Sadly now NCL has the worst entertainment of all major lines

[dpepper64]

I vote Choir of Man on every ship on NCL.  Great show.  I enjoy a lot of the show but only enjoy them once.  We cruise 2-3 times a year so decide to go to casino more often than not.  Will watch Choir of man every time it is on the ship.  I would love to know if the cost is cheaper for that show vs others like Donna Sumers

[UKstages]

3 minutes ago, dpepper64 said:

I would love to know if the cost is cheaper for that show vs others like Donna Sumers

 

yes.

[Crown Vic]

On 10/17/2024 at 11:02 AM, wolft927 said:

I prefer back in the day when the ships had The Jean Anne Ryan Company on all their ships for productions shows. 

👍 👍 

[david_sobe]

I don't book a cruise for entertainment.  However I am saddened by NCL's approach to entertainment.  I completely understand it though. Its much cheaper to create your own shows where the performers can perform in various shows across the ship.  Maybe I was spoiled but even though I dont book a ship based on entertainment, I always was wowed by the entertainment at sea.  It definitely enhanced the cruising experience.   Burn the floor is a recycled 10 year old show.  Game shows are fine for extracurricular entertainment but should not be top tier shows. I like Rock of Ages, Blue Man Group, Kinky Boots, Choir of Man, Beetlejuice.

 

[montecarloss]

"I don't book a cruise for entertainment."   Us either. The weather, casino, and islands in the Caribbean are all we need.😁

[graphicguy]

17 hours ago, dpepper64 said:

I vote Choir of Man on every ship on NCL.  Great show.  I enjoy a lot of the show but only enjoy them once.  We cruise 2-3 times a year so decide to go to casino more often than not.  Will watch Choir of man every time it is on the ship.  I would love to know if the cost is cheaper for that show vs others like Donna Sumers

Choir of Man is a big production with a lot of performers.  I can't see the show DONNA costing more to produce. 

 

Admittedly, I didn't like DONNA and am glad NCL axed it.

[UKstages]

i didn't like the scaled-down version of "donna" on NCL and i thought "choir of man" was reasonably entertaining when i saw it in the west end. i personally can't fathom why this show has an appeal beyond the first viewing... i have no desire to see it again. it's a pleasant enough concert among bros, with some audience participation.

 

there are 9 cast members in "choir of man," one set and very few complicated sound cues or special effects. the costumes are essentially street clothes, jeans and collared shirts. it doesn't require a complicated lighting "plot," an excessive number of stagehands or props.

 

"donna" had a cast of 20 or more on broadway, although the NCL version has been condensed and simplified, with some roles apparently eliminated and some cast members doubling or tripling up and playing more than one role. still, it has far more cast members than "choir," as well as a complicated lighting "plot" (grid), multiple sets, an extraordinary number of costumes and backstage personnel, including stage managers, stagehands and dressers. "donna" is much more expensive to produce than "choir."

 

as for performing in more than one show, regardless of whether the show is a licensed property or a homegrown NCL production, such as "elements," NCL is free to cast performers who appear in multiple shows. somebody in "elements," for instance, can also be in "jersey boys" or "footloose" or whatever.

 

the often overlooked factor, however, is the issue of where all those performers sleep and eat. the largely american, british and australian principle casts of "jersey boys" or "donna" or "six" or "choir" or "beetlejuice" are given revenue cabins.... cabins which would otherwise be sold to paying guests. they can eat in the buffet, and with permission, in specialty restaurants, just like the ship's officers.  the multinational casts of the in-house production shows are generally given crew cabins, usually with more than one occupant. they eat in the crew commissary.

 

so, in addition to eliminating the licensing costs of a broadway musical, NCL frees up revenue cabins for sale, as many as 20 or 25, for each broadway show they cancel. by my very conservative calculations, that could mean as much as 1.3 million dollars per year in gross revenue per ship for each broadway show they cancel.

 

so, i can certainly understand why they're deemphasizing first class entertainment. but i think it's a move they will regret. they've taken one of their chief competitive advantages and completely handed it over to other cruise lines.

 

Edited Sunday at 04:17 PM by UKstages

[JSar]

Add me to the list of those who don't book a cruise based on entertainment. My number one factors are cost and itinerary, although I also am fine accepting that itinerary can change. And then a third huge issue for me is style for dining - I do NOT want to be assigned dining times and tables with strangers.

 

So beyond that - entertainment is a bonus. I suppose I am fortunate because I don't have any recent points of comparison for cruise ship entertainment. With that in mind - I have enjoyed almost all the shows I have gone to, whether it be theatrical performances, bands/singers/musicians, comedians, or other. EXCEPT - I could definitely do without the cheesy magician acts. I have never enjoyed them though - and apparently this has not changed for me. I even fell asleep at an EARLY show recently. 

 

But the cheesy musicals/theatrical shows are just fine. Are they Broadway material? Nope. Did I enjoy them anyway? Yep. That said - I am not sure if I will be able to enjoy the big show on my next cruise - but only because it is country music and I can't stand most country music. I think for that show I might get an aisle seat instead of a center seat - in case I can't tolerate all of the country 🤣

[JSar]

6 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Game shows are fine for extracurricular entertainment but should not be top tier shows.

 

THIS I agree with! I haven't had a game show as one of my top tier shows so far... but it looks like one will be on  my upcoming cruise. I have NO interest in it. That should be saved for the afternoon filler, not the nights biggest entertainment in the main theater. 

 

What is next, reality tv/survivor staring current cruise ship guests? No thank you. 

[brad0576]

22 hours ago, UKstages said:

just dropped by to say that royal caribbean announced a couple of days ago that they have secured a six year contract to produce "back to the future" (the west end and broadway musical) on its ships.

 

so, while NCL steps up its commitment to violinists who accompany recorded music tracks, and comedians and jugglers and solo singers, RCL has reaffirmed its commitment to what most "contemporary cruisers" want... large full scale production shows, including broadway musicals.

With RCCL focused on families I they need that type of entertainment to compete with Disney - the show brand is the cost of entry to get families to book.

 

I think NCL is turning away from families and targeting the DINKS & DINKWAD market - hence the removal of amenities like Galaxy Pavilion & Laser Tag.  
 

Our friends that we cruise with are in the 35-60 age range with no kids and we prefer spending time with each other not staring at a slimmed down version of a show we could see in a real theater…. I feel many in our age range feel the same way.

[yakcruiser]

21 minutes ago, JSar said:

 

 

What is next, reality tv/survivor staring current cruise ship guests? No thank you. 

I see possibilities here. Some kind of survivor game built around the buffet or elevators.

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

I see possibilities here. Some kind of survivor game built around the buffet or elevators.

Pier Runners.

[RocketMan275]

Personnally, I'm glad NCL has evening entertainment since it attracts many passengers and that means I have more of the ship to enjoy.

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, brad0576 said:

With RCCL focused on families I they need that type of entertainment to compete with Disney - the show brand is the cost of entry to get families to book.

 

while "back to the future," the broadway musical has a certain appeal for some kids/families, it's not "beauty and the beast" or "frozen." it's much more a show for adults than for kids, particularly for those who were twenty or thirty years old when the movie came out in 1985. that would place the target audience for the show at 60 - 70 years old, which fits well with the demographics of traditional cruisers.

[Panhandle Couple]

1 hour ago, brad0576 said:

With RCCL focused on families I they need that type of entertainment to compete with Disney - the show brand is the cost of entry to get families to book.

 

I think NCL is turning away from families and targeting the DINKS & DINKWAD market - hence the removal of amenities like Galaxy Pavilion & Laser Tag.  
 

Our friends that we cruise with are in the 35-60 age range with no kids and we prefer spending time with each other not staring at a slimmed down version of a show we could see in a real theater…. I feel many in our age range feel the same way.

I have been on the Bliss 3 times, 21 days total, and have never seen anyone playing laser tag.

Galaxy Pavilion is also mainly empty when we walk by.

The caveat is that we have sailed her during school time, not in the summer.

 

The pavilion is like the casino, spend your $$ for a few cheap thrills, except you will never win any back.

 

Laser Tag is probably a "non-performing asset" meaning they lose nothing by replacing it with something else that might draw in money for use, such as an expanded Vibe.  

[brad0576]

32 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I have been on the Bliss 3 times, 21 days total, and have never seen anyone playing laser tag.

 

The caveat is that we have sailed her during school time, not in the summer.

 

 

School is generally in session more than it is out of session - and working in Orlando in the hotel industry for 30+ years - the time periods when school is out is like shooting fish in a barrel to gain occupancy, the larger effort is filling in during the school year

[david_sobe]

The real test for me will be the Aqua Prince show. Prince is spinning in his grave that his family sold the rights of his songs for this show.  If its just a standard cruise ship medley then I wont be impressed. If it has some unexpected cool or wow moments then I will applaud.  I remember NCL used to even have themed drinks in the theater for their shows.  Does anyone remember the marshmallow blue drink they had for Blue Man Group.  I could see them developing some sort of purple drink.  
P.S.  If NCL steals my idea, I want 30% of the purple drink proceeds 🤑

[Panhandle Couple]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

 

while "back to the future," the broadway musical has a certain appeal for some kids/families, it's not "beauty and the beast" or "frozen." it's much more a show for adults than for kids, particularly for those who were twenty or thirty years old when the movie came out in 1985. that would place the target audience for the show at 60 - 70 years old, which fits well with the demographics of traditional cruisers.

I looked BTF stage show up.

The movie was 2 hours.

The show is 2.5 hours.  It has 17 songs.

Most cruise ship performances are 90 minutes.

So it seems a very abbreviated version will be offered.  Will audiences sit for the full 2 hrs of the original movie?  Certainly not for the 2.5 hour stage show, unless they have a part 1 and 2 on different nights?  Which of the 17 songs gets cut, and why?  Or is the dialog between the songs?

I think it is great that RCL is trying this (a 7 year contract) and keeps pressure on NCL to keep their own shows going. But it could also go the way of Footloose.   Great for the original fans, but won't wow any new fans.

 

 

[Panhandle Couple]

22 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

The real test for me will be the Aqua Prince show. Prince is spinning in his grave that his family sold the rights of his songs for this show.  If its just a standard cruise ship medley then I wont be impressed. If it has some unexpected cool or wow moments then I will applaud.  I remember NCL used to even have themed drinks in the theater for their shows.  Does anyone remember the marshmallow blue drink they had for Blue Man Group.  I could see them developing some sort of purple drink.  
P.S.  If NCL steals my idea, I want 30% of the purple drink proceeds 🤑

Might want to look up purple drank.

IYKYK

[UKstages]

the press release announcing "revolution: a celebration of prince” said it would be "a concert-like experience." i think that means we should expect "a standard cruise ship medley" since it's an in-house "NCL creative studios" show. sounds more like a "legends in concert" kind of thing, rather than a full blown stage show with special effects and insight on the performer's life and career.

 

the same press release proudly proclaimed that NCL would be enhancing“elements" with new surprises in a rebranded show called “elements: the world expanded.” i'm hoping one of the surprises is a plot because the show is nearly indecipherable in its current form.

 

with regard to the length of "back to the future." all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are what are called "tab" versions... ninety minutes or so, carefully edited and blessed by the original broadway or west end creative team. i imagine RCL's version of "back to the future" will be the same. unless the show in its original form is relatively short (such as "six"), all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are truncated. it was one of the biggest problems with "donna." they completely lost the through line.

 

the challenge with BTTF on RCL won't really be what to cut... it will be how to produce quality special effects onboard a moving ship. spoiler alert: the show ends with marty and doc taking a stunning journey in a delorean out above the audience. it will be interesting to see if RCL attempts to recreate that. (i doubt they will.) as for the music, that will be easy to cut. the show has one of the worst and most undistinguished original musical scores of any show to hit broadway in the last fifty years. truly, the only good songs in the show are the two songs that were in the movie: "johnny b. goode" and "power of love."

 

Edited Sunday at 09:14 PM by UKstages

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

the press release announcing "revolution: a celebration of prince” said it would be "a concert-like experience." i think that means we should expect "a standard cruise ship medley" since it's an in-house "NCL creative studios" show. sounds more like a "legends in concert" kind of thing, rather than a full blown stage show with special effects and insight on the performer's life and career.

 

the same press release proudly proclaimed that NCL would be enhancing“elements" with new surprises in a rebranded show called “elements: the world expanded.” i'm hoping one of the surprises is a plot because the show is nearly indecipherable in its current form.

 

with regard to the length of "back to the future." all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are what are called "tab" versions... ninety minutes or so, carefully edited and blessed by the original broadway or west end creative team. i imagine RCL's version of "back to the future" will be the same. unless the show in its original form is relatively short (such as "six"), all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are truncated. it was one of the biggest problems with "donna." they completely lost the through line.

 

the challenge with BTTF on RCL won't really be what to cut... it will be how to produce quality special effects onboard a moving ship. spoiler alert: the show ends with marty and doc taking a stunning journey in a delorean out above the audience. it will be interesting to see if RCL attempts to recreate that. (i doubt they will.) as for the music, that will be easy to cut. the show has one of the worst and most undistinguished original musical scores of any show to hit broadway in the last fifty years. truly, the only good songs in the show are the two songs that were in the movie: "johnny b. goode" and "power of love."

 

You mean a floating little red corvette above the audience while a chorus of Raspberry berets does acrobats on stage is too much to hope for?

 

 

Seriously, could we get something like this?

 

Edited Sunday at 10:22 PM by david_sobe

[NicNac4498]

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

the press release announcing "revolution: a celebration of prince” said it would be "a concert-like experience." i think that means we should expect "a standard cruise ship medley" since it's an in-house "NCL creative studios" show. sounds more like a "legends in concert" kind of thing, rather than a full blown stage show with special effects and insight on the performer's life and career.

 

the same press release proudly proclaimed that NCL would be enhancing“elements" with new surprises in a rebranded show called “elements: the world expanded.” i'm hoping one of the surprises is a plot because the show is nearly indecipherable in its current form.

 

with regard to the length of "back to the future." all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are what are called "tab" versions... ninety minutes or so, carefully edited and blessed by the original broadway or west end creative team. i imagine RCL's version of "back to the future" will be the same. unless the show in its original form is relatively short (such as "six"), all cruise ship versions of broadway shows are truncated. it was one of the biggest problems with "donna." they completely lost the through line.

 

the challenge with BTTF on RCL won't really be what to cut... it will be how to produce quality special effects onboard a moving ship. spoiler alert: the show ends with marty and doc taking a stunning journey in a delorean out above the audience. it will be interesting to see if RCL attempts to recreate that. (i doubt they will.) as for the music, that will be easy to cut. the show has one of the worst and most undistinguished original musical scores of any show to hit broadway in the last fifty years. truly, the only good songs in the show are the two songs that were in the movie: "johnny b. goode" and "power of love."

 

 

They will. The Oasis and Icon class ships theatres have a flying rig capable of flying large scenery pieces over and around the auditorium. They have done a small plane, a house, a human-sized drone, and I am sure Deloreon will be next.

[di T]

On 10/17/2024 at 9:16 PM, D_And_K_gocruising said:

I have to look at princess more, I dont know if it will fit our style or not.. MSC we have REALLY been looking at hard.   For the price of their yacht club we've thought about doing one in that level just to experience something "special" since it seems to be more in line with our budget (albeit stretching it) compared to other "luxury" accommodations. 

 

Having sailed with NCL,Royal, Celebrity, many times as well as others not as many.We have just finished our first yacht club earlier this month! Drinks, food and service was great! Enjoyed it so much have booked for next year just yesterday.Not until next September but that was the only time free as we are away a lot in 2025, treat yourselves to yacht club I’m sure you will love it.

[PATRLR]

20 hours ago, UKstages said:

so, in addition to eliminating the licensing costs of a broadway musical, NCL frees up revenue cabins for sale, as many as 20 or 25, for each broadway show they cancel. by my very conservative calculations, that could mean as much as 1.3 million dollars per year in gross revenue per ship for each broadway show they cancel.

Sure.  You want another idea for saving/increasing revenue?  Get rid of the theatre entirely - Just think of how many cabins you could put in that space.  Plus all the technical back stage help you wouldn't need would mean even more savings.  

I'm not sure what your point really was. I don't think there is any question the reason NCL is eliminating the quality entertainment to improve its bottom line.  That is pretty much the reason NCL makes any change to the customer experience.

 

[PATRLR]

I agree the quality of NCL entertainment has gone way downhill.  It used to be something in the "Pro" column for us when making a choice, now it's in the "Con" column.  And its not just the theatre shows - all the entertainment seems to be lower quality than it used to be.

We just looked at the Bliss vs Discovery Princess for March 2025. We went with Princess in part because of the entertainment.  The way we think about it, Mexican Riviera is nothing more than beaches - so the onboard experience is important in our decision making.  (that and the fact that Princess was about 40% cheaper 😉 - but had they been equal, we would have gone Princess because the food and entertainment both are superior)