Poll - Prerecorded Music in QM2 Public Rooms

[Paul NH]

I was curious if other passengers had an opinion about this aspect of the QM2. Please take the following poll:

[dougnewmanatsea]

I haven't sailed in QM2 yet so I can't say I noticed this in her public areas specifically, but I have noticed this "acoustic wallpaper"/elevator/lift music on other ships and I do not like it!

 

I say get rid of it. If cruise lines insist on having music for "background" purposes then they should shell out the money for some decent, live music!

[deck chair]

I recently sailed on the MAASDAM for 35 days this past summer and found the recorded background music in the Ocean Bar very annoying. I found out how to turn it off, however, at least in that lounge, so there could be peace and quiet. Peaceful and quiet that is until the art auctions began in the Ocean Bar on sea days.

 

I also sailed numerous times on QE2, most recently in 2003. There was no recorded music played in the lounges as I recall. Thank God. If there is such music on QM2, perhaps it will be time to just fly to Europe. The cruise lines are just relentless in dumbing down the experience and unless you have sailed for many years, you would never know how great it used to be. Maybe there ought to be mutiny on the ships regarding recorded music instead of schedule changes. Now that would be a mutiny worth joining.

 

PAtrick

Baltimore

[cruiserking]

Paul,

 

If enough people respond to this poll that equally loathe the canned music aboard QM2 it would great if you could mail it to the Carnival Suits.

 

It is so absurd to have to listen to monotonous top 40 songs in the beautiful Britannia Restaurant. My preference would be no music at all, but, why must they play such inappropriate music, the average QM2 passenger is as likely to listen to top 40 as they are to start moshing at the Royal Court Theater.

 

Furthermore, it seems as if the staff have control over music played in various lounges ie: the Golden Lion. On several recent occasions during the afternoon a selection of loud heavy metal scorched from the speakers at the Golden Lion. The bar maid I spoke with was very helpful and shortly thereafter some American standards filled the room.

 

We don't need music, I say peace and quiet on the high seas. It's bad enough if there's a big football game, as many as three of four extra television sets materialize from the faux wood confines of the Golden Lion.

 

Jonathan

[atticus]

The only place I noticed prerecorded music playing was by the pools. It was generally so low - except one port day when the pool area was pretty empty - that I couldn't identify a song unless I knew it well.

 

I do think that having canned music played in the public rooms (especially Britannia Restaurant) is inappropriate. Do I really need to hear Ashley Simpson while enjoying an afternoon drink over a book? Absolutely not!

[Paul NH]

There were two specific instances that really got under my skin on my June 9 QM2 crossing - both early in the morning. Once I was in the Commodore Club before 7:00 a.m. and I thought I would sit in one of the chairs, look out over the great view of the bow, and lose myself in reflection. Instead, I quickly realized that there was this extremely annoying music playing in the lounge. I was the only person in there - the bar was closed of course, and yet this irritating, inane music was coming out of the speakers.

 

The following morning, I was walking on Deck 7 and on the aft deck, there was music BLASTING from the speakers surrounding the jacuzzi. Again, incredibly annoying.

 

It seems that somebody read some research study that showed "people like music" and thus, it has been decided by someone in charge on the QM2 that it must play all the time in all the lounges.

[joy2cruz]

I agree with Jonathan -- please send these poll results to Cunard! Not only is the music inappropriate -- especially in Britannia -- but it's the SAME thing every night!! :eek:

[cq6]

The constant backround music everywhere is beyond annoying! When our Costa Rica port was cannceled on the 1/3 trip I went up to the pavilion pool to lay down and enjoy the sun (we were up at 5:30). The constant dance music at 9:00 in the morning in an almost empty area made it imposible to nap. Ashley Simpson in the Britania and hevy metal in the Golden Lion at lunch was also very intrusive. Who is Cunard catering to? This is music only teenagers listen to. I think there were about 20 people under 30 on our cruise. We complained on our coment card I hope they listen.

On a more positive note, the live music played in the public spaces is wonderful.

[travel-to-go]

I no longer listen to radio, unless to catch the news traffic or weather. I do not spend several thousand dollars on an upscale luxury liner to listen to the same dreck and drivel I avoid at home. While I may not be a fan of most classical music, or harpists, or chamber trios, it is usually not intrusive (Hmmm, heavy metal harp) the live pianists in several rotating venues are usually inoccuous. I do NOT care for most of what is played on channel 39 as you are waiting for the midday announcement.

Since you have a varied group on board, and since there are often people wishing to read or even snooze or just gaze out unto the endless ocean in most public places (not to mention have a conversation), and you cannot cover everyone's taste, it would be less intrusive to play nothing. If you must have something in the background, white noise is perfectly fine. Or how about one of those environmental sounds discs- I'm thinking breaking waves, waterfall might be appropriate. Crickets, for crying out loud. But I'd rather lean over the rail and give up lunch than listen to Ashlee Simpson (whoever or whichever non-talented bimbo that is) There are white noise generators used in office and shopping environments (such as the sound of an air exchange system) that people genuinely do not notice unless you take it away.

And as was pointed out to me on the cruise, you could not hear the Commodore's announcements unless you were in your room with ch 39 on or with your head stuck out the door of your room.

 

 

Do you suppose we could tell "the disgruntled ones on the holiday to hell" that the commodore AND the purser announced three times that anyone who wanted to get off in FLL and get a full refund, could, but no one heard it? <EG>

 

Hint. In the Golden Lion pub the channel selector AND volume control are on the wall next to the piano. I watched the pianist one afternoon running through the various channels. Just non-chalantly insinuate yourself between the wall and the piano, as if you were just hanging out waiting for a friend....

 

Karie,

whose musical tastes run to the eclectic and unheard of.

[dtwtraveler]

I agree with Jonathan -- please send these poll results to Cunard! Not only is the music inappropriate -- especially in Britannia -- but it's the SAME thing every night!! :eek:

 

On the 12/8 cruise, a trio or quartet of string musicians played music every evening from the balcony over the entrance to the Britannia. When did any of you hear canned music in the Britannia?

[cruiserking]

dtwtraveler,

 

The music is played incessantly every morning and throughout lunch in the Britannia. If the irritating music isn't bad enough as Joy2cruz mentions it's the same monotonous music loop played over and over.

 

During the evenings the addition of a string quartet adds to the elegant ambience of this grand restaurant. This ambience however is completely destroyed when canned top 40 tunes are piped in during the day.

 

Jonathan

[mufi]

We recently found it virtually impossible to find anywhere to sit in on QE2 without this "musical" distraction. QM2 is just as bad. Very few people want it so why do they do it.

 

We have also complained numerous times about the volume of the music in the live shows. Someone needs to take a decible check sitting next to one of the speakers. I think the noise level would way exceed industrial safety levels. We started to wear ear plugs and it was noticable how may folk walked out as soon as they realised how painful the noise was.

 

David.

[Paul NH]

Here is an organization I just stumbled across that relates to this issue, based in the U.K. Two items of interest on their website, that seem consistent to the small sampling of this poll related to the QM2 is the following:

 

"In 1994 we won a major victory at Gatwick Airport (nr London) by helping persuade the management to carry out a survey. Of the 68,077 people questioned, more disliked than liked piped music, which has since been discontinued.

 

A poll by NOP in November 1998 showed that 34% of the population disliked piped music, only 30% liked it, the remainder being indifferent. Among those over 45, an absolute majority disliked it, and among people with hearing problems (16% of the population according to the RNID), 86% disliked it."

 

With statistics like these, I do not understand why Cunard elects to pipe music into all the public lounges 24/7. Here is the organization's link:

 

http://www.pipedown.info/welcome.php

 

Do not forget to vote either way if you have not yet. The poll closes soon.

 

Paul

[travel-to-go]

Here is an organization I just stumbled across that relates to this issue, based in the U.K.

 

http://www.pipedown.info/welcome.php

 

Paul

Gee, after we get thois obnoxiousness addressed, maybe someone could start an organization to get rid of stupid laugh tracks on TV shows. I don't need someone to tell me when to laugh, especially when it isn't funny! Which is one reason I stopped watching TV years and years ago!

 

Karie,

who is missing the Super bowl as we speak!

[Paul NH]

Karie, who is missing the Super bowl as we speak!

I just had to leave it halfway through the fourth quarter. The refs have been handing the Steelers the game the whole night. Paul

[colleency]

I would vote that I don't like piped music everywhere, but I haven't been aboard yet. Sometimes piped music that is appropriate can be nice, but not when you're trying to enjoy the peaceful sea morning or read a book.

[Kindlychap]

I cannot believe what I am reading. Muzak during lunch? I'd actually question the need for the quartet in the evening too.

 

Does the same thing go for the Queens Grill? Princess Grill?

 

 

I have to say that I haven't noticed any on the Queen Elizabeth 2 save very late at night in the Queen's Room (say, about 4-5 am!)

[Paul NH]

Well, the sample is pretty small, but the results of this now-closed poll are very decisive. I hope the QM2 management reads these boards and takes this poll into consideration.

[jamesm]

What I have discovered on numerous occasions is that the staff change the music to suit their tastes. Many times management aren't at all aware that popular music, or worse, is being broadcast. In November on a Celebrity ship, I could not find a single public room at 10.00 am without something going in the background - usually for the entertainment of the window cleaners.

 

The other thing that is particularly annoying is to find that the background music on the cabin television sets is playing the same thing every day. After 11 days, even Rachmaninoff and Dukas start to sound obnoxious!