The Lincoln Center groups are only recent. Prior classical groups (quartets or duos) were a mixed bag, some excellent, some a bit strained, and some maybe had not even worked together very long as an ensemble.
I suspect this prior inconsistent quality - hit or miss- was why HAL went with the higher end LC branding. But that did make the LC option vulnerable to the current cost-cutting demands many cruise line face post-"covid".
Yes. Audition calls for LC were quoting $5,000.00 a player. Even with the pare down from quintet to quartet, that was $20,000 per ship. With 3 Vista Class, 2 Signature Class and 3 Pinnacle Class, that's 8 ships X $20,000 = $160,000 HAL saved. Pre-Lincoln Center contracts, the resident talent in classical was very much a crap shoot. I remember this violin/piano duo that made my undergraduate students sound like Menuhin/Horowitz. We thought we lost them when we booked another cruise that same year on a different ship. Nope. They were there, too. With such punishment, HAL made more, for our bar bill went up. HAL knew their true worth: they made the duo sell stuff at the deck sales on sea days. . . . no kidding! Yes, we are sad about LC and have communicated with the company more than once to no avail. HAL is more interested in developing the casinos.
No more classical music?!
in Holland America Line
Posted
Yes. Audition calls for LC were quoting $5,000.00 a player. Even with the pare down from quintet to quartet, that was $20,000 per ship. With 3 Vista Class, 2 Signature Class and 3 Pinnacle Class, that's 8 ships X $20,000 = $160,000 HAL saved. Pre-Lincoln Center contracts, the resident talent in classical was very much a crap shoot. I remember this violin/piano duo that made my undergraduate students sound like Menuhin/Horowitz. We thought we lost them when we booked another cruise that same year on a different ship. Nope. They were there, too. With such punishment, HAL made more, for our bar bill went up. HAL knew their true worth: they made the duo sell stuff at the deck sales on sea days. . . . no kidding! Yes, we are sad about LC and have communicated with the company more than once to no avail. HAL is more interested in developing the casinos.