Is Priscilla going to play forever?

[kochleffel]

My next NCL cruise will be my third on the Epic.* Will Priscilla, Queen of the Desert still be playing in 2021? I liked the show well enough but not so much that I wanted to see it a second time, never mind a third.

 

*This isn't intentional on my part. I think that someone at NCL reads my mind and assigns the Epic to whatever itinerary I want next.

[G-DawgMN]

 Typical show runs on the ships are around 5 years due to the expense of setting them up.

 

[Tedj6050]

The first 5 years the Epic had the blue man group.and legends in concert instead of burn the floor.

i believe Priscilla is nearing its five year run in 2020.

when they do make a change we will discuss it here on cruise critic at length.

[kochleffel]

51 minutes ago, Tedj6050 said:

when they do make a change we will discuss it here on cruise critic at length.

 

Of course.

 

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, Tedj6050 said:

The first 5 years the Epic had the blue man group.and legends in concert instead of burn the floor.

i believe Priscilla is nearing its five year run in 2020.

when they do make a change we will discuss it here on cruise critic at length.

Yes. End of 2020. We attended the inaugural showing of Priscilla on the cruise from Southampton to Barcelona. Priscilla in the theater and Priscilla the movie playing over and over and over on the TV. 

[17cruisesnsl]

Not the EPIC or Priscilla but Rock of Ages may be ending its run.     First saw Rock of Ages on the BA in June 2013.  The shows are expensive to produce, but with a high percentage of repeat passengers - 5 Plus years is too long     The first time, I enjoyed it; the second time I tolerated it and the third time - I went to the casino. 

 

According to the article, Six, a musical about the six wives of Henry VIII, will be on the Getaway, the Bliss and The BA.  The article didn't mention length of contract but the same show on three ships is surprising and it didn't say it was replacing the present offering, but I made that assumption- perhaps incorrectly?   Anyone have further information? 

[gtaylor]

We love Priscilla, and see it several times on each of our many Epic crossings.

 

They can keep it as long as they wish in our view.

 

gary

[kochleffel]

7 hours ago, gtaylor said:

We love Priscilla, and see it several times on each of our many Epic crossings.

 

Earlier this year I met someone who was on his fourth Epic cruise in, I think, five weeks. He went to the shows every time, some of them twice in the same week.

[kochleffel]

Following up my own question: current Epic cruise itineraries, into 2021, still list Priscilla, but NCL may not change that until a replacement show is being announced.

 

I'm also looking at a Breakaway cruise in 2021, where the listed shows are Six and Velvet.

[smplybcause]

Who Knows.

 

Rock of Ages ended on Breakaway without a dry dock. (I watched the last show!) And everyone over on the Royal boards thought Cats was going away on Oasis' dry dock, but they're still dancing away on the ship. 

[kollegekreed]

Show staff on the joy indicated Priscilla was staying around another five year contract. They did say legally blonde and rock of ages had closed which I hasn’t heard. NCL is putting the new hose (Eight?() on two or three ships before it gets to broadway because they believe it will blow up so big on broadway people will book cruises just to see it....

[timf2001]

23 minutes ago, kollegekreed said:

Show staff on the joy indicated Priscilla was staying around another five year contract. They did say legally blonde and rock of ages had closed which I hasn’t heard. NCL is putting the new hose (Eight?() on two or three ships before it gets to broadway because they believe it will blow up so big on broadway people will book cruises just to see it....

 

Legally Blonde had an unusually short run.  I'm not sure why exactly, but Getaway was already showing Million Dollar Quartet by the time I was on in 2016, only 2 years after the ship launched.

[BirdTravels]

30 minutes ago, kollegekreed said:

Show staff on the joy indicated Priscilla was staying around another five year contract. They did say legally blonde and rock of ages had closed which I hasn’t heard. NCL is putting the new hose (Eight?() on two or three ships before it gets to broadway because they believe it will blow up so big on broadway people will book cruises just to see it....

Legally Blonde ended around 4 years ago when NCL three Million Dollar Quartet off the Escape. And moved For The Record from the supper club to the main theater. 
 

SIX is already a Broadway show being brought to NCL ships. 

[cliffd64]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

SIX is already a Broadway show being brought to NCL ships. 

 

 

SIX is not on Broadway yet...  opens 2/13/2020...  the show is currently running in London.  This is a unique contract to bring a successful show on board before it hits NYC.

[BaWBarmy]

On ‎9‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 4:04 AM, 17cruisesnsl said:

Not the EPIC or Priscilla but Rock of Ages may be ending its run.     First saw Rock of Ages on the BA in June 2013.  The shows are expensive to produce, but with a high percentage of repeat passengers - 5 Plus years is too long     The first time, I enjoyed it; the second time I tolerated it and the third time - I went to the casino. 

 

According to the article, Six, a musical about the six wives of Henry VIII, will be on the Getaway, the Bliss and The BA.  The article didn't mention length of contract but the same show on three ships is surprising and it didn't say it was replacing the present offering, but I made that assumption- perhaps incorrectly?   Anyone have further information? 

 

Its a clever ploy by NCL. They're splitting the show between three ships and calling it Two. You have to cruise all 3 ships to see the full show. Genius.

[KonkyWonky]

We're on the Epic in Sep 2020 and are hoping there will be a new show by the time we go on although that's probably a long shot.  She is due a fairly extensive dry dock in Nov 2020, not sure if the show will change around then as it's an ideal opportunity to change sets and train the entertainers.

[graphicguy]

When I did the Behind the Scenes Tour on the Breakaway this past Fall, the tour guide mentioned how long the shows run.  They’re under contract with the show producers for 5 years.  Rock of Ages ran longer and was extended due to the passenger feedback.

 

But, both the producer and NCL have to agree to extend before it will be extended.

 

As an aside, the door to move the props, the gear and anything associated with setting up these shows is MASSIVE.  I can see why they don’t want to swap these shows out with more frequency.  It’s a huge undertaking.

[cliffd64]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

As an aside, the door to move the props, the gear and anything associated with setting up these shows is MASSIVE.  I can see why they don’t want to swap these shows out with more frequency.  It’s a huge undertaking.

 

I think that's why SIX will be welcome... It's a one act, one set show...  not much to the stage except for the performers and lighting...

[stefmaia]

I think this would make an incredible documentary. How cruise shows are decided on, contracted, staffed,rehearsed and brought on board.

[ollienbertsmum]

On 9/10/2019 at 8:25 PM, Tedj6050 said:

The first 5 years the Epic had the blue man group.and legends in concert instead of burn the floor.

i believe Priscilla is nearing its five year run in 2020.

when they do make a change we will discuss it here on cruise critic at length.

 

I love shows but Priscilla really was only good for the once.  I have seen Legally Blonde three times, gosh I even have a Legally Blonde Barbie.  I would see We Will Rock You, Hairspray, The Jersey Boys ... anything.  The Epic Western Med is a really convenient cruise for me.  Please change the show.  

[Happy2b@sea]

I completely agree.  Barcelona is handy for me too and I am personally sick to death of Priscilla!  I love Burn the Floor but you can only watch the show so many times.  NCL might lose business if they don't rotate the shows more often.   I wish I'd known the Epic was due for a refurb next autumn and might have waited!  I still love the NCL brand though.

[styxfire]

On 12/10/2019 at 4:28 PM, kochleffel said:

I'm also looking at a Breakaway cruise in 2021, where the listed shows are Six and Velvet.

Thankyou so much for this topic!  We were considering a cruise next winter on Epic, but I'm not interested in Priscella at all.  Will wait until Epic gets something else.  The Broadway shows are my main reason for cruising.

 

This is the first I've heard of a show called Velvet.  It's not listed on NCL's entertainment website.  How are you seeing the show schedule in advance?  

 

Also, I often read posts about when a ship is going to be in drydock.  (re: KonkyWonky, above)  How are those schedules known?  (For any cruiseline, not just NCL...)

Edited December 31, 2019 by styxfire

[dreamr]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:49 PM, timf2001 said:

 

Legally Blonde had an unusually short run.  I'm not sure why exactly, but Getaway was already showing Million Dollar Quartet by the time I was on in 2016, only 2 years after the ship launched.

 

Yes, it did...and I'm still upset about it! I booked the Getaway for fall of 2015 for the sole purpose of seeing Legally Blonde (I'm a huge fan of the show, but have never seen it live). As luck would have it, NCL changed that week's cruise, so I was bumped to the Escape instead (brand spankin' new ship at a discount for the inconvenience, sure why not!?). I figured I would just book the Getaway for my next cruise and see the show. NCL pulled Legally Blonde about two months before my cruise. I was then after final payment and heartbroken that I would yet again not get to see the one show that I had been dying to see for years. I'm still disappointed about it. 😞

 

I had a blast on the Escape, though. I absolutely loved The Brat Pack. Saw it twice that week, and that was when it was a paid dinner show. I would see it again in a heartbeat! ...yet, here I am about to go on the Escape again and that show is now gone. However, After Midnight (which I hated) is still going strong. So goes my luck. haha

 

 

On 12/16/2019 at 3:11 PM, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I love shows but Priscilla really was only good for the once.  I have seen Legally Blonde three times, gosh I even have a Legally Blonde Barbie.  I would see We Will Rock You, Hairspray, The Jersey Boys ... anything.  The Epic Western Med is a really convenient cruise for me.  Please change the show.  

 

I am supremely jealous of you. lol

[ollienbertsmum]

3 hours ago, dreamr said:

 

 

 

 

I am supremely jealous of you. lol

 

We have been at the right place at the right time.  But we have been lucky.  I still love it.  

[ready2cruzagain]

On 12/31/2019 at 1:15 PM, styxfire said:

 

This is the first I've heard of a show called Velvet.  It's not listed on NCL's entertainment website.  How are you seeing the show schedule in advance?  

 

 

Velvet is a pay for Dinner and Show.   It is on the Breakaway and is $29.99 pp. It is not a free show in the main theater.