Holland-America New Ships

[RuthC]

25 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

When we were on Koningsdam in October, the Captain was asked the question of why the "music" was so loud, and he said that it was ordered to be that way by the company that supplied the groups.  They were not allowed to reduce it.  

I believe it, since so many places with music also have it too loud. It seems to be 'just the way it is'. 
I have stopped going out to play after dinner on my cruises, just because I can't hear music anymore---only noise. 
I think going deaf, which is what too loud noises results in, would be a terrible way to be cut off from the world, so won't allow the music performances that I love to cause it. 

[mrmoviezombie]

We love the music but yes it's way too loud. So much so that like others we actively avoid those areas of the ship. Otherwise we would be regulars at those venues to drink and listen to the music.

 

I'm quite sure that it's well into the ear damaging range that wouldn't be permitted on land.

 

 

[billbunger]

All one needs to do is purchase some foam ear plugs and wear them when you go listen to the groups you are presently avoiding. You will find that you can comfortably listen to and hear all the music without issue.

[jimmy2x]

Guess I am the outlier. My hearing is still good. Loved it. Its rock ‘n roll😁

 

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, billbunger said:

All one needs to do is purchase some foam ear plugs and wear them when you go listen to the groups you are presently avoiding. You will find that you can comfortably listen to and hear all the music without issue.

OR.....

You tell the cruise line that they are not longer giving the product you're interested in purchasing, and move on to another cruise line that does.

 

 

[zundert565]

First, we were pleased to read comments from so many ‘Older Adults’ and ‘Younger Adults’ touching on the HAL R&B extremely loud music and singers screaming their songs with words that cannot be appreciated because it is so ear-deafening!

We want 'Younger Adults' to know that ‘Older Adults’ DO enjoy R&B music but at ear-pleasing volume.

We are sure that ALL cruisers MUST be aware that R&B music players and singers

DO WEAR noise blocking ear pieces to obviously PROTECT their hearing!! Then the question is:

Why should the audience be BLASTED out of the area?

 

 

[Djptcp]

We recently sailed on a 10-day Koningsdam cruise and could not stay in the music venues, with the exception of the Lincoln Center Stage, because the music was deafening. I cannot tolerate loud noise and DH even took out his hearing aids and he couldn't stand it either. It was a shame because the music venues are about the only entertainment on the ship.

 

We didn't go on the cruise thinking we would need foam ear plugs in order to be able to enjoy the music. That is just ridiculous. DH and I both complained about the loudness on our post-cruise surveys.

 

Passengers whose cabins were on the deck above told us they couldn't sleep because the music was so loud. We were also on Deck 4, but right at mid-ship and no music venues were below us thank goodness.

[TAD2005]

We are both in our lower 70's, so we grew up with 60's, 70's and 80's with Doo-Wop,  hard rock, & heavy metal.   When we cruise, we enjoy cocktails and dancing to the quartet in the Ocean Bar on the smaller R & S class ships, but we also enjoy BB-King and Billboard Onboard.   We also attend a few Lincoln Center Stage performances.   We enjoy all kinds of music, and the higher volume levels of BB-King are not annoying.   I guess everyone has their favorites.

[opa&oma]

On 1/5/2020 at 3:37 AM, Krazy Kruizers said:

HAL has been turning their attention to loud music which they seem to think will attract more of the younger generation.

 

For us -- HAL is turning us off with all this loud music.  And it started a few years ago with the BB Kings on the Vista Class ships.

Well I love to hear I'm the younger generation!  We're 70 and love, love BB Kings and Rolling Stone. It's the reason we have been booking less Celebrity and more HAL. 

[DFWGUYZ]

On 1/4/2020 at 11:26 PM, Shmoo here said:

Hear, hear.  

Love the pun!

[ski ww]

If you have to wear foam ear plugs to listen to the music that means it's too loud. Loud is not better. 

[zundert565]

With an email addressed to the President of HAL, we DID express our dissatisfaction about the extremely high music volume.

The way we understood the response: 'If you don't like it don't cruise with us'. Well, that is exactly what we did: Effective immediately, requested  STOP sending emails and brochures since we will NO LONGER cruise with HAL. There are, after all , plenty of cruise lines and countless OTHER vacation choices.    

[bluesplayer]

Suggestion:  Tell the band leader,  you would like to listen to their music, yet it is way too loud.   It is difficult for musicians on stage with monitors behind them to judge volume in the room.  Go to the source and provide feedback.  I feel bad for folks who leave a music event due to volume that they would enjoy hearing.   It's OK to tell the band!  If you do not feel comfortable,  have the bartender pass them a note.   Would be nice if the first set was played at a much quieter level for those who want that.

  Personally, the volumes were not that bothersome for me;  yet would be fine if it was lower.

[gknep]

Just off the Oosterdam and did not find the music to be too loud in any venue, but I'm only 53. One night on the MainStage was Magic Rocks which is a rock n roll illusionist with a decent soundtrack. A woman sitting near us spent the whole show complaining about the music and the volume. The fact that we could clearly hear her complaints that were not addressed to us is how I know that it wasn't too loud. 

[cruisemom42]

14 hours ago, zundert565 said:

With an email addressed to the President of HAL, we DID express our dissatisfaction about the extremely high music volume.

The way we understood the response: 'If you don't like it don't cruise with us'. Well, that is exactly what we did: Effective immediately, requested  STOP sending emails and brochures since we will NO LONGER cruise with HAL. There are, after all , plenty of cruise lines and countless OTHER vacation choices.    

 

I hope you find another line that is a better fit for your preferences.

[martylouie]

I’m a professional sound tech and home theater installer and perceived volume levels can be very subjective.  What may be too loud for you may be too soft for the person next to you. An example of this was when I was doing the Inkspots many years ago. On gentleman was complaining bitterly about the volume while the gentleman right next to him was telling me to turn it up.  The solution to this situation is to talk to the performers and their reps and the final say goes to the person that signs my check.  I feel no sympathy for those that sit right in front of the loudspeakers or around the dance floor and complain that it is too loud, and I also can’t feel sorry for those that sit way in the back and say it is too soft.  One other thing to think about is the content, if you like it, being loud isn’t as much a consideration than if the content is as appealing to you. A study done years ago on rock musicians found that their hearing wasn’t as impacted as badly as predicted, because they enjoyed what they listened to. 

[leerathje]

We were on the Koningdam on January 2019. We didn't find any issue with the volume of BB King, but my father did...he has hearing aids.  We found that sitting one floor up was easier on my dad. There's some very comfy couches up there!

 

L.

 

[zundert565]

The point SO MANY people seem to miss: THE MUSICIANS & SINGERS DO WEAR NOISE-BLOCKING-EAR-PIECES!!!!!!

OBVIOUSLY wearing those ear-pieces are not for their enjoyment but for sure: PROTECTING their hearing!!!.

[zundert565]

9 hours ago, gknep said:

Just off the Oosterdam and did not find the music to be too loud in any venue, but I'm only 53. One night on the MainStage was Magic Rocks which is a rock n roll illusionist with a decent soundtrack. A woman sitting near us spent the whole show complaining about the music and the volume. The fact that we could clearly hear her complaints that were not addressed to us is how I know that it wasn't too loud. 

 

[zundert565]

The extremely loud music was experienced on the HAL NEW SHIPS!

[leerathje]

3 hours ago, zundert565 said:

The point SO MANY people seem to miss: THE MUSICIANS & SINGERS DO WEAR NOISE-BLOCKING-EAR-PIECES!!!!!!

OBVIOUSLY wearing those ear-pieces are not for their enjoyment but for sure: PROTECTING their hearing!!!.

 

Are you sure?  On the Koningsdam last January, and I thought they were wearing in-ear monitors. Completely different than ear plugs.

 

L.

 

[sheepers21]

Management is not listening to this volume problem, likely because they are deaf from being in proximity to these venues too many times. The increased volume is either added to show off their newest technology and enhanced audio systems or they are trying to drown out the inadequacies of the musicians and the singers.. I believe it is the technology because most acts that I have seen in my cruises with Hal are pretty good. One only has to see the lack of cruisers in these exceptionally loud venues and see the full capacity during the Lincoln Center Stage sessions to notice the difference. I've been to many, many rock concerts during my younger years and enjoyed them back then. Things change, and now that I am in my sixty's, my preferences have changed as well. The demographics of Hal cruisers are not the best fit for ear drum splitting volumes. Those with hearing aids are especially affected. It's a shame that Hal management refuses to lend an ear to the demographics of their loyal past customers.

[MaisonRose]

On 1/5/2020 at 1:58 AM, zundert565 said:

On recent HAL cruises, we experienced ear-deafening show music & singer volume. Also the B&R

bands were blasting their music so loud that we had to leave the areas.

Any cruisers having the same experience or are we, seniors, perhaps too sensitive?

I’m 80 and love BB KINGS which imho has really energized the larger ships. The OOSTERDAM and Rotterdam, for example, don’t have BBKs so that’s a choice. I also love the Lincoln Center Stage which has classical music of very high standard around dinner time: not hard on the ears at all!

My cruises are almost all Transatlantics which have an “ older” demographic and I think that it would behoove HAL to turn down the volume crossing the ocean.

My last TA had no “musicals”  which always were too loud. I wonder why the young people turn up the volume? It’s associated with liveliness and energy, a vibe I suppose casts a youthful aura.

THERE are many ways to escape, Explorations Cafe/Library, for example. Even the Lido and pool areas are relatively quiet.

In the long run though, it seems that the culprits are the youthful staff.

 

Has anyone noticed that Celebrity’s sound track for their current TV ads is a drug tune 

by Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit🤪..now what’s the message there?

[sprockie]

6 hours ago, leerathje said:

 

Are you sure?  On the Koningsdam last January, and I thought they were wearing in-ear monitors. Completely different than ear plugs.

 

L.

 

That's correct.  They are in ear monitors.  A band member from the RSRR told me.

 

[Highway27]

My only experience with the music venues is on the NA last November, but I didn't find the volumes at any of the venues to be out of character for a performance of the type of music that was played in the BBK Blues Club. It was loud in the venue, but I found that the couches / seating just across the hallway outside the venue were also an excellent place to listen to the live music at a very reasonable volume, since at that location there was very little contribution from the on-stage amplification.

 

Also, I am a rock musician and do wear earplugs for every practice and performance, but I didn't use them on the ship (although I had brought them). For musicians, it's more of a factor the long periods of listening to the elevated levels of music.

 

For those who are interested in the music and atmosphere in the venues, but are bothered by the higher volume levels, a suggestion is to look into custom-fitted earplugs, which can be bought through an audiologist. I have a pair: they're easy to carry around, easy to wash (just make sure you don't wash the insert) and unlike foam or gel earplugs, they have a much more even reduction of volume, so that the relative mix of highs and lows is preserved. They cost in the neighborhood of 200 dollars US, which is a little high, but they last for years.