From January to May each year, the ship is entirely booked with such charters. One of the charters, whose program was in the middle of this run, was unable to complete its program and defaulted. NCL reached out to Jazz Cruises to see if we could fill the gap with a program. Normally, it takes 14–16 months to create a new cruise program, however launching a first-class program in less time than that is one of our strengths.

When the offer came to us, we were at sea with another program that happened to feature Michael McDonald as a Special Guest. The experience we had with him was amazing and we talked about other projects. Co-headliners were discussed and almost immediately we locked on to Patti LaBelle. Her management was responsive and positive and the cruise was set. Marcus Miller had led the band that backed Michael on the cruise then at sea, so he was the perfect person to host the cruise. Having been the music director for Luther Vandross and others in this genre made him the logical choice for other musical roles as well. There are few, if any, musicians in the world more respected than Marcus. He suggested that we add Lisa Fischer to augment our entertainment.

What is the Story Behind the Comedy Portion of the Cruise?

There has never been a Jazz Cruises’ music program without a topflight comedian. The combination of music and comedy is as old as Vaudeville and continues to be an appealing yin and yang today. But, here, too, the story has an interesting twist. Alonzo Bodden is the comic-in-chief at Jazz Cruises having sailed on at least 40 cruise programs. Naturally, he was our first choice to perform on the cruise. Knowing that Patti and George Wallace go way back as friends and colleagues, Alonzo suggested that we feature George as well. That George is Alonzo’s mentor came into play as well.

For those who do not know, George is revered among other comics, particularly the younger ones. His influence on other comics is profound. Testimony to his stature, George was the Best Man at Jerry Seinfeld’s wedding. Not much more needs to be said about how beloved George Wallace is in his industry.

Programming Highlights

While the programming for the cruise has not been finalized, we wanted to share a few highlights that you can expect to enjoy onboard!

April 10, 2024 | Embarkation Day - Miami
Noon - Boarding begins on the Norwegian Pearl
Noon-4:00PM - Explore the Pearl, settle in your stateroom, and grab a bite to eat.
4:00PM - Sailaway Party feat. Alonzo Bodden, Mario Vines & Funky Roots
5:30PM - Comedy with George Wallace & Alonzo Bodden Main Stage Show (BLUE CARDS)
6:15PM - Romeo Johnson
8:00PM - Michael McDonald Main Stage Show (RED CARDS)
9:15PM - Lisa Fischer
10:00PM - Cigars Under the Stars
Late Night - Bliss Ultra Dancing; Funky Roots; Bar City@Night w/ Bill Heller

April 11, 2024 | Nassau
AM Events - Jazz Cruises Coffee Talk Marcus Miller Interviews Michael McDonald
1:00PM - Marcus Miller & Friends Show Tribute to Vandross, Hathaway & Aretha) Poolside
3:00PM - Arrive in Nassau - Sail In Party
3:30 PM - Alonzo Bodden and George Wallace interview each other.
5:30PM - Patti LaBelle (Special Guest Michael McDonald) Main Stage Show (BLUE CARDS)
6:15PM - Leslie Mendelson
8:00PM - Patti LaBelle (Special Guest Michael McDonald) Main Stage Show (RED CARDS)
9:15PM - Leslie Mendelson
Late Night - Bliss Ultra Dancing; Funky Roots; Bar City@Night w/ Bill Heller

April 12, 2014 | Nassau
AM Events - Explore Nassau with a Shore Excursion or on your own, Ship will be docked in the center of downtown.
5:00PM - Sailaway Party
5:30PM - Michael McDonald Main Stage Show (BLUE CARDS)
8:00PM - Comedy with George Wallace & Alonzo Bodden Main Stage (RED CARDS)
9:15PM - Lynne Fiddmont
Late Night - Bliss Ultra Dancing; Funky Roots; Bar City@Night w/ Bill Heller

April 13, 2024 | Disembarkation Day - Miami
7:00AM - Norwegian Pearl docks in Miami

In addition our party band Funky Roots and DJ Jon Quick will be keeping the party going until late each evening.