Teri West
There are many things I love about living in New York City, and the access to Broadway shows is high on that list. Even from my discount balcony seats, I feel tremendously lucky to live in a city brimming with top-tier productions, and I grab those discount tickets as often as I can.
But it's people like me who advisors say are often indifferent about whether a cruise offers Broadway-style entertainment.
I have a month left of my 20s (in lieu of gifts this year, please offer reassurance that I am still extremely young), and clients under 50 rarely inquire about onboard productions when booking cruises, advisors told me. They enjoy evenings split between multiple venues on the ship rather than 90 minutes straight spent in a theater.
It's older clients who may list onboard theater productions as a priority and who were disappointed when Norwegian Cruise Line said that "Jersey Boys" and "Beetlejuice" would end their runs at sea, advisors said.
To be sure, there are exceptions to every age demographic. And for me, even as a lover of Broadway, I'm often pulled in different directions.
Younger cruisers are amongst the most fervent fans of short itineraries, and it's nearly impossible to experience everything a large ship has to offer on a sailing that is only a few nights long.
On three-night sailings, I've found myself creating hectic schedules to try and catch karaoke and a band and a DJ in the same night. Even then, I've missed other activities of interest because there simply wasn't enough time.
Even with the benefit of additional nights on longer sailings, I've still struggled to fit in experiences longer than an hour, such as film screenings, and I have enjoyed hopping between multiple entertainment venues in one evening.
Has my attention span been eroded by TikTok like so many other members of my generation? Absolutely! But that doesn't mean we Millennial-Gen-Z types don't also love theater and movies. I've been to plenty of Broadway shows in New York where attendees under 40 are far from the minority, and many of my friends share a love of Broadway.
Given the opportunity to experience a Broadway adaptation on a cruise, I'd certainly try and prioritize it in my evening schedule, but in the process, I'd likely be making a tradeoff.
It's the blessing and the curse of a big cruise ship: getting to pick between a wide array of activities, knowing that it will be nearly impossible to experience everything.