Mamma Mia!

One of the interesting things on Allure of the Seas is that some shows require reservations even though there is no charge for them. I’m sure this applies on all the Oasis Class behemoths ... not sure if it’s also the case on the smaller ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet.

Reservations make sense ... after all Oasis class ships carry nearly 5,500 passengers (more at full capacity) and there is no way all passengers can be accommodated at once. No worries though. Not only are the shows repeated multiple times, open seating commences about five minutes before showtime. There are also non-reservation shows and music venues sprinkled around the ship to keep everyone entertained.

We skipped the dining room tonight. My Time dining starts at 6:30p and we knew we’d never make it to the Amber Theater in time if we opted for table service dinner. Instead, we headed up to the Windjammer Marketplace on deck 16 ... this is the ship’s main buffet. A quick bite or two left us with time for a stroll around the Royal Promenade before we needed to head to the theater.

Tonight’s feature show was Mamma Mia! Yes, the same one that has played on the silver screen and has also graced (and may still be gracing) Broadway and other stages. Just think of the set as a miniature ... everything else is the same. The cast did a masterful job with the acting and the singing ... and the live band was great. I tend not to expect much of the production shows on ships. This one surprised me. Though maybe it shouldn’t have. After all Abba’s foot-tapping tunes are always a delight to sing along to and it’s hard to mess up a romantic comedy.

(Sorry ... photography and videography not allowed during the show, so I have only the one screenshot from the Royal Caribbean website to share. I’m sure if you go to one of the streaming sites on the internet, however, you’ll be able to find some videos or at least listen to the music.)Read more