New Cruise Entertainment Debuts on Carnival Ship

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Carnival Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic:

 

New Cruise Entertainment Debuts on Carnival Ship

[Jana60]

Check out the latest Carnival Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic:

 

New Cruise Entertainment Debuts on Carnival Ship

 

I hate their new entertainment, especially the canned music, the game shows, and the cartoon characters masquerading as performers on the big screen behind the few performers they have left.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[AtSeaWithChris]

I agree about the new shows. I was on the Conquest and Breeze and they sucked. The Victory (we got off this morning) still had the orchestra and had great shows. Sound system just can't reproduce an orchestra.

 

 

Fist-pumping gleeful rum runner!!!

[leedm]

We are sailing the Freedom in Nov 2014, so I'll wait to comment on those shows. I did see the playlist production on the Conquest and the shows were BAD. Sunshine was a little better. The Dream had the old program and it was still good. I think Carnival is going in the wrong direction with their new shows. Who ever at Carnival is make the choice of new shows needs to read the bad comments. We have been on 23 Carnival cruises since 2006 and 4 NCL. THE CARNIVAL SHOWS ARE GETTING BAD NOT BETTER. If Carnival is trying to get people to do different things in the evening, it is working.

[TPFKAH]

Whomever is in charge of entertainment on Carnival needs to be replaced before it's too late.

[2Shoes2Go]

Once and done for us on the Playlist shows. Sometimes, like for Divas, we only stayed to be polite. Volume doesn't make quality, either. Every survey we submit expresses our dissatisfaction. We always get at least one, after every cruise. However, as long as they last, we will attend the old shows.

[Towel Critter]

They had the new shows on the Glory in May. I was really disspointed with them. The lighting was horrible and the performers were upstaged by the digital display as often as not. There were technical problems also. One of the shows was delayed for about 20 minutes until they got whatever it was sorted out. Another was cancelled altogether, after we sat there and listeded to the cruise director stall for almost thirty minutes. I miss the orchestra, larger numbers of performers, better singers, props, all of it. The new shows are a cheap immitation, with cheap being the operative word. I'm sure it it is cheaper for Carnival to do it this way. The optimization of profit is a bane in our society. At some point you have to care about your customers or you won't remain in business to make ANY sort of profit. Listen to your loyal cruisers, Carnival!

[TPFKAH]

They had the new shows on the Glory in May. I was really disspointed with them. The lighting was horrible and the performers were upstaged by the digital display as often as not. There were technical problems also. One of the shows was delayed for about 20 minutes until they got whatever it was sorted out. Another was cancelled altogether, after we sat there and listeded to the cruise director stall for almost thirty minutes. I miss the orchestra, larger numbers of performers, better singers, props, all of it. The new shows are a cheap immitation, with cheap being the operative word. I'm sure it it is cheaper for Carnival to do it this way. The optimization of profit is a bane in our society. At some point you have to care about your customers or you won't remain in business to make ANY sort of profit. Listen to your loyal cruisers, Carnival!

 

You don't tend to have those types of difficulties when you're not relying on a computer with a live band. We were watching a show when something "tripped". The stage went dark, the curtain closed, and the house lights came up. It was quite awkward. Took them 10 minutes to reset it all and start again.

[Towel Critter]

You don't tend to have those types of difficulties when you're not relying on a computer with a live band. We were watching a show when something "tripped". The stage went dark, the curtain closed, and the house lights came up. It was quite awkward. Took them 10 minutes to reset it all and start again.

Exactly. Besides, real props and real music, played by real musicians are far more entertaining than a virtual show. Virtual should remain the property of the Internet. Real vacations, on real ships, should have real entertainment, imho, unless they want us to pay with virtual money.

[adaptabl]

We were on the freedom in may after dry dock. The production shows sucked. It is even worse than the high school musicals of old. They did this cheesy 3D thing that didn't work and danced to a CD. We went to the first show and left half way thru. Just dump the dancers

 

The fly-on entertainment and comedians are much better. Other than this sick guy Lance.

[SkyMaster]

Once and done for us on the Playlist shows. Sometimes, like for Divas, we only stayed to be polite. Volume doesn't make quality, either. Every survey we submit expresses our dissatisfaction. We always get at least one, after every cruise. However, as long as they last, we will attend the old shows.

 

EXACTLY how I feel. I'll be sailing "Dream", "Liberty", and "Paradise", as all three of these ships still offer the old shows. Yes, I've seen them over, and over again, but they still beat the "Playlist Production" shows. ;)

 

"SKY"

[Mary49]

I hate their new entertainment, especially the canned music, the game shows, and the cartoon characters masquerading as performers on the big screen behind the few performers they have left.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

 

I totally agree. I'm soo afraid that they are letting all the live bands go and those cover bands. It's going to be a big mistake for Carnival. I was just on the Liberty and they still had the orchestra band plus the Music Boardwalk Cover Band. I just hope it doesn't happen.

[Mary49]

EXACTLY how I feel. I'll be sailing "Dream", "Liberty", and "Paradise", as all three of these ships still offer the old shows. Yes, I've seen them over, and over again, but they still beat the "Playlist Production" shows. ;)

 

"SKY"

 

SkyMaster good for you. The Paradise will have "Music Boardwalk" starting October 4th to sometime in February. I wonder if the Triumph is offering the old shows still? I hope you get to see them. I have been writing in to the home office about this but I think it will fall on deaf hears.

[Mary49]

Whomever is in charge of entertainment on Carnival needs to be replaced before it's too late.

 

We could only hope that will happen.

[rosecruise]

Our first experience with the Playlust shows was last December. We spoke to a couple of the singers/dancers and asked what their opinion was. One said they were fine but this was her first contract. The guy said he preferred the old shows. Even the cast has opinions on it.

 

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Forums mobile app

[Jana60]

I have been writing in to the home office about this but I think it will fall on deaf hears.

 

I wonder if it would help for everyone to write to the home office? What address do you write to? I've already written a note on John Heald'ssite and told my personal vacation planner my opinion but I can't imagine any place of business wishing to continue doing something that so many obviously hate! So they must believe that our complaints are isolated. Surely if enough people write they would take it seriously.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[Cruzaholic41]

..and nothing has changed. Carnival continues to have the worst entertainment at sea of the mainstream lines.

[wanderingjew]

With the Canned music how do we know the singers arent doing a Milli Vanilli.?

Edited July 5, 2014 by wanderingjew

[Jana60]

..and nothing has changed. Carnival continues to have the worst entertainment at sea of the mainstream lines.

 

Well not necessarily just carnival. The worst Entertainment vote for me goes to Majesty of the Seas. There the karaoke was only one hour max per day with a choice of about 100 songs and their shows were in a theatre with seating so uncomfortable that I couldn't sit through the entire show. Since their shows and their karaoke took place at the same time, you could not do both. And they had no comedy club. So that ship won my vote as worst Entertainment cruise. Thankfully Royal Caribbean retired that ship. So at least they listened to the customers. People always point to two ships in the RCCL collection that offer fantastic entertainment. Unfortunately they're not consistent across the board. If every RCCL ship had shows like Oasis and Allure, but the comedy club, karaoke, and the prices of Carnival it would be a no brainer.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[CTCruisers]

We just got off the Freedom. We were very disappointed with the new Playlist Production Shows.

 

They seemed cheesy and hokey. They use large LED TV screens in the back of the stage to display images for a background.

 

They do not have a show band, the 8 singer/dancers sing to a soundtrack (karaoke anyone). While they were good singers, the haphazard skipping from one song to another was very annoying.

 

On the Freedom, they had 4 different shows. We felt that none were worth seeing a second time.

[Cruzaholic41]

Well not necessarily just carnival. The worst Entertainment vote for me goes to Majesty of the Seas. There the karaoke was only one hour max per day with a choice of about 100 songs and their shows were in a theatre with seating so uncomfortable that I couldn't sit through the entire show. Since their shows and their karaoke took place at the same time, you could not do both. And they had no comedy club. So that ship won my vote as worst Entertainment cruise. Thankfully Royal Caribbean retired that ship. So at least they listened to the customers. People always point to two ships in the RCCL collection that offer fantastic entertainment. Unfortunately they're not consistent across the board. If every RCCL ship had shows like Oasis and Allure, but the comedy club, karaoke, and the prices of Carnival it would be a no brainer.

 

2 ships? I think not. CCL cannot touch RCI's live entertainment across all their Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance and Vision Class ships. Even on that little old Majesty, they still have a live calypso pool band. Where's that on Carnival? No where. But ok. If karaoke is the focus, yeah, Carnival is probably tops in that one regard.

 

Even NCL, Princess and Celebrity still use live bands on the lido. They don't rely on a tv screen and blast everyone away with loud rap music.

[IPlayWithString]

IF they're going to keep the old style shows, they need to change them out more often.

 

Last year, when we were on the Fascination, we got to see a couple of Playlist productions--Motor City and Divas. I loved both of them and would see them again in a heartbeat. But the old style shows we've seen on the Triumph, I'm sick of them and I wish they'd do something new.

 

I'm really hoping by the time we sail again next year, they'll have switched out the old style shows for the Playlist production shows because they're just better, IMO.

[Jana60]

2 ships? I think not. CCL cannot touch RCI's live entertainment across all their Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance and Vision Class ships. Even on that little old Majesty, they still have a live calypso pool band. Where's that on Carnival? No where. But ok. If karaoke is the focus, yeah, Carnival is probably tops in that one regard.

 

Even NCL, Princess and Celebrity still use live bands on the lido. They don't rely on a tv screen and blast everyone away with loud rap music.

 

Saying it don't make it so. I was on majesty within the past two years and there was no Calypso band except maybe very briefly during one party. I was on Island princess also within the past two years and they had no live music on deck. So while most of the ships may still have a small group playing on the dick not all of them do.

 

Most of the Carnival Cruises did have several small live combos usually at least one small group in the casino bar and a salsa group in another bar. But these groups only have three to four pieces not an entire show band and quality varied. I agree with you that large TV screen blasting rap music is irritating.

 

Don't get me wrong I have some gripes with carnival right now concerning their entertainment but that doesn't make all the other cruise lines any better in my opinion. If carnival would bring back normal production shows like are currently available on triumph in a few other ships then its no contest for me. I just usually have a lot more fun with carnival.

 

Some of the other cruise lines do have comedians but they count those as one of their shows. They don't have a dedicated comedy club. Most would agree that carnival does have the other cruise lines beat out in that regard as well as in their karaoke. Regardless of whether you personally enjoy karaoke there are many people who do and it is therefore another entertainment option.

 

My biggest gripe with many of the cruise lines is that there are not many entertainment options for those not physically able to go to the disco. If your personal health and conditioning is such that you can't dance or walk a lengthy promenade the evening entertainment is often limited to the one show. No matter how good the show I'm not ready to go to bed after it.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

Edited July 5, 2014 by Jana60

[Cruzaholic41]

Saying it don't make it so. I was on majesty within the past two years and there was no Calypso band except maybe very briefly during one party.

 

Sorry, but you are wrong. I cruise Majesty about 7-8 times a year because I live right by the port, the most recent being 2 weeks ago. They've always had and still have a live pool band. All RCI ships do.

[Towel Critter]

With the Canned music how do we know the singers arent doing a Milli Vanilli.?

 

It was pretty obvious on the Glory, in May, that the lead vocals weren't being lip synched, they were pretty pitchy at times and the singers were a little out of breath at times from dancing (but that is to be expected and not a criticism), but the backup vocals could have been. In fact, I think they probably were. This always seemed to be the case with me, even in the classic shows. The backup vocals have always been better than the lead singers, which makes no sense, unless they were canned. They very well may have been singing along with the canned backups though. This is pretty common in live performances these days. I don't mind that so much. Better that than out of tune and thin sounding harmonies. My beef with the new digital shows wasn't so much the vocals as it was with lighting, which was truly terrible - the lead singers were often in the dark - the canned music instead of an orchestra, and the lack of stage props. This downgrading of live entertainment concerns me, because it makes me wonder just how far Carnival will be willing to go to cut costs and optimize profits. Heck, I still miss the Grand Midnight Buffet.