Piano Bar

[hillbillycruisers]

My wife and I was on the Vista last week, and we were extremely disappointed in the piano bar. It was dark...dull...and not fun at all. On our previous cruise a couple years ago on the Dream, we loved the piano bar. It was fun...lively...full of crowd interaction...and the piano player was a hoot. We were expecting the same on the Vista, but it was nothing close. It was somber at best.. My question for all you veteran cruisers... how is the piano bar experience on most ships? We are back on the Dream on January, and are hoping it hasn't changed. 

[80sGal]

Sunrise and Horizon between August 21 and October 22 were both great!  I can't remember names but Horizon last summer had a piano player who was a blast -- floppy hat, boisterous,  jokes, talent.   Sunrise over the holidays was still very good -- guest interaction, jokes, overall good time.   Horizon this summer was also good.  Each performer offered a unique spin on what a piano bar should be like.  The Pride, on the other hand, well I feel your pain.   It was sad songs, slow songs, lackluster.  She was actually talented.  Saw her with Playlist ... she could play.  But she had no idea how to entertain a piano bar crowd.   So I guess my point is, you never know what you'll get.  

[mz-s]

Some piano bar performers haven't got the memo yet. The guests don't want to hear your favorite breakup song, they want to hear songs like Sweet Caroline and Family Tradition. You don't really need to know how to sing, it's all about audience interaction.

[staceyglow]

1 hour ago, 80sGal said:

Sunrise and Horizon between August 21 and October 22 were both great!  I can't remember names but Horizon last summer had a piano player who was a blast -- floppy hat, boisterous,  jokes, talent. 

 

I believe you are referring to Eden Parker here.  I believe he is on Celebration now.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, staceyglow said:

I believe you are referring to Eden Parker here.  I believe he is on Celebration now.

He's currently top man in the fleet.  Saw him for the first time back in August of 2019 on the Horizon.  It was the last week of his contract.  Teary eyed co-workers saw him off with a cake on the last night.  Saw him on the Mardi Gras in February and again in August.  He then transferred to the inaugural of the Celebration. 

[hillbillycruisers]

10 hours ago, mz-s said:

Some piano bar performers haven't got the memo yet. The guests don't want to hear your favorite breakup song, they want to hear songs like Sweet Caroline and Family Tradition. You don't really need to know how to sing, it's all about audience interaction.

I expect a piano bar to be a fun, lively place. Lots of interaction....like our experience on the Dream. That guy was great. This last time on Vista, it was horrible. It was dark...nothing lively about it. Reminded me of a funeral. 

[Linguist208]

We were on the Valor back at the end of June/beginning of July, and their piano bar was just amazing! We spent hours there every night. The entertainer, Greg Cardoso, might not have known all the words to all the songs, but by gum he was willing to give it a go and got everyone singing along. And there were a couple of young ladies (guests) who, it turns out, were amazing singers, and they became his unofficial "back up group." We're off on the Celebration tomorrow, and we can't wait to see what's in store there, but the piano bar is a definite destination.

[CruizinSusan70]

37 minutes ago, Linguist208 said:

We're off on the Celebration tomorrow, and we can't wait to see what's in store there, but the piano bar is a definite destination.

You'll enjoy Eden.  He knows how to work a room.

[CarolSW]

I have learned that all piano bars are not equal.

I too was sorely disappointed on Vista….several times, the most recent being last summer.

It really does depend on the energy, engagement and sense of humor of the pianist I think.

We are at their mercy.

And you’re right that you don’t have to be a stellar musician, just highly engaged with the crowd and being comfortable ‘on stage’ !  
A fun piano bar experience makes ALL the difference in my cruise enjoyment.  
The first time I went to a piano bar on a ship I had a blast, and made sure to go there on every cruise since.

When they  sometimes didn’t compare, I thought it was ME, that I just wasn’t the fun person I was that first time. 😒

But I finally realized it has everything to do with the entertainer, because I re-discover the fun person I AM when the talent is energetic, engaging and funny!  😃
 

[vwrestler171]

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with Vista last month.  I think Ben Gentry just got back on the Vista and he is one of the best, if not the best.  Sadly during COVID, many of the PBE found other jobs, but some are slowly making their way back onboard. And PBE you may like, may not be liked by others.  Personally I am not a fan of Eden or Mike(don't remember his last name, but he was on Mardi Gras last year). Doesn't mean they are bad, just not liked by all.

[ProgRockCruiser]

Piano Bar Entertainers (PBEs) are a variable lot, though in general we have enjoyed them.  And they do feed off the vibe from the the crowd (or lack thereof, both vibe and crowd...).

 

And sometimes, as humans, they have off nights.  

 

And sometimes, what you think makes for a good PBE is different from what others think.

 

i.e. IMHO, YMMV, AFAIK, etc all apply.

[Mic101680]

I've found that the piano bar largely depends on whoever the entertainer/pianist is, but the crowd can help make it fun too. Some are much more interactive and lively than others, and those are the ones I enjoy the most.

[Joebucks]

I've wanted to love the Piano Bars. In the few times I went, it seemed that the "regulars" of the cruise consumed the room. 

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

I've wanted to love the Piano Bars. In the few times I went, it seemed that the "regulars" of the cruise consumed the room. 

 

Not all cruises are like that. But even if they are, you have to go on the first night to cement yourself as a "regular" if that's your thing.

[lax19]

On Panorama (11-5 through 11-12-2022) we had Kemar at the piano bar.  He was a last minute replacement and the room was hopping.  He played a bunch of requests and had the audience engaged all night. Marty, the cruise director, stopped by one night and joined in. The room was always packed, but patience got you a seat as people filtered in and out.

[80sGal]

23 hours ago, staceyglow said:

I believe you are referring to Eden Parker here.  I believe he is on Celebration now.

Yes that name sounds right!  Awesome!  We're sailing Celebration for NYE!   

[MMDown Under]

On 11/21/2022 at 6:34 AM, CarolSW said:

I have learned that all piano bars are not equal.

I too was sorely disappointed on Vista….several times, the most recent being last summer.

It really does depend on the energy, engagement and sense of humor of the pianist I think.

We are at their mercy.

And you’re right that you don’t have to be a stellar musician, just highly engaged with the crowd and being comfortable ‘on stage’ !  
A fun piano bar experience makes ALL the difference in my cruise enjoyment.  
The first time I went to a piano bar on a ship I had a blast, and made sure to go there on every cruise since.

When they  sometimes didn’t compare, I thought it was ME, that I just wasn’t the fun person I was that first time. 😒

But I finally realized it has everything to do with the entertainer, because I re-discover the fun person I AM when the talent is energetic, engaging and funny!  😃
 

I'm cruising on Luminosa to Great Barrier Reef departing 4th December from Brisbane.  I'm so looking forward to the Piano Bar because that has been the highlight of my small ship cruising.  However, I understand that all piano bars will not be equal and it depends on the talent of the pianist.  I just hope Luminosa will have a pianist who has the room buzzing full of music lovers. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

I had THE BEST piano bar experience on Inspiration (R.I.P.) in 2019.  The pianist was David Wiley.  He was very good at his job, no doubt.  He knew what the cruise crowd wanted to hear, and played exactly that.  In other words, Billy Joel or Barry Manilow, not Carrie Underwood, or worse, Justin Bieber.  Even though he was Australian and not American.

 

But what made the piano bar experience great was me and the two ladies I met the second night there.  They were the ringleaders of their group, and they adopted me, as I was cruising solo.  We bantered with the pianist by interjecting our own lyrics while singing along, requested nostalgic songs, and got onstage to sing karaoke-style while he played.  We became the center of the action each night, and the crowd loved us.

 

My Inspiration review talks about my piano bar experiences in good detail.

Edited November 27, 2022 by LandlockedCruiser01

[dugknight]

Sorry if this was already discussed, but Carnival's website is showing the piano bar cost additional $$ now. Is this correct? Seems odd to me to charge for a bar.

[ShakyBeef]

5 minutes ago, dugknight said:

Sorry if this was already discussed, but Carnival's website is showing the piano bar cost additional $$ now. Is this correct? Seems odd to me to charge for a bar.

 

I'm pretty sure that is referring to the cost of drinks at the bar.  It does not cost money to walk into the Piano Bar, sit in the Piano Bar, or sing along badly in the Piano Bar.

[dugknight]

Or maybe they are just saying the drinks are an additional fee? 

[ShakyBeef]

Just now, dugknight said:

Or maybe they are just saying the drinks are an additional fee? 

Yep.

[dugknight]

I realize that now. I just noticed all the bars show additional fee. Phew! I was about to be really disappointed. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[SERK]

The cruise ship piano bars have been a disappointment for us because we keep comparing them to Pat O' Brien's piano bar in New Orleans.  I know it's probably not a fair comparison but once you've been to Pat O's piano bar a few times, it just can't compete.

[staceyglow]

53 minutes ago, SERK said:

The cruise ship piano bars have been a disappointment for us because we keep comparing them to Pat O' Brien's piano bar in New Orleans.  I know it's probably not a fair comparison but once you've been to Pat O's piano bar a few times, it just can't compete.

I know, right?

 

And the shows in the main theater are nowhere near as good as the ones on Broadway.  

 

And don't get me started on how the bands at the Red Frog Pub don't sound exactly like the artists they are covering.