On Location: Backstage pass! PAX previews Elton John tribute, other shows debuting on Norwegian Luna

Five, six, seven, eight!

This week, PAX scored a backstage pass to where the magic of Norwegian’s onboard shows come to life: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ (NCLH’s) Creative Studios in Tampa, Florida.

Opened in 2013, this state-of-the-art entertainment hub is a sprawling rehearsal space and production house for all of the company’s shows. Spanning 112,000 square feet across two warehouse buildings, the studio is a creative city unto itself.

Inside are 11 rehearsal spaces, 10 music studios, and a massive 44,000-square-foot costume facility—plus countless workrooms where ideas are stitched, choreographed, rehearsed, and refined.

And the scene during our visit on Wednesday (Jan. 14) was a swirl of activity: actors, dancers, directors, choreographers and musicians, darting between rooms, rehearsing steps on repeat, trying on costumes, and tuning up, getting shipshape for life at sea.

The purpose of our visit? To preview new shows coming to Norwegian Luna, a 3,571-passenger, Prima Plus–class ship launching this March.  

Luna—sister ship to Norwegian Aqua—will sail the Caribbean from Miami and boast larger accommodations (especially in The Haven complex), headline attractions like the Aqua Slidecoaster, and a global food hall called Indulge.

READ MORE: Norwegian Aqua & Luna to debut new game zones, enhanced spa/fitness

She’s about 10 per cent larger than the Prima and Viva-class ships. And there are nuanced tweaks – like adding a staircase so the Slidecoaster is more accessible.

But the entertainment, clearly, is taking centre stage.

“The hardware of the ship is the same [as Aqua], but the programming on board is almost completely different,” said Bryan White, vice president of entertainment production at NCLH, addressing guests – a mix of journalists, influencers and members from NCL's team – at a press conference.

White said NCL spends a lot of time listening to what guests want in their shows. 

And what do people want? Easy-to-follow narratives, recognizable music, a lot of variety and a “big visual spectacle,” he said. Entertainment that allows families on board, of all generations, “to be present and just have a great time.”

Innovation meets wonder

And a good time was had.

First up on our behind-the-scenes tour was “HIKO: Innovation Meets Wonder,” an original sci-fi spectacular.

Blending elite gymnasts and dazzling technology, the show will introduce audiences to HIKO, a futuristic character who doesn’t just live onstage but also pops up for meet-and-greets around the ship.

Watching the performers rehearse was edge-of-your-seat excitement, packed with gravity-defying moments using a giant trampoline. 

If the rehearsal is any indication, what they’ll bring to the stage – visuals, music and all – won’t just be a performance. It’ll be an experience.

The show was conceived by Kai Carrier, Norwegian’s director of theatrical creative, who actually got his start with the company in 1999, performing as a dancer.

The story follows HIKO, whose name draws from Japanese culture, as he lands in a colourless, lifeless world. Through discovery and energy, he goes on a journey to restore vibrancy and life to everything around him.

“It’s a big, bold visual spectacular,” Carrier said.

We even heard some of the score for HIKO, crafted by a 60-person orchestra—not even counting the live musicians who will perform during the show.

It’s music you can feel in your bones.

Rock out

Next, we headed into rock-and-roll territory with A Tribute to the Eagles, adding to the Fleetwood Mac Rumours show, set to appear at Syd Norman’s Pour House, Norwegian’s beloved classic rock nightclub found on several NCL ships.

The preview we saw featured a fiery band and powerhouse vocalists tearing through Heartache Tonight. Live guitar, drums, and soaring harmonies filled the rehearsal room.

It’s the kind of show where fans of the era will instantly feel at home—foot tapping, heads nodding, and the irresistible urge to sing along kicking in before the first chorus is over.

Crocodile Rock-level contagious

Then came the show that had everyone smiling from ear to ear: “Rocket Man: A Celebration of Elton John.”

Similar to “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” which debuted on Norwegian Aqua last year, Rocket Man (directed by Katy Tate, who worked with J.Lo in Las Vegas) focuses on a single artist, offering a deep dive into iconic songs people know.

The high-energy production draws from Sir Elton’s archive of iconic footage and imagery and blasts through timeless hits like Benny and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues and The Bitch is Back – which a cast, dressed in black rehearsal clothes, performed during our visit.

The talent is electric—singing live, dancing nonstop, spinning, flipping, sliding on the floor, inches away from the audience.

Flexible dancers emerged (and jumped) from piano-shaped risers, in true Elton-eccentric fashion.

The energy? Crocodile Rock-level contagious.

What we didn’t see were the visuals that will come with the final product— archived concert footage, photos and glimpses from Elton John’s life—that will be woven into the show.

The pared-back rehearsal attire (with exception to some colourful coats that made a brief appearance) gave little hint of the spectacle to come. But come showtime, the production will apparently feature 1,000 yards of 90 different fabrics (90!), plus more than half a mile of fringe.

The multi-level stage kept things dynamic, and as a playful final touch, we even received flamboyant Elton John–style sunglasses.

This is all about giving the people what they want. NCL asked its guests which genres and artists they’d like to see featured on stage, and “list, after list, after list, Sir Elton appeared,” said White.

READ MORE: "Rocket Man: A Celebration of Elton John" to debut on Norwegian Luna

With so much investment, talent and momentum, it’s hard not to wonder whether Sir Elton John himself might be named godfather of Norwegian Luna.

The question was asked at the press conference, and although the executive team never said yes outright, their body language told a more nuanced story.

Cue the awkward laughter.

Let’s just call that one a mystery…for now. Like a candle in the wind.

Where magic is made

Beyond the performances, the visit highlighted just how many moving parts go into NCLH shows, inclusive of sister brands Oceania and Regent Seven Seas.

All costumes are designed in-house, and the numbers are eye-popping: more than 1,000 costumes and 500 pairs of shoes are fitted in the facility every month.

We toured areas dedicated to costume design, wigs, accessories, and warehouses stacked floor-to-ceiling with wardrobe accessories, from feather headdresses to glittering jewelry. 

There are fitting rooms, repair workshops, shipping facilities and laundry operations where 60–80 costumes are washed daily—not including spot cleaning and emergency fixes.

We met fashion designer AC Gottlieb (one half of the Brooklyn-based design duo JAMES+AC) who worked on pop star Chappell Roan’s tour and is now designing sexy costumes for “LunaTique Pop Circus,” Luna’s exclusive production for guests 21 and over.

This show promises a riskier, cocktail-fuelled, pop-infused circus vibe. Gottlieb showed us a body tattoo design he’s developing for the production.

Adding extra edge? RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna Latrice Royale also worked on LunaTique, we were told, signalling glamorous, fearless flair.

For younger guests on board Norwegian Luna, “Sea of Discovery” will offer an interactive adventure, set underwater, complete with bright, vibrant costumes that were created using 3D printers.

This show includes playful, movement-based games—think kindergarten gym class meets immersive theatre—like pulling a giant parachute overhead, except on Luna, it will be white and filled with dazzling projections.

Upping the entertainment game

The tour made it clear that NCL is seriously upping its entertainment game, giving guests more choice and flexibility than ever.

The shows add immense value to the cruise experience, rivaling productions you’d expect to see on Broadway or in Las Vegas. Which is a sales tool travel advisors can use. Especially when talking to first-time cruisers.

“The quality of our entertainment shows the real, all-around experience you get with a Norwegian cruise. It’s not just a cruise, it's so much more,” said Canada’s Derek Lloyd, vice president of strategic and national accounts at NCL, present alongside Katie Kania, senior director of agency sales for North America.

Mark Kansley, NCL's chief experience officer, reinforced this point. 

"We don't buy entertainment product off the shelf," he said. "These are one-of-a-kind productions that you cannot find anywhere else in the world...We create bespoke productions and experiences from the ground up." 

Limitless opportunities

But if there’s a company that knows its audience, it’s Norwegian, which recently rolled out a new (but familiar) brand identity, "It's Different Out Here," inspired by its 1990s tagline.

NCL's target demo? “Premium families and seasoned cruisers,” said Kiran Smith, NCL’s chief marketing officer.

“We cannot be everything to everybody…But if we solidly deliver to those two segments, we have an opportunity that's limitless,” Smith said.

2026, meanwhile, is shaping up to be a big year for the brand.

Beyond Norwegian Aqua, guests can also find enhancements at Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas, and can look forward to Great Tides Waterpark, featuring 19 waterslides, this summer.

NCL, on Thursday (Jan. 15), also announced its next ship, Norwegian Aura, which will be the longest and largest vessel in its fleet.

Aura, ten per cent larger than Aqua and Luna, will homeport in Miami beginning in June 2027 following her debut in Europe in late May 2027. She will accommodate 3,840 guests at double occupancy.

The team, the tools, and the strategy are all falling into place, Smith said.

“We've got the full package…and we’re ready to get going,” she said.

The future is bold and bright. And brilliantly choreographed.

Stay tuned for PAX's exclusive video report from NCL's Creative Studios in Tampa, featuring commentary from Derek Lloyd, vice president of strategic and national accounts at NCL, and Katie Kania, senior director of agency sales for North America!

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