Grab the popcorn: these cruises have the best entertainment at sea
'It's a bit 'cruise ship'' used to be the ultimate put-down when it came to entertainment. But what you'll see on cruise ships nowadays is absolutely cutting edge, with theatres more high-tech than anything in the West End, producers who have worked with some of the biggest names in showbiz and imaginative offerings including foot-tapping blues, ice shows and big-name classical orchestras. Here are some of the most sizzling shows at sea — and they're all included in the cruise price.
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Cunard goes all-out to be different from the pack with its entertainment residencies, which this year range from Jamie Cullum and Jools Holland to touring company OperaUpClose, as well as theatre performances from Pride and Prejudice to Charlie and Stan, the story of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel's friendship as they set sail for New York in 1910. An annual highlight is the conductor Anthony Inglis and the National Symphony Orchestra, who give two classical performances during a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2, as well as a chance to audition for a guest choir to perform with the orchestra. Details Seven nights' full board from £919pp, sailing from New York to Southampton, departing on September 3 (cunard.com). Fly to New York
Royal Caribbean is famed for its sparkling West End and Broadway shows, many with original cast members starring in Grease, Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Cats. The shows, although not full length, have every bit of the talent and energy of the originals and they're free to watch. There's more, too, depending on the ship. As well as showing Mamma Mia!, Allure of the Seas has an ice rink with dazzling professional skating shows and the alfresco AquaTheater, where former Olympian high divers perform heart-in-the-mouth stunts leaping gracefully off a 9m board into the deepest pool at sea.Details Seven nights' full board from £832pp, departing from Barcelona on October 5 (royalcaribbean.com). Fly to Barcelona
NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) is another that goes all-out with big shows and live music all over the ship after dark. Choose the 4,010-passenger Norwegian Bliss and tap your feet along to Jersey Boys, the compelling story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as belting out Beatles classics with a tribute band in the Cavern Club. Evenings are quite the contrast to the days on this Alaska cruise, when you could be whale-watching, ziplining over the rainforest and gazing at vast glaciers.Details Seven nights' full board from £816pp, departing from Seattle on August 30 (ncl.com). Fly to Seattle
Holland America Line's ships may not stage West End shows but the line does have a partnership with BB King's Blues Club, and the BB King's All Star Band on board is every bit as good as the original in Memphis. Meanwhile, rockers of all ages can play out their best air guitar to the live band in the Rolling Stone Lounge on the 2,668-passenger Rotterdam, another area of the 'Music Walk', where the main entertainment venues are located. There are classical recitals at Lincoln Center Stage in collaboration with the New York-based arts complex, plus live classical accompaniment from the same musicians to screenings of BBC Earth documentaries in the theatre.Details Seven nights' full board from £959pp, sailing from Rotterdam to Reykjavik, departing on July 12 (hollandamerica.com). Fly or take the train to Rotterdam
You'd expect nothing less from Disney Cruise Line's swish ships, but the entertainment is outstanding, especially if you consider that the starting price for a Disney show in the West End is from £40 a head. Sail on Disney Fantasy this summer and you can see Frozen: A Musical Spectacular, Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, and Believe, all included in the cruise fare. There are three days at sea on this cruise from Barcelona to Southampton, so plenty of time to splash around on the AquaDuck water coaster and hang out with your favourite Disney characters.Details Seven nights' full board from £1,963pp, departing from Barcelona on July 24 (disneycruise.disney.go.com). Fly to Barcelona
Celebrity Cruises stages its own shows, written specially for the cruise line and featuring impressive dance, aerial acts and special effects, including the tech used to create the 'Abbatars' for Abba Voyage, alongside big musical hits. On Ascent, the newest ship, the three shows, including the spectacular Bridges and dreamy Awaken, involve 17 choreographers, 500 costumes and a production team of more than 100, some of whom have worked with Dua Lipa and Cirque du Soleil. You can see both, as well as the glam, Vegas-inspired show Residency on this cruise from Rome to Greece and Turkey.Details Eleven nights' full board from £1,322pp, departing from Rome on October 20 (celebritycruises.com). Fly to Rome
Nobody could accuse Virgin Voyages of being conventional in its entertainment. No musical theatre or crooners here; instead, on Scarlet Lady, strap in for the wild ride of Lights, Camera, Drag!, featuring the resident drag queen the Diva, plus Duel Reality, a close-up, mind-blowingly acrobatic retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a contemporary circus twist. Pack your red glad rags for this cruise from Portsmouth to Amsterdam, Zeebrugge and Bordeaux; every cruise includes Scarlet Night, a wild deck party with the ship's dancers — and yes, everyone does end up in the pool.Details Seven nights' full board from £819pp, departing from Portsmouth on September 5 (virginvoyages.com)
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