On Zuiderdam now...no music by the pool.

[ConnCruise]

The games were fun .. build a ship, horse racing Passport to Fi tness , but of course, that was before they made so many crew cuts. There is no cruise staff f to run those games now.

This is so. Except for cruise director at shows, no apparent staff. Sad. We’ve been on many cruises and mostly don’t take advantage of the staff and their activities, but did notice the absence. This is our 3rd HAL cruise, but next time we’re going to go back to one of the other “mainstream” lines, like Celebrity. This has been too quiet even for us and we are not party animals by any stretch.

[ConnCruise]

Please don't give them any ideas ! Sea View Pool area already has the Battle of the Music Volume. Quieter during the day is wonderful. Around Happy Hour, turn it up. :)

I have not noticed any particular happy hour rush on this particular cruise. Gets pretty dead by the pool late afternoon. I’d be all in favor.

[ConnCruise]

Not the library, but nature! I personally (especially at 8 am) would rather hear the sound of the ocean, perhaps sea gulls, etc. I guess some people on cruises are in relaxation mode as opposed to celebratory. I'm 60.

 

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Too far out at sea for gulls. You can hear the waves of the pool just fine. Don’t know about you, but I’ve always found music, played at appropriate volume, to be very relaxing.

[ConnCruise]

while I’m here, why does HAL need to set up a cheap clothing market at one end of the pool on every sea days? To answer my own question, it does seem to generate retail traffic, but does take up lots of pool seating space. Clearly a business decision by HAL but maybe if they tried to sell more alcoholic drinks, again as appropriate around a pool in a resort setting, with their big markup, maybe they wouldn’t need to sell cheap T-shirt’s up here?

Edited November 13, 2017 by ConnCruise
mistake

[ConnCruise]

"Absolutely dead"? Discussion isn't worth the effort when there is such exaggeration.

 

Desire for distraction and perhaps a noisier environment is as valid a reason to cruise as is a peaceful escape. Why not just go on the lines where such an atmosphere is intended? Is there something holding you back?

 

For me a peaceful escape would include some music by the pool on sea days. Lots of quiet places on this ship. Not to quibble, but the pool area is not quiet even when the volume of music is so low as not to be heard.

 

So I guess I would reject your premise. And of course we know we have a choice where to spend our vacation dollars.

 

Btw, they’ve turned the volume up now, can clearly hear Dire Straits. Yeah!

[RuthC]

Don’t know about you, but I’ve always found music, played at appropriate volume, to be very relaxing.

Fine, then. We'll play music all the time, at a volume everyone can hear. I'll select the playlist, with consideration for what you want to hear.

Do you prefer Ella Fitzgerald or Rosemary Clooney? Harry James or Kaye Kaiser? Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé?

 

Or, maybe HAL is just not the best match for you.

[cmiller8617]

Fine, then. We'll play music all the time, at a volume everyone can hear. I'll select the playlist, with consideration for what you want to hear.

Do you prefer Ella Fitzgerald or Rosemary Clooney? Harry James or Kaye Kaiser? Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé?

 

Or, maybe HAL is just not the best match for you.

I [emoji179] Ella!

 

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[ChucktownSteve]

Also, more early in the cruise, some bad smells, especially starboard side, aft of mid ship, on the promenade desk.

 

Is it possibly a dead rodent they didn't know was there? :eek:

[Hlitner]

For me a peaceful escape would include some music by the pool on sea days. Lots of quiet places on this ship. Not to quibble, but the pool area is not quiet even when the volume of music is so low as not to be heard.

 

So I guess I would reject your premise. And of course we know we have a choice where to spend our vacation dollars.

 

Btw, they’ve turned the volume up now, can clearly hear Dire Straits. Yeah!

 

So you would be fine if they were playing "Chance the Rapper,' or perhaps "Joey Badass?" or how about John Coltrane. My own preference would be Pink Floyd and some of the Eagles. But on HAL there are many who might want Sinatra or perhaps Al Jolson. And then there are those who would prefer Mozart.

 

With personal sound devices everyone can listen to what they want at their preferred volume. We do think its fine to have a ship's band or musician entertaining for 1-2 hours a day at the pool. But otherwise, silence is Golden. When the ship starts blasting out pre-recorded music....we start to look (sometimes desperately) for a quiet place where I can listen to my own music of perhaps just enjoy the sound of the sea. On our recent Princess cruise we actually had an excellent Caribbean music man (steel drum player) who was a delight when he entertained around the pool or in the atrium. But on HAL the last thing I want to hear at the pool is the lame HAL Cats or Neptunes playing music from an era before I was born (and I am a senior). And listening to a HAL band playing Bob Marley music is a real insult to Bob Marley.

 

Hank

[Homosassa]

The nice thing is that there are many different cruiselines with different cruising atmospheres.

 

If you don't like the quiet relaxed cruise style of HAL, keep trying lines until you do find one you like.

 

I am personally looking forward to my Zuiderdam cruise in January and my Rotterdam cruise in March with the quiet relaxed atmosphere that HAL is known for.

[ConnCruise]

So you would be fine if they were playing "Chance the Rapper,' or perhaps "Joey Badass?" or how about John Coltrane. My own preference would be Pink Floyd and some of the Eagles. But on HAL there are many who might want Sinatra or perhaps Al Jolson. And then there are those who would prefer Mozart.

 

With personal sound devices everyone can listen to what they want at their preferred volume. We do think its fine to have a ship's band or musician entertaining for 1-2 hours a day at the pool. But otherwise, silence is Golden. When the ship starts blasting out pre-recorded music....we start to look (sometimes desperately) for a quiet place where I can listen to my own music of perhaps just enjoy the sound of the sea. On our recent Princess cruise we actually had an excellent Caribbean music man (steel drum player) who was a delight when he entertained around the pool or in the atrium. But on HAL the last thing I want to hear at the pool is the lame HAL Cats or Neptunes playing music from an era before I was born (and I am a senior). And listening to a HAL band playing Bob Marley music is a real insult to Bob Marley.

 

Hank

 

Really easy to program music for around a pool on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. In fact, as I mentioned they’ve turned the music up now. Nice middle of the road mix of songs. Buffet, Beach Boys, etc. My original point is that they were playing this recorded music, but it was way too soft. Problem solved because we asked. Twice.

Obvious that I could use my android or iPad to listen, but I would prefer to be tapped into the environment, enjoying the sounds of folks having a good time, not my own little world. Plenty of opportunity for that elsewhere.

[RuthC]

Problem solved because we asked. Twice.

Your problem may have been solved, while a problem was created for others.

Rude and selfish. :mad:

[ConnCruise]

The nice thing is that there are many different cruiselines with different cruising atmospheres.

 

If you don't like the quiet relaxed cruise style of HAL, keep trying lines until you do find one you like.

 

I am personally looking forward to my Zuiderdam cruise in January and my Rotterdam cruise in March with the quiet relaxed atmosphere that HAL is known for.

 

I guess I need to apologize then. Since we asked twice, they have turned up the volume a bit here at poolside. Hope it doesn’t wreck your quiet relaxed atmosphere in January. :cool::cool:

[iancal]

So are you suggesting that HAL not have music, live or otherwise, in any public areas such as atriums, poolside, etc. and that those who prefer music should simply bring their own...including earbuds? Or just in the areas that you prefer not to have it?

 

Not everyone likes the Lawrence Welk genre of music at every venue.

[ConnCruise]

Your problem may have been solved, while a problem was created for others.

Rude and selfish. :mad:

 

Guess you feel pretty strong about this? Only a cruise web site. Not war and peace. No need to get personal Ruth. :cool:

[ConnCruise]

So are you suggesting that HAL not have music, live or otherwise, in any public areas such as atriums, poolside, etc. and that those who prefer music should simply bring their own...including earbuds? Or just in the areas that you prefer not to have it?

 

Not everyone likes the Lawrence Welk genre of music at every venue.

True this

[ConnCruise]

Is it possibly a dead rodent they didn't know was there? :eek:

One smell, pretty constant, unidentifiable, industrial type. The other smell, easy to ID. I’ll leave it at that. Like I said, seems to have disappeared now later in the cruise.

[ConnCruise]

Fine, then. We'll play music all the time, at a volume everyone can hear. I'll select the playlist, with consideration for what you want to hear.

Do you prefer Ella Fitzgerald or Rosemary Clooney? Harry James or Kaye Kaiser? Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé?

 

Or, maybe HAL is just not the best match for you.

 

Very cool selection. I enjoy them all. Sinatra is the best of course! Ruth, I get that you’re trolling me, but I genuinely like all the artists that you mention and would like listening to any of them, at appropriate volume, by the Z’s pool.

[iancal]

Plus a bit of Elton John, Eagles, Rod Stewart, Celine Dion and perhaps some Van Morrision or James Taylor. Plus some Charles Aznavour.

[ConnCruise]

Very good too.

[rogerdawhip]

Put me in the group that prefers live music by the pool. It is usually only an hour in the morning and/or afternoon. There are plenty of places to lie in the sun but only one where music can be played in the sun on most HAL ships.

[twodjs]

Sorry, must side with ConnCruise on this one. Appropriate music played at a proper level helps to create the correct ambience for an area. "Crickets" (nothing) is not the right choice for the pool area - Crow's Nest - yes. Unfortunately, too many cruisers have been subjected to inappropriate music, played at the wrong volume, way too many times. Done properly, it is an almost unconscious, positive energy.

[RuthC]

Very cool selection. I enjoy them all. Sinatra is the best of course! Ruth, I get that you’re trolling me, but I genuinely like all the artists that you mention and would like listening to any of them, at appropriate volume, by the Z’s pool.

Not 'trolling' you at all. Just saying that not you, not anyone, should get to decide for everyone else what is 'appropriate' music, or an 'appropriate' volume for everyone else.

[7leagueboots]

I have no problem with peace and quiet. I like to sit and read, and the music would be annoying. I see more people reading poolside than sleeping.

 

We also just relaxing around the pool and reading...and maybe a little people watching.:D

[*Miss G*]

I dislike music so loud that it becomes intrusive and interferes with conversation. On the K'dam in October I actually enjoyed the music mix so much that I would have purchased a copy if they'd had it for sale. There was something for everyone and I enjoyed it all. Mainly because it wasn't blasting.

 

The only time I wanted to jump overboard was on a Cunard Christmas cruise playing non-stop carols... and nothing else. Day after day after day. When I finally asked one of the staff if they had another mix, he said they'd had many complaints but were not allowed to change it.