Anyone who has sailed with Carnival Cruise Line is well acquainted with the “Shooooooooowtime!” event each evening in the Main Dining Rooms. But has the interactive entertainment become passe, and would cruisers rather see it have a final curtain call?
The “Showtime” offered in the Main Dining Room is a fun and often silly production not by the Carnival singers and dancers, but by the dining teams themselves – including waiters and assistant waiters.
The event varies by ship and changes daily, often featuring fun (and sometimes a wee bit naughty) dances, simple costumes, and a lot of smiles.
Guests are encouraged to cheer on their wait staff or even to join in the fun themselves by clapping along, following hand movements, twirling napkins, or even getting to their feet with a conga line or a spirited rendition of the Macarena, YMCA, or Chicken Dance.
Brand Ambassador John Heald answers dining-related questions multiple times a day. While most of the requests he receives are seeking a table for two, working to seat a large group together, or to change an assigned dining time, he does occasionally field comments about “Showtime.”
One such comment – it was hardly a request and more of a demand – became part of a poll Heald recently ran through his Facebook page.
“As a double diamond the showtime announcement is beyond annoying. To me it just holds up the dining room for service and slows the meal down,” the guest commented. “It’s time for these infantile announcements and so named shows to be cancelled.”
Heald did not reveal what ship the guest may have sailed on recently to warrant such a comment, but the amount of energy and wackiness put into each dining showtime will vary greatly.
The guest claiming to be “double diamond” is an interesting show of elitism, but Carnival Cruise Line does not have any loyalty level with that designation. The Diamond level of the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program denotes anyone who has sailed with the cruise line for a minimum of 200 days.
By “double diamond” the guest may be referring to their own sailing status of over 400 days, or they could even be noting that they are speaking as one voice for two travelers – double “diamond” cruisers.
Heald offered their comment as part of his poll, which as of this writing, has received more than 70,600 votes. Of those votes, only 4% (approximately 2,800 votes) agree with the original poster that Showtime should be cancelled.
In contrast, a total of 30% of the votes (roughly 21,100 votes) still enjoy the activity and would prefer that it remain a staple of the Main Dining Room experience.
What If You Don’t Like Showtime?
It is true that the Showtime fun can slightly interrupt dinner service. From the time the staff begins to prepare for the fun to the end of the singing and dancing can be a total of 15-20 minutes.
While this isn’t a long time period, it can feel long if you’re waiting for dessert or may be getting close to the time another activity starts, such as a comedy show or a game show, and you don’t want to miss out.
No guest is ever forced to participate in Showtime, and while the staff may encourage passengers to join in, there is more than enough fun to go around so no one feels obligated.
Typically, Showtime falls between the entree and dessert courses of the meal. Guests who don’t want to stay in the Main Dining Room for the performance can easily leave and investigate dessert options on the Lido deck if they prefer.
Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)
Another option is for guests to choose Your Time Dining and opt to check in for their meal earlier. Many times my husband and I have exercised this option and have thoroughly enjoyed our meal, including dessert, and left before Showtime begins.
No Showtime performances are held in the Lido Marketplace all-you-can-eat buffet or in any onboard specialty restaurants. These dining options may be preferable for guests who feel uncomfortable or dislike Showtime.
