If You Like Broadway and Cruises (and Are Between 19 and 90), This Vacation’s for You

WHEN MY TWIN SISTER AND I signed up for a Broadway cruise from New York City to Bermuda, it wasn’t the destination that attracted us but the talent on board. The headliners had won a boatload of Tonys, and we wondered how close we’d get to stars such as Laura Benanti (“My Fair Lady”) and Joshua Henry (“Carousel”). Would we pass them on deck? Might we find ourselves chitchatting in the hot tub with Michael Cerveris (“Fun Home”)? Would Kristin Chenoweth (“Wicked”) actually mingle? 

We did get a chance to talk briefly with Cerveris in the elevator, but the stars mostly kept to themselves when not performing. Still, we were content to be among the 2,100 musical theater fans aboard—a multigenerational mix of young folks and “forever young” retirees that made the 5-day trip unexpectedly lively. 

My sister and I are boomers, but a fan is a fan at any age, and this theater-obsessed crowd liked to gossip and bond by sharing star sightings and their own opinionated Broadway reviews. Pink-haired 20-year-olds schmoozed with silver-haired seniors in the meet-and-greet lines to get a selfie with their star of choice. 

One night, as a group gathered around a lounge piano for a singalong, in ran actor Alan Cumming in a Spider-Man costume and mask. His music director, Henry Koperski, played “R & H” (Rogers and Hammerstein) tunes, while Cumming charmed us with his showbiz stories. 

One involved his first encounter with Liza Minnelli, who told him she analyzed the characters she played by imagining what their favorite refrigerator magnets would be. We ate up the anecdote, and Cumming observed, “It’s kind of nuts to be in an environment where everyone likes the same thing. It’s sort of like a cult.” 

That cult is winning more converts: Broadway-themed cruises are booming, heading to far-flung spots, from the Greek Isles, Ireland and Italy to Portugal and Alaska. Playbill Travel, a part of Empress Travel & Cruises since 2018, launches four Broadway cruises a year. The Atlanta-based Sixthman, owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines, began offering rock-music cruises in 2001 and tapped into Broadway in 2022. New York radio host and musician Seth Rudetsky offers Seth’s Big Fat Broadway Cruises, with master classes, contests and the chance to croon with the stars in a concert.

A cruise like our Norwegian Gem outing proved cost-effective. The $1,500 tab approximated what we would have spent for food and lodgings for five days in New York City, not including the cost of theater tickets. So the 11 shows we saw onboard were essentially free, as were the demos by makeup designer Joe Dulude II (“Beetlejuice”) and the dance classes by choreographer Spencer Liff. Passengers, from teens to golden-agers, did a credible job mimicking his slick moves to dance numbers such as “Ladies Choice” from “Hairspray.”

More Musical Journeys

Top talent in musical genres from Broadway show tunes to jazz classics, country to classical and rhythm & blues to hip hop headline dozens of cross-generational cruises each year. Here, six voyages to consider

“Broadway Magic Cruise”

“High notes and high drama on the high seas” are what’s promised on Seth Rudetsky’s Big Fat Broadway vacations, where the cruise ends with a variety show that lets passengers sing along with musical theater stars, such as Stephanie J. Block (“The Boy from Oz,” “The Cher Show”). Block and other top music stars will be featured on a 7-day trip on the Seabourn Ovation from Lisbon to Barcelona. Oct. 8-15, 2023. From $6,004.

Playbill’s “Broadway in Tahiti” Cruise

If you like the sound of exploring rainforests and blue lagoons by day, then hearing Broadway stars such as Sara Bareilles (“Into the Woods,” “Waitress”) and Gavin Creel (“Hello, Dolly!” “She Loves Me”), we can oblige. Bareilles, Creel and others will perform on this 8-day cruise on the 330-passenger luxury Paul Gauguin ship through the French Polynesian islands. March 28-April 7, 2024. From $6,369, including airfare.

Jazz Cruises’ “Chris Botti at Sea”

Famed trumpeter Chris Botti heads a stellar line-up, including composer David Foster, singer Katharine McPhee, Keb’ Mo, Samara Joy and a dozen other jazz notables. The cruise, on the Celebrity Summit, sails from Miami to Aruba and Curaçao. A mentalist and a comedian also will be on board. Feb. 8-15, 2024. From $2,700.

Cunard’s “Classical Music Journey”

The United Kingdom’s National Symphony Orchestra plays on the Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 from New York City to Southampton. On board, music director Anthony Inglis conducts four concerts, some featuring choirs composed of passenger volunteers who rehearse during the crossing. The 2,691-passenger ship includes a teen center, sports court, full gym and a planetarium. Sept. 11-18, 2023. From $1,612.

Rock The Bells’ “A Hip Hop Experience” Cruise

Named after land-based festivals organized by “Rock the Bells” founder LL Cool J, this four-night cruise sails from Miami to the Bahamas and features Rick Ross, Lil Jon, Big Boi, DJ Jazzy Jeff and two dozen other hip hop artists. The musicians take over five stages on the ship Norwegian Pearl. Nov. 13-17. From $1,740.

Jazz Cruises’ Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle getaway

LaBelle and McDonald headline a host of soul singers and comedian George Wallace on a 3-night cruise from Miami to Nassau on the Norwegian Pearl. Two main-stage concerts are held nightly. April 10-13, 2024. From $1,025.