Cruise ship performers are some of the most talented people that you’ll ever see on stage. Many have done Broadway or West End shows, and choose to live a life at sea for the travel and performance opportunities. As a previous Broadway touring performer myself, I’ve also had the opportunity to sing and dance on cruise ships for a total of five years! Now, I love to sail on different cruise lines as a guest, merely enjoying the entertainment from the audience.
My time performing at sea was spent on Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Regent Seven Seas. On each ship, my cast and I would perform between two to five different production shows, all about 50 minutes in length, during each voyage. From Broadway cabarets to full on rock shows, every cruise performer has to be extremely versatile to pull off the variety of shows onboard. As a previous performer with a refined eye, I am always on the hunt to find the best live entertainment at sea–so stay tuned to see how my cruise performer review of Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess panned out.
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What Most Cruise Entertainment Gets Right (and Wrong)
Performers in “Feira!” onboard the Sun Princess
Most cruise ship shows will have a specific theme, and they generally use popular songs that the audience will know. This is for two main reasons: to appeal to the variety of guests who are cruising, and for cheaper song licensing. A common theme you’ll see amongst cruise ships are rock shows that feature songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and you’ll most likely never leave a ship without hearing “Don’t Stop Believing” at least once. While it can definitely be enjoyable, and may even be some of the best cruise entertainment that you’ll see, it can get boring time after time.
One thing that always irks me about cruise ship entertainment is the lack of creativity within production shows. They can sometimes seem monotonous, and the same from ship to ship. The costumes will look similar, the song lists will be almost the same, and the technology used is solely reliant on LED screens. I also notice that a lot of choreography used in cruise ship production shows doesn’t actually use the full talent of the performers, and instead, it can feel like a dance recital from the ‘90s.
When speaking with Becky Thomson-Foley, Head of Global Entertainment at Princess Cruises, she shared, “With Sun Princess, our production strategy was centered on delivering next-level, immersive entertainment experiences that could only happen on this ship. As our first Sphere Class vessel, it gave us the freedom to build venues like the Princess Arena—our most technologically advanced theater to date—which allows for adaptable staging, dynamic LED visuals, and surround sound that pulls guests into the story. We partnered with renowned choreographers like Karen Bruce and Liz Imperio to develop an entirely new lineup of original shows like the high-energy celebration of Latin culture in Viva La Música.”
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What Made Princess Cruises Stand Out
Dancer performing in “Fiera!” onboard the Sun Princess
I recently cruised on the Sun Princess where they have two main production shows, “Viva La Música,” and “Fiera!” “Viva La Música” is a vibrant and high-energy showcase of Latin music, and it was created to invite guests to get up on their feet, experiencing the spirit of the Latin culture immersed around them. “Fiera!” takes place in a carnival, and it includes medleys of popular songs. This production has a bit of a storyline to it, and it includes captivating staging and choreography.
The first thing that I noticed with these shows was that the technology used was top-tier. For each show, the stage was set up to be in a completely different configuration. This made it feel like the nearly 1,000 seat theatre was transformed to fit the style of the show that you were seeing. There were turntables that added incredible dynamics to the choreography and advanced LED screens that actually added to the performance instead of serving as a distraction.
Many ships that I’ve been on, like Carnival and Regent Seven Seas, seem to add technology that almost came off in a gimmicky, cheesy manner. With Princess, however, I noticed that the shows felt a bit more mature and polished. One of the reasons for this is because of the top-tier industry professionals creating their set of shows. Princess has worked with Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the ever-popular Broadway smash Wicked, as well as many famed choreographers straight from Broadway, So You Think You Can Dance and more. When I was taught the shows for the ships that I worked on, I was rarely even told who originally choreographed or created each show (which is pretty telling, if you ask me!)
Another reason that the Princess Cruises theatre shows blew me away was the use of the performers’ talent matched with great choreography. While I was able to appreciate the beautiful technique that each dancer had through perfect ballet movements (a dancer even went en pointe), in-sync turns and leaps, and sharp movement quality–I was also able to appreciate their artistry. They achieved this through connected storytelling, meaningful choreography that had unique and captivating movements, and genuine emoting that shined through.
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Behind-the-Scenes Details Only a Performer Would Notice
One thing that many cruise ship guests may not realize is that the average time that performers are given to learn a production show is one week. Within about six days of working from 8am to 6pm, the performers are taught complex sets of choreography, staging and songs. By the end of the week, it gets performed in the form of an “office run” for the head honchos of entertainment, who are people that must approve the cast to set sail with their shows. It’s high stress, and takes a special kind of performer to pull this off!
Another secret that you may not know is that there is a whole world behind the scenes during cruise theatre shows. Costume changes have their own sets of choreography, and performers have to work with their fellow cast mates and the wardrobe team to swiftly change a full costume–sometimes in under 60 seconds!
Knowing this information, I thought that the cast onboard the Sun Princess was extremely polished, had incredible energy and handled everything onstage and off with ease. With the demands that the shows onboard required of them, I was highly impressed.
Entertainment Options Beyond the Main Stage
Juggler performer for Princess Cruises Guests in the main piazza
On the Sun Princess, there were endless opportunities to become immersed in entertainment onboard. One of my favorite spots was at O’Malley’s Irish Pub, where an Irish duo played live Irish music nightly. If you’re more into a relaxed vibe, Crooner’s bar was a great spot, which is situated right in the main piazza (AKA the atrium). There, you could hear live jazz music throughout the evening.
As for more show-type options, the main piazza often had various types of entertainment.If you cruise often, you know that it’s pretty common to see pop-ups of entertainment throughout ships, but it did feel like it was amped up on a notch on the Sun Princess. One time, I walked by to see a ballroom couple performing an entire set of Dancing With The Stars-style dances. Another time, there were acrobats who were spinning on cyr wheels and flying high in the air on a lyra. Out of the many different cruise lines I’ve been on, I had never witnessed full-on performances at this caliber, being performed in the center of the ship. If you want to participate in the action yourself, there were themed parties thrown in the piazza nearly every single night–from ‘80s to Abba, the guests were having a blast!
Becky Thomson-Foley, Head of Global Entertainment at Princess Cruises, shared with us, “As our next generation ship, Sun Princess provided the opportunity to reinvent entertainment at sea, starting with the heart of the ship—the reimagined Piazza. This dynamic space transforms into a vibrant event venue, featuring a retractable stage and arena-style seating across three levels, creating a more intimate connection between performers and guests. Complementing the Piazza is The Dome, a stunning glass-enclosed venue with a hydraulic stage that elevates every performance. Every detail was thoughtfully designed to immerse our guests fully in the story.”
If you’re looking for a more intimate type of entertainment, Sun Princess offers an experience called “Spellbound.” This is a ticketed event, and it’s a speakeasy that immerses you into a Victorian-era magical world. In collaboration with Hollywood’s Magic Castle, you get to experience close-up magic while sipping on inventive cocktails. While magic shows aren’t a new concept to cruise ships at all, they are normally performed in the theatres onboard. I’ve personally never been able to experience a magic show on a ship with a small group of people, hands on, while relaxing in a vibey speakeasy.
Experience Top Entertainment On The Sun Princess, And Soon, The Star Princess!
Performers taking a bow on Princess Cruises
Sun Princess is currently Princess Cruises’ newest ship, which will be sailing the Mediterranean into the fall. Its sister ship. The Star Princess will debut in October 2025, and will eventually make its way to Alaska in late Spring 2026.
News about the entertainment on the new Star Princess was just released, and I’m excited to share what you can expect. Onboard, you’ll be able to experience “Viva La Música”, which is one of the wonderful shows from the Sun Princess. Beyond that, there are two brand-new shows that will be debuting. The first, “Illuminate: Spectacle of Joy,” takes place under the canopy of a circus tent. A cast of characters guides the audience through breathtaking spectacles that bends reality, and is set to a modern pop score by Kola Bello–which is rare for a cruise line to get original music made for its production shows! The second show, “Meridian,” takes place onboard a grand ship that is sailing through the age of elegance. In this show, audiences will experience a cinematic spectacle that is set to an original score as well as reimagined chart-toppers. Both shows are choreographed by modern, well-known, and dynamic choreographers who are bringing a fresh lens to classic cruise ship entertainment.
Another type of entertainment to look forward to on the Star Princess is “Princess Cruises Candelight Concert Series.” This will take place in The Dome onboard the ship, which is a beautiful glass-enclosed area at the front of the ship. Here, classical music will be played live in an entrancing and immersive setting, bathing in the warm glow of candle light–ultimately creating a visual and auditory escape while sailing at sea.
To experience this top-tier entertainment at sea on a Princess Cruise, head to Princess.com today.
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This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the Travel section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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