As a theater lover, I thought there was nothing better than watching a Broadway musical on a stage with elaborate costumes and a live orchestra, until I experienced it at sea.
In March, I embarked on a cruise with over 2,000 like-minded theater nerds. The “Broadway Cruise 2,” the second voyage after the first sailing in 2023, was a five-night musical extravaganza with dance classes, piano bars and nightly shows featuring Broadway legends such as Bernadette Peters, Norm Lewis and Christian Borle.
From the moment we left Miami for the Cayman Islands, it was clear that this was no ordinary vacation. For passengers aboard the Norwegian Pearl, it was a place to find community and a unique escape from life on land.
“Everyone needs a break from their 9-to-5 life,” says Paula Klein, a fellow traveler dressed as a character from Cabaret. “I know I do, especially when it comes to singing [Stephen] Sondheim in fishing nets.”
“It feels like home,” said Joseph Praley, another fellow traveler and first-time cruiser rider. “You can be whoever you want here.”
As outlined in the ‘Shipbill’, a nautical twist on the classic Playbill, the cruise offered a wealth of experiences: a variety of buffets, non-stop music and evening parties. For me, the most exciting part was seeing fans of all ages meet their Broadway idols.
That feeling was mutual Ali Stroker, who made history in 2019 for becoming the first actress in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award for her role in the film Oklahoma! revival. She performed several feats on the ship.
“It’s a dream come true,” she told me. “So many Broadway performers have been through a lot, and maybe they were the outcasts or the underdogs growing up, so this is a supportive, incredible community.”
“We all started as fans,” says Andy Blankenbuehler, Tony-winning choreographer of In the Heights And Hamilton, who led daily exercise classes on the ship. “When you’re here on the cruise, you’re surrounded by people who are willing to put their emotions at the forefront.”
No business like sea business
At sunset, the ship came alive with guests dressed as characters from a series of Broadway musicals The sound of music And Cats Unpleasant Phantom of the Opera, Rocky Horror Picture Show And Bad.
Many of the passengers had an origin story behind the shows that inspired their costumes.
One guest dressed as orphan Annie from the musical Annie recalled watching the 1982 film “over and over again” with her adoptive parents. She credited the musical with “helping me find happiness” in my childhood.
Another fan, dressed as Dr. Frank-N-Furter out Rocky Horror Photo Showsaid that wearing makeup and heels allows them to “step into my world of fantasy.”
“There’s nothing that brings me more joy than seeing people express themselves,” one passenger dressed as the character Reverend Mother from The sound of music told me. “There is no judgment or shame. It’s all about having fun.”
Each of the ship’s fifteen levels offered something different, from an arcade with 1990s-style pinball machines to a lively dance club and casino, which became meeting places for new groups of friends.
Most of us couldn’t wait to get back from excursions to share stories and talk about the outfits we wanted to wear that night.
After five nights of singing and dancing with green witches and dancing cats, I saw firsthand how the magic of the stage can be transformative, reminding us that in every story we find a piece of ourselves.
“The reason why we do this [cruise] is to share who we are,” explains actor Marcus Paul James, who has taken part in several performances on board. “When you have an audience to share it with, it makes everything else align and say, ‘Ah. This is why we do what we do, for these people here.’”
