Entertainment

We've just disembarked from an EB T/A, the first leg of the World Cruise.

We went over to the US on the 19th November sailing.

The new entertainment director, Jo Haley (I say new as we were last aboard 5 years ago) has really improved things. It all runs like clockwork and the quality of the shows was superb.

Speakers on the outbound were also very good, although merely "good" on the return. It was a New York Times themed voyage and I thought that they were probably better at writing than speaking, but others seemed to enjoy.

My only beef is with the audiences!

1. The people who plonk themselves down at the end of a row and then sigh when others have to clamber over them to reach the inside seats. And the ones who sit with an empty seat next to their neighbours when it's a full auditorium, thus stopping couples getting seats together.

2. Arriving 5 or 10 minutes into the performance and wandering around in the dark looking for seats.

3. And, worst of all, leaving 5 minutes before the end!

All of this must drive the artists crazy.

But well done to all concerned with providing the entertainment for a wonderful two weeks on board!

Thank you very much for reporting back, I agree with your comments about audiences, particularly #1.

 

3. And, worst of all, leaving 5 minutes before the end!

 

All of this must drive the artists crazy.

 

I agree - very discourteous. I have said so to a number of performers, but they all seem pretty sanguine about it and say they realise it's not personal.

I agree with your observations on the New York Times presenters having seen them during the summer of 2016.

M-AR

Could you tell me who the entertainment acts were.on the EB (the visiting acts, not the Cunard shows)? On the NY-Caribbean trip the acts seemed a little different than the normal fare, aside from Ruthie Henshall whom I've seen on QM2 previously.

We saw the "Opera Boys" and Stephanie Parker. There was also a female violinist who we just caught the end of - she seemed very good.

...aside from Ruthie Henshall whom I've seen on QM2 previously.

WOW. I'd have loved to be on that voyage.

To be frank, I've found the lecturers consistently impressive, the guest performers usually not my cup of tea, and the production shows, at best, unintentionally funny (if hate-watched).

...and the onboard musicians to be consistently excellent and an aspect of Cunard that I treasure.

- Mark

I agree with Ubarrow's comments on rude audiences and as Host Hattie has written, # 1 is most annoying. However I doubt if the performers can see what is going on because of the spotlights. I also agree with Mark Bear's comments on the quality of the performers. We also love the musicians on board. The theater orchestra is always superb, and we run to their jazz performances, such as those we recently enjoyed in the Carenthia Lounge.

And the ones who sit with an empty seat next to their neighbours when it's a full auditorium, thus stopping couples getting seats together.

If there are two individual empty seats in a row but separated, I simply ask people if they wouldn't mind moving along a seat.

The selfish people keeping an empty seat very rarely have the courage to object.

On the rare occasion they do, then my wife and I will simply take the two separated seats and show them up for the type of people they are.