Entertainment Question

[RiciRicardo]

Hi everyone,

Thinking of cruising again this fall and just trying to get a handle on the different ships and entertainment options. Do any of our beloved DAM ships still have Piano Bar entertainers or Ocean Bar trios. I so miss Barry from Boston or Jamm.

Thx

Ricardo

[rkacruiser]

7 minutes ago, RiciRicardo said:

Hi everyone,

Thinking of cruising again this fall and just trying to get a handle on the different ships and entertainment options. Do any of our beloved DAM ships still have Piano Bar entertainers or Ocean Bar trios. I so miss Barry from Boston or Jamm.

Thx

Ricardo

 

Barry from Boston?  I experienced him.  I didn't care for his act.  Perry Grant?  Yes.  That was a piano bar entertainer whom I first experienced on HAL and then on Celebrity.  Currently?  The Statendam Class ships may still have such a single piano bar entertainer.  But, the others:  the Billboard on Board concept has been installed.  It's good, if the entertainers are good.  

[RuthC]

Piano Bars are long gone from HAL ships, sadly. The R-class ships (Volendam and Zaandam) still have The Mix---I believe, which has a piano player; not exactly a piano bar, but fairly close. 

The larger ships have Billboard Onboard. Billboard has two piano players, and a very limited playlist. It's not interactive the way the old Piano Bars were, nor the extensive repertoire that the best of the former piano bar players had. 

I haven't seen a decent combo group in the Ocean Bar after dinner in years; sometimes there is something there at cocktail time, but they end very early. 

The larger ships also have a classical group in Lincoln Center, which is not unlike the music you may remember from Explorers Lounge; they don't play as late at night, though. 

Some ships have either Rolling Stone Rock Room, which is (duh) rock & roll, or BB King's Blues band. 

[Cruzaholic41]

17 hours ago, RuthC said:

 

Some ships have either Rolling Stone Rock Room, which is (duh) rock & roll, or BB King's Blues band. 

One would think that’s a duh statement but this is HAL - a line with a lounge called BB Kings that rarely, if ever, plays BB King music. 

[CruiserBruce]

26 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

One would think that’s a duh statement but this is HAL - a line with a lounge called BB Kings that rarely, if ever, plays BB King music. 

And one would probably also get the idea that BB King is about the Blues, not just BB King music.  If they only played BB King music,  it would get old really fast for the vast majority of cruisers. Few on HAL are serious,  deep, dedicated BB King fans. The blues roots of so much music is far, far more to the tastes of most people. 

[Cruzaholic41]

Just now, CruiserBruce said:

And one would probably also get the idea that BB King is about the Blues, not just BB King music.  If they only played BB King music,  it would get old really fast for the vast majority of cruisers. Few on HAL are serious,  deep, dedicated BB King fans. The blues roots of so much music is far, far more to the tastes of most people. 

C’mon. What I said was far different from saying it should be “just” BB King music. 

[rkacruiser]

The "BB King" moniker does not really match what the music what one experiences.  Time for a new music designation along the Music Walk, I suggest.  How about a Country Music title of some type?  Country music, in my opinion, crosses over a good deal into other types of music at times.  

[KAKcruiser]

I would love to have country music on the Music Walk.  What a great suggestion.

[Btimmer]

For ships smaller than Pinnacle Class & Vista Class, you'll likely not see the BBKing lounge.  It's been converted to the Rolling Stone Lounge and they play a variety of music.  It was explained to me by our CD, that they were having difficulties finding BBKING specific talent. We just experienced this on the Noordam.  For us, the music is still too loud for our enjoyment, so we take a pass.

[sofietucker]

22 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

And one would probably also get the idea that BB King is about the Blues, not just BB King music.  If they only played BB King music,  it would get old really fast for the vast majority of cruisers. Few on HAL are serious,  deep, dedicated BB King fans. The blues roots of so much music is far, far more to the tastes of most people. 

We are huge blues lovers. Unfortunately, the BBKing's rooms we've visited on HAL ships DON'T play the blues, at all. (Except  the sole actual BB song, The Thrill is Gone, lol.) Unless you consider blues rock or early rock or other tunes that are blues based (flatted 5th, 12 bars, or other characteristic blues aspects). You will get Tina Turner, though, always fun if the vocalist is good 

 

But it's mostly R&B and wedding-reception music that everyone knows. Some current pop. We also got Uptown Funk every night on the Nieuw Statendam last time, a great dance tune... Last set is always classic disco.

 

The company has a setlist they are required to follow. And the sets rarely vary from night to night. And they can't take requests. All that being said, sometimes the band--or a few of them--will play a tune or two of their own choosing during the breaks.

[RiciRicardo]

Thanks everyone,

We are thinking of the repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale in October and just wondering what to expect. Just going to have to go with the flow as far as entertainment. The Piano bar used to be our go to spot at the end of every night.  Immediately Pre-covid we cruised with Jamm and used to sing Broadway musicals, lots of fun.

It will be nice to get back on the ocean.

Ricardo

[Wakepatrol]

20 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

The "BB King" moniker does not really match what the music what one experiences.  Time for a new music designation along the Music Walk, I suggest.  How about a Country Music title of some type?  Country music, in my opinion, crosses over a good deal into other types of music at times.  

Too many people jumping overboard 

[JeffElizabeth]

We will miss the piano bar. Had some really enjoyable evenings there, one especially memorable time was on a trip above the Arctic Circle where the sun never went down on the entertainment.  

[rkacruiser]

The original concept of the Piano Bar with a quality and willing to interact with the guests artist was most successful.  But, the entertainment guru in Seattle must have decided a change was required.  Billboard on Board has the same potential to be as good, but, the interaction with guests needs to improve.  Some of the artists take requests.  Some don't.  (Some sight read music better than others?)  

 

6 hours ago, sofietucker said:

The company has a setlist they are required to follow. And the sets rarely vary from night to night. And they can't take requests.

 

Is this still true for the Rolling Stone Rock Room.  When I sailed on Nieuw Statendam, the members of the group were very good, but, there was little to no variation in the music they played from night to night.  

[taxmantoo]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

Billboard on Board has the same potential to be as good, but, the interaction with guests needs to improve.  Some of the artists take requests.  Some don't.  (Some sight read music better than others?)  

I could hardly believe it one night when one of the piano players got p'''d off at some guests for taking a picture of her (one only) while she was playing and proceeded to tell them so. She also complained to the staff about it, as if it were their fault and were responsible for stopping it.  Most artists we've seen all over the world actually encourage picture taking LOL.  We even saw Shania Twain in Las Vegas come down into the seats at Caesar's Palace and walk among the fans for selfies while she was singing.

[sofietucker]

I only have had one experience so far with the Rolling Stone room, when it first started on the NS in late 2019. At that time, the band was clearly all new to each other (chosen by audition, like the Monkees, lol). A variety of levels of experience, talent, and sheer knowledge of the music. Coupla divas stepped on others' riffs,  etc. Couple folks were amazing. Hoping/expecting it to be way improved by now! But we did get subjected to Free Bird...

Edited July 31, 2022 by sofietucker

[sofietucker]

Seems like the pianists can be all over the place. I think when they were still in the Crow's Nest, their role of entertaining by request (and therefore having a large repertoire) plus as leaders of singalongs was more clearly defined. They were almost assistant Cruise Directors. PS, I've not seen much mention of that person, on any HAL ship, in the last 2 years  We used to say the CD could make or break a cruise...

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, sofietucker said:

Seems like the pianists can be all over the place.

 

Agree.  If they are truly quality performers, why are they seeking a job such as one that they have?  And, with the numbers of venues that need artists of that type, the Diane Fast type quality of piano bar entertainers can be difficult for an entertainment director to find.