Can you hear me now? Is Princess cranking up the volume to excessive levels?

[jwave]

thanks I now know what MUTS is.

[Skitter]

We don't go to many of the shows because of the loud music. Louder is NOT better.

Skitter

[Druke I]

I don't care for "loudness" either, but haven't noticed any change in sound levels after the Carnival acquistion of Princess.

 

Like several posters above, I don't care for some on the land-based restaurants with high volumes that interfere with normal conversation.

[halos]

Since Carnival bought Princess I suspected that Princess cruise directors were turning up the loudness in the theaters and deck parties. .

 

 

{sigh} why, oh why do people blame Carnival when something goes wrong on their newly aquired by Carnival line???

My last sailing with Carnival was beautiful...Miracle, June 2004...no loud announcements...no drunken idiots food was amazing, (lobster tail done to perfection) service impeccable.

Maybe you should try Carnival next time????

[TwoCruisers]

For the past several years my wife and I have found that the sound for the evening shows is way too loud. It seems that the people in charge of setting the sound levels think that louder is better. I do bring plugs for the shows. I also make comments on the questionnaire, but I think this suggestion falls on deaf ears. Probably deaf because they listen to the loud music all of the time. This is not unique to Princess Cruises. I have found the same problem on Celebrity too.

[whiterose]

Noise is the number one cause of hearing loss in this country. They estimate that about 10 million of us have damaged our hearing through loud noise. Sad thing is there is no cure and it did not have to happen. When we enounter excessive noise we need to speak up and tell the restaurant, movie theater, cruise ship whatever that we do not like the noise and will take our business someplace that will not damage our hearing.

 

I have had a hearing loss all of my adult life and believe me it is no fun. You do not want to have this happen to you so please I beg you speak up and let them know that louder is definitely not better.

[rs12065]

Sounds to me like wOkie is not a personal injury attorney, but more likely an engineer. I cringe everytime one of my patients is an engineer, because I know I am in a no win situation.

I can't believe someone brought a sound measuring device on a cruise. CRUISING IS FOR FUN.......IT'S A FREAKIN' VACATION. YES, WOKIE, GET A LIFE. THROW THE DECIBLE MEASURING DEVICE OVERBOARTD AND GO GET A PINA COLADA AND CHILL OUT.

I have not been aware of excessive sound levels on Princess. Of course, as my kids tell me, I do have selective hearing.

Sheesh, scientific measuring of decibles on a cruise?????????? Kill me if I ever do that.

Dr. Bob

[TwoCruisers]

Sounds to me like wOkie is not a personal injury attorney, but more likely an engineer. I cringe everytime one of my patients is an engineer, because I know I am in a no win situation.

I can't believe someone brought a sound measuring device on a cruise. CRUISING IS FOR FUN.......IT'S A FREAKIN' VACATION. YES, WOKIE, GET A LIFE. THROW THE DECIBLE MEASURING DEVICE OVERBOARTD AND GO GET A PINA COLADA AND CHILL OUT.

I have not been aware of excessive sound levels on Princess. Of course, as my kids tell me, I do have selective hearing.

Sheesh, scientific measuring of decibles on a cruise?????????? Kill me if I ever do that.

Dr. Bob

I do agree with you, that bringing a device on a cruise, to measure decibels, is ridiculous. I don’t need the device to know if the music or other sounds are too loud. The fact is that the volume on the Princess shows IS loud enough to:

1) Be very disturbing.

2) Be painfull.

3) Damage hearing.

 

If you can’t discern that for yourself, maybe you already have a hearing loss. Even if you don’t, why do you badger others who are annoyed by the volume?

[bottledweller]

since we are not all "annoyed by the volume" why not just carry ear plugs? If you ask me, it could have been a little louder and livelier on the Star a few weeks ago. The ship was dead after the show let out and if I heard that stupid song Red Red wine one more time I think I would have spontainiously combusted.

[TwoCruisers]

since we are not all "annoyed by the volume" why not just carry ear plugs? If you ask me, it could have been a little louder and livelier on the Star a few weeks ago. The ship was dead after the show let out and if I heard that stupid song Red Red wine one more time I think I would have spontainiously combusted.

I guess you also would request that nonsmokers wear gas masks so the smokers can indulge whenever and wherever they like?

[Hondu]

I too have a noise induced hearing loss. What is also called sensorineural hearing loss. Let me tell you, I would not wish it on my ex-wife.

 

There are too many people that accept loudness as a given. Just like back in the 50s, 60s and 70's when we accepted smoking as normal and not as a death agent.

[Singinman]

I did not notice excessive noise on the Diamond last may even though, on the first three days of the cruise, the entertainers were the only ones who seemed to care about the passengers having a good time.

 

I do not carry a sound meter or earplugs. When things get too lound, I just leave. As a choral singer, my most valuable asset is good hearing. My eyes do not know the difference between A flat and G sharp, but my ears know. So, when noise threatens my ears, I go.

 

Now that I am sensitized to the issue, I will report on the Coral after our May cruise.

 

Jim from VA

[Lefty Bob]

When we were eating out last month, we asked to turn down the sound. The answer was -- "but the waiters like it loud." Good thinking?

[donna5]

When we were eating out last month, we asked to turn down the sound. The answer was -- "but the waiters like it loud." Good thinking?

That's when I say, "Then I have no choice but to leave. Thank-you." Most times they will comply.If they don't I won't stay.

[catdancers]

We're just off the Grand and were about blasted out of the Vista Lounge during the Princess Idol finals on Friday night. We made a note to bring ear plugs next time. It was so loud that the singers (except for one) were overshadowed by the recordings.

[bdjam]

[quote name='w0kie']I bought the sound level meter to measure sound levels in Tulsa's Performing Arts Center and at Cinemark. Levels in excess of 90 decibels seem to hurt my ears. What's odd is that I'm a little hard of hearing. Not having cruised on Carnival I'm not a judge of Carnival. I am only a Princess cruise critic and have noticed a change. It seems to me that either Princess is getting louder or I'm growing less tolerant or both. At 105 decibels it doesn't matter what I think. It does matter, at least in the United States, what OSHA thinks.[/QUOTE]
[font='Comic Sans MS']I wish I had some free time... :rolleyes: [/font]
[font='Comic Sans MS'][QUOTE][font=Verdana]I guess you also would request that nonsmokers wear gas masks so the smokers can indulge whenever and wherever they like?[font='Comic Sans MS'][/font][/font][/QUOTE] :rolleyes: :rolleyes: [/font]
[font='Comic Sans MS'][/font][font='Comic Sans MS'][/font]
[font='Comic Sans MS'][/font]

[NorcalGuy]

[quote name='dbeckett']
The only time I did not have my moulded ear plugs with me was on my first princess cruise - since then they have been on a number of cruises. I wear them everynight at the show - it surprises me that more people don't.
[/QUOTE]

Very good idea. I'm going to pack those next time. It was a little loud for me also (and I do have a life. lol).

[bottledweller]

[quote name='TwoCruisers'][font='Times New Roman'][font=Verdana][size=2]I guess you also would request that nonsmokers wear gas masks so the smokers can indulge whenever and wherever they like?[/size][/font][/font][/QUOTE]
Hey, why not try it? Then you can hang out with that wild and crazy guy with the sound meter.

[Princess Chatterer]

[quote name='srpilo']Just Curious..You don't happen to be a "Personal Injury Attorney" do you ?...... Ummm? Srpilo[/QUOTE]

I'm just a bean counter aka a CPA.

[smudge's mom]

Loud music/sound is a pet peeve for me also. When in restaurants with friends, I usually comment to management on the loudness of the music - like someone already said - if you have to shout for your dinner partner to hear you - the sound is too loud.

DH's response to my complaints is that we shouldn't come to these places. However, that's the real problem - most casual dining venues have loud music now.

Those who complain about the noise may be "hearing" as I do. When the sound is too loud, everything is distorted. At most concerts, the sound is so distorted, I can not discern the words to the songs. At the last two conerts, I wore my ear plugs - which takes the level down enough that I can hear the words - however, they are really uncomfortable to wear.

Don't go to the concerts? Yeah, I guess that's the real answer - but why - in this day and age of really sophisticated sound systems - is it necessary to crank the volume up beyond common sense?

[size=3]Louder isn't necessarily better - it's just louder.[/size]

And for those of you picking on the guy who brought his sound meter along - jeez. He was just trying to ascertain whether he was getting "old and cranky" or whether he had a valid point.

Why must people on these boards have to be so nasty to someone with a differing viewpoint? :mad:

[Princess Chatterer]

I pity the cruise directors staff and the waiters at those 105 decibel deck parties. They are the ones who will carry permanent hearing loss after their career with Princess is over. You all can joke here in this thread but I believe that this is a serious matter. I've learned that the captain isn't in charge of the sound levels on his ship. The person in charge is the cruise director. When one of the top five complaints that the stage manager receives on the Island Princess is about the excessive sound level in the Princess Theater you would think the sound guys would turn it down. Not so. The cruise director seems to think that rock concert level enhances the theater experience. The experience of having your theater seat shake from the booming sound volume. Even in the Vista Lounge on disembarkation day the Island Princess had the TV sound turned up to ear hurting levels, even with nobody else yet in the lounge. I gave myself permission to reach over the rail behind the mixer board and turn it down. If Princess continues to blast my ears off I'll continue to bring my sound meter, continue to bring my ear plugs and continue to complain to any officer on the ship that will listen, that is if they still have any hearing left.

[Princess Chatterer]

I'm on the Diamond Princess right now and yes I brought my sound meter. Princess Theater is as loud as ever but haven't tested it yet. I'll do that tonight. The big surprise on the Diamond is the loudness of the toilets. You can hear those baby's all the way up and down the hall. As you walk down the long hallways all you hear is ruump, ruump, ruump in cadence over and over and over. I'm sure that this must be the new theme song of the Diamond Princess. Naturally I couldn't wait to take a sound level measurment. Please quite laughing. It's not a laughing matter. At the start of the flush I measured 110 decibels. At the close of the flush it pegged my meter at over 120 decibels. When you are standing in the WC and hit the flush button is hurts your ears. It's loud enough to wake up your spouse in the middle of the night with the WC door shut tight. Looks like I'm going to upgrade to an industrial strength sound meter which can read screaming jet engine type, ear drum breaking noise levels when ever I cruise again on a Diamond class ship. Hey, I'm just trying to warn you and protect you and me from permanent hearing loss on a Princess cruise.

[spongerob]

[quote name='w0kie'] Please quite laughing. It's not a laughing matter. [/QUOTE]

Then why am I in tears? "Ruump, ruump, ruump!" What a way with words. :)

OK, I'm better now. Check out Skywalkers if you would, too, please. I can't stand nightclubs (never could) because I could never tell if the girl I was chatting up was telling me to FROAD or offering to take me home. I usually guessed wrong.

[bdjam]

[quote name='w0kie']II've learned that the captain isn't in charge of the sound levels on his ship. The person in charge is the cruise director. When one of the top five complaints that the stage manager receives on the Island Princess is about the excessive sound level in the Princess Theater you would think the sound guys would turn it down. Not so. The cruise director seems to think that rock concert level enhances the theater experience. [/QUOTE]
[font='Comic Sans MS']Actually, it’s not the Cruise Director either. Each ship has staff members who handle sound duties for shows and lounges. Unfortunately, it seems the training that they receive is minimal. But the Cruise Directors have no direct control over the sound ship-wide.[/font]

[Mbouck1]

I agree with one of the posters about those that have to bring a sound measuring device on their cruise "GET A LIFE"
My feeling is that if you feel the noise is TOO loud then you can go back to your room and try to figure another way to ruin your cruise.