At All Points Travel in Salt Lake City, Corina Johnson made an easy sale yesterday. A member of her Theater Lovers whom she books trips three or four times a year, saw a post about an interesting offering from Norwegian Cruise Line: “The Broadway Cruise” to Bermuda, launching in March 2023. One member already has booked a cabin—and the group leader is “80% sure she is going to book and promote it to her people right now.”
Indeed, for those who just can’t get enough Broadway in New York (and the travel advisors who sell to them), The Broadway Cruise is a happening. It will bring stars of the Great White Way onboard Norwegian Gem for a five-day itinerary from New York to Bermuda on March 31, 2023. Onboard, stars including Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, and Laura Benanti – as well as designers, choreographers, and Variety theatre editor Gordon Cox – will be available for performances, panels, meet-and-greets, and Broadway karaoke sing-alongs.
Johnson is planning to add a land component “for a few days of shows and tours like they normally do,” and also offer a land-only option for those who don’t want to cruise. “The next few days will tell the tale!” she says.
“Cruising is back and so is Broadway,” said Anthony Diaz, SVP of Charters, Meetings & Incentives at Norwegian Cruise Line and CEO of its Sixthman music festival subsidiary in the press release. “Our Sixthman festivals tear down walls between artists and fans by creating community-inspired vacation experiences on land and at sea, and now we’re able to pull back the curtain and go behind the scenes to connect some of Broadway’s best talents with their most dedicated audiences.”
Onboard will be:
- Tony Award winner Laura Benanti (“Gypsy”, “My Fair Lady”)
- Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth (“Pushing Daisies”, “Wicked”)
- Tony Award winner Alan Cumming (“Cabaret”)
- Emmy Award nominee Randy Rainbow (New York Times Best Seller “Playing With Myself”)
- Sierra Boggess (“School of Rock”, “The Little Mermaid”)
- Tony Award winner Lena Hall (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”)
- Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry (“The Scottsboro Boys”, “Violet”)
- Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan (“Little Shop of Horrors”, “Newsies”)
- Tony Award nominee Taylor Louderman (“Mean Girls”, “Bring It On” and “Kenan” on NBC)
Additional experiences aboard “The Broadway Cruise” include:
- Tony Award-nominated scenic designer David Korins (“Hamilton”, “Dear Evan Hansen”, “Beetlejuice”, “Mrs. Doubtfire”) will give an intimate discussion regarding his creative process, from developing stage design to transforming a concept from the screen to the stage and on tour.
- TonyAward-nominated and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Kelly Devine (“Come From Away”, “Diana”, “Rock of Ages”) will provide guests with industry insights.
- Christopher Jahnke(“Dear Evan Hansen”, “Les Miserables”) will serve as onboard musical director and supervisor and oversee an ensemble of Broadway performers.
- Variety’s long-time theatre editor Gordon Cox will moderate panels and conduct special guest interviews.
In short, “as someone who pays attention to these theater-themed things, I’d say this is a good one,” Johnson says.
Staterooms on The Broadway Cruise run from $1,495 per person for an oceanview room to $4050 for a Family Penthouse Suite; other penthouse suites appear to already be sold out. payment plans are available with deposits starting at $250.
Travel advisors will need to book through the Sixthman system (www.TheBroadwayCruise.com) but can register there and earn commission on all sales.
The Broadway Cruise was originally launched, sold well, and then canceled due to Covid, notes Jill LaBarre of Jill’s Great Escapes. And Dillon Guyer added that he had a group booked on that earlier cruise with a New York pre-cruise; they are interested again, but prices are nearly double what they were quoted pre-pandemic.
Still, the theater buffs are excited.
“What an amazing cast,” says Jill Ragovin at Tzell Travel Group in New York.
“OMG. My inner theater kid just belted out a high note reading this!!!” says Ashley Bennington of JCoTravel LLC in Rochester, NY. “Those are some HUGE names.” (And she has “booked several clients through Sixthman for specialty cruises and they are super easy to work with too,” she notes.)
“Major theater/show choir kid here! I say BRAVO!” agrees Barbara Khan, luxury travel advisor at Journeys by the Book in Ohio.