The first night of a cruise is generally a quiet one, with a welcome party and little else. Our recent trip aboard the Norwegian Getaway through a little surprise at us – the ship’s escape room game, Bamboozled, was scheduled for the first night!
I was thankful to notice Bamboozled on the night’s agenda right away, and we signed up at the library almost as soon as it opened. The event was popular, with every slot getting filled well before the deadline. Bamboozled only ran for one night, so those who missed out will need to catch it on a different cruise.
Bamboozled is a relatively simple superhero-themed game set up for tables of eight players. Each table gets a box requiring getting through six locks to open, as well as an envelope filled with laminated sheets with clues on them. The game master doesn’t provide tailored hints – instead, the game releases audio hints at various intervals throughout the game. The game master’s biggest interaction with teams is entering codes into a flashy rotary phone prop when the first team solves the final puzzle. The game took place in the ship’s “Illusionarium” room – a magic-themed stage used for smaller shows.
The game was fun, and it was fitting for the venue. Escape room purists may be put off by teaming up with large groups of strangers, but our team was competitive and friendly, and we had a blast competing with our mixed group. The puzzles and props were quite simple, but that’s also almost a necessity in this circumstance so the game master doesn’t get bogged down helping specific teams through complex or challenging problems.
I had brought a pen and paper, and it was tremendously handy, especially in the most complex final puzzle. Staying organized was key, both in how we took notes and how we tracked which of our materials have been used with what.
The game ends when the first team solves the final puzzle, adding an extra competitive layer to the event. It’s the kind of factor that may not work for every audience, but for a cruise ship event, it fits in perfectly.
I truly appreciate that competitive puzzle solving and escape rooms are becoming mainstream enough for cruise lines like Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Princess to invest in them. It’s really great to be on vacation, disconnected from the world, and still have an opportunity to race to solve puzzles.
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