Why does everyone seem to hate the HAL Cats?

[RetiredMustang]

Actually, on Maasdam in February, the HAL Cats were enjoyable. They were playing in the pirate bar ... and I was on my balcony on Maasdam, anchored several hundred yards away. Their music is the kind I like, and at that distance I could actually listen to it.

 

After twice being deafened by the tremendously loud noise on the Lido deck, we now check the daily program to see where the HAL Cats are and when ... and then we stay waaaay away from there.

 

Dave

[Seago2]

This from the Expedia description of NCL Gem, which I was sort of looking at because it sails out of NYC in February:

 

"As passengers board the Gem, they are greeted in the main atrium with blaring beats spun by a DJ whose ruby red turntable Is almost as flashy as the glowing space itself..."

 

To paraphrase Cal Hockley in Titanic, "you can be blasé about some things, Rose, but NOT the Gem atrium".:eek::eek::eek:

 

There was a DJ in the atrium on the Dawn but we quickly scurried away. He wasn't blaring or glowing. But ugh.....

 

If the lead HAL Cat didn't sound so wail-y or shriek-y, and if the volume was waaay down, they would be a great house band. The selection is fine. But don't call them "cats" and expect me not to think "alley" when they kick up the volume.

[Gerd]

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Hello "all"

 

I cannot more agree with all your comments.

 

Since HAL discontinued with those marvelous Filipino bands in the Crows Nest, the orchestra from "the main stage" – the HAL cats – are playing from time to time around the vessel.

 

They do usually an indeed good job => especially if Jenny is the lead singer –> she is terrific.

We did have the chance to have Jenny twice.

 

With here, the HAT cats ensemble during the inaugural cruise of the MS Nieuw Amsterdam was the best ever group and quality of them.

 

 

But as mentioned, they play usually much to loud.

 

And this is by the way also the case for the Northern Lights Disco

 

I do not know why today music must be loud, but this bad habitude you will unfortunately find all around the world…!!

 

 

I hope that HAL can collect somewhere enough money to bring back those dedicated crows news band – and that they restart to play each evening.;)

 

But I doubt it will, because the two latest vessels do even no more have stage for !?!

 

 

 

Happy cruising

 

G E R D

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises : :)

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July 2006

MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March 2007

MS Volendam – Panama Canal – April 2008

MS Noordam – Mediterranean Enchantment – September 2009

MS Nieuw Amsterdam - Mediterranean Inaugural Cruise - July 2010

MS Nieuw Amsterdam - Mediterranean Empires - July 2010

MS Ryndam – North Cape Splendors - June 2011

 

193 days - 42'587 Nm :

 

 

 

 

Future Cruises : :p

 

 

7 days MS Volendam – Glacier Bay Inside Passage, July 18, 2012

 

 

14 days MS Amsterdam – Alaskan Adventure, July 27, 2012

 

 

.

[hal lover]

I really don't mind the Hal Cats. A few years ago on the Noordam there was Cassie and the Hal Cats and SHE was excellent. Loud yes, but this girl could really sing!

[serendipity1499]

I don't hate the HAL Cats, but think they play much too loud during the shows..But I'm also with the poster who blames the sound crew..

We avoid them when they are playing on deck, only because we enjoy background music & want to be able to visit with friends....

Unfortunately, the young folks of today are going to need Hearing Aids by the time they are 40-50 due to loud music! Our son is now one of them!

On our recent NA cruise, they had a group of young men who were lead cast singers, do a show one night..They sang some oldies, pop, & rock tunes, the HAL Cats backed them up & did an excellent job..They received a standing ovation from the mostly older crowd...

I'm certainly not a music critic, but normally don't enjoy lead female singers, because IMO many of them scream... DH sang in a Barbershop Chorus for years, so my ears seem to be attuned to male singers..However I've been to many Sweet Adeline's shows & thoroughly enjoyed them..

Cheers...:)Betty

[jaguarstyper]

Well it seems the overwhelming majority feel they are too loud. Personally, I feel they can be a little loud at times, but I've never felt they were as loud as some here think. By they way some have posted, everyone on deck had bleeding ears after listening to them.

 

Just curious, has anyone actually asked if they could lower the volume just a bit? And I'm not talking about asking the band or the mixer, but someone who actually has some authority like the hotel manager or the entertainment coordinator?

[durangoscots]

Well it seems the overwhelming majority feel they are too loud. Personally, I feel they can be a little loud at times, but I've never felt they were as loud as some here think. By they way some have posted, everyone on deck had bleeding ears after listening to them.

 

Just curious, has anyone actually asked if they could lower the volume just a bit? And I'm not talking about asking the band or the mixer, but someone who actually has some authority like the hotel manager or the entertainment coordinator?

 

Actually I did ask that once.... and I was very polite about it. The answer was that they had to play loud since so many people were hard of hearing.... I wonder why. And that answer came from the cruise director.

 

Susan

[HokiePoq]

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?

 

Maybe they vary ship to ship but the HalCats on the Rotterdam in January were great! Best band on ship by far and Jonathan on the saxophone was superb. (He went on holiday at the end of our cruise.)

One of the HalCat groups on a cruise was not as good as the others but overall I think the quality is excellent,.

[Viesczy]

You know the saying, if it is too loud you are too old! :D

 

As for their quality of musicians, typical show musicians to my ears. Folks that have a feel/genre down to be comfortable in it but not completely dominate it like a musician who only plays in that one specific genre.

 

Quality of singers, no different. If Pat Boone, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Bono, Rihanna, and Brit Spears are considered 'singers', the folks in HAL cats are well above those 'talents'.

 

Derek

[HokiePoq]

Maybe they should sing after 9pm then you old oldies will be asleep :D

 

THEY CAN BE GREAT us young oldies often find them better than main act.:)

 

Bet you come back to hear them again :D

 

Enjoy your cruises :p

 

You have something here. We loved the Halcats at the pool and would make an effort to be in the pool when they played. I loved one of the acts on the Rotterdam but later heard someone say they'd left because it was "too loud". IMO it wasn't but I left another act that those 20 years older than me seemed to love. It would have been punishment to sit through that show for me. To each their own.

[3rdGenCunarder]

You know the saying, if it is too loud you are too old! :D

 

As for their quality of musicians, typical show musicians to my ears. Folks that have a feel/genre down to be comfortable in it but not completely dominate it like a musician who only plays in that one specific genre.

 

Quality of singers, no different. If Pat Boone, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Bono, Rihanna, and Brit Spears are considered 'singers', the folks in HAL cats are well above those 'talents'.

 

Derek

 

Wow, never thought I'd see those three names in the same sentence.

 

I guess I've been old for a long time. I do not like overly amplified music. I have excellent hearing and have no desire to damage it. I wonder how many of the people who enjoy having their eardrums blasted will be sorry when they learn that medicare doesn't pay for hearing aids.

 

It isn't just the HALCats. On Maasdam, the showroom was so overmiked that a grand piano sounded like a kid's tinny toy piano. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but I heard it. (not for long, I ran for the refuge of the Ocean Bar and the Neptunes)

[KirkNC]

Actually I did ask that once.... and I was very polite about it. The answer was that they had to play loud since so many people were hard of hearing.... I wonder why. And that answer came from the cruise director.

 

Susan

 

Too funny, which came first, too loud or deaf people?

[DFD1]

To the OP's original question.....Because they usually aren't very good. They play too loud and what they play is often as bad as they are.

[jaguarstyper]

You know the saying, if it is too loud you are too old! :D

Derek

LOL! I was thinking that, but I didn't want to post it. :) :)

[Hobartsparents]

One of my favorite memories from my recent trip on the Maasdam was listening to Lynn and the HALCATS. I thoroughly enjoyed their choice of music and found them to be very talented. Admittedly, because of the acoustics around the Lido pool the sound was not as clear (both talking and singing the words could be difficult to decifer but then the Lido was not designed primarily as a music outlet). However, in the showroom, the quality of sound was excellent and we were very impressed with the band's ability to adapt to the various styles of the different entertainers. Lynn was a very good singer and I am sorry to see so many negative comments about such hard working individuals. It's really not fair to lump all the HALCAT bands and singers into one pile as there are obviously lots of different bands on all the HAL ships and the bands themselves morph continuously as different band members come and go.

[mmr923]

It is really difficult to sound great singing songs written for people who sing in all different styles, with voices probably different in range than yours (like women trying to sing songs that were written for guys with high baritone voices like Josh Groban, for example, - you either sound like you're trying to sing opera for a pop tune or you sound low and gravelly.) Because I am a professional musician (I stick to classical music, not pop) my husband and I like to talk to the musicians on the ship when we get a chance. We were told on the Ryndam last year by the FABULOUS musicians in the Neptunes that they have to play "HAL arrangements" that are given to them in music books. So, in my opinion, finding a singer who can sing the wide range of songs that the HAL Cats book contains is nothing short of a miraculous feat. Perhaps some of them have to "screech" or "yell" to get through some songs that really aren't meant for their voice type.

 

However, there are some rare singers who can finesse all areas of their range and sound wonderful singing lots of different types of pop songs. Count me (and my DH) in as two more votes for Jenny! We heard her on the Noordam in 2009 and she managed that great variety of songs effortlessly (or made it sound effortless, at least!) We'll sit and listen to Jenny anytime! (We, however, WON'T listen to however it was sang on the Ryndam with the HAL cats last year - she struggled with MOST of the songs. Very unfortunate.)

 

I don't find the music too loud, by the way. I'm 47 and have no hearing problems. Just for reference.

[igraf]

The third video, "Proud Mary", on Sharon's web page was recorded on the Westerdam last year. The band members are exactly as we saw on our Westerdam cruise. Note the enthusiastic dancers on the floor. We witnessed the Queen's lounge dance floor being completely full while Sharon sang with the Halcats on our cruise.

 

I find a lot of band performances to be a little loud. This includes the Halcats, and also the song and dance show in the main showroom. A small wad of tissue in each ear takes care of this small problem for me.

 

Also, the better singers may be assigned to the larger ships. All of my HAL cruises have been on Vista-class ships. Having said that, our upcoming cruise will be on the Maasdam so I will see if there is a diminished quality in the Halcats act on the smaller ships.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

While I have heard mediocre HAL lead singers in the past, the HAL singers on my last two cruises were quite good. Sharon Johnson was the singer on my last cruise and she was very good. Here is her web page:

 

http://sharon4music.com/?section=blog

 

Play her sample videos if you don't believe me.

 

igraf

[edmusic]

Are we referring to 'Jenny' or 'Jini'? When we were on the Nieuw Amsterdam last year it was 'Jini and the HAL Cats'. Is there also a 'Jenny'?

[Typhoon1]

I can't say I hate the HAL cats. I actually find them to be amusing.

[Gerd]

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Hello "all"

 

please find enclosed some pictures from Jenny and the Hal Cats

 

 

Happy cruising

G E R D

 

.

[alpal1993]

Aren't The HAL CATS just a generic name for the house band? Different performers on all cruises.On our last cruise Westerdam 3/11 the singer appeared to be new and had to look at the words,then she got sick and was replaced by one of the bartenders who blew her away.LOL Don't mind loud as long as they can keep up with the band and know the words.

[styles27]

Actually I did ask that once.... and I was very polite about it. The answer was that they had to play loud since so many people were hard of hearing.... I wonder why. And that answer came from the cruise director.

 

Susan

 

That's a little bit funny since yes, the majority may be hard of hearing, but most of them probably wear some sort of hearing aid, which is why so many probably think the band is too loud.

 

I work with the "senior" crowd and when they have their hearing aids on, they seem to be very sensitive to background music/noise.

 

Maybe if they all removed their hearing aids it wouldn't seem as loud.

 

 

I'll be on my first HAL cruise next month, I'm curious to see these HAL Cats.

[CRUZBUDS]

We're really hoping for a good band on the Zuiderdam on Friday :).

 

Our last HAL cruise the female singer was beyond bad. I marveled thinking that she must have aditioned for someone ... and they hired her to sing ! :confused::confused::confused:

 

On the bright side she was pretty to look at :rolleyes:

[Cruise Organizer]

The band on the NA in March 2012 was very good with the best female HAL Cats singer I've heard (8 HAL cruises). The band was incorporated into the shows with other musicians. They were not loud by the pool nor at HMC.

My group enjoyed the music.

 

If they played more "oldies" I think they would be better "liked".

[Keith Rita]

Caren and the HALCats on the Ryndam playing on Lido were not bad. They played some decent dance music--swing, rumba and cha-cha-cha. With the retractable top open their music was no louder than normal. We've definitely heard worse and louder on other cruise lines.