HAL to Disband HAL Dancers and Singers

Cruised the Med early this month and were advised by several staff that HAL intend to phase out having its own dancers and singers for live shows.

Instead the emphasis will be on having "competitions" such as The Voice using passengers as the entertainment.:mad::mad::mad:

Would be a great shame as these young people have wonderful talent and provide great entertainment.

They would all be out of a job.:mad::mad:

Anyone else heard that this is happening?

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.

While I have not heard that HAL plans to stop having its own singers and dancers, the cruise director made a comment on the last cruise that the contract that the singers and dancers work under prohibit the ship from using the entertainers in any other capacity on the ship.

 

This meant that on a long cruise with a limited number of production shows , other than rehearsals, the entertainment staff had no duties on the ship.

 

The cruise director commented that he would like to see the entertainment staff available to the cruise director to supplement his staff for activities or other duties.

 

Maybe (pure speculation on my part) the contract with the supplying agency is up for negotiation?

While I have not heard that HAL plans to stop having its own singers and dancers, the cruise director made a comment on the last cruise that the contract that the singers and dancers work under prohibit the ship from using the entertainers in any other capacity on the ship.

 

This meant that on a long cruise with a limited number of production shows , other than rehearsals, the entertainment staff had no duties on the ship.

 

The cruise director commented that he would like to see the entertainment staff available to the cruise director to supplement his staff for activities or other duties

That would make sense, and might improve the onboard program.

On my last cruise the priest Father Stephen assisted HAL staff in several capacities. He was on hand helping assisting with getting tours out. Not sure if that was an assignment or his stepping up to help.

On this year’s GWV the singers and dancers did not have as many performances as I was expecting but did not hear anything about HAL doing away with them. I did see them sometimes doing other jobs on the ship.

now there is a real money saver. HAVE the paying guests provide the 'entertaiment'. Here's hoping some have a smidgeon of talent. :eek:

 

 

WHAT next?

 

Will we have to make our own beds?

 

 

Wash dishes? :D

Edited May 24, 2018 by sail7seas

Wow.... Let's just do away with any professional paid entertainment onboard... Maybe some stringed instruments as the entire music/entertainment focus.

 

For the umpteenth time lately... WHAT ARE THEY THINKING...

 

UGGGGHHHHH

 

I am not big on that big open-air theater in the round set-up anyhow.

And, the shows, from what I have seen, are 'High School Musical' in quality and talent.

So maybe no big loss anyhow.

Will we have to make our own beds?

Only in the suites LOL All the other cabins have to bring their own sleeping bag ;p;p;p

For the umpteenth time lately... WHAT ARE THEY THINKING...

That every dollar expended must compete with every other way that dollar could be spent, and the absolute best ways for expenses to be incurred are the only ways that money should be spent.

 

If you don't have access to data indicating what *really* drives consumers to book cruises, you can still find out by watching how the cruise lines spend their money. They expose the results of their research by their spending.

 

And when some expenditures are replaced by others you can safely bet your money on the understanding that the things on which they are spending their money serve their mission better than the things on which they no longer spend their money.

 

If today's big rumor is true, this will come up again ... with regard to building big ships like the ms Nieuw Statendam and selling the ms Prinsendam to Phoenix Reisen late 2019. Every dollar expended must compete with every other way that dollar could be spent, and the absolute best ways for expenses to be incurred are the only ways that money should be spent.

 

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Edited May 24, 2018 by bUU

Cruised the Med early this month and were advised by several staff that HAL intend to phase out having its own dancers and singers for live shows.

Instead the emphasis will be on having "competitions" such as The Voice using passengers as the entertainment.:mad::mad::mad:

Would be a great shame as these young people have wonderful talent and provide great entertainment.

They would all be out of a job.:mad::mad:

Anyone else heard that this is happening?

 

Danced floor is gone, more seats, so more movies, which means more crummy Hollywood, you might as well stay home...

you might as well stay home...

Or switch to a cruise line that serves your niche interests better. How is the dancing on Seabourn?

 

 

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Most of us have competing dollars we sped on our 'exrtas. :)

 

 

 

 

i sometimes wonder what is their corporate goal?

 

 

Se how quickly they can send how may of us away from booking? They made it as hard as possible on their website.

That is for sure!!!!!!

We would not have made this deposit on this possible first cruise with HAL based on their web-site, and especially based on our interactions with their customer service.

 

We would not have made this deposit at all without a good TA.

 

Would not have even looked at HAL if other cruise line offered a newer ship and this itinerary.

Or switch to a cruise line that serves your niche interests better. How is the dancing on Seabourn?

 

 

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Let us know, how is the dancing on Seabourn?

 

Not that I have any interest to dance on Seabourn :) but some people here might.

Most of us have competing dollars we sped on our 'exrtas. :)

Of course. You operate your life the same way they operate their business. Your not going to spend your money on anything other than "the best value." You're not going to invest your money in anything other than, "the investment than provided the best return." If you want to understand why the cruise line makes decisions you don't like, ask yourself why you don't buy the things you don't buy.

 

i sometimes wonder what is their corporate goal?

Best return to shareholders. And if that was not the case, as a shareholder I would gladly sue them.

 

Se how quickly they can send how may of us away from booking?

And see how quickly they can attract the kind of cruise passengers attracted to big ships like the ms Konigsdam.

 

 

 

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Let us know, how is the dancing on Seabourn? Not that I have any interest to dance on Seabourn :) but some people here might.

That's my point. If someone cares about dancing, why aren't they trying to discover how the dancing is on Seabourn? Niche interests may be served on niche cruise lines.

 

 

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...

Instead the emphasis will be on having "competitions" such as The Voice using passengers as the entertainment.:mad::mad::mad:

...

 

Oh good grief. I don't watch those programs on TV when I'm home, I sure wouldn't watch anything like that on a cruise. :mad:

How about getting some REAL talent HAL??

HAVE the paying guests provide the 'entertaiment'.

 

DW and I did a transatlantic on the Epic a couple of years ago. They had karaoke several time during the cruise. It was very entertaining. It's like going to the Museum of Bad Art, so bad it's good.

 

We rarely go to a show onboard any ship. Not just because we feel they're mediocre, which we believe many are, but because of the 'fog machine'. Being sensitive to many different particles and odors, my lungs become irritated breathing that stuff.

I am not surprised at this.

They expect you to spend your evenings at the BillBoard, BB King, Dueling Pianos, Lincoln Center, Adagio Duo and the Casino.

Sad -- JMO -- HAL is going down hill.

I think I will wait until we get far better sourced info that this...everyone getting excited about something that is far from confirmed.

Given the ratings for shows like The Voice and American Idol, I can certainly understand why they'd be thinking of doing this. I don't care for the shows and never go to them, but I'd consider something like that.

No tears shed by this cruiser. The ship song & dance shows have become 2nd rate and with a louder is better mentally. The lead screamers are pathetic.

 

 

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Oh good grief. I don't watch those programs on TV when I'm home, I sure wouldn't watch anything like that on a cruise. :mad:

How about getting some REAL talent HAL??[/quote

 

I agree, Carolyn, and like you never watch those programs at home.

There is a method to HAL's madness.

Do away with the theater shows and have amateur competitions.

Drive people away from these idiotic exercises and when attendance drops dramatically send the ship to dry dock and convert the theater space to cabins.

 

The next step is to charge admission to B.B.King's Blues Club and other lounges that have entertainment.

There is a method to HAL's madness.

There is but probably not what you've guessed. A much more likely direction is indicated by the overwhelming dominance of film theater attendance as compared to live theater attendance.

 

https://www.spectatornews.com/currents/2017/02/22/the-digital-worlds-impact-on-theatre-attendance/

 

 

 

 

 

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