Norwegian Cruise Line lands ‘Beetlejuice’ to headline new ship

Norwegian Cruise Line has landed another fan favorite to headline its newest ship’s theatrical offerings when the Broadway version of “Beetlejuice” comes to Norwegian Viva this year.

The sister ship to Norwegian Prima set to debut this summer is the second of six vessels in the cruise line’s new class.

While Prima sails from Port Canaveral, Viva will only make one Florida stop this year, a seven-night sailing from Miami in December before migrating to San Juan, Puerto Rico as its homeport into spring 2024. It will make its debut in the Mediterranean in August.

The line has banked on big-name Broadway offerings from “Kinky Boots” to “Million Dollar Quartet” to “Jersey Boys” in recent years. Prima offers up “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.”

“We pride ourselves on not only delivering amazing performances for theater fans but introducing guests to Broadway and West End-caliber shows,” said Richard Ambrose, NCL’s head of entertainment and cruise programming.

The Tony Award-nominated “Beetlejuice” The Musical based on the 1988 Tim Burton film starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder will be making its ocean debut as a 90-minute adaptation, telling the story of the Deetz family and their interactions with a haunted house and its darkly comedic and mischievous resident spirit.

The musical features versions of the Calypso hits “Day-O,” and “Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora).” The inaugural season will feature actress Michelle D’Amico, who was a cast member of the Broadway production, in the role of “Lydia.”

The musical will be performed in the Viva Theatre & Club, a three-story venue with the line’s highest technical production capability in the fleet. The venue will also host its own game show to match the popular version of “The Price is Right” that debuted in Prima.

Viva will get “Press Your Luck LIVE” complete with the iconic “Whammies.”

The venue transforms after the shows into a nightclub and among the offerings on Viva will be the “Ocean Music Fest,” described as “the ultimate jam session where multiple musicians merge their talents on one stage for a world-class immersive concert.”

“NCL has a history of pioneering the cruise experience and delivering the high-caliber entertainment programming our guests expect,” said incoming NCL president David J. Herrera. “We are dedicated to pushing the envelope, delivering on those expectations, and putting our guests first as we elevate our onboard offerings.”

The ship will like Prima feature other entertainment options including the Improv @ Sea Comedy Club and Syd Norman’s Pour House that features tribute performances of Fleetwood Mac and The Rolling Stones.

Also like Prima, Viva will feature a three-deck go-kart track, the Indulge Food Hall concept and a pair of corkscrew dry slides that drop riders 10 decks in just seconds.

Smaller than the last several ships for the line, Prima and Viva are a combination of familiar touches found on vessels like the Norwegian Escape, Bliss and Encore, but a breakaway from others, particularly in design.

The 142,500-gross-ton ships have a 3,100-passenger capacity based on double occupancy. That’s much smaller compared to the line’s last vessels such as Encore’s 169,116 gross tons and 3,998-passenger capacity.

Viva will sail the Greek Isles and Mediterranean voyages through November before migrating to the Caribbean in December.