Why does everyone seem to hate the HAL Cats?

[mightycruisequeen]

That's the beauty of music, one knows when they like it or when they don't, no expertise required. No need to get snooty.

Snooty? Sorry, that was not my intent.

I enjoy the HAL Cats, and I feel bad to see them so maligned on this forum.

[innlady1]

We are among those that hate LOUD music.

 

And most of the females can't sing (that we have heard) -- they just scream.

 

I wonder where they find so many vocalists who scream as they do?

They make the loud music so much worse!

[styles27]

I've never heard of the HAL Cats? Is it the band that plays on the Lido deck?

 

 

Self...it sounds like they're a band. A LOUD band.:rolleyes:

[itzmered]

Music and the definition of loud is just as subjective as food is. I have never been on HAL before so dont really even know what or who the HAL Cats are. I do know that what my mother and mother in law think is too loud music and what I consider too loud if music greatly differs I think it must be a generational thing and no I am not real young :)

[luxurysailer]

We enjoy the HALCATS. In fact, we wish they were available to play in the Crow's Nest or other lounges on more nights.

[xjust4fun]

We can certainly do without the HAL cats. Agree with the majority of posters on this topic.

[kazu]

With 7 days at sea on our last Prinsendam cruise we ended up on the Lido a few times. The HAL Cats were great at the beginning - and I mean great = and then the it started to escalate - simple solution - we left.

 

Very talented singers - but let's face it - the lido on the Prinsendam isn't huge - you don't have to bellow to be heard. their music was great and people were enjoying it immensely. Once the volume grew people left.

 

Here's what was smart - the next day - they didn't do it - they had clued in to their audience and we spent a great day enjoying them.

 

they were also great at HMC - contrast that to the Maasdam cruise where we could literally here them at the Oasis:eek: a few times

[PathfinderEss]

I think the musicians are usually good to very good. The singers, on the other hand, are usually beyond awful. To say they screech is kind.

And then you factor in the volume, and you have one heck of a bad performance.

 

Somewhere along the line HAL decided that if "loud" equals "good", "louder" equals "better".

Totally agree with you Ruth, music not bad, singing awful.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Several years ago on the Ryndam, two different cruises, the lead singers were very good. Have not heard any good ones lately. And as others have said, way too loud. Barbara

[mudscraper]

Last year when Somali pirates were nearing a HAL ship the lead singer of the HALCATS turned up the volume on her amplifier and the pirates immediately turned themselves in to a nearby naval ship.

[tip]

If I was able to ask a question of the lead singer of the HAL CATS on the Noordam in late January, it would be this, "What did you do with the money your mother gave you for voice/music lessons?";)

[LordSpain]

Last year when Somali pirates were nearing a HAL ship the lead singer of the HALCATS turned up the volume on her amplifier and the pirates immediately turned themselves in to a nearby naval ship.

 

Bwahahahahahahaha!

[foodgirl]

As others have said I like the musicians way better than the singers usually. They can get loud for sure but often made much worse by the very bad singing. I really enjoy lively music for sailaway and wish they would find better singers. Of course i do live in Nashville where good singers can be found in every dive bar in town so maybe my expectations are too high.

[CowPrincess]

I couldn't agree with you more.:cool:

This thread has way too many Simon Cowells.

 

Snooty? Sorry, that was not my intent.

I enjoy the HAL Cats, and I feel bad to see them so maligned on this forum.

 

Are you saying the only opinions that should be posted are ones that agree with your opinion?

 

 

Maybe HAL should just have "Cuckoo's Nest" music piped in throughout the ship, with just the occasional announcement

 

"Medication Time"

 

Not everyone has to rely on some generic band with a bad singer to enjoy themselves.

[CowPrincess]

Last year when Somali pirates were nearing a HAL ship the lead singer of the HALCATS turned up the volume on her amplifier and the pirates immediately turned themselves in to a nearby naval ship.

 

If I was able to ask a question of the lead singer of the HAL CATS on the Noordam in late January, it would be this, "What did you do with the money your mother gave you for voice/music lessons?";)

 

Hilarious :D

[CDRMark]

They are good musicians, but their tendency to "turn it up to eleven", and their playlist, doesn't let them shine. I have heard both good and poor singers, but, c'mon, the "Beer Barrel Polka"? Sheesh.

Cheers

Mark

[Wakepatrol]

Are you saying the only opinions that should be posted are ones that agree with your opinion?

 

 

 

 

Not everyone has to rely on some generic band with a bad singer to enjoy themselves.

 

 

Well...You're obviously a graduate of Juilliard...What year?

[PatsyAnne]

Painfully loud

[hpf]

I agree the music is painfully loud but I don't blame the Hal Cat's, I blame the loudness on the guy in the sound control booth.

One night a couple of people complained to him and he just smiled and that night the music was even louder. We believe that he did not like critisisam.

Hrlen

[localady]

Have experienced some very talented musicians who were part of the HAL Cats, but generally the lead singers previously have been of bad enough quality that I actually expect for them to be terrible!! :eek:

 

Actually, on the last cruise, I was pleasantly surprised. :D

[Laurie S.]

If I was able to ask a question of the lead singer of the HAL CATS on the Noordam in late January, it would be this, "What did you do with the money your mother gave you for voice/music lessons?";)

 

 

If that was the same woman who was on our late March cruise, I agree, she was awful. But the band members were great and I think the volume is just fine. The lead singers on the Rotterdam last year and the Noordam in November 2010 were terrific, but the last one was terrible.

[Lady Chew]

We would agree that the musicians themselves are pretty good, the lead singers are usually pretty bad, the sound is way too loud, and the play list could use some tweaking!

[edmusic]

The HAL Cats are just not that good. They're OK, but they play mediocre most of the time. After all, wouldn't you get tired of playing the same schlop everyday to folks who could care less? I mean, how excited could one get when you do the same stuff/different day, week in, week out, for months at a time?

 

When Karaoke night came, I wanted to dedicate a song to my wife in the audience so I pick out a love ballad "The Lady in Red". Little did I know that they played it up a fourth from the original key because all there charts were written for the female lead singer of the HalCats so my karaoke version of it was way too hard to sing for me because it was too high. They told me that just as they started the song and I was left hung out to dry.

 

Now in fairness, compared to the house band that was on the Sapphire Princess the summer of 2010, the Hal Cats were like the Boston Pops. The Princess band was terrible.

 

Just in case anyone wants to know, I'm a professional musician and have been involved in the performing arts for over 40 years.

[sapper1]

I guess I really just see them as background music and I cannot say I've ever really listened to them with any real attentiveness. But, they certainly don't offend or bother me.

 

Why is it that I read so many negative comments about them?

If they stayed in the background they would not be so annoying but they are so loud as to be jarring. Sort of like having a screech owl in your ear when you are trying to relax.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree the music is painfully loud but I don't blame the Hal Cat's, I blame the loudness on the guy in the sound control booth.

One night a couple of people complained to him and he just smiled and that night the music was even louder. We believe that he did not like critisisam.

Hrlen

 

I hope when he turned up the music that people left -- giving him a hint about the loudness.