Bill Board on Board changing formats

[cruisemom42]

14 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

The original was a performance between two talented performers and the other is a performance between one professional and amateur guests.

 

Actually, no.

 

The piano bar concept was extremely popular on HAL ships long before the "dueling pianos" set-up was adopted.

[Wasasalad]

17 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Actually, no.

 

The piano bar concept was extremely popular on HAL ships long before the "dueling pianos" set-up was adopted.

The piano bar was around for years and very successful. Packed every night. The last venue to close every night. Barry and Stryker have an amazing following. 

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Or maybe, HAL should keep the dueling piano player concept because Billboard on Board was packed to capacity every night and you can enjoy the sing-a-long on the World Stage.  BTW I can guarantee that when the performer plays a game with one or more of the guests, it was not as memorable for the other 99% of the guests.

 

Have you sailed on HAL when they had the piano bar?  It was a wonderful time, always packed and often went quite late if the audience was enjoying.  

 

These artists are very good at getting to know their audience and play to them.  I can’t think of one time when I didn’t enjoy it.   I can think of times when the duo pianos were not enjoyable.

 

[RuthC]

18 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I have no desire to attend a performance where you or any other guest is part of the performance and listen to you or any other guest play games.  I'm sure it was memorable for you but not so much for the other guests.

While I have no desire to attend a 'performance'. I want entertainment! 

It was memorable for everyone who was there that night. Loads of fun for those who filled the room. But then you weren't there, so couldn't know. 
It's apparent you don't remember the good old days when the musician played to the room. There was no such thing as 'set lists', and the musicians knew hundreds---if not thousands---of songs off the top of their heads. Toss in a Fake Book, and the piano players could play until 2:00 AM every night, for a long cruise, and not repeat a song (unless requested, of course). 
The Billboard players know only a few hundred songs, and think that's a lot! It isn't. 

[Mr. Boston]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

While I have no desire to attend a 'performance'. I want entertainment! 

It was memorable for everyone who was there that night. Loads of fun for those who filled the room. But then you weren't there, so couldn't know. 
It's apparent you don't remember the good old days when the musician played to the room. There was no such thing as 'set lists', and the musicians knew hundreds---if not thousands---of songs off the top of their heads. Toss in a Fake Book, and the piano players could play until 2:00 AM every night, for a long cruise, and not repeat a song (unless requested, of course). 
The Billboard players know only a few hundred songs, and think that's a lot! It isn't. 

Here here to what RuthC said and she probably never even heard of Rudy De La Mor from Chicago.  May he rest in peace!

[Ipeeinthepools]

12 hours ago, RuthC said:

It was memorable for everyone who was there that night. Loads of fun for those who filled the room. 

 

Past experience would tell me that this isn't true but there is no doubt that you really enjoyed the evening because you were part of the show.  This is the same as the elimination of the Lincoln Center performers, cost cutting at it's worst.  Both are cost cutting at features that were enjoyed by many passengers and the performances were packed every night.  Shame on HAL for cost cutting on things that brought people on board the ships. 

 

Here's an idea.  Maybe HAL should eliminate all live piano players.  Maybe they should generate an AI based Barry, they would pay Barry one time, and an artificial Barry would perform with a computer operated piano.  People can then talk to an image of Barry on the screen and the computer will respond the same way Barry would have and then the computer will play the same sing-a-long songs.  No need for breaks and the computer can perform continuously all evening until the last person leaves the bar.  HAL can call it Barry on Board.

 

Please note that this is not an attack on Barry.  I'm sure he's a great guy and a great performer and HAL could select any piano player.  For more money maybe they could generate an AI version of  Billy Joel and have Billy on Board.  

 

Maybe HAL can even make some money from this concept.  The only way you would get Barry or Billy's attention is through your Navigator app and of course 4 and 5 star Mariners would get priority.  It would cost $5 to talk to Barry and $10 to have your song selected.  This could be another great way to use up non-refundable OBC.

 

I hope everyone enjoys the sing-a-longs.  Karaoke anyone?

[Destiny0315]

46 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Past experience would tell me that this isn't true but there is no doubt that you really enjoyed the evening because you were part of the show.  This is the same as the elimination of the Lincoln Center performers, cost cutting at it's worst.  Both are cost cutting at features that were enjoyed by many passengers and the performances were packed every night.  Shame on HAL for cost cutting on things that brought people on board the ships. 

 

Here's an idea.  Maybe HAL should eliminate all live piano players.  Maybe they should generate an AI based Barry, they would pay Barry one time, and an artificial Barry would perform with a computer operated piano.  People can then talk to an image of Barry on the screen and the computer will respond the same way Barry would have and then the computer will play the same sing-a-long songs.  No need for breaks and the computer can perform continuously all evening until the last person leaves the bar.  HAL can call it Barry on Board.

 

Please note that this is not an attack on Barry.  I'm sure he's a great guy and a great performer and HAL could select any piano player.  For more money maybe they could generate an AI version of  Billy Joel and have Billy on Board.  

 

Maybe HAL can even make some money from this concept.  The only way you would get Barry or Billy's attention is through your Navigator app and of course 4 and 5 star Mariners would get priority.  It would cost $5 to talk to Barry and $10 to have your song selected.  This could be another great way to use up non-refundable OBC.

 

I hope everyone enjoys the sing-a-longs.  Karaoke anyone?

[richwmn]

13 hours ago, RuthC said:

It was memorable for everyone who was there that night. Loads of fun for those who filled the room.

 

43 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

Past experience would tell me that this isn't true but there is no doubt that you really enjoyed the evening because you were part of the show. 

You can't seem to grasp that there might be enough people that like the Piano Bar Concept enough to fill the venue. Each person in the venue has the choice, when seeing the type of entertainment being provided, to stay or leave. This goes for both the Piano Bar Concept and the Two Piano Concept. @BarryFromBoston Barry played for 38 days on my Voyage of the Vikings a few years ago. For most of the 38 days he filled the venue. I talked to some friends earlier today who were also on that cruise and they chose to be elsewhere. Each person makes their own choice and no cruise line can please everyone in every venue. You don't have to like the Piano Bar concept, but please allow those of us that do to enjoy it, just like we have allowed you to enjoy the Two Piano Concept for the past few years.

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

8 minutes ago, richwmn said:

 

You can't seem to grasp that there might be enough people that like the Piano Bar Concept enough to fill the venue. Each person in the venue has the choice, when seeing the type of entertainment being provided, to stay or leave. This goes for both the Piano Bar Concept and the Two Piano Concept. @BarryFromBoston Barry played for 38 days on my Voyage of the Vikings a few years ago. For most of the 38 days he filled the venue. I talked to some friends earlier today who were also on that cruise and they chose to be elsewhere. Each person makes their own choice and no cruise line can please everyone in every venue. You don't have to like the Piano Bar concept, but please allow those of us that do to enjoy it, just like we have allowed you to enjoy the Two Piano Concept for the past few years.

 

 

I'm sorry but I'm afraid that you can't seem to grasp the concept that it's all about cost cutting and not implementing something that will appeal to more passengers.  If HAL was truly trying to see if more people enjoyed the sing-a-long concept it would have been easy.    The dueling pianos didn't play every night.  It would have been easy to use have one of the piano players do sing-a-longs instead of having the venue dark that night.  They could have even added a special evening for sing-a-longs.   Maybe do sing-a-longs with two pianos.  If they would have tried any of these options, I'm suggesting that they would not have had all the tables packed and people standing in the hallways during those performances.  Maybe I'm right or maybe I'm wrong but we'll never know because HAL didn't do the comparison.  Instead they just cut costs and eliminated a piano player without considering if it would be an improvement to the entertainment options.

 

I hope you enjoy the sing-a-longs while they last, if HAL is really paying attention they won't be around very long.  

[Ipeeinthepools]

25 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

 

Please save this one for the time when the sing-a-longs go away.

[Destiny0315]

Most of us when we were younger went to the circus to see two things, the elephants and the clowns. So now that they have taken the elephants away I guess you will just have to hang out with the clowns having a sing-a-long at the piano bar or maybe stay in your cabin. 😉

[Ipeeinthepools]

48 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

Most of us when we were younger went to the circus to see two things, the elephants and the clowns. So now that they have taken the elephants away I guess you will just have to hang out with the clowns having a sing-a-long at the piano bar or maybe stay in your cabin. 😉

 

That's one of the reasons I don't go to the circus anymore.

[lcand1923]

I have enjoyed and avoided the Old Style Piano Bar on HAL vessels.  I have enjoyed and avoided the Dueling Pianos and HAL vessels.  In each case it depended upon the skill of the pianists and their ability to “read the room”.  

 

Do I sing-along?  If I know the song, I do.  Do I ask for a mic?  No, because I know the pianist and the crowd don’t want to be entertained by me.  I react the same way if I am in a performance at the World Stage.  

[boards]

42 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

That's one of the reasons I don't go to the circus anymore.

You certainly have been a joy.

[Ipeeinthepools]

24 minutes ago, boards said:

You certainly have been a joy.

 

Most people would agree with you.  😉

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

I'm sorry but I'm afraid that you can't seem to grasp the concept that it's all about cost cutting and not implementing something that will appeal to more passengers.

 

Or maybe they just listened to all of the comments on end-of-cruise surveys asking them to bring back the single-player format. 

 

Puh-leaze. It's been discussed on numerous threads. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

40 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Or maybe they just listened to all of the comments on end-of-cruise surveys asking them to bring back the single-player format. 

 

 

Haha.  I doubt it.  Did HAL listen to all of the comments about the Lincoln Center performers?

[FLCruiser97]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Or maybe they just listened to all of the comments on end-of-cruise surveys asking them to bring back the single-player format. 

 

Puh-leaze. It's been discussed on numerous threads. 

Interesting concept.

[RuthC]

8 hours ago, richwmn said:

You can't seem to grasp that there might be enough people that like the Piano Bar Concept enough to fill the venue.

He just doesn't get that there are other points of view, and he never will. A real piano bar isn't a 'show', or a 'performance'; he just doesn't understand the difference. 

Better to save our breath to cool our porridge. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

37 minutes ago, RuthC said:

He just doesn't get that there are other points of view, and he never will. A real piano bar isn't a 'show', or a 'performance'; he just doesn't understand the difference. 

Better to save our breath to cool our porridge. 

 

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're the one that just doesn't understand.  You and several others like the concept and I'm fine with that.  I never said that you can't have your own point of view.  Please tell me why you are so upset that I don't like the concept.   Please tell me why I can't express my opinion that I wish they would keep the dueling piano concept without you attacking me?  My opinion is that it's just more cost cutting, just like the elimination of the Lincoln Center performers.  I'm glad you had a memorable evening when you were part of the show.  Great for you, but I don't need to see that.

 

But you are probably correct, it's better for you to save your breath rather than telling people they can't have their own opinion.

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

But you are probably correct, it's better for you to save your breath rather than telling people they can't have their own opinion.

 

I think you have it reversed.  You have gone on ad infinitum pushing your point of view and dishing others on the piano bar.

 

We get it.  You don’t like it.  So be it.  A lot of us do.

 

End of story.  Please stop beating the dead horse.  

[Shmoo here]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:34 PM, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

I have no desire to attend a performance where you or any other guest is part of the performance and listen to you or any other guest play games.  I'm sure it was memorable for you but not so much for the other guests.

I fail to see much difference between the single piano vs double piano format regarding audience participation.  I've experienced both single and double piano bar situations on HAL, and the audience has been invited to sing along in every one.

[Destiny0315]

I'll just leave this video here from last night's (2/9/24) Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Garden of him singing along with 20,000+ other people the Beatles song, All My Loving, on the 60th anniversary of their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show (2/9/64)...

https://youtu.be/khNfOAKavXU?si=--MOaqpyeQYWnOG2

 

 

 

[KAKcruiser]

I think the contract was up with Billboard just like it was with Lincoln Center and HAL decided not to renew.  

[OlsSalt]

A Bionic Barry at the Keyboard will solve the current  pressing problem: Bionic Barry will not need either a crew bed, or a passenger cabin.  Just a charger cable.