Carnival brings in outside to head entertainment

[jimbo5544]

Of those 27 years in the cruise industry . . . . a more limited amount has been specifically regarding entertainment.

 

Sorry for being picky, but I'm not (personally) looking to see any upcoming changes any time soon.

 

Many of us remember the amount of time it took for Jim Rip Van Berra to make any (even just one) of the wonderful/brilliant changes touted on his arrival as the know-all, see-all, be-all of loyalty program experts.

 

La la la la la

 

.

 

Jim Rip Van Berra...:D That is funny. I like how you keep an open mind about it ( the new gal, not Berra). Entertainment is changing, hopefully this will be a positive sign of things to come.

[shukapaw]

I was on the Freedom in August, and we found the Playlist shows to be quite boring, and a big let down from the Liberty in 2013. While I have not seen other Playlist shows, if Freedom is the best of the bunch that is a poor comment indeed.

You are too generous in using the word "boring" to describe the Playlist productions on the Freedom. They were just plain AWFUL. There are a few hours of my life I will never get back.

 

Brian

[BigDoug]

Jim Rip Van Berra...:D That is funny. I like how you keep an open mind about it ( the new gal, not Berra). Entertainment is changing, hopefully this will be a positive sign of things to come.

When the brilliant new VIFP plan came out it wasn't a positive change to most of us.:(

[jimbo5544]

When the brilliant new VIFP plan came out it wasn't a positive change to most of us.:(

 

Understand, I think we all had high expectations of new and better things to come from the godfather of loyalty programs (and on a broader family vein...Yogi and Boo boo). That being said, I think we need to give the new gal a chance.

[Davey Wavey]

On the Breeze, there wasn't a steel drum band but there was a guy playing a single steel drum with a recorded music background. I didn't stop and listen but did see him in passing at three different locations. Sounded pretty islandy in the few minutes I walked past. I would really like a steel drum band on board. I seek them out during time in port. After all, a cruise with no steel drum band is like a bowling ball without a liquid center...(paraphrase Homer Simpson) :D

[TerReuv]

Thanks for sharing this information, jimbo. All I can say is I hope she has good taste in live music. Carnival needs big help in the entertainment arena right now. They are pretty much at the bottom of the barrel in comparing them to the competition. Please, please, please, Carnival, get rid of the loud DJs and bring back some good live island sounds.

 

While I don't mind island sounds, I do not want it all the time. I prefer the mix even though my fave is the classic rock. I also do not mind most current music as long as it is not rap (like others have said). I don't even mind good hip hop.

 

But, music aside, what I would like to see happen immediately is that they move the comedians to the theater in the evenings if there is no show. The lines are nuts to get into one of the comedy shows and you should have have to get in line almost an hour to see the comedian! There is no reason the comedy show cannot be in the main lounge for the 11:30 show!

[tropicaledrink]

I was on the Freedom in August, and we found the Playlist shows to be quite boring, and a big let down from the Liberty in 2013. While I have not seen other Playlist shows, if Freedom is the best of the bunch that is a poor comment indeed.

 

Hopefully this new VP will be able to improve and standardize the entertainment across the fleet.

 

 

 

I'm complete opposite of you then. ;) I disliked the ones we saw on the Liberty last year. I really enjoyed the Freedom ones, well the ones we saw. One has been added since we sailed. Our sailing was the first performance of 88 Keys, and the Island one almost didn't happen due to technical issues that they were still ironing out.

 

Like I said, I don't cruise for the entertainment. I'm happy to spend the night relaxing somewhere. But I did find those shows enjoyable.

 

(Edit to add: I've only seen Playlist Productions on the Freedom, so not able to compare to others. I am just basing on the comments I have read. Overall the Freedom shows have had more positive comments than some of the others)

Edited September 16, 2014 by tropicaledrink

[fan3car]

Steel drums and maybe some acoustic music with a little less DJ. When we sailed the Liberty in 2013 they had two different performer that came out on deck later in the day and play for an hour or two and it was great. The DJ concept for a majority of the day is awful.

 

I was on the Liberty in September of 2013 and remember those two guys with guitars playing acoustic sets. One was better than the other but they were both very good. I got one of them to give me their business card and intended to look him up but I lost the card. I wish I could remember his name as I'm sure he would have a very popular youtube channel.

[TPFKAH]

Understand, I think we all had high expectations of new and better things to come from the godfather of loyalty programs (and on a broader family vein...Yogi and Boo boo). That being said, I think we need to give the new gal a chance.

 

My only problem is her lack of background in the field.

 

Not quite sure where you got that she was 27 years in the entertainment field.

Edited September 16, 2014 by TPFKAH

[PA Dutchman]

If its like everything else a new VP been hired for maybe in a few years something will happen, these days its all about the BUCKS. Everything Carnival has done in the last 3 years was to get the cost down. These VP come and you never hear anything about them again. We will see

[crusinpsychRN]

i agree with the above poster! I do cruise for the entertainment, and i'm very sad to say that there are very few carnival ships sailing with what i'd consider, good shows, anymore. Hasbro was a joke from the start, and the playlist productions, for the most part, are sadly lacking as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there might be some significant changes in the entertainment, or lack of, aboard carnival ships.

 

"sky"

 

oh yes,,,who in their right mind decided that the majority of folks around the main pool like hip-hop/rap crap???????:confused:

 

ditto!!!

 

FYI--twice I entered that (ditto) in all caps and twice it didn't come out that way...DITTO!

Edited September 16, 2014 by crusinpsychRN

[Ship's Wake]

She'll be as good as the budget they give her ;)

 

That's how I see it as well.

[Cyber Kat]

Well - the first thing she should do is take a cruise on the Splendor. I don't know who picks out the DJ or the musicians for that ship, but they were great both times I sailed on her. This last cruise in particular.

 

The DJ was DJ Fayder and where ever he was people were dancing - people of all ages. There was an old couple - had to be in their 70s - dancing next to 20 somethings on the lido one sea day afternoon. People all around the pool were up and clapping along. It was fantastic. When he played in the lobby, people of all ages were dancing. He mixed it up and played all types of music - including country.

 

I'm older (some might say old, but I don't admit to it). Unlike most of my contemporaries, I prefer contemporary rock - Alterbridge, Slash & Miles Kennedy, Volbeat, Fuel, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Halestorm, Shinedown - a lot of groups actually. But I do 70s, 80s, 90s rock. I like real oldies from the 50s and 60s on occasion. I like pop, some rap, a little country.

 

I didn't hear DJ Fayder play anything that made me put my hands over my ears :) And like I said, people were dancing.

 

They also had a decent cover band (not as good as Music Unlimited - who were awesome!), a good duo, a nice Latin band and a single singer with an acoustic guitar.

 

There were no steel drums, but we were going to Canada :cool:

 

I don't know why on Caribbean cruises, the DJ can't play canned steel drum music - at least for sail away. I downloaded a bunch from iTunes for my iPod for our last Caribbean cruise and got some good ones. It was fun listening in the cabin.

[jimbo5544]

My only problem is her lack of background in the field.

 

Not quite sure where you got that she was 27 years in the entertainment field.

 

Actually the quote is "27 year travel industry veteran ....who has a long time association with Onboard media....as a VP of entertainment". Seems pretty qualified to me (although they did not call me to ask).;)

[jimbo5544]

That's how I see it as well.

 

Pretty much works that way for everyone, right?

[jimbo5544]

Well - the first thing she should do is take a cruise on the Splendor. I don't know who picks out the DJ or the musicians for that ship, but they were great both times I sailed on her. This last cruise in particular.

 

The DJ was DJ Fayder and where ever he was people were dancing - people of all ages. There was an old couple - had to be in their 70s - dancing next to 20 somethings on the lido one sea day afternoon. People all around the pool were up and clapping along. It was fantastic. When he played in the lobby, people of all ages were dancing. He mixed it up and played all types of music - including country.

 

I'm older (some might say old, but I don't admit to it). Unlike most of my contemporaries, I prefer contemporary rock - Alterbridge, Slash & Miles Kennedy, Volbeat, Fuel, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Halestorm, Shinedown - a lot of groups actually. But I do 70s, 80s, 90s rock. I like real oldies from the 50s and 60s on occasion. I like pop, some rap, a little country.

 

I didn't hear DJ Fayder play anything that made me put my hands over my ears :) And like I said, people were dancing.

 

They also had a decent cover band (not as good as Music Unlimited - who were awesome!), a good duo, a nice Latin band and a single singer with an acoustic guitar.

 

There were no steel drums, but we were going to Canada :cool:

 

I don't know why on Caribbean cruises, the DJ can't play canned steel drum music - at least for sail away. I downloaded a bunch from iTunes for my iPod for our last Caribbean cruise and got some good ones. It was fun listening in the cabin.

 

We were on the Splendor a couple weeks before you. We also enjoyed Music Unlimited. The Latin band was good and the gal who sang with the show band ROCKED! Not so much with the female lead in the main shows.:confused:

 

All DJ's are supposedly picked by DJ Irie.

[The4Cruisers]

Sorry, but good music transcends many decades. I can listen to good music from the 40's to current, jumping over the early 00's, which is when rap crap took over. And no matter HOW you slice it, rap is not music.

 

Just remember.. if it's Crap, then it had "rap" right in the middle of it!

[HectorAchilleus]

She'll be as good as the budget they give her ;)

 

Wow! That sure is true.

 

Hopefully they will decide that annoying a huge percentage of your clientele with the DJ's is not an efficient use of the entertainment budget. I can put my CD player on at home and actually hear music that I like. When on a cruise, I want LIVE entertainment.

[TPFKAH]

Actually the quote is "27 year travel industry veteran ....who has a long time association with Onboard media....as a VP of entertainment". Seems pretty qualified to me (although they did not call me to ask).;)

 

That's not what you typed in your OP. You said she was 27 years in the entertainment field.

Edited September 16, 2014 by TPFKAH

[bruadhin]

Wow! That sure is true.

 

Hopefully they will decide that annoying a huge percentage of your clientele with the DJ's is not an efficient use of the entertainment budget. I can put my CD player on at home and actually hear music that I like. When on a cruise, I want LIVE entertainment.

 

While I enjoyed the steel drum bands and I did like the live performers the last time we were on the Conquest, I don't mind the DJ. I do mind ear-splitting volume levels. Turning the music up until it is painful doesn't make it any better.

 

It makes me think of a street fair recently with a DJ. He had set his speaker up 5 feet from the children's inflatable bounce houses and had the volume up painfully high. Needless to say, we didn't stick around very long.

[jimbo5544]

That's not what you typed in your OP. You said she was 27 years in the entertainment field.

 

ok.....does that make her less qualified?

[TPFKAH]

ok.....does that make her less qualified?

 

Depends what you think a background in Port Shopping has to do with being in charge of entertainment.

[sanmarcosman]

Depends what you think a background in Port Shopping has to do with being in charge of entertainment.

 

maybe she sent people shopping for steel drums

[TPFKAH]

maybe she sent people shopping for steel drums

 

Then she moves to the head of the class.

[jimbo5544]

Depends what you think a background in Port Shopping has to do with being in charge of entertainment.

 

That is what you picked up from the article???:confused: I read the entire profile and did not cherry pick a job she had in the past, that might make people think she is not qualified (which you or I would not have a clue on). Of the entire article, you gleaned something that was referred to as "earlier roles". Integrated media services to the global cruise and travel industry (seems on target), including the last three years as president (executive management responsibility) - check again, (also includes VP of Operations) and your comment. She worked on a cruise ship as well.