Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Neptunes or Halcats... help please.

kent4489

By kent4489,
in Holland America Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

kent4489

kent4489

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

We are considering a cruise on the Ryndam (New Year's). We have taken several HAL cruises and one of our favorite activities is dancing in the Ocean Bar with the Neptunes , both pre and post dinner. We were very disappointed on one cruise (Oosterdam) that had a secondary Halcats and NO Neptunes. And they played dance music at strange times. We almost stopped sailing with HAL, but ended up spending a month on Veendam and were happy to see the Neptunes still on that ship. That was 2 years ago and we heard rumor that Neptunes were being eliminated and being replaced with a secondary Hal Cats group. Can anyone confirm if this is the case?If the Neptunes are still on the Ryndam and if so will they be on for the New Year's cruise and will they be playing at the traditional times?thanks so muchfor any help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
Posted

We have been on several different ships the last 3 years and the Neptunes were gone. Smaller ships had just 1 set of HAL Cats. And like you mentioned, the larger ships had 2 sets of the HAL Cats.

We always have dinner early and used to enjoy listening to the Neptunes and watching people dance -- starting around 5 PM. The HAL cats on several ships didn't start until 6.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
What is the difference between them?

When it comes to the musicians, I haven't found a difference. In both cases they are individual musicians put together to play as a combo. They are not an intact group who move from ship to ship. That's one of the reasons there's an approved song list out of Seattle, and approved arrangements.

 

Except for the terrible singer that the HALCats seem to be required to have, I see there is just a change of name.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jhsocal

jhsocal

Posted
Posted

We were on Veendam Panama Canal cruise this winter, 15 nights. Some nights The Neptunes played in Ocean Bar from 6:30 to 11:00PM. Other nights the played 4:00 to 8:00Pm, then Erika and HALCats played 8:30 to 11:30Pm.No idea what determined the different schedules. Although, I believe some members of HALCats supported the singers on a few nights in Showman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sunnydaze

sunnydaze

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ashley Wey is playing in Neptunes with her "Intact trio" that always plays together. Her drummer is from Italy and she is from Canada, but that is her trio. The ship does not put them together. She has a new CD out with this trio, that is excellent! She is on the Veendam right now - til January. She takes requests, and can play anything - she doesn't have to play from a book, as many other pianists are made to.

Edited by sunnydaze
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
Posted

On the Westerdam and Nieuw Amsterdam we had 2 screaming HAL Cat groups.

On the Westerdam we did the Cellar Master's dinner which was held in the front part of the Pinnacle Grill. They played and screamed so loud that the cellar master could yell over them to explain about the different wines we were drinking with the various courses.

We have not been impressed with the Adiago duo -- a piano player and a violin player. The violin player was always off key.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Carnevale

Carnevale

Posted
Posted
Ashley Wey is playing in Neptunes with her "Intact trio" that always plays together. Her drummer is from Italy and she is from Canada, but that is her trio. The ship does not put them together. She has a new CD out with this trio, that is excellent! She is on the Veendam right now - til January. She takes requests, and can play anything - she doesn't have to play from a book, as many other pianists are made to.

 

Sounds good! Do they play in the Ocean Bar on Veendam? And do you remember generally what times? Thx for passing this info along.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
igraf

igraf

Posted
Posted (edited)

The Neptunes is a jazzy-dance music trio comprised of a keyboard, string bass and drums (usually with soft touch). One member of the trio will also provide singing in a more laid-back style than the HALcat vocalists. I find that they often play very well together and if you are lucky you will get a young blond woman named Ashley on the keyboard and voice.

 

The HALcats are a larger group playing pop songs with a dedicated vocalist. In the past they have appeared to be a non-cohesive group of young players, though lately the HALcats have improved somewhat. My experience is that the quality of the HALcat lead singer improves with the size of the ship.

 

I tend to prefer the Neptunes over the HALcats.

 

igrgaf

 

 

 

 

When it comes to the musicians, I haven't found a difference. In both cases they are individual musicians put together to play as a combo. They are not an intact group who move from ship to ship. That's one of the reasons there's an approved song list out of Seattle, and approved arrangements.

 

Except for the terrible singer that the HALCats seem to be required to have, I see there is just a change of name.

Edited by igraf
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Viesczy

Viesczy

Posted
Posted

 

<<snip>>

 

The violin player was always off key.

 

That might've been on purpose due to the venue and how well the violin was projecting. Often times a soloist will tune themselves to be slightly off so that they stand out against the the accompanist(s). You really see that in a chamber music groups, but a piano can really clutter the treble range too.

 

Or they might've just be bad! ;)

 

Derek

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted

The screeching, screaming HAL Cats singers make my head hurt. I have never yet been able to enjoy a HAL Cats group on any HAL ship but we did enjoy Neptunes on Maasdam. We sailed with them a number of cruises and I would always choose them over HAL Cats. Why do they have to be so ear shattering loud? :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

Posted
Posted
The screeching, screaming HAL Cats singers make my head hurt. I have never yet been able to enjoy a HAL Cats group on any HAL ship but we did enjoy Neptunes on Maasdam. We sailed with them a number of cruises and I would always choose them over HAL Cats. Why do they have to be so ear shattering loud? :eek:

You should have been on the Noordam in the spring. The singer was so soft that you could barely hear him. It was like instrumentals with whispers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted
You should have been on the Noordam in the spring. The singer was so soft that you could barely hear him. It was like instrumentals with whispers.

 

 

 

Send him on over......... I like him already.

You're right. I wish I had been on Noordam in the spring. One of my

two favorite ships and I would have loved to be aboard. Sigh...... :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lizzie68

Lizzie68

Posted
Posted

The last time I remember having the Neptunes on a cruise was an Alaska on the Ryndam several years ago. They were really good, and the singer was so mellow. I agree with others about the Hal Cats - there seems to be a prerequisite for the singer to sqreech. Awful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
3rdGenCunarder "Live from...." Rare

3rdGenCunarder

Posted
Posted
The screeching, screaming HAL Cats singers make my head hurt. I have never yet been able to enjoy a HAL Cats group on any HAL ship but we did enjoy Neptunes on Maasdam. We sailed with them a number of cruises and I would always choose them over HAL Cats. Why do they have to be so ear shattering loud? :eek:

 

I loved Maasdam's Neptunes. We listened to them many evenings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted
I noticed on Retired Mustang's blog for his recent 14-day Amsterdam cruise to Alaska that The Neptunes played in the Ocean Bar from 6:00-11:30pm for Cocktails and Ballroom dancing. Hal Cats played in the Crow's Nest from 9:00-11:30pm

The Neptunes were way too loud, and their singer wasn't all that good (imo), either (although he didn't screech).

The HALCats musicians were every bit as good as the Neptunes (also imo).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
david,Mississauga

david,Mississauga

Posted
Posted
...

 

On the Westerdam we did the Cellar Master's dinner which was held in the front part of the Pinnacle Grill. They played and screamed so loud that the cellar master could yell over them to explain about the different wines we were drinking with the various courses.

 

...

 

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but is it normal to have some racquet blared at passengers in the Pinnacle Grill? I thought the PG was a refined experience. For our cruise next year on the Noordam we have been offered a complimentary dinner in the PG, so I am wondering if we should say "no thanks." Pardon my ignorance, but when we last sailed with HAL there was no PG.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...