Around
the World on a Cruise to...
LAS VEGAS
What
would you think about a trip that allowed you to pass the Manhattan
skyline, stroll through the Roman forum, explore a tropical
rainforest, and sip cappuccino beside a Venetian canal as a gondola
quietly floated past? I did all that, plus saw a pyramid, felt the
heat of a volcano, heard the roar of a snow white tiger, and was
enchanted by dolphins at play. Did I take a world cruise? Not
exactly. In fact, my resort didn't even float.
Welcome to Vegas, baby! What happens there doesn't
necessarily have to stay there and I'm willing to share the
highlights. First things, first... you might be wondering what the
Cruise Diva was doing in landlocked Nevada.
It's quite simple--Las Vegas is a convention mecca
and I was there to attend one. I was also one of nearly 37.5 million
annual visitors to America's playground in the desert. Wow! No
wonder seventeen of the world's largest hotels are in Las Vegas.
Mine was the Mirage, which heralded a new era of mega-resorts when
it opened in 1989. The tigers, dolphins, and volcano are just a few
of the Mirage's attractions. Exotic bird sounds greet guests
arriving beside the tropical lagoon and a profusion of greenery and
exotic flowers fill the atrium inside. One the world's largest
indoor saltwater aquariums is a soothing sight while waiting in line
to check in. Past the hyper-active casino, elevators whisk guests to
spacious rooms overlooking the skyline (well, my view was mostly of
a roof, but the lights of the strip were cool after dark).
One of Las Vegas' main attractions is gaming, of
course, but there's a lot more to this adult oasis than blackjack
and slot machines. Top entertainers appear in the show lounges,
world-class spas offer pampering and relaxation, the food is to die
for. Repeat visitors even book hotels based on the quality and
ambiance of the various resort swimming pools. How does all this
decadence stack up to a cruise?
Entertainment
The last time I was in Las Vegas I saw Elvis. The real
Elvis. The King of Rock 'n Roll in a rhinestone encrusted jumpsuit.
The Elvis who swiveled his booty on The Ed Sullivan Show. He was no
longer the epitome of Bad Boy then and, truthfully, looked something
like an overstuffed sausage with sideburns in that jumpsuit. He
still had that magic, though, and the former teeny-boppers still
swooned. Are audiences still swooning in Vegas? I was about to find
out.
One
of the hottest tickets in town during my stay was for a seat in the huge Colosseum
theater that Caesar's Palace built especially for headliner Celine
Dion. Her show, "A New Day" proved worthy of the expense (both for
the theater and the ticket). Don't expect her to take the stage
alone with only a band and backup singers as Elvis did. Ms. Dion is
a tiny presence on an enormous stage with a bevy of dancers and a
few assorted odd characters that I found distracting. Her lovely,
clear voice captures the audience's attention when she performs her
own material. She's simply stunning when singing "My Heart Will Go
On" (the love song from the movie "Titanic"). I was transfixed; the
theater melted away with the power of her voice. It's almost a shame
that there's so much going on behind her. With an overall
Cirque-like quality, dancers in dreamy lyrical costumes execute a
mixed bag of footwork, some of it classic and the rest cloddish and
hip-hoppity. Even the scenery gets into the action with realistic
storm clouds overhead and trees and musical instruments floating
through the air. Ms. Dion manages to overcome all that, plus her
curious repetition of jerky hand gestures and lack of stage presence
(she can't dance, although she tries mightily), and carries a quite
amazing show with the strength of her vocals.
Today's other headliners include musical royalty,
both past and present. But there's more... production shows, comedy,
magic, tributes to the greats (the Rat Pack, the Beatles), and "Folies
Bergere" featuring traditional showgirls adorned in feathers and
sequins (and little else at times). Designed to delight women, the
Chippendales showboys are eye candy and... yes, even talented. (Fair
is fair, after all!)
Mystère, "O", KÀ, and Zumanity are
Cirque du Soleil productions featuring surreal surroundings and odd
characters that are really some of the most agile acrobats you'll
ever see. A bit weird for my taste, but wildly popular, they
mesmerize the crowds with their movements.
So, how does cruise ship entertainment stack
up? Well, you aren't likely to ever see Elton John at sea.
However, you also aren't paying upwards of $100 for a ticket for
some awfully good performances on cruise ship stages. You might also
see some awful performances, but you could run into that in Vegas as
well. Vegas-style ship productions are, in reality, more akin to the
old-style Vegas variety shows. The latest thing is emulating Cirque,
which some sea-going song and dance companies have accomplished
fairly well.
Finally, in Las Vegas, the spirit of the
Titanic lives on through "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" at the
Tropicana. You aren't likely to see anything like it on a cruise
ship.
More Las Vegas -->
Spas & Nightlife,
how they measure up
