OnTheJourney

LOL..he's a good guy. I have great respect for him after how he handled things with our Northern Lights sailing back in '19, and then also what he publicly stated during the Invitational Chairman's cruise this past May. He was on that sailing, along with Karine, her husband, and the dogs.

Makes sense. Much more ive music taking place when walking around on RCL or X in the various lounges, etc.

Curious...what sort of "things" did you feel you were prevented from doing? There's always the option of just chilling out in the wintergarten. No live music taking place there at all except for during tea. Great place, we always found, for just reading in a quiet setting - or also the seating areas right outside the wintergarten. Explorer's lounge too. During the day...no music at all. Mamson's..same thing. Warmer weather, of course, one's own balcony is always good. The atrium areas, except for when there is live music, also seem quiet and relaxed - people playing various games or working on a jigsaw puzzle. A bit confused as to what you're referring to. Could it be you're looking for more organized, group-type social events on a sea day? During our cruise the big thing was baggo...crew vs. guests. Threw the bag (or whatever) down the staircase. Once again, somehow expected that sort of thing on a larger cruise line. It was fun for all involved I have no doubt...but made for a good bit of extra noise while passing through the atrium areas. Also lots of people standing around the railings looking down on it. I think they did it every sea day. Will probably become a Viking tradition. Some activities are probably dictated to some extent by who the cruise director is.

Huh....find that hard to believe. I can't recall encountering much of any live music unless venturing into a bar or later evening, which we don't do anyway. Except for whomever was playing during tea, theatre shows and either piano or string duo in the atrium at various times, I don't think we heard any other live music.

No chance whatsoever that it would have been Sofia!

I heard a guy there one night basically singing a variety of pop music. Essentially the guitar was pretty much just to accompany himself. However, we've heard another guitarist on Viking that often played during tea who is primarily an instrumentalist at heart and accomplished. Having been a professional musician and public school music educator my entire life, I'd like to think that I'm a pretty adequate judge of what I'm hearing.

Who was it? Sofia Vasheruk? Can't imagine who would classify her as being merely "ok" at performing classical or any other genre. She's a highly skilled, award-winning concert level performer, and so very good technically. Her pop performances also very well done. Being a pianist, organist, and guitarist myself (music has been my whole career), I zoomed in on her music pad from up above out of curiosity while watching her play. Note for note she executed flawlessly and NOT easy arrangements by any means. I just didn't sense the same depth of feeling that she puts into her classical selections. It may well have been someone else on your sailing.

Well, alot better IMHO than bringing on female pop performers covering stuff by Taylor Swift or Adele. That'd be my turn to run the other direction....

LOL....I get it. Each to his or her own for sure! 😆 Admittedly, this is not my favorite part of classical music. I do enjoy listening...for awhile...and can greatly admire the talent needed to accomplish the pieces. I'm more of an orchestral bent when it comes to classical preference. This makes sense given that at some point us baby boomers either won't be here anymore or else no longer in adequate physical condition to hop on cruise ships 🙁 True enough. As my Mom is fond of saying, "nothing stays the same". Much of what Viking is and has been is a product of Torstein's vision for it. Obviously, he won't be here forever either, so then it falls on Karine, or whomever after her, to continue to help shape the vision of what a Viking cruise should be. Thing is, I can quite honestly get the theatre pop shows done better - and more elaborately - on RCL or X since they have the bigger casts and likely the production $ to accomplish it. Viking was a nice alternative for something different. People, generally speaking, tend to like things that they know and are familiar with. Viking has always sort of defined itself by what it doesn't have - including kids, casinos, photographers, umbrella drinks and such. Target market is surely the 55+ retired group (though 50s appears to be the low end of things) curious about exploring their world "in comfort" (as the advertising goes...). Bring kids onboard and it will lose that sense of greater calmness and quiet not to be found as much on the behemoths of the seas. Bring casinos and that invities a different sort of demographic as well. Musical offerings - in whatever form - are likely to have the least amount of impact as to who decides to travel with Viking or not if the rest of the product remains basically the same.

Curious...in what way?

And yet...the cello / violin duo plays alot of pop tunes. We greatly enjoyed listening to them for a bit in the atrium after dinner. But Sofia playing pop stuff on piano somehow just didn't quite work for me. As a musician, I didn't sense the same love or feeling for what she was playing as when she does her amazing classical selections.

He was amazing. Helped in a great way to make Brady achieve the numbers that he did. I thought it was cool how he followed Brady to Tampa Bay. Winning the SB in the first season there was also amazing. LOL....I get it. My big thing is...I don't like dynasties...in any sport. I like to see a variety of teams get their chance at the big titles. Thus, I was not a Patriots fan. It was like...enough already. Now, I'm starting to feel that way about KC. I'm not a great Eagles fan either, though, so really didn't care much who won this last one. Mahomes is great, but I'm tired of him at this point too.

Understood completely. As I said, surveys have likely reflected your thoughts and hence some more variety being added. That said, fleeing from a show “in horror” is surely an exaggeration? My attraction to Viking was partly due to them not being as mainstream in what they generally offer compared to some other larger lines. It all comes down to satisfying and meeting the needs of the demographic that is loyal to them. Surely some devoted fans of classical music likely had your same sort of reaction to the more pop oriented performances. Covid has also changed how the travel industry operates in some ways. I agree that presenting a variety is a good thing but depending on how far it goes it could start to alter other facets of what makes Viking who they are. Suppose enough surveys come back urging them to start letting younger (under 18s) on board, or to allow a bit of casino action, or the opportunity for professional photos. I’m probably going over the top here but just suggesting that any cruise line will probably give in at some point to doing, adding, or changing whatever that will best fill up the ships.

Agreed that the vocalists did a great job. Band is always good, on any cruise line I’ve sailed with. No brass players on the Sky last month though and so lots of parts dubbed in. It was basically just a rhythm section that accompanied the singers. Might have been a different magician. The one on our sailing was ok but not up to others we’ve seen. At least one show that reflected the local culture would have been nice. That’s why I said the overall feel seems to be going more mainstream.

And sometimes hardly anyone in the pool. That was my experience twice on my recent cruise last month. Had the whole thing to myself. A few people sitting around finishing a leisurely lunch. It made for a quiet and most enjoyable swim. There’s also a hot tub right there.

Not just my standards. I’m not even sure that it’s a matter of meeting anyone’s standards per se but rather just a general observation. Behavior in a dining room should be a bit more respectfully quiet and reserved as opposed to being in a noisy bar.

That would very possibly be the same guitarist that is frequently on their ships. During the near fateful day on the Sky on March 23, 2019, the guitarist (same guy I'm referring to) was doing "My Heart will go On" during lunch (LOL)..while the ship is already starting to toss and turn. That was probably the last musical selection played during what was left of that cruise...which wasn't much.

Nope....I'm done with that. It's a good song, as many that Neil wrote, but the use of it on cruises turned me off to it at this point! Well stated...I enjoyed your entire post as well!

LOL....good one. I think you might well be right. Retirement doesn't seem to suit him well, and somehow have trouble picturing him in the broadcast booth. Ever since deflategate and spygate I sort of lost some respect for the GOAT. Guy's a sore loser too. Temper tantrums on the sidelines.

All very well said and true enough!! We didn't go to the cruise director's show. I agree on catching up with port talks and lectures that we missed by being out on excursions. Nope...I say keep it the way it is cause it's already something different and unique. Some of the other more typical food choices I can get in World Cafe. Less so on Viking...I thought anyway....until probably more recently. But corporate has a choice in what they want to bring on the ships. I still say they're responding to surveys that are clamoring for more pop-style entertainment similar to what is typically found on more mainstream lines. And, as I said, a change in the crowd behavior as to being quite loud and animated at times - maybe I just got unlucky as to who was sitting next to us but it was pretty much every night once the groups of 6 came in. Nice and quiet when we came in the dining room around 6:00 but by the time we finished eating the place was rocking.

Yeah but this was Italy, Greece, and Israel. How about a bit of entertainment that matched the culture and places we were visiting?

Nah...wouldn't go that far. Well done arrangements I thought.

LOL..exactly! Beatles show was surely good, as was Abba, but I hoped for a bit more intimate, subdued entertainment a few nights. The comedian the one night was really bad. I don't think RCL would have even accepted him. The broadway singer was a prima donna - really liked herself. She was good also, but too glitzy (literally) and over-the-top. She indicated at the start that she likes to really "belt it out"...sure enough.

I think you missed or else misinterpreted my point. The Beatles and Abba show were exactly what we saw. But then the onboard vocalists and instrumentalists also did a few other shows that are more pop-oriented. A solo singer did a show too - can't recall her name. What we saw and heard, while good, were not quite what I expected to see on Viking. The other thing is...the ship felt louder than usual. Larger groups would come in for dinner (table of 6) and became quite noisy every night. Too much alcohol? In general, a louder, more boisterous feel to it at times. Goes along with another thread here on CC about a decline in behavioral standards I suppose.

Never thought I'd hear "Sweet Caroline" on a Viking ship (complete with the ubiquitous "so good...so good...so good" as people waved their arms and sang along. I can get that on RCL. More production-type shows in the theatre the way it seems, along with comedians and other types of acts. Just didn't expect that. I suppose, from surveys, this is what people are maybe indicating they want. Also never expected to hear Sophia playing pop and show tunes on the piano. Way below her extraordinary ability level for one thing. I'm thinking they are trying to appeal to a different (younger) demographic maybe? Hope they don't change the lovely and subdued new-age-type music being played in the dining room and world cafe in favor of louder and more distracting pop music. Anybody else notice a slightly different change during their sailings?