No CNBC or production shows on koningsdam

[wesport]

Currently on Koningsdam. No CNBC on tv channel.  no more production shows with singers and dancers .The void will be filled in with groups of entertainers such as singers pianists and jugglers.  The way it was explained is that there were complaints that many of the shows were to repetitious .  Also management feels that the void has been filled by  Lincoln Center, BB Kings and the rolling stone rock café 

[taxmantoo]

18 minutes ago, wesport said:

Currently on Koningsdam. No CNBC on tv channel.  no more production shows with singers and dancers .The void will be filled in with groups of entertainers such as singers pianists and jugglers.  The way it was explained is that there were complaints that many of the shows were to repetitious .  Also management feels that the void has been filled by  Lincoln Center, BB Kings and the rolling stone rock café 

Hard to believe that they built the beautiful World Stage on the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam for the benefit of a few singers, instrumentalists, comedians and magicians  What a waste!  They will not use 1/4 of the technology available to them and produce shows where one person is standing in front of a curtain.  The new cast production company they hired when the Koningsdam came out was doing wonderfully well and presented new and innovative shows. Most of the individual singers, instrumentalists, comedians and magicians we have seen on HAL over the years would not make it beyond the auditions on America's Got Talent!  Seems everything introduced on the Koningsdam will soon disappear ...  Culinary Arts Center first, now the World Stage, and I predict Blend will be the next. 

Edited March 12, 2019 by taxmantoo

[wesport]

Some substitutes have been post modern jukebox and a dance troup tonight. No comparison to the great shows we have seen on the world stage with the production shows those shows were must see for us

[wesport]

The do use the world stage For America’s test kitchen

[DaveOKC]

Bring back CNBC!!

 

is it still on the Eurodam??

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by DaveOKC

[cheezenip]

10 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Bring back CNBC!!

 

is it still on the Eurodam??

 

 

Agree wholeheartedly.

 

People who have $ and you are denying access to a financial station to track their investments...rather silly.

[wesport]

15 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Bring back CNBC!!

 

is it still on the Eurodam??

 

It was on the noordam in December. Not on the Kony for 11 nights will be a comment post cruise

[rothbury]

Just off the Koningsdam last month.  I honestly don't remember what live TV channels were available.  Maybe it was BBC, MSNBC and others.  Didn't watch it honestly wanted to tune it out for 11 days.

 

I have to tell you, wesport, if you missed the World Stage show called Humanity by the One Step Dance Company than you missed a great show.  Agree the rest wasn't so good.  Taxmantoo, they used more lighting and the LED panels for the Humanity show than I saw used on the Koningsdam for the entire 12 day cruise in 2018.  If you get a chance you need to catch that show.  It might make you change your mind to see how much of the World Stage technology goes into that show.  The Culinary Arts Center is already gone and now used as Club Orange.  Both cruises I very seldom saw Blend used but Notes was always busy.  I think the problem with Blend is it's too "out of the way" and forgotten.  The thing I got a chuckle out of with Blend is they were charging $47 a person or $99 a couple.  Why a couple wouldn't register as single one persons and pay $94 was kind of weird.

 

cheesenip, the internet was so much better than 2018 I would think if somebody had a desire to watch the markets and even react to the markets it would have been easily accomplished with the new internet packages.  I have to say I was pleased with the access and speed I experienced last month. 

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, rothbury said:

I have to tell you, wesport, if you missed the World Stage show called Humanity by the One Step Dance Company than you missed a great show

 

Not the poster to whom you mentioned, but your description of a "great show" is far from what I saw.  I stayed until the end and considered it a total waste of time.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, wesport said:

The do use the world stage For America’s test kitchen.

 

Which compared to what was offered on the "older" ships was inadequate.  The Wajang Theater was the proper site for this type of presentation.  The World Stage is not suitable.

[rothbury]

I guess maybe that is why it is all so subjective.  Can't please everybody.  Didn't think the Wajang Theatre had all the laser lights and LED panels.  They did 2 different shows on separate nights.  Did you see them both?  Second was better than the first.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

Hard to believe that they built the beautiful World Stage on the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam for the benefit of a few singers, instrumentalists, comedians and magicians  What a waste!  They will not use 1/4 of the technology available to them and produce shows where one person is standing in front of a curtain.

 

First comment of mine:  "a person standing in front of a curtain"?  Did not see that during my NS cruise in the World Stage.

 

I cannot agree more with your other comments!  HAL spends major money on the technical aspects of their new ships' showrooms. i.e. Nieuw Amsterdam as an example.  Initially, the theater is well used.  Then, for whatever reason, that potential for what performances are offered are frittered away.

 

When I was on the Nieuw Statendam, I witnessed no presentation in The World Stage that warranted whatever money was spent on building the supposed technical aspects of that showroom.

 

I disembarked the Nieuw Statendam with this thought.  The money that once was spent by HAL on performances in their main Showroom has been re-directed to funding the Music Walk concept.  Music Walk is a winner!  But, other than an increased employee cost for Music Walk, I doubt that it is as costly as the money spent to design and build The World Stage.

 

  

[canadianbear]

5 hours ago, wesport said:

Some substitutes have been post modern jukebox and a dance troup tonight. No comparison to the great shows we have seen on the world stage with the production shows those shows were must see for us

We were on the K for the first production show of the modern jukebox-many people walked out.  We did not like it either but stayed until the end-just not our cup of tea.  

[rkacruiser]

10 minutes ago, rothbury said:

I guess maybe that is why it is all so subjective.  Can't please everybody.  Didn't think the Wajang Theatre had all the laser lights and LED panels.  They did 2 different shows on separate nights.  Did you see them both?  Second was better than the first.

 

Of course the Wajang Theater on the older ships had no laser lights nor LED panels.  Why did you even ask that?  What they did have was camera situated in the ceiling that allowed us guests to look down on the kitchen area where the food was being prepared.  The World Stage does not have that capacity.

 

During my Royal Princess cruise on an older (of course, not by much)  ship than either the Koningsdam or the Nieuw Statendam, I attended their presentation of such a show.  Camera views of what was taking place by the Executive Chef, the Pastry Chef, and the Maitre d' was available on video screens that were in the front of the stage so that it was easy to see what was being done.  

[cheezenip]

5 hours ago, rothbury said:

 

  

cheesenip, the internet was so much better than 2018 I would think if somebody had a desire to watch the markets and even react to the markets it would have been easily accomplished with the new internet packages.  I have to say I was pleased with the access and speed I experienced last month. 

 

This is helpful ...I trade and it won't stop when I am on a cruise if the opportunity presents itself. Will purchase one of the packages.

[simplyrubies]

What kinds of shows does HAL offer on the Koningsdam and what shows would you recommend? I saw a video review where the cruiser said that you had to be there at least 45 minutes in advance to reserve a seat or else you were out of luck! I'm not sure if I want to be doing that every night. I have heard that the BBC shows are good but it's a bit disappointing that it seems that it is only average (from what some posters have been saying) singers, dancers, and comedians. I know that I should not expect a Broadway show like Mamma Mia or Grease on RCCL but if it is an individual performing I would expect for them to be exceptional. We saw a show pretty much every night with RCCL but it is good to know that we should not expect to do the same on HAL.

[rothbury]

rkacruiser, I'm not here to argue with you but I have to completely disagree with your statement about no cameras.  We were on the Feb 13 - 24, 2019 cruise on the Koningsdam.  Not sure when you sailed her.  There were in fact at least 2 cameras operating the entire time the America's Test Kitchen was presented in the World Stage Theater.  I know the Wajang Theater doesn't have the high tech technology but you were the one making the comparison, not me.

 

The One Step Dance Company joined the Koningsdam on our Feb 13 cruise in FLL.  Their first show was several days later after a lot of rehearsal and light coordination time.  In fact, they were rehearsing one day when people started to show up for the test kitchen presentation.  The second presentation by One Step was on the next to last night of the cruise and was called Humanity.  It involved a lot of  coordination with the lighting and lasers and was worth watching.  Apparently enough other people thought so, too, since both shows were SRO and people sitting on the stairways.  This show would not have been possible without the technology of the World Stage Theater.

 

The stand up comedians and solo singers and pianists were there as well.  And yes, I agree that it was a waste of the technology the World Stage is capable of.  Several of the performers were good but probably could have done their shows in a setting like the Queen's Lounge just as easily.  Not going to say I didn't miss the production shows but I know for a fact that most of those performers come from amusement park shows and that talent pool is drying up.  I don't think production shows have much future on cruise ships.  Maybe if HAL would hire cast and crew directly instead of using an outside vendor they could retain the talent necessary for the production shows. 

[trophy_23]

Just off the Koningsdam March 6.  We only went to a couple shows in the World Stage. The comedian shows were good. We also we there for the first showing of Post Modern Jukebox and walked out about halfway through.  This was after I would say a quarter of people had already left.  It was bad.  First time ever walking out of a show.  Other spots around the ship, Band/singers in BB Kings was great, Rock Room was also good.  

Edited March 13, 2019 by trophy_23

[fusion927]

3 hours ago, rothbury said:

rkacruiser, I'm not here to argue with you but I have to completely disagree with your statement about no cameras.  We were on the Feb 13 - 24, 2019 cruise on the Koningsdam.  Not sure when you sailed her.  There were in fact at least 2 cameras operating the entire time the America's Test Kitchen was presented in the World Stage Theater.  I know the Wajang Theater doesn't have the high tech technology but you were the one making the comparison, not me.

 

The One Step Dance Company joined the Koningsdam on our Feb 13 cruise in FLL.  Their first show was several days later after a lot of rehearsal and light coordination time.  In fact, they were rehearsing one day when people started to show up for the test kitchen presentation.  The second presentation by One Step was on the next to last night of the cruise and was called Humanity.  It involved a lot of  coordination with the lighting and lasers and was worth watching.  Apparently enough other people thought so, too, since both shows were SRO and people sitting on the stairways.  This show would not have been possible without the technology of the World Stage Theater.

 

The stand up comedians and solo singers and pianists were there as well.  And yes, I agree that it was a waste of the technology the World Stage is capable of.  Several of the performers were good but probably could have done their shows in a setting like the Queen's Lounge just as easily.  Not going to say I didn't miss the production shows but I know for a fact that most of those performers come from amusement park shows and that talent pool is drying up.  I don't think production shows have much future on cruise ships.  Maybe if HAL would hire cast and crew directly instead of using an outside vendor they could retain the talent necessary for the production shows. 

 

We were on the same cruise and have the same comments... One Step performed a couple of really amazing modern dance shows that we really enjoyed (what, me enjoy dance?  In this case, yes!).  

 

We do miss having the ship singer and dancers around (loved when they would do an afternoon cabaret show), but Music Walk comes really close to making up for it.

 

As for getting to shows 45 minutes early, we heard that for the early show.  Very rarely was the theatre more than 3/4 full for the late show.

 

Mark

 

[ottahand7]

I am sorry that they have taken off CNBC.  I found it more balanced news than the straight politics channels on Fox News and MSNBC.    They didn't show it on the Rotterdam last month but the TV system was back in the 20th Century.   

 

[wales4ever]

No singers/dancers on the Niew Amsterdam either.

[foodsvcmgr]

I greatly prefer the varied and talented options of Music Walk to yet another tired “Salute to Broadway” or similar that I enjoyed forty years ago but have endured for the last twenty.

[rkacruiser]

rothbury and fusion927,

 

I appreciate your comments.  Mine applied to my cruise on Nieuw Statendam.  Probably a poor assumption on my part, but since Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam are sisters, a similar experience could be assumed.

 

Most interesting to me was your support of the One Step Dance Company.  I missed their first performance, but heard glowing reviews from some other guests.  I went to their second performance with high expectations and was totally underwhelmed by what I saw.  Maybe I learned that I do not care for Modern Dance performances.

[iflyrc5]

On 3/12/2019 at 6:15 PM, rothbury said:

Just off the Koningsdam last month.  I honestly don't remember what live TV channels were available.  Maybe it was BBC, MSNBC and others.  Didn't watch it honestly wanted to tune it out for 11 days.

 

I have to tell you, wesport, if you missed the World Stage show called Humanity by the One Step Dance Company than you missed a great show.  Agree the rest wasn't so good.  Taxmantoo, they used more lighting and the LED panels for the Humanity show than I saw used on the Koningsdam for the entire 12 day cruise in 2018.  If you get a chance you need to catch that show.  It might make you change your mind to see how much of the World Stage technology goes into that show.  The Culinary Arts Center is already gone and now used as Club Orange.  Both cruises I very seldom saw Blend used but Notes was always busy.  I think the problem with Blend is it's too "out of the way" and forgotten.  The thing I got a chuckle out of with Blend is they were charging $47 a person or $99 a couple.  Why a couple wouldn't register as single one persons and pay $94 was kind of weird.

 

cheesenip, the internet was so much better than 2018 I would think if somebody had a desire to watch the markets and even react to the markets it would have been easily accomplished with the new internet packages.  I have to say I was pleased with the access and speed I experienced last month. 

We were on the KDam from Jan 13 - Feb 24 (4 cruises)  The Humanity Show was outstanding and used the full capability of the World Stage but that was the only show that did.  We had a group called the Emperors of Soul.  They were also very good but did not take advantage of the stage.  The show on the KDam in 2018 did a much better job of using the stage.  Overall we thought the quality of the entertainment on the World Stage was not nearly as good as 2018.

[ScottC4746]

Doesn't matter to me.  I'd be happier if they had a bridge channel so you can see what the captain sees from the bridge, a few info channels and some music channels.  I am on vacation.