Quite fitting really for the Love Boat cruiseline. Except it's not that sort of passion.
For 2010, Princess Cruises is offering a cruise tour that has tickets to the Oberammergau Passion Play, held every 10 years in Oberammergau, Southern Germany.
The Passion Play, which depicts the life and death of Jesus, has been held every 10 years since 1634, performed by the villagers, in thanksgiving for deliverance from the Black Death in 1633. It goes on for so long - about seven hours - that a meal is served in the intermission.
More than 2,000 actors, singers, instrumentalists and technicians take part. They make their own costumes for the production and, as no wigs are used, participants must grow their hair and beards for several months prior to the performances.
It's all very heavy stuff, but the eight-day tour visits some great German cities as well, including Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, and then connects with a 10-day Scandinavia/Russia cruise on Star Princess. Departures are August 2 and August 12, 2010.
Jane Archer
