The Incredible SHRINKING Band!!

[*Mach*]

I discussed this topic with Carnival's Director of On Board Entertainment about a month ago.

Bottom line, there are only so many berths available for crew and staff and virtually every one of those cabins/berths are used. When people are added in one department (like adding the comedians for the Punchliner...) something else has to be cut to accommodate that change. Those cuts have come mainly from the number of musicians on board...

:)

[gargoyle999]

LOL

 

HERE is where I found it :)

 

 

BTW -- good luck on your B2B sailing. I can't see them pushing it back again (I HOPE)!

 

haha..ok. I may post it on facebook just for laughs.

 

Just made final payment on the 2nd leg of the B2B today. Thought I was safe but now not so sure. Hopefully no issues but I really feel for the people joining either of my cruises who are now on try number 3.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I discussed this topic with Carnival's Director of On Board Entertainment about a month ago.

Bottom line, there are only so many berths available for crew and staff and virtually every one of those cabins/berths are used. When people are added in one department (like adding the comedians for the Punchliner...) something else has to be cut to accommodate that change. Those cuts have come mainly from the number of musicians on board...

:)

 

How many comedians do they keep onboard at one time... compared to before. I recall sailing many times when they had two onboard (overlapping shows/ports). How many might they now have? One more?

 

The ever growing casino and spas on newer builds have noticeably more staff than they used to, but then again - those people help directly generate $$ ;) I understand their need to explain away the cost cutting as something else, and mentioning - shall we say comedians - sounds better!

 

 

Tom

[*Mach*]

How many comedians do they keep onboard at one time... compared to before. I recall sailing many times when they had two onboard (overlapping shows/ports). How many might they now have? One more?

 

The ever growing casino and spas on newer builds have noticeably more staff than they used to, but then again - those people help directly generate $$ ;) I understand their need to explain away the cost cutting as something else, and mentioning - shall we say comedians - sounds better!

 

 

Tom

 

 

At least two more for the Punchliner... plus the table side magicians (two per ship, I think...)

:)

[CwuzCwazy]

I discussed this topic with Carnival's Director of On Board Entertainment about a month ago.

Bottom line, there are only so many berths available for crew and staff and virtually every one of those cabins/berths are used. When people are added in one department (like adding the comedians for the Punchliner...) something else has to be cut to accommodate that change. Those cuts have come mainly from the number of musicians on board...

:)

 

 

Yup, must be true because it came from someone at Carnival!!!!!....The first two lines of that quote may be the only truth.."Bottom Line"....

[pnjkeith]

At least two more for the Punchliner... plus the table side magicians (two per ship, I think...)

:)

 

Table Magicians, a waste of space and money. Bring on the RAP musicians!:D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

At least two more for the Punchliner... plus the table side magicians (two per ship, I think...)

:)

 

OK.

 

I trust though Mach that you can see what this does to the quality of all the ship bands/musicians over time. It can't help but give a lower quality product. Perhaps they could lose the DJ in the disco --- just have someone in Miami burn some official "fun" CD's and they can use them fleet wide. :eek:

 

I hope they don't eliminate the 4 man lounge bands (Music ----, or Blood Power, etc). That would be a MAJOR loss. I have seen a couple of the "Music" bands with only 3 members. Not sure if they plan on replacing missing members or not - I think both times it was the keyboardist.

 

Do they still even have the piano in the Spirit class dining rooms? Is it ever used? Instead they can put on the (typically horrible quality track) of "the waiters are about to dance on the tables" music! OK.. OK.. I am not really picking on that - as a lot of people really like it!

 

I know that change (usually not positive) comes over time - it can't be helped. *sigh*

 

Tom

[remharri]

I wanted to know abou that south african drink, strats with a A, ambula whatever .. how it tastes.

 

Ecstasy said they did away with it.. thats what I was told.

 

 

That is GOOD, and I haven't been able to find it here in the States. It has the big elephant on the cover. Yum yum....they had it on the Dream...I didn't buy a bottle because I had some left from the previous cruise. But boy oh boy, I think it's fantastic.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Table Magicians, a waste of space and money. Bring on the RAP musicians!:D

 

I suppose some kids get a kick out of the Table Magician.

 

How about this - let's get a TROMBONE and TRUMPET player, teach them a few tricks, and let them do double duty. That sounds like a PERFECT Carnival solution! :D:D

 

... and if they know any Reggae tunes, all the better for those around the pool!! ;)

 

Tom

[*Mach*]

I suppose some kids get a kick out of the Table Magician.

 

How about this - let's get a TROMBONE and TRUMPET player, teach them a few tricks, and let them do double duty. That sounds like a PERFECT Carnival solution! :D:D

 

... and if they know any Reggae tunes, all the better for those around the pool!! ;)

 

Tom

 

 

Ya' know, Tom, I was WAY bummed when the did away with jazz and replaced it with salsa and I told a friend, who happens to be the Director of On Board Entertainment, that same thing. His response was 'market pressure...' Demand drives what variety of entertainment we see on board. Sadly, there's not enough space (or dollars...) available to cater to every taste.

I understand how you feel and I could do without the table magicians myself...

:)

[vacruizer]

I read that as well, then I thought to myself... Given that we are all aware that cabin stewards have more and more rooms to tend to, and waiters have more tables to serve (or so it seems) - what happened to all the space that such a move must have opened up?

 

I don't claim to have the numbers to back this up, and I do hand it to Carnival for coming up with a good "excuse" (I mean, on the surface - it makes perfect sense). I just don't buy it... nope, not for a minute.

 

Tom

 

I don't buy it, either. The math doesn't add up. They've lost 4 or 5 members from the show band, some ships don't have cover bands anymore and have duos instead, calypso group lost 2-3 members, jazz and string trios are gone (and only replaced by latin duo or trio on some ships,) there are 3 or 4 less dancers. By my count that's 16-20 less performers. They already had two comedians on most sailings - two more comedians, a magician and two break dancers doesn't quite add up on the whole "we needed the berths for other entertainment" line. And there are certainly less waiters and stewards around - what happened to those extra berths?

 

BTW - Fascination show band was also only 4 members in November. There was a 4 piece cover band, two solo guitarists and a calypso duo - all using recorded crap as backgrounds. Karaoke seemed to be the main entertainment focus - something that costs them very little. One host and buy the electronics.

[uffdafla]

magician and the pirate can abandon ship, I would like to dine in peace. Go to the buffet and jerk those people eating.

[KansasCityTBone]

The house band on the Pride last year was a good size, maybe 8 to 9 members but they did play to tracks that included instrumentation that wasn’t part of the band for the shows. Most people might not have realized this but being a weekend musician myself this was quite obvious. On a positive note when they played in other areas of the ship they sounded awesome, a great band.

 

I too would like to see larger groups but this seems to be the trend on several lines. I’m not a big fan of the one man band thing playing to recorded tracks but that too is now the norm.

 

If you like musician stories I keep up with a blog written by a trumpet player and art auctioneer that is pretty interesting.

[golfadj]

I read that as well, then I thought to myself... Given that we are all aware that cabin stewards have more and more rooms to tend to, and waiters have more tables to serve (or so it seems) - what happened to all the space that such a move must have opened up?

 

I don't claim to have the numbers to back this up, and I do hand it to Carnival for coming up with a good "excuse" (I mean, on the surface - it makes perfect sense). I just don't buy it... nope, not for a minute.

 

Tom

 

I have been wondering about the cabin excuse myself.

[golfadj]

Have not seen table magician for past few cruises. Wonder what happened to them?

[rdler]

Host Mach, I can't tell you how much you do for this blog and how informative you are. I really appreciate it.

 

I think you jumped the shark on the not enough berths thing. Come on! With the number of people they have cut over the past few years, I'd imagine they are thinking of selling the empty rooms as 1-As.

 

I really don't think you, or Carnival, can pull that one over us!

[cathyz]

We were on the Spirit a week ago and the main orchestra had 10 members, several horns, I didn't hear any taped background when they were playing, only when the guitar soloists were playing in the atrium and casino bar.

[EastTex]

Just one more example of Cahill's "Cheapening of the Carnival Experience". Too many cutbacks and no significant increases. Those who don't see it have their heads up their a$$es, or are wearing the proverbial "rose colored glasses".

 

This thread has been some pretty interesting reading...except for your in the gutter contribution.

[livestocruisetoo]

Host Mach, I can't tell you how much you do for this blog and how informative you are. I really appreciate it.

 

I think you jumped the shark on the not enough berths thing. Come on! With the number of people they have cut over the past few years, I'd imagine they are thinking of selling the empty rooms as 1-As.

 

I really don't think you, or Carnival, can pull that one over us!

 

On a tour during our cruise on the Magic I read a notice on the bulletinboard to crew about the "compted" cruise. It stated the request had to be put in at least four weeks in advance and could be for an Ocean View stateroom or lodging in the crew quarters. I don't know how many are allowed on each voyage but it would seem there is a limit to crew cabins.

[scooterpopsnana]

It will stay - because, look what it costs them!! ;)

 

Tom

Yep, same as the trivia games. Never saw so many trivia games. And, I might add an easy way to win one of those ships on a stick. We had the same questions last year as we had on ships in '04 and '08. Last year, the entertainment staff member was so bored with the games, he began asking questions about his native Canada.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We were on the Spirit a week ago and the main orchestra had 10 members, several horns, I didn't hear any taped background when they were playing, only when the guitar soloists were playing in the atrium and casino bar.

 

Ten members - that's definitely impressive! I wonder if that has anything to do with Ron Ness (HD) being onboard. He runs a tight ship... perhaps he is able to exert some positive influence.

 

Tom