Cover charges for entertainment on cruise ships are rare, but a growing tier of shows with a fee is changing that.

Lines including Virgin Voyages, Royal Caribbean International, Cunard, Princess Cruises and MSC Cruises each offer specialty entertainment for a fee that comes with either dinner, drinks or both included. And while these lounge or supper club-style experiences with an upcharge are still the exception, they are proving popular, cruise line executives said.

The brands that charge for entry often bill the entertainment as a sophisticated immersive experience and consider the food and drink component a differentiator from the other entertainment onboard.

At "Bittersweet Symphony," staged at the Bright Lights Society cabaret lounge on Cunard's Queen Anne, the $46 ticket includes three cocktails, which the website promises will be "brought to you while you witness performances at precisely the right time."

At "Another Rose" in The Manor on Virgin Voyages' Resilient Lady, some seats are at communal dinner tables that directly connect to a stage. When Virgin introduced the concept, it tested whether it would be appealing to guests, said vice president of entertainment Richard Kilman. It performed well, and the cruise line developed a drink-inclusive ticketed experience for its newest ship, the Brilliant Lady.

"I'm anticipating great results with the show," Kilman said.

Royal Caribbean introduced its dinner and a show concept in January 2024 on the Icon of the Seas and has a second iteration on the Star of the Seas.

The supper clubs were inspired by guest feedback showing food, beverages and entertainment are key reasons for choosing Royal Caribbean, said Linken D'Souza, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president of global food and beverage. The cruise line introduced the New York-style Empire Supper Club on the Icon and a Chicago-themed sequel, Lincoln Park Supper Club, on the Star.

"The ticketed entry model allows us to curate intimate experiences that combine multicourse food and beverage pairings and live entertainment to rival any dining experience at sea or on land," D'Souza said.

Four MSC Cruises ships offer ticketed shows in the 400-guest Carousel Lounge. Booked in advance for $12 each, they include one specialty cocktail during pre-show entertainment.

Something new for guests

A corollary to supper clubs are immersive dining venues, such as Le Petit Chef experiences on Celebrity Cruises or the restaurant on the Utopia of the Seas that simulates the experience of dining in a train car "through the Wild West," D'Souza said. Those types of restaurants typically carry a fee, as well.

"We're looking forward to the possibility of expanding these curated experiences on future ships," he added.

Crystal also offers a supper club experience on formal nights with a seven-piece band, vocalists, dancers and a violinist, though it does not charge extra.

"As an all-inclusive luxury brand, we didn't believe in upcharging this experience for our guests," said Keith Cox, vice president of entertainment and enrichment.

Travelmation advisor Melanie Kostrab said she's found that her clients have enjoyed ticketed entertainment experiences like the Utopia's Royal Railway. She said it behooves cruise lines to come up with new offerings as they develop new ships to keep frequent cruisers excited. And, she said, such experiences cater well to adults.

"I do have the clients that just want the base fare; they just want to go enjoy their time, don't pay for anything extra," she said. "But then I have another set of clients that really want that extra experience, where they come to me and ask after they booked the cruise, 'What else is there? What do you recommend to do onboard that's different?'"

Kilman noted that Virgin Voyages' ticketed shows cost less than similar experiences on land.

"If you were on land, this is like a $250-a-night experience," he said. "We're trying to do something of that quality and that caliber at a fraction of that cost. And I mean, if you're going to buy five drinks on the ship, it pays for itself."