Piano Bar Nieuw Amsterdam?

[msteries]

Actually changed my cruise so that I could once again enjoy the Piano Bar. As a solo traveller, I enjoy meeting folks there and making friends of the regulars each night. Does anyone know who will play on the January 29th sailing?

[Copper10-8]

Actually changed my cruise so that I could once again enjoy the Piano Bar. As a solo traveller, I enjoy meeting folks there and making friends of the regulars each night. Does anyone know who will play on the January 29th sailing?

 

That would be Sarah Angel. Enjoy that NADM cruise!

[TAD2005]

Actually changed my cruise so that I could once again enjoy the Piano Bar. As a solo traveller, I enjoy meeting folks there and making friends of the regulars each night. Does anyone know who will play on the January 29th sailing?

 

Enjoy the wonderful, intimate piano bar on the Nieuw Amsterdam while you can. After the April 2017 dry dock, say hello to Billboard Onboard's dueling pianos. We will never see talented entertainers like Jimmy Maddox or Paul C. McD playing in this new venue. I miss the old piano bars.

[shopperwhite]

I too enjoy the piano bar. Never had a female before. Looking forward to it.

 

Can't see holland America with dueling pianos. Coarse songs and very coarse language.

Edited January 18, 2017 by shopperwhite

[innlady1]

Enjoy the wonderful, intimate piano bar on the Nieuw Amsterdam while you can. After the April 2017 dry dock, say hello to Billboard Onboard's dueling pianos. We will never see talented entertainers like Jimmy Maddox or Paul C. McD playing in this new venue. I miss the old piano bars.

 

 

 

Love ❤️ Jimmy Maddox. He's the best. I can't see him doing "Dueling Pianos" either. [emoji47]

 

 

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[Lizzie68]

Love ❤️ Jimmy Maddox. He's the best. I can't see him doing "Dueling Pianos" either. [emoji47]

 

 

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He definitely IS the best, and to make you jealous, Sheila - he is on our Caribbean week on the NA. Sapper and I have our seats around the piano mapped out already.:D:D He definitely wouldn't do duelling pianos, so I'm guessing when that change hits all the ships, he will likely go to another cruise line. Followed, no doubt, by a large band of fans.:)

[msteries]

Enjoy the wonderful, intimate piano bar on the Nieuw Amsterdam while you can. After the April 2017 dry dock, say hello to Billboard Onboard's dueling pianos. We will never see talented entertainers like Jimmy Maddox or Paul C. McD playing in this new venue. I miss the old piano bars.

 

I know- that is why I decided on a 10-day spluge on the NA. Interesting to learn that a woman will be at the piano this time.

[RSBCruising]

He definitely IS the best, and to make you jealous, Sheila - he is on our Caribbean week on the NA. Sapper and I have our seats around the piano mapped out already.:D:D He definitely wouldn't do duelling pianos, so I'm guessing when that change hits all the ships, he will likely go to another cruise line. Followed, no doubt, by a large band of fans.:)

 

Save a couple of seats for us!!

[OlsSalt]

I know- that is why I decided on a 10-day spluge on the NA. Interesting to learn that a woman will be at the piano this time.

 

We had a woman at the piano bar on our 50 day Amsterdam Tale of the South Pacific, which is the only cruise ship she apparently does. She was terrific. Not much difference really from the male piano bar people - tuneful, knowledgable, engaging and popular.

[Copper10-8]

We had a woman at the piano bar on our 50 day Amsterdam Tale of the South Pacific, which is the only cruise ship she apparently does. She was terrific. Not much difference really from the male piano bar people - tuneful, knowledgable, engaging and popular.

 

Debby Bacon :) She has a lot of fans; she's on AMDM's world cruise now

[canadarocks]

Just off the Nieuw Amsterdam and regrettably we were not fans of the current piano player. JMHO, but one visit was enough for hubby and I. :(

[RuthC]

Just off the Nieuw Amsterdam and regrettably we were not fans of the current piano player. JMHO, but one visit was enough for hubby and I. :(

Who was playing there during your cruise?

If it was mentioned already in this thread, I did not see it when I scrolled back and reread the posts.

 

Thanks.

Edited January 19, 2017 by RuthC

[canadarocks]

Who was playing there during your cruise?

If it was mentioned already in this thread, I did not see it when I scrolled back and reread the posts.

 

Thanks.

 

It was Sarah Angel.

[RuthC]

It was Sarah Angel.

Thank you. I'll be on the look-out for her (in a fashion).

Always good to know these things in advance.

[msteries]

Just off the Nieuw Amsterdam and regrettably we were not fans of the current piano player. JMHO, but one visit was enough for hubby and I. :(

 

Would you mind sharing what you disliked? (But understand that you may not...)

[canadarocks]

Would you mind sharing what you disliked? (But understand that you may not...)

 

Music is such a personal choice, and I certainly think everyone should make their own decision. What I don't enjoy might be something you really like.

 

But to answer your question, we went to the Piano Bar on "Neil Diamond Night". He is a favorite of my husband and I and we were very excited to be there. The singer was very unfamiliar with his songs and seemed completely unprepared for the set.

 

I'm assuming that she wasn't given the choice of what to sing, and perhaps that effected her performance.

Edited January 20, 2017 by canadarocks

[RuthC]

I'm assuming that she wasn't given the choice of what to sing, and perhaps that effected her performance.

I've wondered the same thing, even when it was The Mix, a Piano Lounge, or a Piano Bar. No matter who the piano player is, it's always the same singers who have a "night", the same songs, all done the same way. Over and over and over, to the point that there's nothing worth going for. I can hear the same things on the radio, and I don't have to pack or fly!

 

Now, I know that in the older versions of "piano bar", the musicians were supposed to have freedom in what they chose to play, but it sure doesn't seem that way in recent years. I can believe there is less freedom when the room is sponsored.

[taxmantoo]

I've wondered the same thing, even when it was The Mix, a Piano Lounge, or a Piano Bar. No matter who the piano player is, it's always the same singers who have a "night", the same songs, all done the same way. Over and over and over, to the point that there's nothing worth going for. I can hear the same things on the radio, and I don't have to pack or fly!

 

Now, I know that in the older versions of "piano bar", the musicians were supposed to have freedom in what they chose to play, but it sure doesn't seem that way in recent years. I can believe there is less freedom when the room is sponsored.

 

We had a very informative and honest discussion about this matter with a very popular and well respected HAL piano bar entertainer in the Piano Bar one night. We told us very candidly that the responsibility for having themes in the Piano Bar or not (Beatles Night, Oldies Night, etc...) rests with the Entertainment Director/Manager on board who reports to the Cruise Director. The piano player can then choose the individual songs they are comfortable with within that given theme.

 

With the introduction of Billboard Onboard, that liberty is totally taken away from the individuals. Even the allowable songs are preselected months before the cruise by someone sitting in a Billboard office thousands of miles away from Alaska, the Caribbean or Barcelona and who has no idea what the people sitting around the piano at any given time wish to hear or what the piano players feels like playing or what the mood of the moment calls for. Welcome to the world of elevator "playlists"!

Edited January 20, 2017 by taxmantoo

[msteries]

Hearing about the regimentation really makes me sad. So glad that my last HAL cruise two years ago (last year I was in a wheelchair for a long time, forbidden to put any weight on foot) featured Greg Galliano in the piano bar. He never let the assigned themes get in the way of more spontaneous fun. Will report after I return. (And then surgery on the other foot. Old age is not for whimps!)

[RuthC]

Welcome to the world of elevator "playlists"!

Not a world I care to spend my shipboard evenings living in. :(

I miss the days of the real piano bar, where the passengers made the party every night, and the musician facilitated it. Too bad, too, as with two pianos & two musicians, there could be some real fun, and some great attempts at counterpoint.

I have to wonder if the people playing in this new setting are even capable of that.

[OlsSalt]

Will they next move to an automated electronic keyboard - no human contact required? HAL has been responsive to passenger input - the more who let them know on the post-cruise survey, the better.

[Jimbo59]

Sarah Angel was great on New Amsterdam. She's on until March 5.

 

Just ask her for any song. If she knows it, she'll sing it. If she doesn't know the song, she will more likely learn it and play it in a few days.

[Tampa Girl]

I too enjoy the piano bar. Never had a female before. Looking forward to it.

 

Can't see holland America with dueling pianos. Coarse songs and very coarse language.

 

And you never heard such language in the piano bars? Obviously we have not been on the same cruises. But . . . I also don't like the dueling pianos. Another "innovation" that is not an improvement, along with the removal of the dance floors, downsizing the library to almost non-existence, and the conversion of the Crows Nest to a travel emporium. Not good.

[OlsSalt]

That would be Sarah Angel. Enjoy that NADM cruise!

 

Just off and if this is the same one, she was wonderful - packed house every night. Lovely low voice, talented pianist, great style and warmly engaging banter.