Unfortunate encounter with pianist on viking star - did this happen to you too?

Why are you posting this again? You posted it on a thread below on Dec 27.

Did you ever go back to the guest relations and ask what is the policy for performers on Viking ships selling their CD?

When on Celebrity, many entertainers do have CD to sell,but never a hard sell or misunderstood. I have bought some of them . I have used them as background music to my slide show of my trip on my apple computer.

BTW, can you buy things on board with Euros?

I thought ships use USD as the currency on board, but I could be wrong.

Why are you posting this again? You posted it on a thread below on Dec 27.

Did you ever go back to the guest relations and ask what is the policy for performers on Viking ships selling their CD?

When on Celebrity, many entertainers do have CD to sell,but never a hard sell or misunderstood. I have bought some of them . I have used them as background music to my slide show of my trip on my apple computer.

BTW, can you buy things on board with Euros?

I thought ships use USD as the currency on board, but I could be wrong.

We posted it again because it was "hidden" in another thread with many other discussions, and possibly, most people (except perhaps yourself!) might have missed it. We would not want other unexpecting passengers to have to experience that as my partner did. It was not pleasant feeling that someone was trying to take advantage of you unawares - and that was a Viking employee.

One would hope to expect that Viking staff on board usually try to make you feel good, as most do, and not feel bad.

We know on other cruise lines, entertainers have CDs to sell, but they announced it clearly, and they even have them displayed in one of the shops on the ship with the price tag. Those CDs were not pressed into your hands when you least expected, and then, asked you for the payment when you did not ask to buy it in the first place. You had to pick to CDs up yourself and knowingly buy it. That is the difference between these entertainers and the Viking Star pianist.

Isn't scrupulous behaviour expected of all ship's performers? What would you feel if you were placed in that position as my partner was? Would you be happy?

Haven't you ever gone to a wedding where the bartender tries to keep a tip jar discretely visible when it clearly a hosted bar and no tipping is expected? There is no way any employer can completely prevent unethical employees from trying this sort of thing. I've been on three Viking Ocean cruises. No one ever tried what the pianist tried on yours. You did the right thing by informing staff at the Explorer's Desk. It is against Viking policy and I am confident they were dealt with. 35 Euros for a CD tells you right away that the pianist was a crook. In answer to your questions, yes, scrupulous behavior is expected of all performers. No, I would not be happy if placed in that position, but I would not blame Viking, and I would not generalize about performers, Viking, or pianists. I am not surprised the pianist continued to perform for the rest of the cruise. They can't throw him or her overboard, and they can't lock them in their room. Undoubtedly, they completed their performance contract and likely will not work for Viking (or possibly even for the talent agency that Viking uses for this purpose) again.

We were on the Viking Star cruise B2B from Dec 21 2017 - Jan 4 2018.

My travelling partner, went to listen to some tunes playedby the house pianist (on the Viking Star) the evening before last . After the pianist finished playing, my friend saw him speak to some otherpassengers, and then he gave them a CD .He then chatted to my friend, and heshook his hand and gave him a CD also as he had done to the other couple. My companion did not really want it but he was too polite to say “no” especially whenhe thought it was a gift and it would be rude to refuse. A few moments later, however, the pianist said, "The price is 35 euros, but there's no hurry, you can pay me later"- or words to that effect.

 

My companion was embarrassed and felt he was being taken advantage of , but he was unsure what to do. When he discussed it with me, Isuggested that he just hand the CD to the receptionist at the Explorer’s Desk to give it back to the pianist. He did that the following day. The receptionist expressed concern and took the CD,and she said she would deal with the matter.





We were not sure what she meant by that because for the rest of the cruise, about 8 days or so, the pianist was still there but this time, we avoided him and did not see if he has "pressed" over any more of his CDs to unexpecting passengers.

 

We are mentioning this in case any other passenger(s) come across something like this in the future on any cruise ship and would not know what to do.

Thank you for the heads up. I personally would be offended if given the CD then asked for money. If it’s for sale, clearly mark as such and then people have the opportunity to purchase on their own. This seems really tacky and I haven’t encountered it on a cruise line and would hope not to ever.

Your friend was obviously in a difficult situation but my face would have shown incredulity when the sum of 35 Euros was mentioned and I would have handed the CD back immediately with no doubt a sarcastic comment

I think this post is totally appropriate & appreciated. Good call going to guest services.

Nothing like this happened on our Viking ocean cruise. Likely a rogue employee practice that Viking would appreciate knowing about.

35 Euros!!!!!

It happened to us on the Viking Star, (Cities of Antiquity Nov/Dec 2017) the pianist was in the world cafe and offering CD's for 35 Euros, a polite no and he moved on.

Your friend was obviously in a difficult situation but my face would have shown incredulity when the sum of 35 Euros was mentioned and I would have handed the CD back immediately with no doubt a sarcastic comment

Agreed. Hand the CD back with a "no thank you". Report him to customer service.

Haven't you ever gone to a wedding where the bartender tries to keep a tip jar discretely visible when it clearly a hosted bar and no tipping is expected? There is no way any employer can completely prevent unethical employees from trying this sort of thing. I've been on three Viking Ocean cruises. No one ever tried what the pianist tried on yours. You did the right thing by informing staff at the Explorer's Desk. It is against Viking policy and I am confident they were dealt with. 35 Euros for a CD tells you right away that the pianist was a crook. In answer to your questions, yes, scrupulous behavior is expected of all performers. No, I would not be happy if placed in that position, but I would not blame Viking, and I would not generalize about performers, Viking, or pianists. I am not surprised the pianist continued to perform for the rest of the cruise. They can't throw him or her overboard, and they can't lock them in their room. Undoubtedly, they completed their performance contract and likely will not work for Viking (or possibly even for the talent agency that Viking uses for this purpose) again.

I wouldn’t be at all happy if this happened at a wedding.

Thank you for the heads up. I personally would be offended if given the CD then asked for money. If it’s for sale, clearly mark as such and then people have the opportunity to purchase on their own. This seems really tacky and I haven’t encountered it on a cruise line and would hope not to ever.

Agree.

I wouldn’t be at all happy if this happened at a wedding.

 

Sigh. We are not disagreeing. I wouldn't be happy if it happened at a wedding or it happened on Viking. But would you criticize your wedding hosts because they did not know that the bartender was doing this? The point is simply that while the pianist was doing something that they were not supposed to do, it would be incorrect to blame Viking or to generalize.

I wouldn’t be at all happy if this happened at a wedding.

 

Sigh. We are not disagreeing. I wouldn't be happy if it happened at a wedding or it happened on Viking. But would you criticize your wedding hosts because they did not know that the bartender was doing this? The point is simply that while the pianist was doing something that they were not supposed to do, it would be incorrect to blame Viking or to generalize.

 

With respect, we do not get you. Who is blaming Viking or generalizing? Nobody. We just stated what had happened by someone who presumably "happened" to be working for Viking (or one of its agents, etc), and it took place on a Viking cruise inside a Viking ship. Surely, if that is the case, one is allowed to mention that, isn't one?

 

It's like if you see some Gypsy women in London approaching you and pressing their dried flower sprigs against your chest and then asking you for money, you would not blame them on London, would you? So, no, we won't blame Viking.

 

The main reason we put this on CruiseCritic, is for future passengers to be aware that this could happen to anyone on any ship, including non-Viking ones.

 

Who knows, even if Viking would not employ this pianist in future, what is there to stop him from ending up in ships of other cruise lines, plonking his keyboards and then pressing his CDs to other passengers ("victims"?), after which he would unexpectedly ask for his 35 Euros? So, it is always helpful for cruise guests to be on the "look-out" wherever they are, so that they will not be caught unawares and not know what to do.

 

We believe that guy (pianist) is from Eastern Europe and he is quite big and portly, so that if you encounter him again on any cruise ship, it's up to you, but you might consider keeping your distance. (NB: Just because that guy may happen to be from Eastern Europe, most definitely NOT all Eastern Europeans are like that, in fact, most others we met were usually very nice and friendly!).

We are just off the Star and were glad to be warned about the piano player. We steered clear but not just for that reason. His style of piano playing and choice of music was not to my liking. Every piece that we heard was like he was attacking the keyboard - Very loud and dramatic. (Befitting his demeanor) My preference would be someone who ‘tickles’ the ivories with softer more romantic pieces. To each his own!

The guitar player and classical trio were very good.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We are just off the Star and were glad to be warned about the piano player. We steered clear but not just for that reason. His style of piano playing and choice of music was not to my liking. Every piece that we heard was like he was attacking the keyboard - Very loud and dramatic. (Befitting his demeanor) My preference would be someone who ‘tickles’ the ivories with softer more romantic pieces. To each his own!

The guitar player and classical trio were very good.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Ya know, that was exactly my husband's reaction to the pianist! He heard him over tea and commented on just how inappropriate his set was for the venue, very far from the quiet soothing mood music that should accompany the late afternoon social hour.

We were on the Viking Star cruise B2B from Dec 21 2017 - Jan 4 2018.

My travelling partner, went to listen to some tunes playedby the house pianist (on the Viking Star) the evening before last . After the pianist finished playing, my friend saw him speak to some otherpassengers, and then he gave them a CD .He then chatted to my friend, and heshook his hand and gave him a CD also as he had done to the other couple. My companion did not really want it but he was too polite to say “no” especially whenhe thought it was a gift and it would be rude to refuse. A few moments later, however, the pianist said, "The price is 35 euros, but there's no hurry, you can pay me later"- or words to that effect.

 

My companion was embarrassed and felt he was being taken advantage of , but he was unsure what to do. When he discussed it with me, Isuggested that he just hand the CD to the receptionist at the Explorer’s Desk to give it back to the pianist. He did that the following day. The receptionist expressed concern and took the CD,and she said she would deal with the matter.





We were not sure what she meant by that because for the rest of the cruise, about 8 days or so, the pianist was still there but this time, we avoided him and did not see if he has "pressed" over any more of his CDs to unexpecting passengers.

 

We are mentioning this in case any other passenger(s) come across something like this in the future on any cruise ship and would not know what to do.

Sorry I'm late to the party but I have a few random thoughts about all that I have read so far.

First, if what he was doing was an egregious breach of contract, he would be off the ship before the cat could lick its whiskers.

That he is still there says a lot. I guess he is allowed to sell his CDs and at whatever price he wants. So, what we are really upset about is his selling technique. I think piano man is having trouble managing the cross-cultural and cross-language divide and just needs some training. I don't know how many of you speak a second language but I have got to tell you that I find managing the social niceties to be the hardest part--and selling is a social nicety. Moreover, he is an artist, not a salesman. So, here we have proud musician who would like to sell a couple of his CDs and an audience whose social upbringing says that we should not offend or be confrontational. Really it is a recipe for disaster. He's not doing it right and hit by the unexpected approach, we don't know how to react.

Now, as to the price. He is a musician, not a salesman. To him, the price of the CD reflects the value of his talent. His ego has set the price.

So, many thanks to OP for starting this thread because I think more people are now prepared to deal with the situation and not feel so threatened or upset by it.

Is it standard for musicians aboard Viking ships to peddle their CD's to the passengers? We have our first VO cruise coming up, and I thought I'd read that one of the appealing things about the cruise line was its lack of marketing onboard.

Is it standard for musicians aboard Viking ships to peddle their CD's to the passengers? We have our first VO cruise coming up, and I thought I'd read that one of the appealing things about the cruise line was its lack of marketing onboard.

Only did one Viking Ocean cruise. Loved our piano player. Played appropriate music. Never had solicitation happen.

Appreciate the heads up from the OP though.

If Viking permits this it goes way against the culture and ambiance of everything else that they do on Ocean. No art sales, no pushy photographers, etc. I am truly surprised that Viking lets this happen, assuming they have not already taken action.

I have bought CDs on cruises from people who have enhanced my enjoyment of that cruise. It always reminds me of a wonderful time and brings me joy. Most music venues that I attend they are selling CDs. That is a way for them to make a living. That being said 35 Euros is grossly overpriced. I have usually paid 10-15 US $. I also have never had one placed in my hand and then expect to be paid. I would have politely declined if the music was not something I would enjoy or a price I wanted to pay.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Let's not demonise the pianist. He didn't handle the sale well but the recipient, equally, was not able to respond appropriately. We should move on from this.

Let's not demonise the pianist. He didn't handle the sale well but the recipient, equally, was not able to respond appropriately. We should move on from this.

What do you mean by "demonise the pianist"? You make it sound as if the pianist is the victim, when in fact he is the perpetrator! The real victims are the poor guests he pressed his CD against, and then asked for money (at an inflated price - 35 Euros) taking advantage of the fact some may be too embarrassed to turn him down - not everyone is strong enough to say no . And he probably knows that.

It is not just that he did not handle this well, he should not have done it that way in the first place. Many people would perhaps feel what he did seems somewhat "underhanded". That was what seemed WRONG about his actions.

We do not know what Viking's policy is but we realise some cruise lines allow their staff to sell their wares. However, when they do, these CDs sales are done properly "above board" and they are usually displayed at the shops on the ship - with the price clearly marked - for anyone interested to purchase them. An official receipt would be given for each purchase. So likewise, if Viking allows these sales, they should be done that way.

It would be helpful too if we know eactly what Viking's policy is - whether they allow their staff to peddle their wares informally on board or not*

* We hope Viking do not condone this sort of informal peddling - if they do, what is there to stop other staff doing so? Imagine the cabin steward trying to peddle his "home-made" coconut toilet brushes to guests, pressing it to them, and then asking it for an inflated price of 35 Euros each which they can pay later !!! That is why Viking should be more firm on that kind of practices to protect its image.

What do you mean by "demonise the pianist"? You make it sound as if the pianist is the victim, when in fact he is the perpetrator! The real victims are the poor guests he pressed his CD against, and then asked for money (at an inflated price) taking advantage of the fact some may be too embarrassed to turn him down - not everyone is strong enough to say no .

 

It is not just that he did not handle this well, he should not have done it that way in the first place. Many people would perhaps feel what he did seems somewhat "underhanded". That was what seemed WRONG.

 

We do not know what Viking's policy is but we realise some cruise lines allow their staff to sell their wares. However, when they do, these CDs sales are always done properly "above board" and they are displayed at the shops on the ship - with the price clearly marked - for anyone interested to purchase them. So likewise, if Viking allows these sales, they should be done that way.

 

It would be helpful too if we know eactly what Viking's policy is - whether they allow their staff to peddle their wares on board or not.

It's pretty sad if you're an adult and don't know how to say: No!

But yes, it was tacky for the guy to do this.

What do you mean by "demonise the pianist"? You make it sound as if the pianist is the victim, when in fact he is the perpetrator! The real victims are the poor guests he pressed his CD against, and then asked for money (at an inflated price - 35 Euros) taking advantage of the fact some may be too embarrassed to turn him down - not everyone is strong enough to say no . And he probably knows that.

 

And why do you assume that the piano man is deliberately setting out to force an unwanted sale on anyone? Is it because he is from Eastern Europe so he must be sinister? Can't you accept the idea that maybe the guy is just a lousy awkward salesman who doesn't know how to handle the situation and is simple bungling his way through the whole transaction himself. Can't you accept a victimless scenario? We don't know even know if anyone has coughed up the 35€ but immediately you are declaring him a "perpetrator" deliberately setting out to take advantage. We weren't there. We did not hear what he said. But immediately we want to make him the bad guy, because there always has to be a bad guy in a transaction, a winner and a loser. Cut the guy some slack.

I have been following this thread for awhile and finally have decided to comment. Having taken 3 Viking Ocean and 2 Viking River cruises, I have never experienced anyone trying to sell anything outside of one of the shops on board. Viking clearly states that all accounts are payable in US dollars, not Euros or any other currency. That being the case, I strongly suspect that the musician was "free-lancing" and either was unaware of Viking's policies or felt that it didn't apply to him. If selling his CD's was authorized, I would have expected that it would only be available through one of the shops and would never be payable in Euros. .

 

We were on the Viking Star cruise B2B from Dec 21 2017 - Jan 4 2018.

 

My travelling partner, went to listen to some tunes playedby the house pianist (on the Viking Star) the evening before last . After the pianist finished playing, my friend saw him speak to some otherpassengers, and then he gave them a CD .He then chatted to my friend, and heshook his hand and gave him a CD also as he had done to the other couple. My companion did not really want it but he was too polite to say “no” especially whenhe thought it was a gift and it would be rude to refuse. A few moments later, however, the pianist said, "The price is 35 euros, but there's no hurry, you can pay me later"- or words to that effect.

 

My companion was embarrassed and felt he was being taken advantage of , but he was unsure what to do. When he discussed it with me, Isuggested that he just hand the CD to the receptionist at the Explorer’s Desk to give it back to the pianist. He did that the following day. The receptionist expressed concern and took the CD,and she said she would deal with the matter.





We were not sure what she meant by that because for the rest of the cruise, about 8 days or so, the pianist was still there but this time, we avoided him and did not see if he has "pressed" over any more of his CDs to unexpecting passengers.

 

We are mentioning this in case any other passenger(s) come across something like this in the future on any cruise ship and would not know what to do.

Some flaky misquoting happening here.