Entertainment changes

[KeyLimeKayak]

We were glad to see favorite shows Musicology and Humanity in the Navigator app just before our March 17th sailing. But on Sunday, our saved events vanished from our app itinerary, replaced by completely new shows. We went anyway, curious. Our cruise director announced it was the premiere. We sat through it, but left underwhelmed and disappointed. Is this happening across all ships? Has OneStep gone the way of Lincoln Center Stage?

 

[Mosaic]

Just off the Zaandam. I was told, by some staff that they were going back to on board singers and dancers.... Yes I know this is very general but it was offical.....

[KAKcruiser]

What ship was this?

[KeyLimeKayak]

7 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

What ship was this?

We're on the Niuew Statendam. We've seen three acts on the World Stage so far. The magician/illusionist was fun, but music and dancing is nothing like it was.

[Torquer]

3 hours ago, Mosaic said:

Just off the Zaandam. I was told, by some staff that they were going back to on board singers and dancers.... Yes I know this is very general but it was offical.....

What fantastic news!  Step One was very good, but we have really missed live singers over the last few years.

[shipshapegirl]

We were on Nieuw Statendam in February 2024.  I sat with the parents of one of the dancers with Step One.  She said they are going to be staying together but will move from ship to ship.  They will not stay on one ship like they were doing.  The mother also said they were bringing back the singing and dancing.  I liked Step One but we cruise 3-4 times a year with Holland America and we have seen every show they have had since 2019.  We are glad they are bringing on something different.  

[oaktreerb]

Step One dancers are wonderful but I’ve seen them numerous times on the Koningsdam.  The dance shows are created for 6 performers with the “surround screen system” of the three newest ships.  There is no understudy to step in when one dancer is not able to perform, the dancers adjust the routine.  I think on our 18 day Hawaii cruise Step One only performed 2-3 times, and all performances were repeats of the past few years productions.  If the performance is cancelled, HAL shows a movie.  I can watch a movie in my stateroom.  It’s time for a change.

Edited March 23 by oaktreerb
add

[oaktreerb]

3 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Step One dancers are wonderful but I’ve seen the same productions numerous times on the Koningsdam.  The dance shows are created for 6 performers with the “surround screen system” of the three newest ships.  There is no understudy to step in when one dancer is not able to perform, the dancers adjust the routine.  I think on our 18 day Hawaii cruise Step One only performed 2-3 times, and all performances were repeats of the past few years productions.  If the performance is cancelled, HAL shows a movie.  I can watch a movie in my stateroom.  It’s time for a change.

 

[Infi]

We haven't had the Step One company on either of my last two cruises. One was because they were in transition between casts, and the second was due to the team learning new shows.

 

I wonder if the future vision of Step One is a hybrid of those: a dance company that travels between ships (like a guest entertainer would) and also rolling out new show material. If anyone remembers the Post Modern Jukebox group pre-pandemic or the traveling edition of BB King's, I think it would be similar to those.

[julia]

While I think the Step One shows are entertaining, it is most definitely time to move on!

[mawvkysc]

I’ve never seen Step One so I am looking forward to it if it’s on my cruise. I can totally see how it would get tiring if the routines haven’t changed in years though. 
 

I would love to see Post Modern Jukebox! Maybe that will come back sometime.  I can hope. 

[Blackduck59]

I'm hopeful that the new "entertainment" program works out. Many people lament what was lost, but at the same time complained that they had seen the same shows many many times. I remember back before the shut down where people who had been on the same ship for a few different voyages were wondering, When they were finally going to change out the productions how. Those same shows people now complain aren't being done. We don't cruise often so aren't concerned about repetition, we just want some enjoyable presentations. I don't think they should pass of a 3 year old movie for an evening presentation at the world stage counts as a proper presentation.

[CDRonboard]

Well is management actually going toward Broadway style shows  in their fleet for  the future with singers & dancers ?  

[foodsvcmgr]

A bit suspicious of Step One moving from ship to ship.

We were told the same thing about Lincoln Center and that clearly didn’t happen.

I don’t have a preference for what they ultimately do, but they desperately need to do SOMETHING!

[CDRonboard]

21 hours ago, KeyLimeKayak said:

We were glad to see favorite shows Musicology and Humanity in the Navigator app just before our March 17th sailing. But on Sunday, our saved events vanished from our app itinerary, replaced by completely new shows. We went anyway, curious. Our cruise director announced it was the premiere. We sat through it, but left underwhelmed and disappointed. Is this happening across all ships? Has OneStep gone the way of Lincoln Center Stage?

 

 

[CDRonboard]

21 hours ago, KeyLimeKayak said:

We were glad to see favorite shows Musicology and Humanity in the Navigator app just before our March 17th sailing. But on Sunday, our saved events vanished from our app itinerary, replaced by completely new shows. We went anyway, curious. Our cruise director announced it was the premiere. We sat through it, but left underwhelmed and disappointed. Is this happening across all ships? Has OneStep gone the way of Lincoln Center Stage?

 

oops missed this ad . Seems to us a very nice change , for a evening of entertainment .

[jeh10641]

Whatever the entertainment options are on a cruise ship, attending them is optional for the passengers. How many of us have created music playlists for our electronic devices (I have several depending on my mood; now I am listening to a You Tube Hawaiian music package that i heard many times)? How many times have you viewed a favorite Broadway show? On my recent Royal cruise, we went to see We Will Rock You (for the first time for us) and there was audience participation for many of the songs. Obviously, many attendees had seen this show many times. How many sporting events have you recorded that you want to watch again (and again and again)? I have several. Repetition is NOT a bad thing if you enjoyed what you saw.

 

Jim

[Ken the cruiser]

This is great news that the singers and dancers are coming back to HAL! Hopefully by the time we go on our April 2025 Panama Canal cruise, it will have become a reality! 🤞

[Infi]

2 hours ago, mawvkysc said:

 

I would love to see Post Modern Jukebox! Maybe that will come back sometime.  I can hope. 

 

I don't think it was well-received by the passengers, so I would be surprised if it did. Never in my life have I seen so many people walk out in the middle of a show. I don't think their style of remixing/updating classics resonates well with the HAL demographic, which tends to be somewhat traditional. I'm much younger than the typical HAL demographic and found the PMJ iteration I saw to be a little cringe as well.

[mawvkysc]

12 minutes ago, Infi said:

 

I don't think it was well-received by the passengers, so I would be surprised if it did. Never in my life have I seen so many people walk out in the middle of a show. I don't think their style of remixing/updating classics resonates well with the HAL demographic, which tends to be somewhat traditional. I'm much younger than the typical HAL demographic and found the PMJ iteration I saw to be a little cringe as well.

Oh. Too bad. I love their YouTube videos 

[Blackduck59]

On 3/22/2024 at 2:25 PM, KeyLimeKayak said:

We're on the Niuew Statendam. We've seen three acts on the World Stage so far. The magician/illusionist was fun, but music and dancing is nothing like it was.

Thanks for your eye witness report. I'm not sure it is fair to compare to what was, that is a recipe for disappointment. I think everyone needs to turn the page on "What was" and enter with an open mind. Was it a good show as a stand alone performance? Not compared to (insert previous show here). If you didn't like it, fair enough. I think you would find that a Paul McCartney show now isn't like it was 25 years ago. Give the new offerings a chance without comparing it to what was. One thing is for sure, what was isn't coming back, we can only hope that what is will continue to improve. I have to adopt this spirit of hope because we will be on Westerdam for 6 weeks around this time next year.

Edited March 23 by Blackduck59

[AliceS]

Holland lacks entertainment and losing BB King does not help.   Production shows are not to be compared with other lines and there is no Lincoln Center on Eurodam….just left there on 3/16.   Boardwalk was not good and Rolling Stone was just noise.   Love Holland for everything else, but entertainment?????

[Ken the cruiser]

19 minutes ago, AliceS said:

Holland lacks entertainment and losing BB King does not help.   Production shows are not to be compared with other lines and there is no Lincoln Center on Eurodam….just left there on 3/16.   Boardwalk was not good and Rolling Stone was just noise.   Love Holland for everything else, but entertainment?????

So if I might ask, what did you for entertainment during the evening hours after dinner on the Eurodam?

[Petronillus]

On 3/23/2024 at 1:44 PM, jeh10641 said:

Whatever the entertainment options are on a cruise ship, attending them is optional for the passengers. How many of us have created music playlists for our electronic devices (I have several depending on my mood; now I am listening to a You Tube Hawaiian music package that i heard many times)? How many times have you viewed a favorite Broadway show? On my recent Royal cruise, we went to see We Will Rock You (for the first time for us) and there was audience participation for many of the songs. Obviously, many attendees had seen this show many times. How many sporting events have you recorded that you want to watch again (and again and again)? I have several. Repetition is NOT a bad thing if you enjoyed what you saw.

 

Jim

Hear, hear!

I wonder how many people in the 19th century used to say, "Oh no! Not Beethoven's 9th again!"

I'm not saying future generations will remember the Step One Dance Company routines like we revere the Beethoven symphonies. But I do think that their four programs should be viewed and enjoyed as choreographed artworks akin to ballet. 

On our recent 28-day cruise aboard Westerdam, the Step One dancers performed each of their four programs twice. For us it was our first time with the one called Move. I was astounded at how well the choreography, staging, and effects adapted to suit Westerdam's proscenium stage. We were particularly graced with three top-notch couples who were equally balanced in their virtuosity. That's not always been the case.

It SODC has gone the way of LCS, I need to brace myself for another major disappointment.

 

BTW, I am of a wholly different opinion w/r/t BBC Earth. If I never have to see those infernal snakes again, I'll count myself lucky.

[KeyLimeKayak]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. We had only seen Step One twice, in 2019, before the shut down. So we were definitely not tired of repeat shows, but I can understand those who might be. Yes, there were 2 main singers with a small team of dancers. Very few props and they didn't utilize the full wrap-around screen. They were talented, no doubt, but still working out the timing and choreography. Our disappointment was the content: it was just a chaotic hodge-podge of music styles. Like a 1930s vaudeville style duet song & dance routine (yes, with canes!) jumping abruptly to George Michael and black leather. Just very disorganized with a lot of old, obscure songs many won't recognize. I don't mind a bit of cheesy for fun! But this show left many scratching their heads.