Carnival Cruise Line Opens New Carnival Studios Rehearsal Facility

In a move designed to further elevate its entertainment across the fleet, Carnival Cruise Line opened Carnival Studios, a state-of-the-art 44,500-square-foot rehearsal venue in South Florida, at a ribbon cutting event Wednesday evening in Davie, FL.

Three years in development, Carnival Studios -- just a short drive from Carnival's headquarters in Miami-Dade County -- will bring bands, casts and technical teams from every ship together shore-side for intensive rehearsals as a team. It will also give entertainment teams the opportunity to conceptualize new shows on site.  

Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

More than 500 entertainers and performers are expected to convene at Carnival Studios to rehearse new shows that are continually rolling out across Carnival's fleet. 

What's there? The studios encompass eight dedicated music studios, five full-stage dance studios, a training room, a green room and offices for the line’s entertainment department; many entertainment staffers will relocate to the facility.    

“Whether it’s our elaborate production shows, our popular rock bands or solo artists performing throughout the ship, entertainment is a huge part of the Carnival vacation experience and this spectacular rehearsal space provides us with unprecedented opportunities to develop exciting new choices for our guests,” said Sarah Beth Reno, Carnival’s vice president of entertainment.  

Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

Designed as a creative hub for Carnival’s entertainment department, all spaces within the studio facility have been outfitted with the latest digital sound, lighting and recording technology. 

Main theater stages found on ships throughout the fleet have been replicated within five full-scale studios. One of the dance studios has a 480-square-foot LED screen that's an integral part of the line’s high-tech Playlist Productions shows. So performers can hone their craft in daily interactions with the technology. 

The development of Carnival Studios also enables entertainers to work with top-rated talent from Broadway, London’s West End, Las Vegas and entertainment partners across the globe in conceptualizing new shipboard entertainment. 

“We designed the space to encourage interaction and engagement between everyone who works on our shows – from cast members and musicians to technicians and backstage crew,” said Chris Nelson, Carnival’s senior director of entertainment. “It is in these sometimes intentional and sometimes impromptu collaborations that the strongest ideas take shape, inspiring synergy and building relationships that last a lifetime."

Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

In addition to Playlist Productions and live bands that span all musical genres, Carnival’s fleetwide entertainment lineup includes the Punchliner Comedy Clubs; Lip Sync Battle based on the hit SpikeTV show; Hasbro, The Game Show with larger-than-life adaptations of the company’s games; and Carnival LIVE featuring top-name musical and comedy acts who perform on board.