Worst cruise ship shows ever. Meraviglia!

[Cruise5life]

Long post. Sorry.  
Well that’s a wrap for the night.   
I’ve seen 2 of the worst big production shows I’ve ever seen on any cruise I’ve been on.  
Rock Circus a circus de sole type show.  
And House of Houdini. Featuring jaw dropping magic illusions and high-flying
aerial cirque performances, this brand new spectacle is
unlike anything else at see. LOLOLOLOLOLOL.  What a joke.  
The guy did a straight jacket trick. And you can see the guys that put him in the jacket grab a bunch of material as they strapped him in. So that when they hung him upside down it was easy to get out of.  Lolol 
Knife throwing lol where you could see the knifes pop out of the board.   Lololol.  
Store bought magic acts.   Lol

Both productions same exact cast doing basically the same routines.    
Tons of mistakes.   
No male lead vocalist. Using a vocal track for the male lead part.   
2 guys doing the same weird I don’t even know what you would call it moves lol in both shows.   
Trying to jump rope and tripping and screwing up the routine.  
The dancers were very sub par. 

Nothing compared to the shows I just seen on NCL Joy.   

Oh yeah. I had to pay for these shows to Lolol.   Only 12.00 advanced.   But still.  
The shows were really bad.    
I asked the stage manager about the make make vocal part and he said.   Yeah we don’t have a male lead.   Were waiting for one to arrive in a few weeks.    WHAT?   Lol

 If I had good service I’d post some of the videos.  But I really don’t wanna put you through that lol. 
Ok rant over.   I want my 24.00 back. Lolol JK.  

Edited January 26, 2023 by Cruise5life

[Cruise5life]

Sorry about a few errors in my post. On a small phone typing and didn’t catch them till now and can’t edit.    
 

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

I hear ya. Next time try a small music venue. MSC hasn’t really figured out how to entertain the American market yet. We don’t book cruises for the theater entertainment although we have seen some good shows… admittedly on NCL. But I popped over to that board only to find complaints about the entertainment and shows being severely cut back. It’s a strange cruising world we are sailing in these days..

[Cruise5life]

19 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I hear ya. Next time try a small music venue. MSC hasn’t really figured out how to entertain the American market yet. We don’t book cruises for the theater entertainment although we have seen some good shows… admittedly on NCL. But I popped over to that board only to find complaints about the entertainment and shows being severely cut back. It’s a strange cruising world we are sailing in these days..

I also don’t really go for the shows.   But it’s nice to have a good show while on a ship

I just got off NCL Joy last Saturday for 15 days.   And every show I seen on the ship was amazing. From the Beatles show. Comedy shows, magic show, comedy juggler show.  They even had a hypnotist that was amazing.       Every show was amazing.   Even to the point I went to a couple 2x.      
All with 0 lines to get in.    
 

on here.   Every show they have you line up with lines going all through the ship.  Clogging up the casino and other parts of the ship.      
 

never a line on NCL.   Just go in and find a seat.    
 

same with the dining rooms.   Lines so long they go for hundreds of feet to get in.  
move never been on a cruise line with lines like on this ship.   Lolol.  
 

will I cruise MAC again.    For the price I paid.     Yes.        
 

will I pay for any shows.    No.    

[no1talks]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

"It’s a strange cruising world we are sailing in these days.."

 

Very true, G.P.

 

Passengers are irked, from Carnival up to Regent. The way I see it, passengers have limited options.

 

1) Stay off the ships until things settle.

2) Ride it out with the usual cruises, paying the same (or more) for a reduced experience.

3) Pay more and go with a higher-tier brand and improve the cruise experience, even if the brand isn't what it used to be for its veterans.

4) Take the cruising down a tier, getting a lesser experience, but at least saving some money in the process.

 

We will be in YC, on Seascape, in March. What happens on that cruise will significantly impact what we plan for our '24 cruise.

[nikoo.s]

I actually think the pay to see shows are pretty good (based on MSC Virtuosa Carousel at Sea shows). Of course this is subjective so what one person may enjoy, another person may not. The free shows in the main theatre are a little more hit and miss but still fun and the performers themselves are good! Also we didn't experience any long lines (it was a November northern Europe cruise so that probably made a difference).

Edited January 26, 2023 by nikoo.s

[Cruise5life]

25 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

Very true, G.P.

 

Passengers are irked, from Carnival up to Regent. The way I see it, passengers have limited options.

 

1) Stay off the ships until things settle.

2) Ride it out with the usual cruises, paying the same (or more) for a reduced experience.

3) Pay more and go with a higher-tier brand and improve the cruise experience, even if the brand isn't what it used to be for its veterans.

4) Take the cruising down a tier, getting a lesser experience, but at least saving some money in the process.

 

We will be in YC, on Seascape, in March. What happens on that cruise will significantly impact what we plan for our '24 cruise.

I have to disagree.    
 

I had an amazing cruise last week on NCL ahoy for 15 days.     
food was amazing.   
all the shows we’re amazing.  
The price for the 15 days was great.   
And I don’t do the haven.  I stay with the regular folk.    
 

one of my best cruises of my life.  
 

 

now   I’ll be on RC on Sunday and we’ll compare the 3 lines.   
im sure it will be great.    
 

I took this MSC cruise to do a compare lines.   And so far MSC is last on my list.  
yeah the price was great.   But is it worth the price sure.   Just don’t go to the shows lol. 

[L1211]

One more “the worse ever” posts to describe the Mera.  These are not cruise provide entertainment, they are additional pay shows.  They should do better.  

[Cruise5life]

8 minutes ago, nikoo.s said:

I actually think the pay to see shows are pretty good (based on MSC Virtuosa Carousel at Sea shows). Of course this is subjective so what one person may enjoy, another person may not. The free shows in the main theatre are a little more hit and miss but still fun and the performers themselves are good! Also we didn't experience any long lines (it was a November northern Europe cruise so that probably made a difference).

I’ve been in the music and production industry my entire life.    
so  I think my review of the shows are spot on in my opinion of course.   
 

I would have walked out if I wasn’t front row center.    Didn’t want to hurt any one’s feeling by walking out.  Lolol.   

[Cruise5life]

3 minutes ago, L1211 said:

One more “the worse ever” posts to describe the Mera.  These are not cruise provide entertainment, they are additional pay shows.  They should do better.  

They really should do better.     To not have a lead male vocalist is crazy.   It sounded so out of place listening to the vocal track.    
and mistakes everywhere almost embarrassing.    You could see it in some of their faces even.  Lol. 

[nikoo.s]

22 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

I’ve been in the music and production industry my entire life.    
so  I think my review of the shows are spot on in my opinion of course.   
 

I would have walked out if I wasn’t front row center.    Didn’t want to hurt any one’s feeling by walking out.  Lolol.   

You said it yourself by saying "in my opinion"...my opinion is just as valid as yours sweetie 

[Mutumbojimbo]

Based on my experience, it’s possible that one ship (Virtuosa) could have a strong group putting on their shows, while the group on the Meraviglia is struggling. I’ve seen some shows on Carnival trips that were amazing and on other ships, you wish you could get that time back. I probably would not pay anything to see a show on a cruise, but I’d be disappointed if I did and the performance was lacking, I’d be upset. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

They really should do better.

I agree with this completely.  And I think (I hope) they will do better as they become more acclimated to the American market.  And I know you mentioned the fantastic entertainment on your recent NCL cruise...I think it's great you had a beyond satisfactory experience.  I agree that NCL has offered some of the best cruise ship entertainment I've ever seen...but like Celebrity has announced their Ocean View Cafe cutbacks, NCL have also announced their entertainment cutbacks.  I'm not sure if the cuts hadn't kicked in on your sailing and so you got lucky, or if what you saw was an example of the cuts (wouldn't that be awesome!).  Based on all the yelling about entertainment on the NCL board (similar to what's happening on the Celebrity board about food), I tend to think it may be the former.  At any rate, another poster said it best...entertainment taste is subjective.  Lots of people raved about Pricilla, Queen of the Desert but I hated it.  I didn't possess your level of couth as I actually walked out of the theater.

[quattrohead]

On our 3 day Meraviglia cruise in December the shows were great.

They must have changed them up.

We did miss the crew show, hope those come back.

 

[Oxo]

7 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

I also don’t really go for the shows.   But it’s nice to have a good show while on a ship

I just got off NCL Joy last Saturday for 15 days.   And every show I seen on the ship was amazing. From the Beatles show. Comedy shows, magic show, comedy juggler show.  They even had a hypnotist that was amazing.       Every show was amazing.   Even to the point I went to a couple 2x.      
All with 0 lines to get in.    
 

on here.   Every show they have you line up with lines going all through the ship.  Clogging up the casino and other parts of the ship.      
 

never a line on NCL.   Just go in and find a seat.    
 

same with the dining rooms.   Lines so long they go for hundreds of feet to get in.  
move never been on a cruise line with lines like on this ship.   Lolol.  
 

will I cruise MAC again.    For the price I paid.     Yes.        
 

will I pay for any shows.    No.    

I'm glad you had a great cruise on the Joy. We did, too in 2021. Went on the Breakaway B2B and the Prima a 12 and 7 day cruise in 2022.

We are Sapphire on NCL and Diamond on MSC. 

However, each cruise can and may provide different experiences.

Examples: On the Prima they had 2 shows, Noise Boys and Donna Summer. You had to make reservations for each show. The first day on the ship, reservations were booked solid. You could go to Syds if you waited in line for more than an hour each time they had a show there. No reservations. So, it is not just go in and no lines.

Never say this cruise line is bad and the other is not. There are always conditions that create a problem /concern. 

To further solidify my experiences:" we cruised RCI 2x, MSC 2x, NCL 4x and Celebrity 1x in 2022. We are doing RCI 2x, MSC 2x, NCL 2x and Celebrity 2x this year. 

I could add specific issues/opinions on each one of these cruise lines both positive and negative. 

We have seen excellent shows on all cruise lines. Food both good and bad on all cruise lines, too. Opinions are like what we sit on, everyone has one. LOL

Just enjoy cruising!!!!

[styles27]

Wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t charge extra to see them. I think that’s nuts. 

We had a funny magician/comedian on Divina over New Years….at least the dozen of us who understood English in the audience laughed 

 

I felt bad for the guy.
 

He had over 3,000 shows on cruise ships and to us it looked like his first time on MSC because he seemed surprised that the audience couldn’t understand him. 
 

People were walking out during his show, which to me is so rude but that’s another conversation. 
 

I think MSC is trying to “Americanize” their entertainment however if most of their passengers cannot understand the comedian or the magician it’s going right over their heads. 
 

Not sure how they’ll fix this but they desperately need to.  The lounge musical acts on board are good but on a 14 day cruise their sets are repetitive. People were getting bored. 

[shipgeeks]

I hope MSC does not "Americanize" the entertainment too much.  We quite enjoyed the variety-type/Cirque du Soleil-type shows we saw on Seaside.  We have stopped going to most production shows on other lines because we just don't care to see "We will we will rock you!" or "I-I-I-I will always love you-u-u-u" one more time.

[morpheusofthesea]

Thank you for this post. It forced me to sit down and ask myself what is really important. We all have our own ideas.

   

Since we ‘upped our cruise game’ to suites, we developed a checklist for what we enjoy most in a cruise vacation.

   Food and entertainment are idiosyncratic. Tastes vary. We look for overall cleanliness of the ship and multiple cabin cleanings, towels, etc. We consider the CDC Vessel Sanitation Program (https://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionResults.aspx), which scores each ship we are considering that leaves from a US port. The Seascape has only just started, so we checked the Seashore and it received a score of 95 out of 100 ( 85 or less is a failure).

   Indigestion is another great indicator whether we rebook a cruise ship again.

   Enjoy a separate, dedicated suite restaurant that is open for all meals and not closed for lunch port days. Appreciate a maître d’ that will entertain a suite guest’s request for the same table and wait staff for every meal and that the meals don’t take 2 hours. That the distance from the cabin to this restaurant is within 4 decks not wanting to get into a crowded elevator. Don’t like to depend on suite amenity of key card elevator over rides working every time.

   Cabin with a large balcony, so one does not have to fight with chair hogs. A complimentary (or ability to reserve ($)) deck cabana is paramount to an enjoyable cruise vacation.

   The number of evening entertainment venues vs game shows. The more options the less crowded the venues.

   The suite amenity of a concierge or a butler that fulfills every request with a “yes”.

   Priority embarkations, disembarkation at every port.

   Everything else is ‘like water off a duck’s back’.

[Fla Mike]

3 hours ago, Oxo said:

Never say this cruise line is bad and the other is not. There are always conditions that create a problem /concern. 

 

Very well said...Thank You.

[bundtkate]

4 hours ago, Oxo said:

Never say this cruise line is bad and the other is not. There are always conditions that create a problem /concern.

Couldn't agree with this more. I had the polar opposite experience of OP on NCL Joy. We went on a 14-day in early December and only 1 out of the 3 comedians was truly funny. The Beatles tribute had their great songs, but several were painfully off-key to the point where we only went to one show. We were really excited about the Elements show because it was advertised as cirque-like and I guess an argument could be made, but it was rather disappointing in the end. The food in the Haven and at the specialty restaurants was fantastic, but the few times we went to the MDR with our travel companions outside the Haven it was basically inedible. Despite this, I found things to enjoy and had a great time on our cruise. And I'm sure you could find someone who was on that same sailing who totally disagrees with me about all of that. That's just how we humans are -- each a little bit different.

 

Not every cruise line is going to appeal to everyone, but that also means there probably is a cruise line out there for everyone because there's so much variety. I personally choose to celebrate this fact and use it to try new things. I've cruised RCCL, MSC, and NCL and while I have preferences like anyone else, I've enjoyed them all. Next up, I've got a Viking river cruise (for something really different) and after that it'll be back to MSC on the Seascape to try out Yacht Club for the first time. I will probably eventually find a cruise that really isn't for me at all, but at least I'll be away from work with a drink in hand so it won't be all bad. 😉

 

[Seadweller001]

Saw Houdini last cruise.  It was a complete waste of time and $$$s.  The drinks were on a table coming into the room and warm, ice melted.  The show was amateurish.  I would not go again even if they paid me.

[GOLDENBONNY]

12 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

MSC hasn’t really figured out how to entertain the American market yet

And I hope they never will . 

[GOLDENBONNY]

12 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

From the Beatles show. Comedy shows, magic show, comedy juggler show.

Already sounds lime ,without watching it. I would not cruise on NCL even for free .

[GOLDENBONNY]

21 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

Were waiting for one to arrive in a few weeks.    WHAT?   Lol

What is the big surprise here? Cruise lines suffer to hire workers ,every crise line has problem now. 

[Cruise5life]

1 minute ago, GOLDENBONNY said:

What is the big surprise here? Cruise lines suffer to hire workers ,every crise line has problem now. 

Lol.  Not one issue on NCL.   Great entertainments.   And no male vocal tracks used to fill in for a missing vocalist.    So no not every cruise line and ship.   

Edited January 27, 2023 by Cruise5life