Laughter at sea - weekend comedy cruise

Recently we took a weekend Sea Break P&O Cruise out of Adelaide departing Outer Harbour on the Friday, sailing around the coastline to nowhere in particular, before coming back to land on the Monday morning and heading off to work for the week. 

It was a fantastic weekend away on a cruise to nowhere!  And the added benefit of the departure in and out of Adelaide meant there were no airport connections or long drives required for our quick break.  

The cruise we sailed on was billed as a “Comedy Cruise” which to be honest I really had no idea, nor cared, what that meant as I was just happy to get away.  However it become apparent that there were cruisers on this particular journey for whom the Comedy element was the main drawcard. 

So what can you expect and take away from a comedy cruise?

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If you are a budding comedian, or have any desire to tick off your bucket list standing in front of a large crowd and giving it your best to make them laugh - this is a perfect opportunity to do just that.  Not only did this cruise come complete with nightly comedy shows, it also offered passengers the opportunity to learn from the masters before giving it a try.

Our first night at sea we were warmed up at the Sit Down Comedy Club. An adults only show performed at 9pm in the ships main theatre featuring our MC/Host for the cruise and a stand up comedian.  For our weekend we were entertained by Kehau Jackson and recent Adelaide Fringe award winning performer Luke Heggie.

On our first full day at sea passengers were given an opportunity to join a Comedy Workshop with Kehau Jackson.  Tips on joke writing, delivery, knowing your audience, stage presence and more were handed out to budding comedians posing as passengers on the cruise. 

On Saturday night the 400+ seat Marquee theatre filled again at 8:30pm for an all ages performance and then at 11pm for an Adults only Comedy Gala.  This evening we were entertained by Pete Rowsthorn of Kath & Kim fame, Bev Killick, Elbow Skin and an encore from Luke Heggie. 

For cruisers with little ones wanting to see the late show the kids club is open until 10:30pm at no extra charge, for a minimal charge of just $5 per hour you can leave the little ones in until 1pm so you can make the most of the comedy on offer. 

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For our last sea day the comedy continued and was packed into the day and night.  Starting with an up close and funny session with the comedians at 2pm, this lead into the Comedy Gong Show where passengers hit the stage. The twin deck theatre was packed as budding comedians took the microphone and did their best to make us laugh, impress the judging panel and avoid the sound of the gong ready to be hit at any time by the entertainment director.

I must say I was surprised at how many passengers hit the stage.  There were eight contestants brave enough to get up and give it a go.  Granted, some of them probably shouldn’t have! but credit to them for giving it a go - it was more than I could do! 

For our last night at sea a new act performed, Moments of Magic and Humour with Jonas Jost followed later in the night with one final Sitdown Comedy Club performance that featured Kehau Jackson and Bev Killick. 

With all this entertainment included in your cruise fare, along with your accommodation, meals and child care - what a great value weekend.  A night out to a fancy restaurant, a show at the Adelaide Fringe, a hotel in town and a babysitter for the night would almost cost you the same!

Whilst I loved the weekend, my only negative was that we sailed in 2016 on the Adelaide Comedy Cruise and we saw some of the same comedians - who disappointingly used much of the same material again in 2017.  I would love to do the weekend again in 2018 and really hope that P&O can find some new fresh talent before then as a joke is only really funny once…….

Have you done a comedy cruise before - let us know what you thought?

Penny - Itchy Feet Family

Other blogs you may be interested in
 - Cruise to nowhere - weekend at sea
 - Christmas Cruising - the pros and cons
 - Dixie Dude Ranch - our stay at a real cowboy ranch in Texas
 - Lest we forget - visiting battlefields of Long Tan

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