The End of Lincoln Center

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, ChinaShrek said:

Many posters here have stated that the World Stage is underused on the ships. i think this is attempt to use the stage better. When HAL listens to your concerns and attempts to make change, people still complain. If.the Boston Pops or Chicago Symphony, for example, are on my HAL cruise I will be happy to see them perform.

if they kept the Lincoln Center musicians and moved them to theater for a performance each day that would be fine. However, they are making them into a visiting entertainer type schedule rotating between ships with maybe 1 or 2 shows per cruise not so much. Would hate to be the Cello player having to bring their Cello flying from ship to ship. Do not think they will last long.

[Infi]

Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I think LCS will be replaced with a similar act in due time. Prior to LCS, the Adagio quartet and then the Adagio duo performed in the same space to similar crowds. While LCS likely doesn't pull in the same bar money that BB King or the piano bars do, it still fills a niche for pre-dinner entertainment, plus additional musicians for sundry needs around the ship (BBC Earth, piano hour, etc.) Without any music, the venue (LCS or Explorers) will be quite conspicuously empty - not a good look.

[canadarocks]

1 minute ago, Infi said:

Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I think LCS will be replaced with a similar act in due time. Prior to LCS, the Adagio quartet and then the Adagio duo performed in the same space to similar crowds. While LCS likely doesn't pull in the same bar money that BB King or the piano bars do, it still fills a niche for pre-dinner entertainment, plus additional musicians for sundry needs around the ship (BBC Earth, piano hour, etc.) Without any music, the venue (LCS or Explorers) will be quite conspicuously empty - not a good look.

I hope you're right. 🤞

[Infi]

Interestingly enough, RWS (HAL's entertainment vendor) still prominently features LCS on their website: https://experiencerws.com/case-study/lincoln-center-stage/

 

Then again, the HAL/Oprah partnership is also prominently featured as a case study for RWS so perhaps this page now functions as a retrospective of former successful HAL partnerships 🙃

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

Edited January 8, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[REOVA]

3 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

But after they see Scott's 2 routines, they will be back. 😉

 

Interesting that they didn't have him on World Stage. On Rotterdam in November his show was in World Stage and less than half full so maybe that's why he's not in the lounge now. Yet another comedian did 2 shows each on 2 nights in lounge which was packed. 

 

Must be quantum superposition in the works..."Schrödinger's entertainment"

[Sea42]

10 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Candidly it is a shame that this is happening .We loved the old HAL .now they want to encourage the younger generations  .However ,the  younger generations can ill afford the longer HAK cruises being  produced  .so why change a good thing ?

Our kids make more money than we ever did in our careers. Of the 4, 3 can work anywhere in the world that they want to and 2 are almost always doing an international trip while also working. They are the future and they can afford it.

[Bostonjetset]

6 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

I enjoy LCS.  I'd so much prefer the horrid piano bar go away.

 

I'd love to avoid it but when it's right across from the Roulette wheel (which is typically my evening entertainment), it's hard to do that.  For the life of me, I can't understand why people enjoy listening to bad vocals being shouted out while two people are pounding as hard as they possibly can on the keyboards.  Ugh.

 

Looking forward to Rotterdam in April for 26 nights.  Hope we at least have BB Kings, Rolling Stones, & LCS for those 26 nights.  And at least the piano bar isn't immediately next to the casino!

We'll be on Rotterdam in April too [Scotland Adventure] so may overlap with you.  Really hoping that LCS is still there for our trip; it was a highlight for me last time I sailed Rotterdam.  LCS truly sets HAL apart; most lines don't do live classical music as well with the exception of perhaps Cunard which has much more limited itineraries.

 

I admit I kind of liked the dueling pianos last time I was on Rotterdam though.  I never cared for them on other cruises but I did enjoy them on that particular ship.  Maybe it was just the fact I was thrilled to be cruising again after two years of craziness in the world or maybe that duo were particularly enjoyable but I'm happy for it to stay as an option HAHA.

[Ibis]

So very disappointed to hear LCS will no longer be part of the Music Walk. It was definitely one of HAL’s best features and will be greatly missed. We were always so impressed and felt the talent was exceptional . This is another negative change on HAL for us. Sadly, we have seen quite a few on our recent Hal cruises, particularly in the past two years.

[Balliett]

Lincoln Center groups are our favorite in HAL ships.

[Hlitner]

I look at the picture of the near empty Lincoln Center stage and it simply reiterates that HAL is out of touch!  When we cruised on the MSC Seashore (October 2022) the main theater was packed for nearly every show (a different Production show every night).  The large lounge that had the versatile rock bank/singer was also near full every night.  In the Yacht Club our lounge had a decent crowd for the nightly entertainers (that worked from about 6:30 to 11:30).  Elsewhere on the ship there was other live music entertainment with pretty decent crowds in each venue.  

 

On HAL, many folks have dinner and head back to their cabin to watch a move on TV.  We have been on many longer HAL Voyages (5* Mariners) and generally are very lonely in a piano bar or other venue by 11pm.  When we did the Voyage of the Vikings cruise, the BB King group (which played in the Crows Nest) drew very few passengers (I would estimate at less than 30) for their later set.  The lounge often had more employees (from the shops and a few other venues) than passengers!  Probably 90% (or more) of the passengers were not to be seen by 10pm!   While we are used to this on HAL, it does not happen on Princess, RCI, Celebrity, MSC, or even Seabourn!  

 

I have often wondered whether the lack of nightlife on HAL is due to passenger demographics or perhaps the quality and variety of HAL entertainment drives many to bed at early hours.  When we have cruised on some lines there will be a late night adult comedy show (sometimes at 11 or 11:30) and it might be completely full.  On HAL there is no such thing....it does not exist!  The HAL fans that will tell you that HAL has plenty of good entertainment have likely not cruised on many other lines.  Even the small ships (450 passengers) of Seabourn will have a live band playing until at least 11:30 for those that want to listen to music or dance to a live band.

 

On one of our HAL cruises, where they had a decent BB King group, there was actually a crowd of 50 or so passengers who attended the last set (which ended a little after 11).  But that meant that nearly 2000 others were in their cabins!  Tis a swinging crowd :).

 

Hank

[paulvdb1]

3 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

 

9:30 is too late for the type of crowd that like LCS. On Noordam it was often in the afternoon then 6 and 8. They're just using the management model to kill things - change the location and time, take away the more personal nature of the performance. No-one turns up, then they say "no-one like LCS any more so we've eliminated an unpopular option" On Noordam we had 100 at every show that I went to (out of 1700 passenger cruise). That was more than Rolling Stone / Billboard / World Stage for just about any of their events. 

World Stage in HAL is abysmal. I think the management types have just said we need $x per m2 out of every section of the ship and are killing anything free.

If that continues then why would anyone travel HAL or any cruise ship if they are all doing it.   

[ski ww]

We will miss the LCS, it was our go to place after getting ready for dinner and then sitting & listening, maybe having a drink waiting for dinner to start. Your right, death by a thousand cuts.   

[The-Inside-Cabin]

7 hours ago, REOVA said:

But after they see Scott's 2 routines, they will be back. 😉

 

Interesting that they didn't have him on World Stage. On Rotterdam in November his show was in World Stage and less than half full so maybe that's why he's not in the lounge now. Yet another comedian did 2 shows each on 2 nights in lounge which was packed. 

 

Must be quantum superposition in the works..."Schrödinger's entertainment"

Scott was on the main stage earlier in the cruise 

[Ipeeinthepools]

8 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

 

Maybe people are pacing themselves.  Don't they have 149 nights to stop by the LCS?

[bobpell]

Watching snakes chasing lizards onscreen for 4 years in a BBC episode shows how cheap HAL is. In my survey I suggested HAL bring aboard tribute bands who play music fitting the demographics of the passengers.

Off to try Princess after 12 years of HAL.

[Ipeeinthepools]

25 minutes ago, bobpell said:

Watching snakes chasing lizards onscreen for 4 years in a BBC episode shows how cheap HAL is. In my survey I suggested HAL bring aboard tribute bands who play music fitting the demographics of the passengers.

Off to try Princess after 12 years of HAL.

 

Sorry we'll never meet.  We're going to try HAL because of all of the cutbacks on Celebrity.  🤔

[MISTER 67]

18 hours ago, Infi said:

With Lincoln Center now departing, I do wonder what will fill the void - that lounge is always packed in the evenings and that music style is clearly enjoyed by many. The Volendam/Zaandam still have the classical duo in Explorers that is not branded as Lincoln Center. Perhaps RWS (HAL's entertainment company that provides Step One Dance Company/Billboard et al) has something new in the works? For HAL's sake, I sure hope so.

Hate to see Lincoln Center Stage discontinued but the venues on all but the 3 new ships are a joke, it's like watching a concert in a shoe box besides being a Covid spreader event.

[MISTER 67]

34 minutes ago, bobpell said:

Watching snakes chasing lizards onscreen for 4 years in a BBC episode shows how cheap HAL is. In my survey I suggested HAL bring aboard tribute bands who play music fitting the demographics of the passengers.

Off to try Princess after 12 years of HAL.

We are also finished with HAL, we will stick with Celebrity and Princess.

[SharonN]

9 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

The 7:30 show was almost full at least downstairs I couldn't see the balcony. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I too will miss Lincoln Center Stage. I liked the fact they had afternoon concerts to fill the void of no activities of interest to me. On the Konigsdam recently their venue was packed at all the concerts I attended. My only complaint is that they had the same repertoire that they played last February. It would be nice if they could mix things up, but I think they have to follow "the company line." 

 

I sail mostly on HAL but occasionally on Princess which I am going to do in a few months to see how their entertainment is going. When last on them in October 2019, I was quite pleased as to what was offered. 

[Mary229]

9 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I'm waiting for Lincoln Center - they start in five minutes.  20 people in the theatre.     9:30

show.    
 

Down the hall in Rolling Stone Lounge Comedian Steven Scott is playing to a standing room only house.    
 

People are voting......

 

maybe 7:30 show was better attended.  Probably. 

This reminds me of a time where an acclaimed concert harpist, who lived nearby, was giving a free concert at our local library.  I secured tickets on announcement day, made sure my group was ready to arrive 45 minutes early to find parking and arrived to find only my group and one or two very small children with parents attended.  I was aghast but my DH and friends gently reminded me that classical music is not a popular art anymore.

 

Also I don’t want to be cruel but the musicians on HAL are only adequate and the audio fidelity of earbuds is so advanced now ……

[Ipeeinthepools]

Just now, Mary229 said:

... Also I don’t want to be cruel but the musicians on HAL are only adequate and the audio fidelity of earbuds is so advanced now ……

 

 

Are you telling me that the best musicians aren't playing on cruise ships?

[vswan]

Just my opinion. We took three HAL cruises within a 1 year period ending in August of 2022. We were on the Eurodam, Westerdam and Konsingdam. I am 65, DH is 68. We are retired and have plenty of time to travel at this point, have saved our dollars and should be one of the target markets for HAL.

 

I am a music lover, DH not so much. We never once sat down to listen to LCS on any of our cruises. I enjoyed hearing them when we walked by, but never had the urge to set and listen. I enjoyed BB Kings and the Rolling Rock Room as well as the pianos. But, it was the same thing - didn't really just sit down to listen to any of them. Felt that areas were to crowded and just didn't want to be squished in like sardines in any venue at this point. Also felt they were too loud.

 

We did go to the shows - with less crowded ships (some of the ships) there was more space and I didn't feel so packed in. Enjoyed the LCS playing on the stage with the "film" being played.

 

I am not sure what the answer is for HAL's entertainment. Perhaps they need to start doing things earlier in the day - 4, 5 or 6 and keep things going rather than trying to get us to be ready to party at 9. By 9, if I haven't started "partying" I am ready for a movie and bed...

[MISTER 67]

27 minutes ago, vswan said:

Just my opinion. We took three HAL cruises within a 1 year period ending in August of 2022. We were on the Eurodam, Westerdam and Konsingdam. I am 65, DH is 68. We are retired and have plenty of time to travel at this point, have saved our dollars and should be one of the target markets for HAL.

 

I am a music lover, DH not so much. We never once sat down to listen to LCS on any of our cruises. I enjoyed hearing them when we walked by, but never had the urge to set and listen. I enjoyed BB Kings and the Rolling Rock Room as well as the pianos. But, it was the same thing - didn't really just sit down to listen to any of them. Felt that areas were to crowded and just didn't want to be squished in like sardines in any venue at this point. Also felt they were too loud.

 

We did go to the shows - with less crowded ships (some of the ships) there was more space and I didn't feel so packed in. Enjoyed the LCS playing on the stage with the "film" being played.

 

I am not sure what the answer is for HAL's entertainment. Perhaps they need to start doing things earlier in the day - 4, 5 or 6 and keep things going rather than trying to get us to be ready to party at 9. By 9, if I haven't started "partying" I am ready for a movie and bed...

They need to use the main theater like Celebrity with various entertainers from comedians to singers to magicians along with no more than 2 production shows. Celebrity also has live bands in the main showroom to accompany some of the acts plus they have live bands in some of the lounges on their ships, we hate canned music and singing. We were on the Infinity in October and the entertainment throughout the ship was outstanding, wish I could say the same about on our cruise in December on the Nieuw Amsterdam which also had food which was not up to HAL standards with miniscule portions.

Edited January 8, 2023 by MISTER 67