How is the entertainment now?

[jabrown40]

Read previous posts from a year ago that NCL and Oceania would have the same production company, so I was wondering how the evening entertainment is now. Has their been an improvement?

 

 

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[Hawaiidan]

Read previous posts from a year ago that NCL and Oceania would have the same production company, so I was wondering how the evening entertainment is now. Has their been an improvement?

 

 

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Its nothing near NCL or the huge mass market lines which have the space to hold them. In Sept and Jan took cruises and the entertainment, aside from the string Quartet , was a pair of singers a juggler, a comedian, a local dance group in Honolulu, a violin player, and several medley shows with 6 performers. Thats it... I haven't noticed and change. O has always been about dining and entertaining ones self in a low key fashion. As mentioned R ships really have nothing. The larger ships, may have something a bit more but that is not the focus. If your looking for entertainment...look elsewhere

[jabrown40]

We usually like to have a little music, or on Celebrity we would see the early show then go to dinner. We don't spend time in the casino, and only went to the Sky lounge I think once on our 7 day cruise. We usually enjoy singers and dancers, not expecting a broadway performance! I like a little music in the bar area if we have a drink or two before turning in.

 

 

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[LHT28]

We found the productions shows a bit better than before but the solo performers we prefered the ones they had before the change over

We like the more classical offerings by solo musicians

The string quartet & the piano guy in Martinis also good Jerry is the best

Not fond of comedians or jugglers

It is a personal choice

YMMV

[Hawaiidan]

We usually like to have a little music, or on Celebrity we would see the early show then go to dinner. We don't spend time in the casino, and only went to the Sky lounge I think once on our 7 day cruise. We usually enjoy singers and dancers, not expecting a broadway performance! I like a little music in the bar area if we have a drink or two before turning in.

 

 

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Music in the bar is a piano player for 30 min at happy hour and not much more. There is no earily and late show just 1 at 9:30. for about 45 min most solo acts.. Horizons may have some canned music or a small trio for 30 min...... only saw that once on Marina.

[Queen of DaNile]

We recently found the entertainment on Marina to be better than on previous cruises. Please see below for the numerous evening musical venues. Plenty of opportunities to enjoy live music with your cocktails! Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

[jabrown40]

That's great to see!

 

 

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[gwesq]

Wow - if the entertainment is better than before, it really must have been awful before.

What I didn't like is that between around 7:15 and 8:15 or so, on many night there was absolutely no music playing anywhere. Many people like to have a cocktail and listen to some light music before dinner, but if you are not eating very early, then there's no music to listen to. Likewise during the production show - if you don't want to go to the show, there is no music on the ship. Which is a shame, because the few musical groups that were on the MArina were pretty good, but not enough occasion to listen to them.

[LHT28]

Wow - if the entertainment is better than before, it really must have been awful before.

What I didn't like is that between around 7:15 and 8:15 or so, on many night there was absolutely no music playing anywhere. .

We enjoy the string quartet that play from about 6:15 to 9pm in the Grand Hallway Bar but not everyone enjoys that type of music

[gwesq]

We enjoy the string quartet that play from about 6:15 to 9pm in the Grand Hallway Bar but not everyone enjoys that type of music

 

If you notice the schedule, they stopped every day from 730 - 815. They had that same break every day - as did all the other groups. We would have liked to enjoy them, but for people who go to dinner at 8 or 830, they're not playing. And nothing from 915 to 1015 either - for an after dinner drink with nice music.

[JimandStan]

You'll find a pianist in Martinis from cocktail hour straight through until closing, which is Midnight or 1AM, depending on the state of the punters.

[arkansastraveler]

We recently did the TA on the RIviera and very much enjoyed the production numbers especially 'World Beat'. The kids were great! We also saw the same performers on our November TA and would love to see them all again.

[tgg]

On our last few Oceania cruises, the production show performances have been too loud. Much too loud. So loud that people walked out holding their ears. The cruise director said that the sound levels are set by the production company. Did they assume that the decidedly older audience was also deaf ????

 

When the orchestra is so overamplified that it drowns out the singers and guest performers, it's simply too loud.

 

That said, the WORLD BEAT show is the best we've seen at sea. No polite applause that night; the audience stood up and cheered. Amazing.

[Acrusa]

On our 21 day cruise this past January on Sirena, which was our 9th cruise with Oceania The 3 shows performed by the Sirena players were the best shows we have seen at sea.Every performance had a standing ovation. After their first show and word got out the remaining 2 shows where standing room only

 

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[njhorseman]

You'll find a pianist in Martinis from cocktail hour straight through until closing, which is Midnight or 1AM, depending on the state of the punters.

 

Not continuously. Obviously the pianist doesn't play straight through for 7 or 8 hours, and the breaks are more than just 15 minutes or so to freshen up. In our experience there were fairly long intervals...perhaps an hour or more at a time, although I don't recall the precise schedule, when the pianist on our recent Insignia cruise was not playing.

[JimandStan]

Not continuously. Obviously the pianist doesn't play straight through for 7 or 8 hours, and the breaks are more than just 15 minutes or so to freshen up. In our experience there were fairly long intervals...perhaps an hour or more at a time, although I don't recall the precise schedule, when the pianist on our recent Insignia cruise was not playing.

 

I won't doubt your experience, but you must have just hit it wrong.

The breaks, and there are precious few of them, are never more than 15 minutes in an hour.

 

As with any artist, if the audience isn't appreciating the performance, some truncation is understandable.

 

Did the audience seem pleased and involved?

[njhorseman]

I won't doubt your experience, but you must have just hit it wrong.

The breaks, and there are precious few of them, are never more than 15 minutes in an hour.

 

As with any artist, if the audience isn't appreciating the performance, some truncation is understandable.

 

Did the audience seem pleased and involved?

 

This wasn't an issue of audience appreciation causing the truncation of the performance. It was the actual schedule published in the daily Currents. For example here's the dailies from a Regatta cruise a few years ago (I didn't save anything from my cruise, but our schedule was quite similar as I recall.) You'll see that the pianist did not play between 8:30 and 10:15 on most nights, which makes sense as a substantial percentage of passengers are eating dinner and attending the main show during those hours:

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/bermuda_regatta_dailies.htm

Edited April 16, 2017 by njhorseman

[JimandStan]

You'll see that the pianist did not play between 8:30 and 10:15 on most nights, which makes sense as a substantial percentage of passengers are eating dinner and attending the main show during those hours:

The gap which you mention is when Trivia is being played, alternating with Name That Tune, for which a piano player is a must.

 

 

My impression remains that aside from when there is an "event" in Martini's, the pianist plays fairly continuously.

[njhorseman]

The gap which you mention is when Trivia is being played, alternating with Name That Tune, for which a piano player is a must.

 

 

My impression remains that aside from when there is an "event" in Martini's, the pianist plays fairly continuously.

 

We participated in the music trivia/ name that tune contests on our cruise and my recollection is that they were held in the afternoon, not at night.

We often listened to the pianist. He definitely had an extended break .

Edited April 16, 2017 by njhorseman

[JimandStan]

People often make the assumption that a Bermuda or Transatlantic cruise will be representative of the Oceania product as a whole. They are not.

 

Port intensive European Cruises, many of which don't have a single day at sea, are Oceania's real bread and butter, and those passengers are sightseeing from dawn until dusk on every port day, so activities are seldom scheduled before 4pm. Daytime events (such as Trivia and Name That Tune) are often repeated at night.

 

Cooking and art classes are the only constant exceptions which I can think of.

 

Perhaps that accounts for the differences which you noticed.

[njhorseman]

People often make the assumption that a Bermuda or Transatlantic cruise will be representative of the Oceania product as a whole. They are not.

 

Port intensive European Cruises, many of which don't have a single day at sea, are Oceania's real bread and butter, and those passengers are sightseeing from dawn until dusk on every port day, so activities are seldom scheduled before 4pm. Daytime events (such as Trivia and Name That Tune) are often repeated at night.

 

Cooking and art classes are the only constant exceptions which I can think of.

 

Perhaps that accounts for the differences which you noticed.

 

Our 22 night cruise was about evenly divided between port and sea days. We ended up with two added sea days when weather caused us to bypass two ports where tendering was required.

 

In any event music trivia/name that tune is not something that fills a one hour to 90 minute time slot. It was always in the 15 to 20 minute range.

 

I think we've managed to beat this one to death.

[Paulchili]

Currently on Insignia. One noticeable change is there there is no longer a pair of Russian or Ukrainian dancers that have always been part of the entertainment group. Instead it is a group of 6 singers and dancers.

The overall quality has probably gone up a notch but, of course, it will vary from ship to ship as not all groups are of equal talent.

The bottom line as I see is that people who didn't much care for O's entertainment before will continue to feel the same way. Conversely, those that have enjoyed it before will continue to enjoy it again.

[Paulchili]

Just returned from tonight's show - Tuxedo. I think that dropping the Russian/Ukrainian professional dancers - if that is the way forward - is a mistake, IMO. They have always been exceptionally well trained and utterly professional - a joy to watch. I will miss them if this is a permanent move.

Perhaps this is only the case on the RTW cruise? -will ask Ray (CD).

[JimandStan]

In any event music trivia/name that tune is not something that fills a one hour to 90 minute time slot. It was always in the 15 to 20 minute range.

 

I've attended dozens of them and never had one last less than fifty minutes. It takes twenty minutes to play the clues and a similar amount of time to score. Add in socializing and you're well past the hour mark. :confused:

[sfvoyage]

In any event music trivia/name that tune is not something that fills a one hour to 90 minute time slot. It was always in the 15 to 20 minute range.

 

I've attended dozens of them and never had one last less than fifty minutes. It takes twenty minutes to play the clues and a similar amount of time to score. Add in socializing and you're well past the hour mark. :confused:

 

What is trivia like on Oceania? Is it close to an hour, with multiple teams, well-attended, fun and social, organized for each sea day, etc.?