Norwegian Makes Major Change to Take On Royal Caribbean

When it comes to affordable cruise lines, Royal Caribbean has set the standard for shows and theater productions. The cruise line offers Broadway shows on many of its ships and has pioneered new types of production shows in its Oasis-class Aqua Theaters and Odyssey-class Two70 venue.

And while Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Get Free Report does offer some classic cruise line singing and dancing production shows, many of its offerings take things to a higher level. That will only be amplified when the cruise line begins sailing its newest ship, Icon of the Seas.

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That ship, the first of a new class, will have its own unique venues designed to deliver performances that go well beyond what has been traditional on cruise ships. It's a high standard that gives Royal Caribbean an edge over its key rivals, MSC, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) - Get Free Report, and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) - Get Free Report.

Carnival has stepped its game up with the shows on its newest ships Mardi Gras and Celebration. Now, Norwegian has decided to make a huge overhaul of its production shows.

Norwegian Scraps Many of Its Shows

Norwegian sent an email to crew members that shared that some of its ships will be closed so the company can focus its attention on creating new offerings that exceed guest expectations. That email, which was obtained by Cruise Industry News, said that the cruise line wanted to "elevate its offerings:

A long list of closing productions was included in the email. They include:

• "Swing" on the Norwegian Gem starting on July 7, 2023.
• "World Beat" on the Norwegian Spirit, and the Norwegian Sun starting, respectively, on Aug. 16, 2023, and Oct. 11, 2023.
• "Velvet" on the Norwegian Jewel starting on Sept. 25, 2023.
• "What the World Needs Now" on Norwegian Star starting on Oct. 11, 2023.
• "Footloose" on the Norwegian Joy starting on Oct. 28, 2023
• "Showdown" on the Norwegian Dawn starting on Nov. 4, 2023.
• "Six" on the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Bliss starting, respectively, on Jan. 26, 2024, and Feb. 24, 2024.

The cruise line has not shared what productions will take the place of the ones that are closing. Traditionally, shows will have very long runs on ships. That's especially true of the larger, more complicated production shows because theaters are often constructed to accommodate specific productions.

Icon of the Seas Raises the Bar 

When Icon of the Seas launches it will offer an upgraded take on nightlife. That will not include the cruise line's traditional Schooner Bar where a piano player usually plays long into the night. Instead, the ship will offer a Royal Caribbean first, Dueling Pianos an amped up take on that classic concept.

The ship will also offer ice shows from Royal Caribbean's largest ever skating rink and AquaDome, a rethinking of the Aqua Theaters found on Oasis-class ships.

"A world of sensory discoveries awaits you at the AquaDome -- the most immersive scene at sea. From a towering shapeshifting waterfall that cascades into a dive pool to dining options designed to pique your culinary curiosity," the cruise line shared on its website.

Icon of the Seas will also be home to Royal Caribbean's first-ever theatrical production of "The Wizard of Oz. That was something Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Entertainment Nick Weir shared on Twitter.

"The most iconic family story in the history of entertainment, on both the silver screen and on the world’s stages, is our next mega production! Imagine THIS story, but with OUR creativity and OUR technology! Buckle up Dorothy, this will be the greatest #YellowBrickRoad ever!" he posted.

Royal Caribbean has not shared the full entertainment and show lineup for Icon of the Seas which starts sailing from Miami in January.