Is it just me or ?

[mprcruiser]

Does everyone else suffer from the loud music in the theaters? When we attend the shows on cruises the band always seems to be louder than the performers. I have to put ear plugs in my ears just to be able to understand the singers and performers. Is it just me?

mprcruiser

[miched]

It may be you or the location of where you are seated.

 

I normally find that the singers are louder than the band. Many times they are so loud it just sounds like noise. We normally sit in the balcony on a end so we can leave without disturbing the performers or other passengers.

[swscruiser]

Does everyone else suffer from the loud music in the theaters? When we attend the shows on cruises the band always seems to be louder than the performers. I have to put ear plugs in my ears just to be able to understand the singers and performers. Is it just me?

mprcruiser

\

 

Agree

[CruisinManiac]

Yes, I do, but it is not from the band. It's the piped in music from the sound booth during certain performances. I end up holding my ears through a good bit of the show.

[Us Two]

On the Equinox in DEC 2010 and the "cirque" performance was good but the sound was overpowering. The drums just about blew my "drums"!!

[ricew001]

I didn't find it loud at all. But then again, I'm married to a musician! ;-P

[ContingentSea]

I thought it was just me. Good to know I'm not the only one.

[Janet524]

Seems to vary by ship. There have been times when I've stuffed tissues in my ears because the music and singers were so loud. Other times it's been fine. I do carry ear plugs with me to the shows, just in case.

[bighairtexan]

On our recent Eclipse sailing my friend sat by the pool w/ her fingers in her ears because she found the poolside live music so loud. We never made any shows.

[John73]

In my Solstice class experience I've found the performers to be slightly lower volume than the band. Not in a detracting way, but it's taken more to pay attention to the performers.

[richsea]

Wow, I was going to say it was just you; then I saw the replies, & I guess it's just me! I've never though that the music was too loud in the theater or the pool!

[BBsails]

Some shows seem to be louder than others. I always carry earplugs and am a happy camper.

 

Betsy

[hcat]

we leave many shows early due to the loud music & see others doing the same..

 

we sit in diff locations but many many times it is just too loud--be it production shows, one very loud xylo player, & even some of the dance only acts.... & even an ice show n Royal C... whoever fixes the volume must not watch the volume indicators is all I can figure...

 

not worth wearing ear plugs to see what is usually mediocre anyhow..

[mprcruiser]

It's nice to know that others have the same problem.

mprcruiser

[miched]

I think a lot of the problem is all of the performers and behind the scene workers become deaf over time due to the volume. So it becomes a vicious circle. They can't hear it so they play louder or turn up the volume switch. Every professional musician that I know has hearing problems.

 

If it is a high intense production show the loudness generates energy for the dancers and audience. That is why rock groups play so loud during their concerts. They want to energize the crowd. Years ago a friend attended a rock concert. I asked if it was a good show and his response was "Yeah they played real loud".

 

You also have to realize that the performers are younger than the crowds in the audience and they love it loud. How often have you been around a vehicle where the bass was booming all the distortion that the owner thinks is wonderful? The problem is many think that loud is good.

[retired067]

Does everyone else suffer from the loud music in the theaters? When we attend the shows on cruises the band always seems to be louder than the performers. I have to put ear plugs in my ears just to be able to understand the singers and performers. Is it just me?

mprcruiser

 

I agree, sometimes the band is louder than the performers and it's difficult to understand the performers.

[mackfam]

I find this is generally the case whether on sea or land. In most cases I would enjoy a performance more if the music were not so loud.

[Waswo]

The background piped in noise in the Equinox theatre was a nightmare. It was used in only two shows---the "Circus Show" (a la Cirque du Soleil) where the message of the show--the earth-like tones and peaceful message--was violently subverted by the pounding pulsations of the disco-bass music. Another show, "Remix" also suffered terribly.

 

The Equinox orchestra was great so why they added a level of canned horrifically loud music is beyond me. It was my only big complaint.

[grayjay]

Yes, I agree - the music is DEFINITELY too loud in the theatre. It is a pity, really, because very often the blaring sound drowns everything which might be called sensitivity in my ears. The worst thing, though, was the Reflections Lounge on "Constellation" during our April cruise. We hurried away from the dessert buffet after 2 minutes flat because we just couldn't stand the over-loud music. (The crowds were almost as bad, jostling and shouting because there simply wasn't any room to move.)

I have not decided yet if Celebrity willingly opens up the loudspeakers because they think we are all in our teens ( used to disco music) or in our nineties and above ( and perhaps needing hearing-aids, sorry, no pun intended - we're seniors ourselves!)

[jcrandle]

I just take my hearing aid out of my ear and put it in my pocket. Sometimes a handicap can become an asset!:D

[Taxguy77]

Absolutly! :(:eek::eek:

On one TA, I went to 3 shows and stayed a total of less thaan five minutes, and I wasn't the first to leave!

[emileg]

I think a lot of the problem is all of the performers and behind the scene workers become deaf over time due to the volume. So it becomes a vicious circle. They can't hear it so they play louder or turn up the volume switch....

I agree with this assessment. The problem of overly loud performances appears endemic across the cruise lines we have been on: Holland America, Princess, Cunard and Celebrity. I too have learned to carry earplugs just in case. I even carry a VU (decibel) meter (an iPhone app). When a live orchestra plays for the production shows, the volume levels appear more tolerable.

 

On a recent Celebrity Infinity cruise, they had a talented classical violinist as a guest artist. Then they hooked up a microphone directly to the violin. As a result, there was no dynamic range as one would expect in classical music. Every note was uniformly loud. I asked the Cruise Director if he could arrange for a violin concert in a more intimate setting, say Michael's Club, without mic assist. While sympathetic, he said there wasn't enough time left to the cruise to arrange it and thought it would not be possible to get a piano accompanist.

 

As for the band playing louder than the soloist: This is extremely crass and rude to the performer. Professional musicians know that the goal is to let the soloist shine. I have been to dozens of concertos with symphony and chamber orchestras and never once have they failed to make the soloist shine. Apparently cruise lines haven't heard of such courtesy. I had never watched American Idol until I heard that Andrea Bocelli would be a guest star. However, when he sung, the sound engineers decided to drown Bocelli out by boosting the volume of the band. Well, that was my first and LAST time that I watched American Idol!