I spent a week on one of the first sailings of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Luna. I stayed in a Solo Studio stateroom and spent a lot of time outside of my room exploring the ship. This post is by no means a complete overview of all the entertainment options; but instead shows the different venues where you can find some of the fun activities on the ship.
Luna Theater & Club
The main theater on the Luna is the Luna Theater & Club located on Decks 6-8 forward. This is where the main stage shows are each evening. It can be configured in a number of ways. For example, during embarkation the seating is put away making the space a standing venue or a club at night.
It reminds me of the Red Room on Virgin Voyages ships. For the main shows, it converts into a more standard theater. It isn’t a huge theater; which meant for the main shows I saw people queueing up 90 minutes before the show. As a solo traveler, it was easy for me to find a single open seat with a great view.
During my sailing, the best show was Elton. It roughly told the story of Elton John through his music with various performers singing his songs, complete with dancers and acrobats. And a set made up of many pianos.
There is also an Eagles tribute show; essentially the onboard band playing the Eagles greatest hits with some explanation between each song and visuals in the background.
The other major show is called Hiko, which was a low budget Cirque type show. The most impressive portion was a set piece with trampolines but you got a taste of various acrobatics.
The last night there was a crew talent show. While I just caught the last act, I was impressed by the level of talent of the singer. It too was a packed house.
Most of the shows played twice a night; and the big ones (Hiko and Elton) played on two separate nights. I was aware that the shows tended to skew towards older passengers. Of the shows I went to, Hiko would have been the only one of much interest to kids.
Improv at Sea
Another performance venue is Improv at Sea on Deck 6 midship. This smaller venue has a bar and stage and is used for comedy shows, dance parties, Deal or No Deal, and LunaTique: Pop Circus. LunaTique is an additional $49 up charge and is adults only.
Syd Norman’s Pour House
On Deck 7 you’ll find a similar venue to Improv at Syd Norman’s. It’s a live music venue with a bar; though during my visit it wasn’t used as much as the Syd Norman band typically played in the Luna Theater.
Those are the three main performance venues on the ship, in addition to some events that take place in the atrium. But there is plenty more locations to find some fun.
Casino
The casino sprawls across Deck 6, starting at the bottom of the main atrium. There is a sealed off smoking section, but the rest of it is in the hallways outside Improv at Sea and in corners of the deck. There are many slots as well as tables (craps, black jack, roulette, etc).
Luna Game Zone
Up on Deck 17 you’ll find the arcade. It has a cool video hall entry.
Inside you’ll find a range of games including vintage arcade games, claw machines, skee-ball, VR simulators, and even a two lane bowling set up. Some of the retro games are free, others you charge to your account or you can purchase an unlimited pass.
Observation Lounge
Essentially surrounding the arcade (though you’d never know it) is the Observation Lounge. A quiet space for catching views, grabbing a snack or a drink from the bar.
The rest of Deck 17 and on up is the heart of the activities on the ship.
Pool
For as big as the Luna is, there is only one main pool, and it is located midship on Deck 17. There are activities in the evening on the pool deck. During the day it is packed. The pool itself isn’t huge, but there is a wet area round it if you want to sit and cool off. But it will be very crowded. There are also two hot tubs near the pool.
There are two smaller pools on Deck 8. These are infinity type pools that are about the size of hot tubs.
Additionally you can pay extra to visit the adults only Vibe Beach club that has a large sundeck and a couple of hot tubs (but no pool).
The Have also has a separate private sun deck with hot tubs.
Kids’ Aqua Park
Going up to Deck 18 at the front of the ship you’ll find a sun deck and kids splash pad.
At the back of the ship on Deck 18 you find more teen/adult activities.
Luna Midway
In an odd spot just up from the buffet on your way to the mini golf course is a section of carnival games. Apparently on the first couple of sailings these games cost extra, but during my sailing they were all free. There are no prizes to be won, but I often saw people playing them to try to get a high score.
Tee Time
Just past the Midway is the mini golf course. I believe it is $5 per person per game. It is a pretty cool set up and uses technology for score keeping. I think each ball has a chip in it to keep track of your putts and how many points you get from each obstacle. Each hole is themed around a travel location.
The Drop
The Drop slide starts on Deck 18 just past the mini golf and ends on Deck 8. It is important to note that this is a dry slide rather than a water slide. Apparently the slide is finicky as it was closed the first three times I tried to go on it. They said due to weather (meaning sun?) the slide was too fast. I finally got to try it on the last day of my cruise (which was a sea day). While the start is exciting, you get loaded onto a mat in a tube and the floor drops out, it is actually extremely slow. I got stuck at one point and had to push myself forward. It’s a gimmick and I doubt most people will do it more than once.
The Stadium
Opposite the mini golf on Deck 18 is The Stadium. This is an area with lawn games — corn hole, ping pong, beer pong, shuffle board, etc. The games are all free.
Moon Climber
Going up from there to Deck 19 you’ll find a few more attractions. First is the Moon Climber, a jungle gym type attraction where kids (or adults) can climb up ladders and down slides. Think of it like a big McDonald’s Play Place.
Pickleball Court
Next to the Moon Climber is the pickleball court. There is just one court, but I never saw much of a line for it.
Aqua SlideCoaster
The biggest attraction of the ship is located across Decks 18-20, but you access it from Deck 19. If you are in the Haven, there is a short cut that you can access from The Stadium on Deck 18.
The Aqua SlideCoaster is two side-by-side waterslides that start with a fast launch uphill. After you wait in line, you (and a partner if you choose) get into a small raft. Note that the line has no shade, so it is recommended you wear your flip flops until you get on the raft as the ground is very hot. Also good idea to wear a cover or sunscreen.
A conveyor belt moves you up onto a ramp. A mechanical arm on a track moves into place behind you and attaches to the back of your raft.
It then pushes you quickly up the ramp and launches you into the slide tube.
The best part is the launch. After you get into the tube, it is a fairly slow moving waterslide that is pretty stuffy and hot. You come out the bottom and have to push yourself a bit until another conveyor belt moves you back to your original position.
My sailing was one of the first of the ship, and the Aqua SlideCoaster was broken down a few times. Like The Drop, I felt like it was a bit of a gimmick and not something I would imagine most people would want to do more than once or twice.
Glow Court
The highest most attraction is the Glow Court. This is essentially a small basketball court with some projections that offer a number of interactive games.
There is a lot to do on the Luna; both in terms of entertainment and dining. I can’t imagine getting bored on the ship. Mostly I avoided the top decks (Deck 17 and higher) as the pool and activities were overwhelmed by kids. But I was able to find many spots on Deck 6-8 that were not a mad house.
Of all the ships I’ve been on, it is the closest to an “amusement park at sea”. But to be honest I was expecting it to feel even more so. There are kids and teen clubs on the ships that probably kept a lot of the younger passengers entertained. But by avoiding the “attractions” I was able to enjoy myself. I wouldn’t hesitate to book a trip on the Luna again in the future.
