8:30 Comedy Show, 18+

[keichman]

I've seen that the comedy shows are often listed as 18+ for the 8:30 and later shows. How "adult" are those 8:30 shows? I don't care for really raunchy humor, but don't mind some off-color language/humor. (And don't really want to disrupt our dining reservations around the 6:00 hour.)

 

Thanks,

[chillyw]

It's hard to say with how much the comedians rotate. They're for the most part free to perform how they want to in those 18+ shows (I've seen some tame ones and some more dirty ones)

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, keichman said:

I've seen that the comedy shows are often listed as 18+ for the 8:30 and later shows. How "adult" are those 8:30 shows? I don't care for really raunchy humor, but don't mind some off-color language/humor. (And don't really want to disrupt our dining reservations around the 6:00 hour.)

 

Thanks,

Really depends on the comedians. Some do similar shows, just throwing in a lot more F-Bombs in the 18+ shows. During the early shows, there may be some implied sexual oriented jokes, while at the 18+ shows it is explicated stated. Go to the 18+ shows. 

[Sigyn]

Do they really prevent anyone under 18 from attending? I'm sure our son, who will be 16 when we cruise, could handle the humor.

[Terre]

2 hours ago, keichman said:

I've seen that the comedy shows are often listed as 18+ for the 8:30 and later shows. How "adult" are those 8:30 shows? I don't care for really raunchy humor, but don't mind some off-color language/humor. (And don't really want to disrupt our dining reservations around the 6:00 hour.)

 

Thanks,

Depends on who the comedian is as to how raunchy or not they get.

[drneal]

25 minutes ago, Sigyn said:

Do they really prevent anyone under 18 from attending? I'm sure our son, who will be 16 when we cruise, could handle the humor.

Good question 

we will be sailing in 2 weeks with my 21 yo son and daughter who is a few months shy of 18. 
I could understand enforcing this rule if unaccompanied.  However, with a parent present I would hope it would be fine. After all isn’t the point of going on a family vacation to spend time with and make lasting memories with you family aboard an NCL cruise ?

[1025cruise]

I've seen plenty of teens at shows that are supposed to be 18+, with their parents. Personally, if it were my teen, I'd have been embarrassed. Plus, with comedy, if the comedian sees a bunch of young people, they might dial down the routine, which IMHO negates the reason to going to an 18+ show.

[cruiseny4life]

11 hours ago, Sigyn said:

Do they really prevent anyone under 18 from attending? I'm sure our son, who will be 16 when we cruise, could handle the humor.

I've seen comedians ask those that look under 18 how old they are. They then make sure to pick on that parent a lot. Can you handle being called a parent that makes bad decisions? That's the route those jokes typically go. I enjoy them. I'm not sure the parent(s) enjoy them. 

[dexddd]

Based on reports here, isn't the larger question are they even funny?  Our last on Prima last fall was a dud.

[hallux]

When I was on the Joy in 2021 one of the comedians was very clear with some parents in the front row with their early-teen son that he was going to learn some things that night if they chose to let him stay.  They stayed.  Mid-performance (same show) a woman walked in with VERY young kids, walking down the aisle toward the stage (why people insist on walking to the front mid-show is a whole other discussion), he stopped her a few rows from the front and strongly advised that she leave with her children as the show was really not for them - she took his advice.

[hallux]

2 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Based on reports here, isn't the larger question are they even funny?  Our last on Prima last fall was a dud.

Scott Henry (the comedian I mention in my post above, was actually pretty funny.  When he did the same act on my cruise on the Escape this year it wasn't quite as funny...

[cruiseny4life]

50 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Based on reports here, isn't the larger question are they even funny?  Our last on Prima last fall was a dud.

We've seen two funny comedians, one really funny comedian, and a couple blahhhhhhhhhhhhhh comedians. We didn't walk out of any shows as they're only 30 - 45 minutes, but I would understand why folks would.

[Cruising Lynne]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

I've seen plenty of teens at shows that are supposed to be 18+, with their parents. Personally, if it were my teen, I'd have been embarrassed. Plus, with comedy, if the comedian sees a bunch of young people, they might dial down the routine, which IMHO negates the reason to going to an 18+ show.

I have seen a comedian on one of our cruises dial down his routine due to a family group with teens that were sitting in the front row. He was uncomfortable with doing certain jokes in front of them. He did comment about it and it did take a little away from the adults enjoyment of the show. If you want to bring teens maybe don't sit in the front. Most parents know what their kids can handle, but try not to put the comedian on the spot by putting teens front and center.

[Sigyn]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I've seen comedians ask those that look under 18 how old they are. They then make sure to pick on that parent a lot. Can you handle being called a parent that makes bad decisions? That's the route those jokes typically go. I enjoy them. I'm not sure the parent(s) enjoy them. 

Ah, I gotcha. I don't have to worry about that. My son is over six feet tall. 

[tomk3212]

On every cruise we've taken the 'adults only, 18+' comedy has been at 11PM and not the 830PM show.  Most of the 830PM shows are 'PG-13', IMHO.  In 2013 we were on Gem & went up to the Spinnaker for one of these type shows (the Second City troupe, I think).  The Freestyle Daily & the CD stated, in no uncertain terms, that no one under 18 would be admitted.  Sure enough some parents were there with 6 & 7 year old kids.  The comedians would not start the show till these morons left, which they finally did, at 1115PM.

 

We've been to a few of these late comedy shows in the past few years & have noticed young teens (14-15) in the audiences.  Nowadays with cell phones, TikTok, the Internet, etc. there's not much even 10 year olds haven't seen or heard so I'm guessing it's not that big an issue any longer.  Sad state of affairs but that's for a different conversation or posting...

Edited July 28, 2023 by tomk3212
add date

[HoosierShipmate]

My kids have heard everything, are very mature and I never worry.  Last year on a Carnival cruise, we attended the 18+ show (son 15, daughter 18 at the time) and I had no worries. Then the show started.  I doubt there was anything they hadn’t heard or discussed with friends, etc. but it was 100% the raunchiest most sexually explicit show I’ve ever seen. I was not offended. But I was uncomfortable being with them, and I can’t imagine how uncomfortable they must have been.  To make it worse, she wasn’t even funny. But she was descriptive, I’ll give her that!