HAL to Disband HAL Dancers and Singers

I did not hear this but found on my Med cruise there was little emphasis on the singers and dancers. They only had 3 shows on a 12 day cruise and one was somehow connected to a BBC earth presentation. We had no Voice like shows but did have three BBC Explorations type shows with live music. I did not attend any and heard no reviews as people I spoke with did not attend either. We only had 4 guest performers, a beatles guy who did one show alone then teamed with a magician who had done one show alone. In malta we overnighted and they had a local group come on and perform. Near the end of cruise they had a cello player one night. I only went to two shows and they were ok. Other nights the show description did not encourage me to trek all the way to the front of the ship and sit for an hour performance. I went to other venues like BB Kings.

We have attended the BBC movies with the live music by Lincoln Center and they were awesome. the photography is unbelievable and the live orchestra music really enhances it. My mom is Heard of hearing but even she loved it both times. Highly recommend it.

I found the Hal singers to be poor at lip syncing.

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This news distresses me somewhat. I usually enjoy the cast shows. Surely, some are better than others. But, the ones that were good were very good! A Country and Western Show on the Westerdam and the group Cantere on Nieuw Amsterdam are stand-outs in my memory.

Much money, and I mean much money from what I have learned on several Behind the Scenes Tours, was spent on the Vista and Signature Class ships main theaters' production areas. Areas of the stage that could revolve, be lifted into tiers, lighting and sound upgrades, etc. My concern on my most recent cruises on these ships that the facilities that are available are underused or not used at all.

When Koningsdam was introduced, the expanded video wall and entertainment in her main theater were much touted by HAL. "Theater in the Round" was mentioned in many pre-introduction ads. More money spent on something that's not going to be fully utilized?

More questionable thinking to make a change in the entertainment offering, in my opinion, by the "suits" in Seattle.

Their demise was confirmed in our Coffee Chat with the CD when on the Zaandam.

This news distresses me somewhat. I usually enjoy the cast shows. Surely, some are better than others. But, the ones that were good were very good! A Country and Western Show on the Westerdam and the group Cantere on Nieuw Amsterdam are stand-outs in my memory.

 

Much money, and I mean much money from what I have learned on several Behind the Scenes Tours, was spent on the Vista and Signature Class ships main theaters' production areas. Areas of the stage that could revolve, be lifted into tiers, lighting and sound upgrades, etc. My concern on my most recent cruises on these ships that the facilities that are available are underused or not used at all.

 

When Koningsdam was introduced, the expanded video wall and entertainment in her main theater were much touted by HAL. "Theater in the Round" was mentioned in many pre-introduction ads. More money spent on something that's not going to be fully utilized?

 

More questionable thinking to make a change in the entertainment offering, in my opinion, by the "suits" in Seattle.

Loved Cantare on Nieuw Amsterdam!

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No movie can replace the Singers and Dancers.

Cruises are not cheap. If HAL wants to keep me happy, they will continue the good live entertainment.

Barbara

No movie can replace the Singers and Dancers.

They're different forms of entertainment.

Neither is universally better than the other.

Different people will like different things.

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I agree, no movies can replace the singers and dancers. We have always enjoyed the shows...mostly.

No movie can replace the Singers and Dancers.

Cruises are not cheap. If HAL wants to keep me happy, they will continue the good live entertainment.

 

Barbara

I agree, no movies can replace the singers and dancers. We have always enjoyed the shows...mostly.

Agreed. While going to the movies at your local cinema or watching them on tv can be entertaining, when I book cruises I expect to enjoy live entertainment that I can't watch at home.

I totally agree with the folks who say no movies can replace live entertainment.

And yes, live entertainment can replace movies because live entertainment is better.

I'm currently on board Koningsdam and just wanted to post that the title of this thread actually IS correct. They're no longer going to have a cast of singers and dancers specific to each ship. Instead, revues (with smaller casts) will move between ships as guest entertainers do. I got this from the CD on my sailing after being told by two of the current cast members that they were indeed getting rid of the singers and dancers.

 

I'm about to lose free Wi-Fi in port (Stevanger) so I won't be able to respond until Sunday. I don't think that this info had previously been posted; I recall people saying that HAL was just changing production companies. If this info was previously posted, my apologies.

 

So, obviously another cost saving move, like having guest performers do 2 different shows on the same cruise.

 

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Should be Interesting' date=' [b']Celebrity floats group's from one ship to another[/b]

 

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In tenders, or do they bob along wearing PFD's? :halo:

During my one Celebrity Eclipse cruise, two of the three cast shows were, I thought, eclectic. Not the usual type of a shipboard cast show that I like.

Their live music groups, particularly the music in the Atrium outside the Dining Room before Dinner, are memorable.

We don't go to the shows so OK for us. I do miss the dinner music.

My vote would be less entertainment, more cabin stewards- they work so hard and have so many staterooms.

I wish they would get rid of everything OPRAH instead of the Singers & Dancers. On my last cruise everything is marked with an "O" like she owns the ship. I wouldn't buy any of the merchandise with her "O" on it. I wonder if she had something to do with it.

Most likely, everything Oprah is net income for the cruise lines, not something that is a net cost.

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And once again Oprah gets mentioned in a thread that has NOTHING to do with her. *sigh*

Net income means that we are paying more or getting less, and I can watch all the movies I want at home.

I want live entertainment on a ship. Not movies. Not celebrity logos.

igraf

Most likely, everything Oprah is net income for the cruise lines, not something that is a net cost.

 

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Most likely, everything Oprah is net income for the cruise lines, not something that is a net cost.

 

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How would you know this? Franchise arrangements do come with fees, in hopes HAL will get a return on name-recognition marketing and self-branded product sales. Or did Winfrey trade this expected franchise fee in exchange for getting named the next HAL ship's godmother? No one has ever said Ms Winfrey is not a shrewd businesswoman. She has been brilliant.

I know at one point there was a statement from HAL implying they would split the fleet into two groupings, specifically with regards to entertainment and onboard activities & enrichment. The S, R and Prinsendam Class ships would be one group and the Vista, Signature and Pinnacle Class another. The smaller ships were to go to a more destination rich content and feature more cabaret style entertainment with local performers/guest entertainers more common. The bigger ships would continue with full production shows, guest entertainers, and branded entertainment venues (BB King, Bilboard, Lincoln Center, etc).

I'm wondering if what we are hearing reported from the ships isn't exactly this?

The bigger ships would continue with full production shows, guest entertainers, and branded entertainment venues (BB King, Bilboard, Lincoln Center, etc).

 

I'm wondering if what we are hearing reported from the ships isn't exactly this?

Given that I'm on Kdam and I was told that they're getting rid of the production shows here, I'd say that your theory isn't correct.

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I know at one point there was a statement from HAL implying they would split the fleet into two groupings, specifically with regards to entertainment and onboard activities & enrichment. The S, R and Prinsendam Class ships would be one group and the Vista, Signature and Pinnacle Class another. The smaller ships were to go to a more destination rich content and feature more cabaret style entertainment with local performers/guest entertainers more common. The bigger ships would continue with full production shows, guest entertainers, and branded entertainment venues (BB King, Bilboard, Lincoln Center, etc).

 

I'm wondering if what we are hearing reported from the ships isn't exactly this?

If this is Seattles thinking, I say bravo. They have a unique collection of ships, history and niche in the main line cruise market with no competition - this would be a very good move - for as much longer as they can efficiently keep these smaller ships sailing.

That is one way to get more "brand consistency" that others keep asking for - across each collection - the small ship grouping and the larger ship grouping. Two choices in the HAL family is far better than just one. Each group can offer a different experience - more traditional onboard experience and more adventuresome itineraries with the smaller group - more competitive industry wide on board serving the more standard routes with the larger one.

It is the In Depth cruises on ms Maasdam that will offer "a more destination rich content and feature more cabaret style entertainment with local performers/guest entertainers more common."

I was hoping that the rest of the fleet would then continue with the more traditional entertainment that we are used to.

Barbara

Net income means that we are paying more or getting less, ...

I know at one point there was a statement from HAL implying they would split the fleet into two groupings, specifically with regards to entertainment and onboard activities & enrichment.

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There may be a disconnect here, but if the Oprah branding means more income for the company then it means that passengers are paying more or the company has cut back on other amenities. In this case, the singers and dancers are gone but I can watch a movie instead and buy a T-shirt with an "O".

igraf

No, it means the owners of the cruise line are getting more. Passengers are going to get value for price regardless, even if it is a different set of passengers. I don't know about you but I don't buy something that isn't worth the price based on what the contract guarantees.

 

It seems that whatever split they make would set the smaller ships up for quicker reduction to irrelevance.

 

 

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