Art Show?

[cpcruiser]

I heard that they have art shows on the ships. Is this true? What kind of art do they sell and how do they go about doing it? Do they have someone auction it or just sell it? Does NOS do this also? Is this something worth going to? I would appreciate any information you have as this will be our first cruise.

 

Thank you!

[Travelgrrl]

IMHO, it's a ripoff. They are sponsored on RCI (and many other lines) by Park West Auctions; they offer free champagne to get you loosened up (an your wallet!), you see the same overpriced lithographs over and over and over again if you cruise enough.

 

My friend 'won' a door prize, but when she went to pick it up, they told her she would have to pay $35 shipping - thereby guaranteeing that they would make a profit on the basically worthless print. I told her to hang tough for something she could carry off the ship, and they gave her a couple of smaller prints instead. To me, a prize is a free prize, not something you must pay to have shipped. Other posters have mentioned seeing auctions where there were shills, or where no one bid but the auctioneer acted as if someone had, in order to bump up the price.

 

You'll hear back from others I'm sure that have had bad luck with Park West - and others who swear that their 'one of a kind' print really IS worth a lot more than they paid for it.

 

For my money, I'd rather buy an original from a local artist, either at home or in a port than waste money on an endlessly reproduced print that may not be worth the paper it's printed on, never mind the framing and shipping costs. But as with any art, it's all in the eye of the beholder!

 

Some people like to go to quaff the free champagne and have a hoot. That's always an option!

[Puffinater]

Suggest you search the forums on this subject there are a lot of posts about it. Some people enjoy them but it seems the majority consider them to be a waste of time and over priced.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Most ships do have an art "show". By that I refer to the fascinating original art and sculpture that appears throughout the ship. Of course that art is never for sale, but it does provide a very interesting show of different styles and approaches to art. You will not like all of it, I am sure, but you wouldn't in almost any museum.

 

For my taste the ship's art is far more compelling than that which is offered by the art auction...plus it is all original.

[phopte]

I think you will find a variety of opinions on the subject. Some people hate the auctions because of where they are held (How dare they use a public space that I want dedicated to my personal use!), the fact that it is a large corporation (Don't buy from them, spend your money on a local starving artist), it's rip-off (overpriced, hard sell, etc). :D Those that support the auctions generally like what they have gotten and are quite pleased. I think you probably will hear more from those that hate them than those that like them simply because most people that are unhappy with them seem to be more vocal.

 

As with anything, you need to be very aware of what you are getting. There are some bargains to be had and there are some problems that occur. Look at anything you are interested in an think about how much you might be willing to pay then don't go any higher. Art is so very subjective that something I might think is a wonderful deal others might think is an overpriced piece of junk! If you have a chance, look at the previews and then do a little research if you don't know anything about the art. A few dollars invested in some internet minutes will go a long way toward making you feel comfortable with your decision.

 

I have purchased a few things at the auctions. Some were less expensive items that we liked and will work wonderfully in the space we have for them. One was more and I bought it after several hours of careful consideration. Another, I absolutely loved and bought it for that reason. In no case did I buy it for an investment as you may hear pushed at the auction. Buy what you like for a price you can be happy with and then enjoy your purchase. As others have said, it can be better than losing it in the casino.:D

 

As always, this is my $.02 and your mileage *will* vary!

[Alexis]

I heard that they have art shows on the ships. Is this true? What kind of art do they sell and how do they go about doing it? Do they have someone auction it or just sell it? Does NOS do this also? Is this something worth going to? I would appreciate any information you have as this will be our first cruise.

 

Thank you!

 

This should keep you busy for the evening reading the good and bad of the "Art Auctions". :eek:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3423041

[BearySweet2Cruise]

if you do a search on Park West Gallery or Park West Auction. you will be quite enlightened to read about all the scams and rip offs..

Many cruisers paid ridiculous money for what was supposed to be worth triple on land.. but not worth the paper its printed on.. Hope that helps some.

 

I plan to go on our next trip just to get some free champaine, and that is gonna be it.. :)

[Alexis]

This should keep you busy for the evening reading the good and bad of the "Art Auctions". :eek:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3423041

 

Sorry, I posted the above information earlier and for some reason the link went bad. :confused:

Here it is again and it takes you to the right place..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3423889

[cpcruiser]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Your answers were what I thought they might be. It didn't sound like much to me but thought I would ask since I had never been before. Thanks for the letting me know I won't be missing much.

[Alexis]

Sorry, I posted the above information earlier and for some reason the link went bad. :confused:

Here it is again and it takes you to the right place..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3423889

 

Well the link worked last night. :confused: I am beginning to think I am not supposed to post a link to the search threads. That is two of them that disappeared.

Just do a search for "Park West Auctions". Under Royal Caribbean.

[Host Karen]

Alexis, don't know why your links aren't working, although the url looks different than the one I just copied. Let's try this one, which I think was likely one of the ones you found and try to post for the OP:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=338726&highlight=park+west+auctions

[Alexis]

Alexis, don't know why your links aren't working, although the url looks different than the one I just copied. Let's try this one, which I think was likely one of the ones you found and try to post for the OP:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=338726&highlight=park+west+auctions

 

Thanks for the help. I was not just bringing up one thread, but the page that has from 1 - 21 of them. I search Park West Auctions, RCCL.

At the top in address, this is what comes up.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=3426411

It will work and then disappear.

Now I clicked it 3 different times and it came up with the page with all the different threads to read.

Then, it will suddenly disappear and be a useless link. Is there a way to save it?? Thanks for any help.

This is what it says above the many threads.

Search Forums

 

 

 

Showing results 1 to 21 of 21

Search took 11.98 seconds; generated 4 minute(s) ago. Search: Key Word(s): Park, West, Auctions ; Forum: Royal Caribbean International and child forums

Thread / Thread Starter Last Post Replies Views Forum

Art Show?

[BayMan123]

Art Auctions...... can you say RIPOFF! Just another idea to get passengers to part with their money in a captivated atmosphere.

.

[Host Karen]

Alexis, I have no idea why that would happen, unless additional references to the search terms changes the url. I'm going to pass this on to someone at CruiseCritic and see if I can get an answer. You've got my curiousity going now!

 

Karen

[cruisePRN]

I sometimes go for the entertainment value. I think they are a rip off.

[Alexis]

Alexis, I have no idea why that would happen, unless additional references to the search terms changes the url. I'm going to pass this on to someone at CruiseCritic and see if I can get an answer. You've got my curiousity going now!

 

Karen

 

Thank you so much. I have always copied and pasted things from the search feature and posted them. They have never disappeared before.

I too am curious to know why??

Thank you for taking this time to see what the problem. I do appreciate it.

[Rala]

Phopte...I think the reason you hear more negative than positive about the art auctions is because there ARE MORE people who dislike them than like them, not because they are more vocal. Also, I do not object to the use of a public space, but how about a "closed in" public space like a lounge or the theater. They don't play Bingo in the Centrum. The art Auction is loud and takes up the entire Centrum for a good two hours plus set-up when you can hardly walk through it because of all the "art" propped up everywhere. On our last cruise on Vision they held the art auction way over to only one side of the centrum and the auctioneer's mike was turned down. This left the rest of the Centrum available to those of us not interested in the auction. Sounds like someone on the Vision was reading Cruise Critic !! Kudos to them! Maybe other ships will follow suit!!??

[Host Karen]

Alexis, here is the answer from CC's computer guru:

 

The search results return a unique ID, and after a time the ID is no longer valid so it won’t return that search page again; it forces you to re-run the search.

 

Now we've both learned something today!

 

Karen

[Trevoli]

The free champagne isn't all that great, so if that's your sole reason for attending, then I wouldn't bother.

 

If you've never attended an art auction before and have nothing else to do (these were the circumstances under which I went to my first auction: it was a sea day, it was raining, I was bored), then by all means go. If you don't like it, you can leave and you never have to attend another auction for the rest of your life.

 

Nobody will hold a gun to your head demanding that you buy something. Register to get a bid card and raffle tickets (it's free), and then if you see a graphic you like, you'll be ready to buy.

 

I learned a great deal about art and artists at my first auction, and I ended up buying a seriolithograph by Jean-Claude Picot. I still love it, and have bought several more pieces at Park West Auctions and a couple on Princess (they run their own auctions).

 

Are they worth what I paid? I don't know, especially when you take matting and framing into account. Do I have any buyer's remorse? No, because I still love my pieces and have fond memories surrounding the purchases. Did I have 'investing' in mind? Absolutely not.

 

As for the auctions encroaching into public places, I've never experienced that but it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. The auctions I've attended were in lounge areas, not in an atrium.

 

Are the 'free' pieces worth it? Depends on whether you like them or not. I won a 'free' print by Linda LeKniff recently. I knew there was going to be a shipping charge to get it to me and I was OK with that. If I'd seen the 'free' print and didn't like it, then I wouldn't have agreed to the shipping charge.

 

I've read posts from passengers saying that the auctioneer pretends there are bids being made in order to drive up the cost. I've never seen that happen, but that doesn't mean it hasn't occurred.

 

As another poster said, art is SOOO subjective. For instance, I absolutely hate Thomas Kincaid (talk about bringing sand to the beach), but others adore his stuff. There are lots of people out there who would shudder at the stuff that I buy, and I'm OK with that.

 

I have found the Princess and Park West Auctions to be totally upfront with what you're buying and how much you're going to pay for it (the buyer's premium, S&H, matting and framing if you choose).

 

If you think your art collecting $$ are better spent elsewhere, then go for it.

 

T

[Alexis]

Alexis, here is the answer from CC's computer guru:

 

The search results return a unique ID, and after a time the ID is no longer valid so it won’t return that search page again; it forces you to re-run the search.

 

Now we've both learned something today!

 

Karen

 

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all. (ME :D )

I will just have to copy one or two of the threads I need and post them.

I do appreciate your help. ;) Thank you again.

[cpcruiser]

Do the ships use the same auctioneers or do they change about? Any names of some good auctioneers that come to mind? Just curious.

[phopte]

Rala,

 

I was quoting from some of the other threads about why people don't like them. I do agree that when they take the entire space in the Centrum, it is a problem but then anything that goes on in the Centrum won't make everyone happy. On Sovereign a couple of weeks ago, they had two "teaser" events in the Centrum and then moved the main event to one of the lounge areas that was not in use during the day. Seemed to be a good compromise to have something in the Centrum to get people interested and then move the main event to a more out of the way locale.

 

I repectfully disagree that more people dislike than like for a couple of reasons. CC only represents a very small number of cruisers. I did not find out about CC until after my 3rd cruise and I am one of those people that tends to research stuff pretty heavily ahead of time. I know that Park West and I assume the others sell a ton of items each week (well over 3,000 per week for PW). If most of the people were unhappy, more complaints would be heard and the cruise lines would react to it.

 

Again, having said all of that, it is definitely a "buyer beware" situation and you need to be careful and not get carried away. There are some bargains to be had and some overpriced items. Also, as in most any situation, some auctioneers are probably more experienced and scrupulous than others and I may have been fortunate to have had only good experiences. IMHO I think that buyer's remorse might come into play in some of the issues we hear about - not all but some.

 

Phopte...I think the reason you hear more negative than positive about the art auctions is because there ARE MORE people who dislike them than like them, not because they are more vocal. Also, I do not object to the use of a public space, but how about a "closed in" public space like a lounge or the theater. They don't play Bingo in the Centrum. The art Auction is loud and takes up the entire Centrum for a good two hours plus set-up when you can hardly walk through it because of all the "art" propped up everywhere. On our last cruise on Vision they held the art auction way over to only one side of the centrum and the auctioneer's mike was turned down. This left the rest of the Centrum available to those of us not interested in the auction. Sounds like someone on the Vision was reading Cruise Critic !! Kudos to them! Maybe other ships will follow suit!!??

[KathyHKidd]

I've been to a ton of these auctions. I've even bought stuff occasionally. However, I finally got fed up with them and am not going to waste my time again. Even though I greatly enjoyed the psychology of watching people bid, the ripoff got so annoying to me that it was no longer worth it.

 

The auctioneers (and this is for the ParkWest auctions) give out free art, pretending it's worth a hundred dollars a pop. They give out hundreds of thousands of those things. There have been some prints I've gotten a half dozen times, and I only go on two cruises a year. Apparently this "art" is printed by the truckload.

 

What fooled me for a long time was the "pencil signature" at the bottom of each print. I realized ParkWest was printing these as fast as the presses would roll, but I thought at least the signatures were real until I started comparing them with the signatures on my identical prints. Nope -- the signatures are exactly the same. And this is as true for the "$500 prizes" as it is for the free stuff you get for sitting through an auction. If you win that prize, you're not even getting an autograph.

 

When I took one of my "$500 prizes" to get framed, the person at the framery said that this particular piece of art was THE most common piece of art she framed in the Williamsburg Pottery Factory, which is a HUGE framing company. Mind you that this was a Tarkay piece and Tarkay is under exclusive contract to ParkWest, so people aren't getting it on land. That particular print has been given out so often that it is essentially worthless -- and even the signature isn't real.

 

I don't drink, so I can't vouch for the champagne. Going to the auction IS fun if you're going to watch who bids and for what, and if there's nothing else to do. But if you want to buy any of the artwork, make sure you really like it because there's no way you're ever going to be able to sell it for what you paid for it. Its only value is how pretty it looks when it's on your wall.

 

KHK

(older, but wiser)

[LonW]

Caveat emptor: The axiom or principle in commerce that the buyer alone is responsible for assessing the quality of a purchase before buying.

 

I have bought art at the auctions, but I am collector and know what I am buying. Signatures are real on the pieces Park West sells so KathyHKidd is just wrong. Artists sign hundreds of these prints and signatures will not all look the same. If you want to do some art research check out artprice.com, it is a member only site. It is not cheap but if you want to collect art it is well worth it.

Buy what you like and don't get the framing and appraisal that park west offers. The appraisal Park West sells is not worth the paper it is printed on. You can get it framed and matted cheaper at a local shop. I do my own framing and matting. Park West has some good prices, but most of the items are over priced, and people get caught up in the bidding and over pay for the art.

Peter Max is a good example, if you buy one of his originals from Park West, you will pay more than if you go to a Peter Max art show. Bought my Peter Max at a show in Ohio, got to meet Mr. Max and he did a personalized drawing on the backing paper. It cost a lot less than what they sell at Park West, and it was already framed.

[Rala]

Hi phopte,

You make some very valid points and I do agree with much of what you say. I guess they must be a big money-maker for RCI or they wouldn't still be around. My main complaint was the monopolizing the Centrum. From what I observed on the Vision and what you experienced on Sovereign, maybe they are trying some new schemes. Let's hope so! Your reply to me was most eloquent and respectful (not always the case here) and I meant no disrespect in my comments. Nice to have "met" you here on CC! Have a great summer!