HAL Entertainment ?

[horseymike]

Does the entertainment on HAL cruises depend on the Itinerary ?

We recently completed an Alaska inside passage cruise and the evening entertainment was pretty light.

[ontheweb]

We did a HAL Boston to Montreal last summer, and the entertainment was also very light.

[Palm Bay Cruise Couple]

What type of entertainment are you anticipating or expect to see?  

[Paulinda]

We found that HAL cruises don't offer much in entertainment other than a couple of music venues, a dance group and usually a couple of comic acts. 

[Nang]

Depends more on the ship with respect to live music. There is no BB Kings on the smaller ships which we missed on a our Alaska in May/June on the Maasdam. The the two newer ships also have the Rock Room.

[Randyk47]

 Might add that HAL has virtually eliminated the Crow’s Nest as an entertainment venue.  What seems like decades ago it had a lively nightclub feel with a live 4-5 piece band.  

[JimnKaren]

Maybe we have become old fuddy-duddies, but we don't go on a cruise because entertainment in the evening is prime on our list of things to anticipate.

When we are home, we don't need to be entertained in the evening and we get by OK. If we go away for a few days to visit with family, we don't need to be entertained in the evening.

Generally, cruise lines offer one of their 'shows' that lasts 45 minutes or so in the evening. Plus there are often music venues of one sort or another throughout the ship. HAL is running a business and wants to make money. If folks are not buying beverages in the show rooms or small bars, then the cost of operating them is not compensated accordingly. My guess is that fewer people were going to the Crow's Nest after 9:00 p.m. and thus they were not selling beverages at a rate to help pay for the live entertainers.

We went on a Carnival cruise a couple of years ago and there were several options in the evening and those venues were well attended. I went once and asked for a Canadian Club whiskey. Sorry, don't carry that. OK - how about Seagram's V.O? Sorry, don't carry that. Oops, I guess I won't be going back if they don't carry my preferred whiskey. That was their decision, and I made mine based on that experience. No more Carnival for me.

[Randyk47]

 Hard to say or know why HAL virtually eliminated entertainment in the Crow’s Nest.  In the early 90’s the band was actually a crew band.   The place was usually packed until closing.   Late in the 90’s or early 2000’s the crew band had been replaced by a contract band through at least 2004.   Still pretty packed place.   We took a cruising break for three years and when we cruised in 2007 the contract band was gone.   There were a couple of nights when what was called the HAL Cats would play but the majority of nights it was a solo piano or guitar player and the Crow’s Nest was dead.   Hard to say whether HAL simply reacted to a gradual reduction in interest in the Crew’s Nest or if they created it by cutting back in the entertainment.   One thing for sure it was one of several cutbacks that caused us to try another cruise line.

[ThatLever]

After the big shows on DCL, I'm expecting more of a quiet evening on my upcoming HAL Alaska cruise, but that's fine.  I'm also paying less for my HAL Signature Suite than I would for a cabin with no veranda on DCL.  So it's all a matter of trade-offs and priorities. 

[horseymike]

Can you tell me what line is DCL ?

 

thanks

[horseymike]

On 7/29/2019 at 8:30 AM, Palm Bay Cruise Couple said:

What type of entertainment are you anticipating or expect to see?  

We have done 15 cruises over a 20 plus year time frame. Our latest cruise in Alaska on HAL had the least amount of entertainment of any cruise we have previously taken.

[Oakman58]

14 minutes ago, horseymike said:

Can you tell me what line is DCL ?

 

thanks

 

Disney Cruise Lines.

[horseymike]

thanks

[Ken the cruiser]

On the other hand we had a blast with a variety of fun things to do on both port and sea days on a recent 12 day Princess cruise around the UK. If you can believe this, Princess has a cruise director along with 5/6 assistant CDs on each of their ships. Not sure what's going on with HAL and their cut-back strategy.

Edited July 30, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[DFWGUYZ]

We, too, see the entertainment shifting on HAL. Lincoln Center Stage, BB King's and Rolling Stones Rock are great fun and we look forward to them when we travel on HAL. What is changing on HAL are the shows of yesteryear. Finding the venue experience you want can be had. Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and Disney provide more theater style productions with dancing, singing and costume changes. We've enjoyed these types of productions but are comfortable with the current venues on HAL. We do miss the lack of dance floors for ballroom dancing. I don't recall any evening with this type venue on HAL. Unless others can clue me in on where is happens on Vista and Pinnacle class ships. 

 

 

[Shmoo here]

15 minutes ago, DFWGUYZ said:

We, too, see the entertainment shifting on HAL. Lincoln Center Stage, BB King's and Rolling Stones Rock are great fun and we look forward to them when we travel on HAL. What is changing on HAL are the shows of yesteryear. Finding the venue experience you want can be had. Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and Disney provide more theater style productions with dancing, singing and costume changes. We've enjoyed these types of productions but are comfortable with the current venues on HAL. We do miss the lack of dance floors for ballroom dancing. I don't recall any evening with this type venue on HAL. Unless others can clue me in on where is happens on Vista and Pinnacle class ships. 

 

 

While, on the other hand, I prefer the musical/variety type shows much more than BB Kings (not my musical taste), Rolling Stones Rock (again, not my style), and only individual entertainers in the main theater (comedians, etc).

 

We did a 28 night cruise on HAL, and really, how many comedians, ventriloquists, magicians, guitar players can you watch before you say "enough!"?

 

 

[qoap24]

We went on the NS to Norway and I would say the entertainment was REALLY light. The only show was a comedian. And he was HORRIBLE. We spend most evenings in our cabin or on balcony because we aren't interested in listening to bands play. 

[ThatLever]

On 7/30/2019 at 10:20 AM, horseymike said:

We have done 15 cruises over a 20 plus year time frame. Our latest cruise in Alaska on HAL had the least amount of entertainment of any cruise we have previously taken.

 

I'm packing a number of travel-sized board games for just this purpose.  Planning for quiet fun with the family, rather than shows on the stage.  Although I'm hopeful that there will be some good movies aboard the ship.

[npcl]

On 7/30/2019 at 5:17 PM, Shmoo here said:

While, on the other hand, I prefer the musical/variety type shows much more than BB Kings (not my musical taste), Rolling Stones Rock (again, not my style), and only individual entertainers in the main theater (comedians, etc).

 

We did a 28 night cruise on HAL, and really, how many comedians, ventriloquists, magicians, guitar players can you watch before you say "enough!"?

 

 

How many times can one watch the same set of shows that a cruise line rotates through its ships?  Most cruise line entertainment is set up for people that do one or maybe a couple of cruises per year.  When one does long cruises or many the 6th or 7th time you see the same production show is less appealing.

 

Would rather have comedians, ventriloquists, magicians, guitar players, and classic violinists than the same show for the 5th or 6th time.  As long as it is not the same ones on each cruise.

[Shmoo here]

34 minutes ago, npcl said:

How many times can one watch the same set of shows that a cruise line rotates through its ships?  Most cruise line entertainment is set up for people that do one or maybe a couple of cruises per year.  When one does long cruises or many the 6th or 7th time you see the same production show is less appealing.

 

Would rather have comedians, ventriloquists, magicians, guitar players, and classic violinists than the same show for the 5th or 6th time.  As long as it is not the same ones on each cruise.

Our early cruises with HAL, the production shows were not repeated on any one cruise.  For example, there were usually 3 or 4 production shows, and then other nights there were movies, or individual entertainers.

 

I ask, how many magician/ventriloquist/comedian shows can you stand to watch (even if they are different people) on a 28 night cruise without saying, "enough!  How about a good, basic musical, singing & dancing variety show."?

 

 

[rmats]

Just did 10 day cruise on Konigsdam.  All the big production shows are gone.  There are no big shows with elaborate sets and costumes.  They use the World Stage digital screen as the set.  Smart move on their part. Somewhat disappointing but not a deal breaker.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Is there any way to find out the rotation schedule of the dance show and the Postmodern Jukebox? I've seen the dance shows already, and I hope Postmodern will be on my cruise this winter. 

 

[npcl]

3 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Our early cruises with HAL, the production shows were not repeated on any one cruise.  For example, there were usually 3 or 4 production shows, and then other nights there were movies, or individual entertainers.

 

I ask, how many magician/ventriloquist/comedian shows can you stand to watch (even if they are different people) on a 28 night cruise without saying, "enough!  How about a good, basic musical, singing & dancing variety show."?

 

AS long as the 28 day is only sold as one cruise.  If it is sold in various combinations then the second portion will often have a show repeat.  The biggest issue is that if you cruise several times a year, it does not take long before all of the production shows are repeats.  In which case I will take the other acts, then sitting through a cruise line caliber production show that I have seen several times before.

 

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, npcl said:

AS long as the 28 day is only sold as one cruise.  If it is sold in various combinations then the second portion will often have a show repeat.  The biggest issue is that if you cruise several times a year, it does not take long before all of the production shows are repeats.  In which case I will take the other acts, then sitting through a cruise line caliber production show that I have seen several times before.

Yes, it was a 28 night cruise.  So no repeats.  Not true repeats.  Most of the individual performers did two shows during their time onboard (they were changed out a couple of times during the cruise), but they were different.  Although a singer, magician, comedian, or ventriloquist doing a "different" show is sort of not really different.  And multiple singers, magicians, comedians, or ventriloquists tend to blend together (seeming to be fairly monotonous).

 

And the dance troupe did two different shows.  But you could tell it was still the same group, with a similar show.  

 

And I don't consider running a television show in the main theater with a live "orchestra" accompaniment a true "show".

 

 

 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

We’ve sailed more than 100 days on HAL and the best overall performance I’ve seen on their ships was in April (a Caribbean cruise) on Nieuw Statendam - “Humanity” by the step One Dance Company in the World Stage. The dance choreography was designed to integrate with all the video capabilities of that venue, the dancers were talented, and the special effects were terrific. The group moved on to some of the other ships for limited appearances - it was definitely a short term contract by design. I’d love to see more of that.

 

I liked the Music Walk setup of multiple venues on the N. Stat, with the shows well-timed so that the World Stage crowd exited and flowed to other venues with upcoming performances. We liked the guys at the dual pianos in Billboard on Board and most evenings continued sitting there to enjoy the (somewhat loud) Rolling Stone Rock Room shows across the way, too.