A cappella group on Silhouette

[Ordinary Chef]

We are on the 2/8/15 Silhouette Western Caribbean cruise and wondering if there has been an A capella group on the recent Silhouette sailings? We really enjoyed the group, "Uncommon Ground" on our last cruise on the Reflection in January 2014.

[Phxazzcruisers]

Have not been on Silhouette, but on most, if not all, of the other Celebrity ships, the a cappella groups are gone, sorry to say.

[PROCRUISE]

We are on the 2/8/15 Silhouette Western Caribbean cruise and wondering if there has been an A capella group on the recent Silhouette sailings? We really enjoyed the group, "Uncommon Ground" on our last cruise on the Reflection in January 2014.

 

Cruised on Silhouette on Dec 7th - NO A capella group and No classical music of any kind. Another loss, compliments of Celebrity. :-(

[gagirl7143]

Another cost cut.... why pay 3 or 4 guys when u can pay one piano or guitar player ?????

[miched]

Another cost cut.... why pay 3 or 4 guys when u can pay one piano or guitar player ?????

 

Or a DJ banging on a electronic drum with the volume so high that the distortions masks his lack of talent.

 

Celebrity has also been a little lacking in the entertainment area and it is getting worse. Last year on the Constellation there was no orchestra. All of the productions shows used recorded music and you could Spenser that the energy wasn't there.

 

Even the activities are being cut. On our recent Eclipse cruise most to the activities listed were promotional events listing sale events, art auctions, or something that had a fee. Very few activities that included the CD or his staff.

 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Last April we were disappointed on Eclipse that there was no longer an a capella group. If Celebrity drops the orchestra, I will be bitterly disappointed. Over the years the number of musicians in the orchestra has been dropping seemingly cruise-by-cruise, but if the orchestra is taken away completely, one of my favorite things about cruising--live music--will be gone. I truly hope Celebrity doesn't do that to its passengers.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Gangway Style

[phoenix_dream]

Or a DJ banging on a electronic drum with the volume so high that the distortions masks his lack of talent.

 

Celebrity has also been a little lacking in the entertainment area and it is getting worse. Last year on the Constellation there was no orchestra. All of the productions shows used recorded music and you could Spenser that the energy wasn't there.

 

Even the activities are being cut. On our recent Eclipse cruise most to the activities listed were promotional events listing sale events, art auctions, or something that had a fee. Very few activities that included the CD or his staff.

 

 

Happy cruising

 

I made the same comment to my husband during our cruise last month. It seemed like the vast majority of 'activities' were some kind of sale event. Those are not activities in my mind!! I find it very interesting that they say they want to save the seas by not sending us individual invites to Captains Club events. Funny, they have no issue with the seas in sending a different invite each day to some event to buy something:rolleyes:

[MsJ]

Hi,

 

We were on the 11/30/14 on the Silhouette. Loved the ship but we really missed the string quartet that we saw almost every night on the Eclipse in 2012. One of the things we were looking forward to was listening to the beautiful string music. At the end of the cruise I commented to husband that I wished that there had been more music entertainment and much less selling events. There was no acapella group either.I was also not a fan of some of the music played loudly over the loudspeaker in the public area. One day wandering around the ship I was near the Molecular Bar which was closed at the time and one of the lines from a song played at a really loud volume contained the line " I would like to f... you" repeatedly.Although there were not a lot of children on the ship there were some.

[TravelerThom]

The obnoxious "Modern Luxury" music crap:eek: seemed to arrive with Michael Bailey. Now that he has gone to RCI, I have at least a little hope that the new Celebrity President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo will have a somewhat different perspective (I hope this is not just optimism on my part). We sail between two and three months every year, and despite being Elite Plus, we had a grand total of one cruise with Celebrity during Bailey's 2+ years tenure. We winter in Florida, and last minute Xciting Deal $400pp entry pricing for a week long cruise on Reflection virtually every week this past February and March could not entice me to drive to the pier and be subjected to Miami DJ or similar. Maybe a polite letter writing campaign to Ms. Lutoff-Perlo would be in order.

 

Thom

[GWM907]

Couldn't agree more with the comments about the DJ music on Celebrity ships now. In a word AWFUL. The a capella groups were a signature on Celebrity ships in years past and IMHO are sorely missed now. They always drew a crowd. Now sitting around the martini bar one has to yell so the person next to you can hear you. There has been a definite decline in entertainment. Much of what is presented on the ships now seems to fly in the face of the elegance they are trying to portray.

[HelenfromMelbourne]

Hi,

 

We were on the 11/30/14 on the Silhouette....one of the lines from a song played at a really loud volume contained the line " I would like to f... you" repeatedly.Although there were not a lot of children on the ship there were some.

 

 

Our cruise is in 29 days and we are travelling with our teenagers. I will be disgusted if this kind of music is played on our cruise. I'm glad to see the back of Mr Bailey at Celebrity, to be quite honest. I haven't been impressed with some of the changes under his leadership.

[Ordinary Chef]

Thanks for the replies that confirmed what I was hoping was not true regarding the demise of the acappella groups on Celebrity. There were rumors during our cruise in January that they were on there way out. I agree with other comments regarding having more live music during the cruise. Hopefully the new leadership at Celebrity will bring back some of the music venues that do add to the Modern Luxury theme they are trying to promote.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

The obnoxious "Modern Luxury" music crap:eek: seemed to arrive with Michael Bailey. Now that he has gone to RCI, I have at least a little hope that the new Celebrity President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo will have a somewhat different perspective (I hope this is not just optimism on my part). We sail between two and three months every year, and despite being Elite Plus, we had a grand total of one cruise with Celebrity during Bailey's 2+ years tenure. We winter in Florida, and last minute Xciting Deal $400pp entry pricing for a week long cruise on Reflection virtually every week this past February and March could not entice me to drive to the pier and be subjected to Miami DJ or similar. Maybe a polite letter writing campaign to Ms. Lutoff-Perlo would be in order.

 

Thom

We sailed 4 weeks a year for the past 3 years , all on Celebrity , I guess they must be doing something right :D

[TravelerThom]

We sailed 4 weeks a year for the past 3 years , all on Celebrity , I guess they must be doing something right :D

I realize different things appeal to different people. I'm glad you have been enjoying it.

 

Thom

[Christine Frances]

We sailed 4 weeks a year for the past 3 years , all on Celebrity , I guess they must be doing something right :D

 

We are late 60's early 70's and if we hear A capella or a string quartet we head in the other direction! Usually to the Martini Bar for fun or to the Sunset Bar to find the jazz guitarist. We are happy with Celebrity's direction and really like the vibe on the ships (have been caught dancing in the elevators a couple of times lol). Music to us adds to the ambiance - we do not seek out music to sit and listen ie piano bars, etc We go to performances and shows at home if we just want to sit and enjoy. We had 2 girls in their late 20's with us on our Baltic cruise and they had a blast but I have to admit they stayed up longer than we did;) As long as I enjoy the cruise and also can bring younger people along with us that also can enjoy themselves we are happy.

 

I think we have to realize that times they are a changing and either go with the flow, switch lines or choose another vacation. I am prepared to do that if X doesn't meet our needs and we don't enjoy our cruises with them.

[Ordinary Chef]

We are late 60's early 70's and if we hear A capella or a string quartet we head in the other direction! Usually to the Martini Bar for fun or to the Sunset Bar to find the jazz guitarist. We are happy with Celebrity's direction and really like the vibe on the ships (have been caught dancing in the elevators a couple of times lol). Music to us adds to the ambiance - we do not seek out music to sit and listen ie piano bars, etc We go to performances and shows at home if we just want to sit and enjoy. We had 2 girls in their late 20's with us on our Baltic cruise and they had a blast but I have to admit they stayed up longer than we did;) As long as I enjoy the cruise and also can bring younger people along with us that also can enjoy themselves we are happy.

 

I think we have to realize that times they are a changing and either go with the flow, switch lines or choose another vacation. I am prepared to do that if X doesn't meet our needs and we don't enjoy our cruises with them.

 

We are in the similar age group, what they now call the new 40! However, wondering if the A capella groups were gone from Celebrity was asked because we enjoyed their music, not because we don’t like other genres. We enjoy many types music from rock to classic and would think that with as many venues available on a cruise ship there could be a variety to appeal to a wide range of music preferences. There is a time and place for all types of music however we enjoy live entertainment over loud DJ music. I agree with your statement that music adds to the ambiance. However, with 3,000 passengers on a S class Celebrity ship there will be as many people heading the other direction when they hear a jazz group as those who run from an A capella group. We too have been known to dance in the elevator and look forward to music on Celebrity that adds ambiance and enjoyment to our future cruises.

[jerrymanos]

The A capella groups and the string ensembles were very much appreciated on prior cruises, as were the party bands who played music that one could couples dance to. That is why Cunard is now my favorite line instead of Celebrity. I'm sure that Celebrity will not miss my business much. They prefer clients who like loud DJ music and rhythmic bobbing as opposed to couples dancing together on the floor. When I think about it, it makes sense. Celebrity doesn't make as much money off of drinks from me as they would a younger crowd. On a cruise I only dance with my wife. The younger dancers don't need a partner to do the kind of dancing that Celebrity is promoting. I would guess that it means they can get more people dancing and more people drinking. And, of course, a DJ probably costs less than a live band.

Well, it was fun on Celebrity while I was the target audience. I will just keep moving to more formal and conservative and more expensive lines until the entire industry is Carnivalized and then I'll stay home. Jerry of Jerry and Lady Kathryn

[latunxitom]

I truly hope Celebrity doesn't do that to its passengers.

[patterson3]

I know my wife and I do not fit into Celebrity's typical demographic (early to mid 30's), but we were huge fans of the A capella groups on Celebrity ships. In fact, on our last Eclipse cruise the A capella group was one of the highlights of our cruise (that was the first time we had ever adjusted our daily schedules to make sure we caught their performance). We will certainly miss them on our Reflection cruise next month.

 

Onboard entertainment is clearly subjective, and obviously no matter what they do, Celebrity will not satisfy everyone. Personally I think cover bands or even one lone guitarist, playing classic rock or pop songs that everyone has heard a million times are a complete bore, but obviously I'm in the minority because those acts always draw well onboard. I guess I view cruising as a way of escaping my normal life (which is why I also enjoy wearing tuxes on formal night where in my day to day life I only have to wear shirts and ties to work, so I enjoy getting more dressed up- but that's off topic), and that's why I don't really care to hear the type of music I usually listen to on a day to day basis. Like a lot of younger people (relatively speaking), my wife and I have pretty eclectic tastes in music (the acts that occupy most of my Iphone are Tupac Shakur, Nirvana, Jimmy Buffett, Motley Crue, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Local H, Frank Sinatra, Jason Aldean, and Zac Brown), but to be honest, most of that stuff I wouldn't want to listen to on a cruise (maybe some Sinatra or Dean Martin during dinner or in a bar for some after dinner bourbon), or Buffett or Zac Brown by the pool, but I don't want to hear some guy with a guitar playing a Nirvana or Beatles song. I can listen to my Iphone and hear that done a million times better, with way more conviction. I'd rather hear a steal drum player or a capella group doing versions of those songs so that they sound completely different. It may not be better, but at least it'll be more interesting than your typical cover band not changing the song at all.

 

Okay, sorry for going off on a tangent. I'll get off my soapbox now. I guess I should've stopped at "no matter what they do, Celebrity will not satisfy everyone."...haha

[cle-guy]

I'm happy to see Celebrity "modernizing" itself, and moving form the old style acapella and strains to modern music of DJ and live musicians.

 

I hope the trend continues. HAL and Cunard likely have the necessary audiences to enjoy the older skewed music choices. I have not sailed either, and have no plans to do so anytime soon.

[patterson3]

I'm happy to see Celebrity "modernizing" itself, and moving form the old style acapella and strains to modern music of DJ and live musicians.

 

I hope the trend continues. HAL and Cunard likely have the necessary audiences to enjoy the older skewed music choices. I have not sailed either, and have no plans to do so anytime soon.

 

Considering the "voice", "american idol", and "the sing-off" are three of the most popular shows on TV today, and outside of the country music genre hardly any "bands" are selling records nowadays, I'd have a hard time equating "live musicians" with "modernization." Based on record sales, modern music would be rap, electronic music, vocal pop, and/or country. I know you mentioned "DJs", but I think if Celebrity actually "modernized" their onboard entertainment, they would alienate a large majority of their current market.

 

Now, obviously Celebrity is trying to cater to their preferred demographic, but calling it "modernization" is a bit misleading. The fact of the matter is the kind of music that you will hear on board a Celebrity ship would be considered "oldies" (Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, etc., are far from "modern"). I'm not knocking any of those acts, in fact I'm a fan of quite a few, but people seem to think "old people" listen to Sinatra or big-band swing music, and young people listen to rock n roll. That was probably true 20-30 years ago, but nowadays most people who can actually remember the big-band days are passed away. Yes, people still listen to Sinatra or Glenn Miller, but by and large they weren't around to see these guys in their glory days. Old people's music is now 60's and 70's "classic rock". (Maybe even some 50's rock, but even that demographic is dying). Heck, I grew up on 80's hair metal and "new age" music and even that is becoming "old people music" (Van Halen and Motley Crue are routinely played on oldies classic rock stations on XM Radio)...

[cle-guy]

I;m not sure I recall an acapella group, or string quartet winning either the Voice, American Idol or the Sing off.

 

I USED to love "AI", but stopped watching a few years back, and every year, it's rumored to be done Ratings are half what they were.

 

I've seen a few "Voice" episodes, and honestly have never heard of "Sing Off".

 

Acapella and String quartets are just done. Like chamber pots, and white gloved true silver service in the MDR. Like gates between first class decks, 2nd class decks and 3rd class decks. Like ships with no veranda cabins. Time to move forward, into "Modern Luxury" not "Old" or "Classic Luxury".

 

I'm fine with the DJ's playing Van Halen, Fleetwood and Eagles. Not so fine hearing an acapella group sing it.

Edited December 23, 2014 by cle-guy

[patterson3]

Clearly we aren't on the same page. According to dictionary.com, the definition of "a cappella" is "singing, in a group, or solo, without instrumental accompaniment". Isn't that what every single AI audition is? To be honest I'm not a viewer of any of those 3 shows, but I've seen a some episodes. I believe as contestants advance they start using a backing track or live band to their performance, but I thought they all sang a capella to begin with?

 

I agree with you about being uninterested in hearing a capella versions of Van Halen!...haha...But that's just proving my earlier point- DJ's playing VH, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles is hardly what I would consider "modern". All of those bands are at least 40 years old now (or close to it- VH may be a couple years younger, but close enough). That means that most of the fans of these bands from their heyday are in their 50's now (at least)...Rock and roll has become the music of the elders.

 

 

I;m not sure I recall an acapella group, or string quartet winning either the Voice, American Idol or the Sing off.

 

I USED to love "AI", but stopped watching a few years back, and every year, it's rumored to be done Ratings are half what they were.

 

I've seen a few "Voice" episodes, and honestly have never heard of "Sing Off".

 

Acapella and String quartets are just done. Like chamber pots, and white gloved true silver service in the MDR. Like gates between first class decks, 2nd class decks and 3rd class decks. Like ships with no veranda cabins. Time to move forward, into "Modern Luxury" not "Old" or "Classic Luxury".

 

I'm fine with the DJ's playing Van Halen, Fleetwood and Eagles. Not so fine hearing an acapella group sing it.

[patterson3]

But like I said earlier- it's all subjective and Celebrity will never please everyone. Some people consider cruising to be "old fashioned", or at least only for "old people". Clearly you and I don't agree with them. In a perfect world I wish Celebrity had kept the a capella groups and string quartets and if people want to check them out, fine, and if not there are plenty of alternatives to see/hear onboard. But, alas, they are always trying to lower costs and unfortunately (for those of us that still enjoy the a cappella groups), the a cappella groups were cut. That's life. If it bothered me enough to switch lines, I would, but even with the cuts Celebrity is still the best option for me when all factors are considered. So I'll just vent on cruise critic instead.

 

 

 

Clearly we aren't on the same page. According to dictionary.com, the definition of "a cappella" is "singing, in a group, or solo, without instrumental accompaniment". Isn't that what every single AI audition is? To be honest I'm not a viewer of any of those 3 shows, but I've seen a some episodes. I believe as contestants advance they start using a backing track or live band to their performance, but I thought they all sang a capella to begin with?

 

I agree with you about being uninterested in hearing a capella versions of Van Halen!...haha...But that's just proving my earlier point- DJ's playing VH, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles is hardly what I would consider "modern". All of those bands are at least 40 years old now (or close to it- VH may be a couple years younger, but close enough). That means that most of the fans of these bands from their heyday are in their 50's now (at least)...Rock and roll has become the music of the elders.

[Relaxinginthesun]

I;m not sure I recall an acapella group, or string quartet winning either the Voice, American Idol or the Sing off.

 

I USED to love "AI", but stopped watching a few years back, and every year, it's rumored to be done Ratings are half what they were.

 

I've seen a few "Voice" episodes, and honestly have never heard of "Sing Off".

 

Acapella and String quartets are just done. Like chamber pots, and white gloved true silver service in the MDR. Like gates between first class decks, 2nd class decks and 3rd class decks. Like ships with no veranda cabins. Time to move forward, into "Modern Luxury" not "Old" or "Classic Luxury".

 

I'm fine with the DJ's playing Van Halen, Fleetwood and Eagles. Not so fine hearing an acapella group sing it.

 

I'm fine with the DJ's playing Van Halen, Fleetwood and Eagles. Don't ever want to hear an acapella group sing it