HAL says goodbye to Filipino bands

[Ebikini]

We just got off a 12 day cruise on the Veendam. We learned that HAL intends to eliminate the Filipino bands that typically play in the Ocean Bar and have the only dance band on board their "HAL Cats". This band plays music more in tune with a "Carnival" crowd and is quite inept at playing proper ballroom dance music. We have always enjoyed dancing after dinner to the music of these small Filipino groups and have written to Holland America Lines telling them that for us this is a deal breaker and we will find another line to cruise on if they do not provide music more in tune with their traditionally mature clientele.

[RuthC]

It will be a shame if Screecher and the HALCats is the only choice, besides the strings in the Explorers Lounge, for music after dinner. HAL has already ruined the Piano Bars, for the most part. That has rarely been a decent area for the last several years. Now, the Ocean Bar gone, too. :(

I think the musicians in the HALCats are good, sometimes even better than good. But the singers are less than accomplished.

The Filipino bands I have listened to have been very, very good. I'll miss them.

[Himself]

I wish they would bring back the Filipino group that used to play in the EXPLORERS LOUNGE. They played classical music and they were outstanding.

[kakalina]

Ahh yes the sounds of the Rosario Strings. This will make a huge difference in the time spent in the OB. Of course, if it goes non smoking I won't be spending much time there anyway. But to just have Screamette and the Hal Cats, not good.

[luxurysailer]

We found out about this change on our last HAL cruise about a year ago. This is definitely a change for the worse in our opinion. The HAL Cats were very talented; but, due to commitments in other areas, performed in the dance lounge (Queen's Lounge) only a few nights during the entire cruise. And the combo that played nightly in the Ocean Bar was the pits, not to mention that the floor was so small that only three or four couples could dance at a time.

 

We have booked a cruise in July with Princess and will probably cruise with Princess again in April 2010. A significant factor in our decision is that Princess offers much better opportunities for dancing.

 

I think HAL is going to find out that what it used to be doesn't count for very much.

 

By the way RuthC, what have they done to the Piano Bar?

[usha]

It really is quite a shame that HAL won't be having the Filipino bands anymore. DH & I really enjoyed "Counterpoint", the guys who played & sang so well on our Westerdam cruise in February.

We also enjoyed Charlie & the HALcats.

(Being a singer in a band myself,) I think it's really a shame to see that some posters feel they must come up with nasty nicknames for the female singers in the bands. :(

[mszula]

This is such a shame. Last month on the Maasdam this group was extremely popular. Rosario Strings played at dinner and then in the Explorers Lounge from 9-11pm (I believe that was the correct timing). It was standing room only for them after dinner. They were amazingly good.

Here we have the HAL Cats driving people away from the Lido and HAL is getting rid of the only popular musicians that they have.

:rolleyes:

[Toad]

Just wondering, does anyone appreciate the HAL cats?

[bepsf]

Here we have the HAL Cats driving people away from the Lido and HAL is getting rid of the only popular musicians that they have.

 

If HAL keeps it up with stupid decisions like this, they'll be driving away folks from more than just the Lido...

 

...HAL is becoming more and more the Oldsmobile of Carnival Corporation every day.

[Pam in CA]

There was an excellent group in the Ocean Bar on the Amsterdam when we were on her in January. It was our favorite place to be and thoroughly enjoyed the music. And yes, there were people dancing every evening.

[rochelle_s]

Just wondering, does anyone appreciate the HAL cats?

 

Based on the ones I have seen I can say for myself a definate NO. I did enjoy the entertainment in the Ocean bar though. Someone posted in an earlier post that the HALcats appealed to the younger passangers. I consider myself a younger HAL passanger and I would be happy if I never heard them again. My experience has been that they were way too loud and it did sound like screeching.

 

Rochelle

[bepsf]

Just wondering, does anyone appreciate the HAL cats?

 

 

Just one person:

 

Bill Prince.

 

(Caesars sure is lucky he went to work for HAL)

:cool:

[Southbound]

Ahh yes the sounds of the Rosario Strings. This will make a huge difference in the time spent in the OB. Of course, if it goes non smoking I won't be spending much time there anyway.

But to just have Screamette and the Hal Cats, not good.

 

From what I've been told and also have read on this forum, the n/s policy in the OB is already a done deal on the entire fleet. Couple that with replacing the wonderful & very talented Filipino bands (Sea Breeze is phenomenal, as is the Basul Trio & Crossover) with the Hal Cats and the OB will become as popular a venue as the Park West Gallery was. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

 

[Cerinda]

Just one person:

Bill Prince.

If anyone can give me an email for him, I'd write HAL hq, too: if there's no proper dance band on board on our New Years cruise on the Oosterdam, that will probably be the last HAL cruise for this "younger demographic" family of five as well.

[ProfHaroldHill]

Just to clear what seems to be some confusion up...all Ocean Bars on all ships WILL still have a band. Instead of hiring a (typically) Filipino band as a group, however, they're going to hire individual musicians and put them together as a band, just like the HALcats. A pianist/singer, bass, and drums.

 

The groups will all be called the "Neptunes" on every ship.

 

Just sharing what I know with everyone...:)

[michmike]

clearly HAL has never heard those magic words... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

 

The Ocean Bar was consistently full on our recent Westerdam trip and there were a lot of dancers. Everyone enjoying themselves. While not dancers ourselves, we always enjoy sitting in the lounge listening to the band and watching the dancers.

 

A change like this just makes one shake their head....

[Petronillus]

HAL is becoming more and more the Oldsmobile of Carnival Corporation every day.

OUCH!

Thank you, Professor Harold Hill, for the news about the Neptunes -- a valuable clarification indeed. I can't imagine taking a cruise without benefit of a dance band. The question is, will the Neptunes use your famous "think" system? (You did graduate from the Gary Conservatory of Music, class of '04, didn't you? ;))

[Dolphins]

I recall one particular excellent trio on HAL that performed in the Ocean Bar. They were Veronica on keyboard and vocal accompanied by Edgar and Billy on drums and guitar. She performed a rare vocal rendition of the cult classic John Barry theme "Somewhere in Time." This trio's version of the anthem of our generation "Moonlight Serenade" was always appreciated by the ballroom dancers in the Ocean Bar. I believe the group was called "City Lights" and it is a pity that talented musicians like this are being phased out by HAL. Does HAL think ballroom dancers are a dying breed?

[FireIce0010]

If HAL keeps it up with stupid decisions like this, they'll be driving away folks from more than just the Lido...

 

...HAL is becoming more and more the Oldsmobile of Carnival Corporation every day.

 

It's just a sign of the times. Cut backs are everywhere on every cruise line. It is sad though.

[pipedreams62]

Does HAL think ballroom dancers are a dying breed?

 

Let's rethink this

[RuthC]

By the way RuthC, what have they done to the Piano Bar?

There's two things I'm referring to here.

First is the coming physical change to the area. The Piano Bar is being taken out of the S-class ships, and being combined with the Casino Bar in an area called Mix. I fear the intimacy will be lost. I have spent many (many, many) happy hours there. It looks like that atmosphere will now be gone.

The second thing I'm referring to is the quality of the entertainers (for the most part) that have been in the Piano Bars/Piano Lounges in recent years. True, there have been some quality performers, but fewer and fewer than in the more distant past.

HAL is hiring people who don't have an extensive repertoire, can't/won't read the audience and play to them, are wayyy too loud (way, way, way too loud! :eek:), don't plan selections for the evening, don't have a lot of finesse.

 

Once upon a time, it was rare to find a poor performer in the Piano Bar; today it's rare to find a good one.

[Ebikini]

Here is the address to send comments about the Filipino bands or any other suggestions you might have.

 

Office of the President

Holland America Line

300 Elliott Ave. West

Seattle, WA 98119

Attn: Guest Relations

 

Good Luck!

[Odd Ball]

I am confused on this. :confused: I have seen bands in the Ocean Bar that were not Filipino. Did I miss Hal changing to Filipino somewhere along the line ?

Whatever........... Eliminating a band in the Ocean Bar is a bad move. First it was the Crows Nest (pre dinner) and now the Ocean Bar.

The changes coming to the Piano Bar sounds like a disaster for all us Piano Bar lovers.

[Sir PMP]

We just got off a 12 day cruise on the Veendam. We learned that HAL intends to eliminate the Filipino bands that typically play in the Ocean Bar and have the only dance band on board their "HAL Cats". This band plays music more in tune with a "Carnival" crowd and is quite inept at playing proper ballroom dance music. We have always enjoyed dancing after dinner to the music of these small Filipino groups and have written to Holland America Lines telling them that for us this is a deal breaker and we will find another line to cruise on if they do not provide music more in tune with their traditionally mature clientele.

 

They should replace the Filipinos with an Indonesian band, they rock even better! The HAL cats are not bad, we had last year Jenny & the Cats on the Zuiderdam in Europe (they even let a band member of the Jerry Lee Lewis band who was on the cruise play the piano on stage, in the QL) but the problem is that they need to play on stage when there is a show going on which means no music anywhere else.

 

I think the government should step in and fire Kruse, like what happened at GM, and give HAL $ 5 billion to fix the entertainment problem..;)

[Tricia724]

It will be a shame if Screecher and the HALCats is the only choice..... :(

 

Kinda what I was thinking, but a lot funnier the way you said it.

 

I am really sorry to hear that these bands are going to be axed. On our last few HAL cruises, the only dance/pop/social music on the ship that we really enjoyed was the band in the Ocean Bar. (We like the strings, but that's a whole different ballgame.) A couple of times they had some of the musicians from the orchestra play in the Crow's Nest, but for some reason, they played a lot of progressive jazz, which chased away the dancers....and most of the other passengers, too.

 

Honestly, on our last cruise, the woman singing with the HALCats was the worst I've heard yet, and actually the musicians were no great shakes either. I would hate to think that they would be the only band available on a future cruise.