Is Princess Considering a Major Entertainment Change?

[pandora518]

We got off the Royal a few days ago. Our CD, Lisa Ball, made an odd speech after the last live song & dance show. She said, in essence, that live entertainment was really important and she hoped it could continue. Would Princess really eliminate live shows? I personally think that would be a tremendous mistake, and I can't see that it would be a huge cost savings, since most of the performers have more than one job onboard.

[Colo Cruiser]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2290407&highlight=entertainment

[grouchomarx]

I can't see Princess doing any such thing. If anything, they need to up their live entertainment game to compete with Royal and NCL. Their nighttime live shows leave a lot to be desired and they are stuck in the past. Let's hope they do make some serious changes and bring some really good live entertainment in the theater.

[pandora518]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2290407&highlight=entertainment

 

Yes, I read that thread earlier, but others seemed to dispute the lack of shows. I hoped it was just because it was a very short cruise; ours was 10 days.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes, I read that thread earlier, but others seemed to dispute the lack of shows. I hoped it was just because it was a very short cruise; ours was 10 days.

 

Not in our experience.

 

15 days on the Coral in Oct and 12 days on the Island in Oct/Nov.

Very much lacking in shows. Very disappointing. :(

[Astro Flyer]

We got off the Royal a few days ago. Our CD, Lisa Ball, made an odd speech after the last live song & dance show. She said, in essence, that live entertainment was really important and she hoped it could continue. Would Princess really eliminate live shows? I personally think that would be a tremendous mistake, and I can't see that it would be a huge cost savings, since most of the performers have more than one job onboard.

Princess is spending millions on the new Stephen Schwartz "Magic to Do" production show. He's the Tony award-winning composer of Wicked, Pippin & Godspell and will create 3 other new musicals for Princess.

 

I have no idea why Lisa would make such a comment. :confused:

[skynight]

We got off the Royal a few days ago. Our CD, Lisa Ball, made an odd speech after the last live song & dance show. She said, in essence, that live entertainment was really important and she hoped it could continue. Would Princess really eliminate live shows? I personally think that would be a tremendous mistake, and I can't see that it would be a huge cost savings, since most of the performers have more than one job onboard.

Well that is a strange announcement. My impression was that Princess made a commitment to improve their stage shows since they contracted Stephen Schwartz to produce Magic to Do plus 3 other shows. Maybe she was referring to live Princess orchestra music rather than canned backing tracks. Eliminating the orchestra would eliminate jobs for 7 or 8 musicians. Princess better watch carefully what they are doing. Slowly eroding the cruise experience will quickly reduce the customer base. With all I have experienced and heard I think Princess may be heading in a direction from which there is no return.

[moki'smommy]

As above, we were told there are 4 new shows being released over the next 2 years (not all of them on all ships). The first, Magic To Do, has appeared on some ships at this point.

 

We were not impressed with the song and dance revues on the Caribbean Princess last month. They were really not "shows" in the sense of telling a story or having a theme, but rather a collection of musical numbers lasting about 30 minutes.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hopefully people will make comments on their post-cruise surveys about wanting live music.

[scott4020]

We got off the Royal a few days ago. Our CD, Lisa Ball, made an odd speech after the last live song & dance show. She said, in essence, that live entertainment was really important and she hoped it could continue. Would Princess really eliminate live shows? I personally think that would be a tremendous mistake, and I can't see that it would be a huge cost savings, since most of the performers have more than one job onboard.

 

I believe the performers are given the opportunity to pick up other jobs on the ship that they are paid extra for doing, they are not required too.

[Shmoo here]

As above' date=' we were told there are 4 new shows being released over the next 2 years (not all of them on all ships). The first, Magic To Do, has appeared on some ships at this point.

 

We were not impressed with the song and dance revues on the Caribbean Princess last month. [b']They were really not "shows" in the sense of telling a story or having a theme, but rather a collection of musical numbers lasting about 30 minutes[/b].

 

 

That's what we had on our Crown Princess cruise - just a musical review show. One was OK, the others - not so much.

[berlingo]

Could Lisa's comment be in reference to live in-house musicians and performers

I wonder?

 

My understanding is that Princess are one of the few lines which still employ their own band of musicians and performers. Many others use only pre-recorded backing tracks etc.

 

On our 14 days on the Carribean in August we noticed a definite decline in the number of in house production shows. The issue was not how many shows a night but the number of nights when a production show occurred. It did occur to me that it was difficult to see how an in house production team was viable when they appeared in so few shows.

 

In addition we noticed that much of the entertainment followed a rigid pre- planned format even when there were live performers. This produced a unsatisfactory audience experience, where performers were unresponsive to their audience. It was a bit weird really being live but not feeling live due to the lack of interaction with the audience.

[flyboy88]

I was on the Royal at the beginning of October for the 10 day, and Lisa made the same speech.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

The Feira show on the Regal everyone raved about. We thought it wasn't that great.

[Times Prince]

Hopefully people will make comments on their post-cruise surveys about wanting live music.

 

Every cruise I take has that comment in our surveys.

 

It is especially true for the dancing venues' date=' where the live quartets of the past have been reduced to duo's with music tracks. When they start a song that no one dances to, they can't just shorten it and go on, but must play the whole darn thing. Then they wonder why people haven't stuck around in the bars for the next song, and have started reducing dance venues like on the new ships.

Could Lisa's comment be in reference to live in-house musicians and performers

I wonder?

 

My understanding is that Princess are one of the few lines which still employ their own band of musicians and performers. Many others use only pre-recorded backing tracks etc.

 

On our 14 days on the Carribean in August we noticed a definite decline in the number of in house production shows. The issue was not how many shows a night but the number of nights when a production show occurred. It did occur to me that it was difficult to see how an in house production team was viable when they appeared in so few shows.

 

In addition we noticed that much of the entertainment followed a rigid pre- planned format even when there were live performers. This produced a unsatisfactory audience experience, where performers were unresponsive to their audience. It was a bit weird really being live but not feeling live due to the lack of interaction with the audience.

On our last two cruises we found that the show band often was playing in the Explorer's Lounge while the stage shows were on. Apparently Princess has already made a transition to canned music for many shows. Again, like the dance bands mentioned above, that lends to performers having no room for musical interpretation that is often seen with solo performers with a live band behind them.

[Rhisibabe]

We just returned from the Sapphire Princess. They had a show in the theatre every night, but most of them were nothing to write home about. After the show the only entertainment that you could join in with was a trivia quiz (every night) or you could just sit and listen to music. 3 nights out of 10 they did a game show like Mr and Mrs and these were so well attended I can't believe they didn't do it every night. Overall the entertainment was so poor that it has seriously put me off ever sailing with Princess again as, for me, entertainment is a big part of the cruise experience.

[Hlitner]

We have really been unhappy about the direction of Princess production shows. At one time you had decent singers and dancers backed-up by the ship's orchestra. Now, the show is pre-recorded and the singers take on more of a Karaoke role, often singing along with pre-recorded tracks (laid down in a production studio shoreside) and pre recorded music. During the past 6 weeks we have cruised on both the Regal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse. What a difference. On the Regal we were lulled asleep by a pre-recorded show and wondered why they just do not also film the singers and dancers and put the entire show on a movie screen :(. On Celebrity, the shows were truly live accompanied by a 7 piece orchestra. The trend to replace live musicians with recorded music, whether in shows, at the pool, in the atrium, etc. is not a good thing.

 

We also were not overly impressed by the "Guest Entertainers" on the Regal. And it became even more depressing when we were on the Eclipse where the Guest Entertainers were among the best we have ever seen on any ship over the past forty+ years of cruising. While we were pleased with the cuisine on the Regal (an improvement over our past few Princess cruises) and really happy with both the lido buffets and International Cafe, we were appalled at the entertainment (or lack thereof).

 

Hank

[flamomo]

IMHO, Princess should spend less money hooking up with celebrity chefs, celebrity chocolate makers, celebrity show producers, etc,, and focus their spending on giving Princess regulars what they have expressed they have come to expect and want to continue to see on Princess.

 

They need to quit trying to emulate what other cruise lines are doing, and be unique by providing what loyal cruisers are accustomed to and choose to continue to cruise Princess for, and refer friends and others they are acquainted with to Princess, BECAUSE they like the Princess product as it is provided now (or even pre-Norman Love and Curtis Stone).

[Colo Cruiser]

IMHO, Princess should spend less money hooking up with celebrity chefs, celebrity chocolate makers, celebrity show producers, etc,, and focus their spending on giving Princess regulars what they have expressed they have come to expect and want to continue to see on Princess.

 

 

And butchering one of the best ships in the fleet..removing a show lounge for a great show. :mad:

Edited December 24, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[Coral]

And butchering one of the best ships in the fleet..removing a show lounge for a great show. :mad:

 

I think they should order another Island Princess ship to replace the one they ruined!

[Colo Cruiser]

I think they should order another Island Princess ship to replace the one they ruined!

 

 

I agree, I really wanted them to build 1 or 2 more but we know that won't happen. :(

[Coral]

I agree, I really wanted them to build 1 or 2 more but we know that won't happen. :(

 

I remember when they didn't follow through on their option to do so and was so disappointed. I think it is one of their biggest mistakes, especially since RCCL had such good luck with their Radiance class. Though, I don't think they agree.

[rob2102]

Princess is spending millions on the new Stephen Schwartz "Magic to Do" production show. He's the Tony award-winning composer of Wicked, Pippin & Godspell and will create 3 other new musicals for Princess.

 

I have no idea why Lisa would make such a comment. :confused:

 

Hey that's what I thought, I have a winter brochure from princess stating that very fact. I thought these shows were meant to upgrade the theater experience. Ill have to go experience it my self. I discount most of what is being said on here any ways.

[Astro Flyer]

Maybe she was referring to live Princess orchestra music rather than canned backing tracks. Eliminating the orchestra would eliminate jobs for 7 or 8 musicians.

 

Hey that's what I thought, I have a winter brochure from princess stating that very fact. I thought these shows were meant to upgrade the theater experience. Ill have to go experience it my self. I discount most of what is being said on here any ways.

I think that 'sknight' was correct & that it's a live orchestra that is being replaced by prerecorded music & not live production shows like the OP thought.

 

I enjoyed "Magic to Do" on the Crown and the other 2 new shows on the Regal (Fiera & Bravo) but like most things it's a subjective opinion...if I based my cruises on subjective opinions then I'd rarely take a cruise. ;)

Edited December 24, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[tothemall&beyond]

IMHO, Princess should spend less money hooking up with celebrity chefs, celebrity chocolate makers, celebrity show producers, etc,, and focus their spending on giving Princess regulars what they have expressed they have come to expect and want to continue to see on Princess.

 

They need to quit trying to emulate what other cruise lines are doing, and be unique by providing what loyal cruisers are accustomed to and choose to continue to cruise Princess for, and refer friends and others they are acquainted with to Princess, BECAUSE they like the Princess product as it is provided now (or even pre-Norman Love and Curtis Stone).

 

 

Amen! And they're not good at emulating other lines, because they don't have the entertainment and sports activities that other lines have. They need to stop trying to dumb-down the line to get the Carnival, NCL and RCCL crowd and focus on trying to keep their up-till-now loyal cruisers, many of whom are not happy about Jan Scwartz's "Carnivalizing" of Princess and cheapening the quality of everything on board, including staff.