Royal Caribbean becomes next cruise line to axe Broadway shows from ships

Two Royal Caribbean ships removed their long-running Broadway shows.

Grease was axed from the entertainment line-up on Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas, Royal Caribbean Blog confirmed. 

"Grease has been shown on both Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas for many years, but the curtain has closed on that production," wrote Matt Hochberg, one of the foremost experts on Royal Caribbean cruises.

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"A Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed that Grease is no longer being performed on either ship."

Grease made its high seas debut aboard Royal Caribbean ships in July 2016, initially launching on Harmony of the Seas. The Broadway show was later added to Independence of the Seas. 

The cruise line has not announced what new production will replace it. As such, it's unclear whether they will add a new Broadway show or replace Grease with an original production. 

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For now, Royal Caribbean's daily Cruise Compass reveals that Voices, an original production show that first debuted on Wonder of the Seas, will be offered on Harmony of the Seas. 

"Sync up your senses with a show that delivers a dynamic combination of virtual and live performances — in real time," reads the show's description. 

" Watch as the all-star ensemble dials up the talent in an emotional show of monumental proportions inside the largest theatrical venue at sea. Increase your connection speed with our newest bespoke production."

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Harmony of the Seas is due to undergo a multi-million dollar upgrade in 2026. The timing of Harmony's amplification likely ties into the company's decision to let Grease's license lapse. 

Royal Caribbean may have plans to update Harmony's entertainment offerings, as they did with Allure of the Seas when she underwent her Royal Amplification in 2025. 

For instance, Oceanaria was replaced with Aqua80Too. 

Cruisers aren't happy about Royal's decision to add Voices to Harmony

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"Voices is a hard pass! We saw it on the [Wonder of the Seas] and barely made it through the show without leaving," commented one cruiser on Royal Caribbean Blog's article. 

Another added, "I hated voices. I thought the screens were REALLY distracting and pointless, especially if you are on the second level, all I could focus on was the mouths of the people on the screens." 

"I hate 'Voices'... just too weird," wrote someone else on Facebook.

Not the first cruise line to cut Broadway shows

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Norwegian Cruise Line used to offer a solid line-up of Broadway shows aboard its fleet. However, they phased most of them out starting in 2023. 

For example, the final performance of Kinky Boots was in January 2023, while Footlose was cut in October 2023. 

SIX was also removed from Norwegian Breakaway in January 2024 and Norwegian Bliss in February. 

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According to Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO, their guests prefer NCL's original production shows. 

"We found that guests liked the non-Broadway shows better," he said, "I could give you a number of reasons why, and you might say, 'Well, that's not true, you guys are just making that up.' "I promise you. I'll show you the guest satisfaction scores. It is 100% true."

Surveys indicated that many cruise passengers did not want to spend upwards of two hours in the ship's theater. 

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Instead, original production shows fit modern cruising habits, allowing guests to enjoy an evening performance, along with other amenities, like the casino, a game show, or live music