Holland America entertainment style

[Invincible]

We have just returned from 4 weeks on Zuiderdam, to be honest the entertainment particularly in the Vista Lounge was the worst we had experienced on any cruise ship by quite a margin. Dave and Joel, the cruise director and the show host obviously worked very hard but appeared to have no other support so daytime activities were a bit thin if you didn't want to use the spa, casino or shops. Other ships we've been on have an entertainments team of anything from 5 to 8 all supporting each other why do HAL think that 2 people can entertain nearly 2000 guests successfully.

[VioletHorse]

About 7 years ago HAL reduced the activities staff to just a couple of employees.

 

HAL is not noted for its entertainment or on board activities, and it is unfortunate that you discovered this on your cruise and not before. I do hope the other aspects of your cruise met your expectations.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We really miss some of the activities that we had years ago before HAL started massive cutbacks.

Two people can not handle everything.

Sadly we aren't going to see anything but more cutbacks.

[Invincible]

We did still enjoy our cruise but it's a shame that it could have been so much better, we had cruised a year ago on Statendam but we'd hoped that being on a bigger ship there may have been more activities, needless to say we've learned our lesson and unless an incredible deal or itinerary is on offer we won't be cruising with HAL again.

[SeaBands]

When they do a cabaret type show with just a few singers and no costumes it is so much better. They should do more. We always enjoyed Lindsay Hamilton on X as she just sang and told some theatre stories. Once saw a short show in the lounge on Westy and really enjoyed it.

[tooleman56]

On our recently completed Med cruise on the Noordam, the only entertainment really worth mentioning were the flamenco dancers the ship brought on the night before our Barcelona port stop for a show in the Vista Lounge, and the high-quality band in B.B. King's Blues Club. Unfortunately, there were never more than 20 or 30 people in the Queens Lounge while the band was playing. The blues club is a great concept, and I'm sorry more people didn't take the opportunity to listen to the band. I guess the concept doesn't appeal to HAL's demographic.

The Filipino crew show was decent, the solo guitarist awful. Fortunately, we did this cruise for the wonderful itinerary; a once-in-a-lifetime vacation for us. I wouldn't sail HAL if you're looking for a memorable entertainment experience. To be honest, we weren't expecting the entertainment to be anything special, and it certainly wasn't.

Edited October 23, 2014 by tooleman56

[iancal]

I would say that their style is 'traditional cheap'. As long as it is from the fifties or earlier and costs very little HAL seems to go with it.

 

It will not be long befofore the Adagio Strings become the Adagio String or perhaps a CD.

Edited October 23, 2014 by iancal

[taxmantoo]

I would say that their style is 'traditional cheap'. As long as it is from the fifties or earlier and costs very little HAL seems to go with it.

 

It will not be long before the Adagio Strings become the Adagio String or perhaps a CD.

 

Certainly time to put that space to better use. It is undoubtedly the least utilized space on the ships we have been on, i.e. all the Vista ships and both Signature ships. This what people refer to when they say HAL is for "old" people.

 

p.s. I don't mind the music. Just move it to a more appropriate space and use the larger Explorer's Lounge more efficiently.

[PathfinderEss]

Hal's entertainment is pretty dismal, I have to agree. The most enjoyable entertainment we had on our last cruise was the guitarist.

[POA1]

..... and the high-quality band in B.B. King's Blues Club. Unfortunately, there were never more than 20 or 30 people in the Queens Lounge while the band was playing. The blues club is a great concept, and I'm sorry more people didn't take the opportunity to listen to the band. I guess the concept doesn't appeal to HAL's demographic.

 

That's too bad. The BB King shows were standing room only. In fact, if you wanted a seat, you needed to be there early. This was on a 10 day Caribbean cruise in the spring. The passenger contingent was in no way young, but the dance floor was packed and the seats were full for three shows a night.

[Riversedge]

I would say that their style is 'traditional cheap'. As long as it is from the fifties or earlier and costs very little HAL seems to go with it.

 

It will not be long befofore the Adagio Strings become the Adagio String or perhaps a CD.

 

You said it perfectly. We have sailed HAL enough times to know what to expect, but it's still a disappointment.

[may1021]

We just returned from 7 day cruise on Maasdam. I thought all entertainment on there was quite good. I was actually surprised by how enjoyable shows were as I didn't expect much on a 7 day cruise. Last year did Niew Amsterdam for 2 weeks and was on with the Dancing with the Stars professionals and by far this was the best entertainment I have ever seen on a cruise ship ever! The ship was hopping til all hours. Think they had 2 groups of HAL cats and both were terrific. We had fashion show, singers, dancers and think we had a guest chef also. It was hard to fit all activities/entertainment in. Think it sort of depends on ship and who you hit for entertainment. Sorry entertainment didn't work for you on your cruise.;)

[wishful thinking]

That's too bad. The BB King shows were standing room only. In fact, if you wanted a seat, you needed to be there early. This was on a 10 day Caribbean cruise in the spring. The passenger contingent was in no way young, but the dance floor was packed and the seats were full for three shows a night.

 

Hi POA1. I can second these comments. I for one was there for all 3 shows, every night they played. And yes, had to get there early to get a seat. I was on the 21 day cruise and BB King's Blues Club kept me very entertained. Hope they're as good again next year! Sorry I didn't get to meet you at the M&G - but nice to catch you on here.

[Tante Amalie]

I guess nothing is safe from HAL's cost-cutting knife. It's too bad. I would have thought HAL would be better off cutting costs in other areas where perhaps it wouldn't be so obvious. Frankly, the entertainment on HAL has never really appealed to us. We're not spring chickens, but it seems aimed at a very old demographic. Everything is bland and vanilla. It's as if the priority is to avoid offending anybody (and avoid spending money). B O R I N G.

[Aquahound]

We have just returned from 4 weeks on Zuiderdam, to be honest the entertainment particularly in the Vista Lounge was the worst we had experienced on any cruise ship by quite a margin. Dave and Joel, the cruise director and the show host obviously worked very hard but appeared to have no other support so daytime activities were a bit thin if you didn't want to use the spa, casino or shops. Other ships we've been on have an entertainments team of anything from 5 to 8 all supporting each other why do HAL think that 2 people can entertain nearly 2000 guests successfully.

 

I've been on 5 cruise lines in the past couple years and I can say easily that the entertainment on HAL is the worst of the 5. However, our CD on Zuiderdam back in July was Hamish (sp?). He, himself, overshadowed all the entertainment because he was hilarious. I can imagine how dead the shows would be without him.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our recently completed Med cruise on the Noordam, the only entertainment really worth mentioning were the flamenco dancers the ship brought on the night before our Barcelona port stop for a show in the Vista Lounge, and the high-quality band in B.B. King's Blues Club. Unfortunately, there were never more than 20 or 30 people in the Queens Lounge while the band was playing. The blues club is a great concept, and I'm sorry more people didn't take the opportunity to listen to the band. I guess the concept doesn't appeal to HAL's demographic.

The Filipino crew show was decent, the solo guitarist awful. Fortunately, we did this cruise for the wonderful itinerary; a once-in-a-lifetime vacation for us. I wouldn't sail HAL if you're looking for a memorable entertainment experience. To be honest, we weren't expecting the entertainment to be anything special, and it certainly wasn't.

 

 

I know many of you praise the B.B.King group but we hope that we do not encounter them on any of our cruises.

They are way too loud for us -- just like the screaming HAL Cats. Friends came back from a cruise that had the B.B.King group and their ears were ringing after being in the Queen's Lounge listening to them for a few minutes.

[nana51]

I've been on 5 cruise lines in the past couple years and I can say easily that the entertainment on HAL is the worst of the 5. However, our CD on Zuiderdam back in July was Hamish (sp?). He, himself, overshadowed all the entertainment because he was hilarious. I can imagine how dead the shows would be without him.

 

That is the name of the CD I was trying to think of. He made a not-so-good cruise on the Zuiderdam enjoyable. He was GREAT!

[Sundagger]

I'm on the Zuiderdam right now and am very, very disappointed in the entertainment.

 

I took a 5 year break from cruising, and I'm not sure that I want to resume after this cruise. I haven't been to all the venues, but the ones I've been to have been dismal and we haven't stayed long.

 

I had been looking forward to the classical group in the Explorer's Lounge and the pianist in the Piano Bar. Both have been terrible on this cruise. The violin/piano duo in the Explorer's Lounge haven't seemed to be professional quality in the least. I've heard some excellent trios and string quartets in the past, but I don't want to be present when this duo is playing.

 

The piano bar entertainer, Michael (McCabe, I think) is simply an awful singer. He seems to have one style of piano playing and some OK patter, but his voice is terrible. Some of the audience seemed to overlook his lack of talent.

 

I love this itinerary, but I won't be repeating it anytime soon and I don't know if I will be staying with HAL as I have for my last 6 cruises.

 

The food quality has been good, but the operation of the ship has left much to be desired.

[Juanita462]

We are also disappointed in the entertainment on our last few cruises - it used to be so good but now it is hardly worth listening time.

 

Have booked a 50 day cruise for a year from now and then found out that they have even removed the grand cruise designation so there are no amenities. So disappointing and perhaps we will rethink this one - when we wrote to headquarters about it they said that the powers that be decided to do this - of course, having no amenities is a big saving for them - no shipboard credit, no free shipped luggage, no gifts, no special events with costumes and decorations etc. and no special entertainment.

Maybe it is time to make a change - don't want to spend 50 days with nothing much to do and no decent entertainment or anything to make it special.

 

Oh for the good old days of cruising with HAL - the Rosario Strings, the Texas tenors, The Australian tenors, the wonderful instrumemtalists, comedians, jugglers, magicians, singers. the fun games and contests and getting to know people through them - the cheapening of the prizes - plastic pins? ugh!

[mancunian]

To be honest we are not big on entertainment and just go to the classical duo (sadly not now a quartet) in the explorers, the musical shows or single artist musicians in the theatre and the cinema a couple of nights. That is generally enough for us.

 

However I have found over the last cruises I cannot go to the musical shows without sitting there with my eyes closed or I start a migraine. Why oh why has theatre lighting with flashing lights got so important (particularly white lights). I am sure others find this too. If you are a migraine sufferer or even worse suffer from epilepsy this is very difficult.

Edited October 25, 2014 by mancunian

[Lizzie68]

We never go to the production shows anymore. We sometimes go to the show if there is a comedian or other act that interests us, but we tend to sit at the back and leave early if we don't enjoy the show. We do like to go to the piano bar, and only ever had one that wasn't very good (Jeremy), and I like to stop and listen to the Adagio duo for awhile. Apart from playing Trivia (for fun, we don't take it too seriously:rolleyes:) that's about it.

The entertainment is kind of flat, especially in comparison to another cruise line we like to sail on, but they have all cut back in some way or another.

[kakalina]

I guess I am easy to please. I like most of the shows. I love the production shows. It is certainly better than the TV at home!

 

I will say that some are considerably better than others and I have left one or two early but on the whole I am happy. Last cruise we had two superb acts that actually had everyone dancing in the aisles. It was "The Unexpected Boy" a Four Seasons tribute group. And a Beatles and Beach Boys tribute group. They were all amazing. If they entertainment like that on every cruise I would be so very happy.

[lazey1]

I guess I am easy to please. I like most of the shows. I love the production shows. It is certainly better than the TV at home!

 

I will say that some are considerably better than others and I have left one or two early but on the whole I am happy. Last cruise we had two superb acts that actually had everyone dancing in the aisles. It was "The Unexpected Boy" a Four Seasons tribute group. And a Beatles and Beach Boys tribute group. They were all amazing. If they entertainment like that on every cruise I would be so very happy.

 

Totally agree. About the only shows we don't like are the comics and we don't like those type of shows anywhere. (Got too spoiled when we saw Bill Cosby in person several times.) The special acts are great, jugglers and acrobats are good. We have enjoyed all of the production shows on all of the ships and have never missed going to one. Also agree that some are better than others.:)

 

We were on the same cruise with Kakalina last year and the entertainment on that cruise was outstanding.:D

[MaisonRose]

Ryndam TA Nov 2013

 

The Temptations tribute group was fantastic. HAL should do tribute groups more often.

 

I have to admit that sometimes we caught the shows just for the kringe effect. Most memorable was a female opera singer who supposedly sang for the Queen...which Queen, I wonder. Oh well, the entertainment isn't going to ruin my cruise!

[Adoptionmsw]

We have just returned from 4 weeks on Zuiderdam, to be honest the entertainment particularly in the Vista Lounge was the worst we had experienced on any cruise ship by quite a margin. Dave and Joel, the cruise director and the show host obviously worked very hard but appeared to have no other support so daytime activities were a bit thin if you didn't want to use the spa, casino or shops. Other ships we've been on have an entertainments team of anything from 5 to 8 all supporting each other why do HAL think that 2 people can entertain nearly 2000 guests successfully.

 

 

We were on the same cruise on Ziuderdam, Alaska and Panama Canal. With the exception of Recycled Percussion, we were very disappointed in the shows. After the second week, we just stopped going. We love HAL but hadn't cruised in about three years. The cutbacks were really obvious. Adagio Strings is one example. Fortunately we love to relax and read. We were able to do plenty of that. The book club was a treat for me. Great discussions and the librarian, Bonnie, treated us to a drink at every meeting.