Inside Royal Caribbean’s Entertainment Studios

What It Takes To Put On a Performance at Sea

By Cassie Bailey | Published on January 20, 2026

Royal Caribbean has a reputation for setting the bar for adventure-packed cruise vacations with unparalleled entertainment that’s impossible to find anywhere else.

It takes a special set of skills to stage a show, let alone over 160 of them with over 17,100 performances in a year (that’s more than double the amount of shows on New York City's Broadway and London's West End combined!). With 60 theaters that span ice, water, air and stage, Royal Caribbean productions are as varied as the performers — who include world-class singers, dancers, ice skaters, specialty artists and aquatic athletes.

With all Royal Caribbean ships offering top-notch entertainment and wowing more than 125,000 people a night across the fleet, how does Royal Caribbean cruise entertainment stay on point? Here's your guide to how the magic gets made.

Key Takeaways: Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Entertainment

● Entertainment options on Royal Caribbean ships include musical productions to rival Broadway or the West End, as well as aquatic spectacles.

● The casts of these shows train at a special facility on land, and there are over 1,600 performers throughout the fleet.

● Royal Caribbean shows include stunning tech elements such as drones and massive screens.

● It's easy to reserve your place at one of these venues once you book a cruise vacation.

1. Where Shows Get Started: Royal Caribbean Entertainment Studios

Located in North Miami Beach, 45 minutes from corporate headquarters, the Royal Caribbean Entertainment Studio is where every show starts. It’s a revolving door of talent, where casts clock upwards of 300 hours of rehearsal time over six weeks ahead of opening night. The 132,500-square-foot facility has:

● 14 dance studios.

● 15 vocal rooms.

● Three aerial studios.

● A 300-seat theater.

● A 20,000-square-foot costume shop.

● A gym.

2. How Casts Get Ready To Dazzle: Rehearsals on Land Before Performances at Sea

The state-of-the-art studio is home base for the entertainment team, from performers (most of whom are learning not only one but up to three Signature Productions) to the mind-blowing lineup of producers, choreographers, composers, music directors, vocal coaches, aerial trainers, set designers, costumers and wig stylists. It’s also where a sampling of the shows’ 145,000 costume pieces are maintained by a shop of eight tailors and seamstresses and over 150 traveling costume technicians from over 10 countries.

3. Making The Magic Happen Behind The Curtain

If you think this facility sounds out of this world, just wait until you hear what it takes to make it all happen. In just one year, Entertainment Productions manages over 160 fleet-wide productions and casts talent from a pool of over 200,000 performers supported by 2,000+ technicians. The Headliner and Live Music team books upwards of 3,500 musicians and enough headliners and comics for an astounding 54,000 shows in just one year! Rounding out the Entertainment Department, the Activities, Sports and Youth Teams complete the onboard entertainment experience our guests have come to know and love.

4. Why Cruise Entertainment Feels Like Broadway at Sea: Top-Notch Production Technology

The latest technology also takes center stage on board Royal Caribbean ships. Whether guests are marveling at a fleet of drones, dynamic projection mapping and synchronized lasers or watching Dorothy and Toto soar over the audience thanks to an industry-leading 3D flying system in The Wizard of Oz, the backstage team is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment. These groundbreaking shows also feature 24 roboscreens on Quantum Class ships' Two70® venue. This is a state-of-the-art venue named for the 270-degree views from the double-deck performance space. Two70’s floor-to-ceiling windows double as ultra high-definition screens with nearly twice the resolution of IMAX.

5. Who Creates the Shows: Collaborations and Original Productions

The mixture of show offerings on Royal Caribbean voyages includes well-loved musical theater productions like the Tony Award® winner Hairspray and the music adaptation of Back to the Future, as well as productions designed with the venues in mind. These include Signature Productions and iconic ice rinks on board Voyager, Freedom, Oasis and Icon Class ships.

Ready To Experience Breathtaking Entertainment at Sea? Here's How To See a Show

So, how do you make sure you have a ticket for the show of your choice? If you're sailing on a Quantum Class, Oasis Class or Icon Class ship, you can make advance reservations starting on the first of the month before the ship sails, with reservations closing four days before the journey begins. On board, you can visit the ship's box office. Other classes of ships have general-admission entertainment venues that don't require reservations.

Catch shows like Hairspray, jaw-dropping AquaTheater performances and original productions like 1887: A Journey in Time — all while sailing to one of 240 incredible destinations with Royal Caribbean.

Find your cruise now to experience all this and more!