That’s Entertainment: Cruise Edition
Cruise entertainment is changing! Gone are the days of Butlins-style entertainment, watching the same people in different outfits performing a version of the same show each night. Huge ships like Norwegian Epic and Oasis of the Seas have been pushing the boat out (groan) over the past few years, and there’s even more than ever to keep you up late at night when you’re sailing the world.
Cruise ship entertainment has reached the big league – the recent Tony Awards (like the Oscars, but for Broadway musicals and plays) went live to Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas for a performance of Hairspray. It looked fun and very polished, not at all out of place alongside other performances back at the Tony Awards.
Cruise liner performers often do the same show twice a day, for up to six months at a time, so we thought they deserve a little of our spotlight! And if you’re inspired to set sail in search of new places to visit, and new shows to watch whilst you’re onboard, check out our cruise pages.
Celebrity Millennium
Boasting a long-standing collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, there are three separate shows onboard channelling these influences – Pulse, Remix and Edge. Expect amazing stunts, more flexibility than at your average ballet performance and bucketsful of dexterity.
Norwegian Epic
This huge ship lives up to her name, being of truly epic proportions. The first liner to have a custom-built theatre home to just one show, the Blue Man Group have been wowing audiences ever since. If that’s not enough, Vegas-inspired Legends In Concert features not only tribute artists, but full-blown recreations of their shows. And if you fancy some circus-action with dinner, don’t miss Cirque Dreams.
Disney Dream
Disney were the first cruise line to really shout about their onboard entertainment, and thanks to their entertainment back catalogue they had plenty of ready-made material to set on stage. New for this year is Villains Tonight, featuring all your favourite Disney villains – Scar, Cruella de Vil, Ursula the Sea Witch, Captain Hook and more. Ooh I can almost hear the boos from here.
Oasis of the Seas
With shows like Hairspray on at the moment and Chicago and Saturday Night Fever featuring recently, if you want to see a Broadway show on your cruise, you know where to go! But the fun doesn’t stop there – there’s also an AquaTheater where you can watch water-based entertainment with high diving and acrobatics. If you prefer your acrobatics out of the water then Come Fly With Me is on hand as well!
Cunard Queen Mary 2
Cunard’s flag ship has been refurbished and is setting sail on the transatlantic trail boasting even more entertainment this year. Their long-standing partnership with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts sees the Merchant of Venice, Richard the Third and Romeo and Juliet all being performed onboard. Or up the pace with the Juilliard School of Jazz, running workshops and giving special performances on certain cruises.
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