"Art on Royal" - Art Auctions are back!

[peteukmcr]

For any of you who have missed the art auctions onboard RCI ships since the loss of Park West, well despair no longer.

 

Check out 'Art Actually' www.artactually.com

 

To quote Art Actually, they have created a unique shipboard art program called 'Art on Royal'. Inspired by the art that is on permanent display onboard the RCI fleet.

 

It is part of the 'Royal Advantage' program RCI's commitment to deliver a compelling and most contemporary vacation experience.

 

Guests onboard RCI's 22 ships can participate in enrichment activities that include taking any of the different one hour walking tours. Each tour focuses on a different part of the pieces of art in the permanent collection onboard.

 

Other art inspired events include art seminars, special evenings of wine & cheese receptions inside the art gallery and champagne art extravaganza shows. Choice art auctions and special promotional package deals during these events.

 

These events were piloted onboard Oasis of the Seas and is currently aboard Adventure, Navigator and Radiance and will be available on most ships by the end of the year.

 

Enjoy!

[cb at sea]

Oh, no...not part of my vacation plans!!!

[negc]

Didn't miss the intrusive art auctions in the slightest. If they can hold them in a location where they don't interfere with our enjoyment of the Centrum or other public areas, more power to them, but if Art Actually becomes as irritating as Park West was, there will be more people unhappy with this decision than enjoying it.:(

[EmJakeBubbie]

was glad to see the art auctions go! p.i.a. BigTime.

 

a walking tour to learn of the on board art could be interesting - each ship is unique with their decorating - more so a floating "museum". a nice "sea day" activity.

[leahsdad]

Didn't miss the intrusive art auctions in the slightest. If they can hold them in a location where they don't interfere with our enjoyment of the Centrum or other public areas, more power to them, but if Art Actually becomes as irritating as Park West was, there will be more people unhappy with this decision than enjoying it.:(

 

 

I have to agree---the only complaints I've ever had were for the closing of public areas---i.e. the Viking Crown Lounge while cruising the inside passage--for those ridiculous auctions----If people need a free glass of champagne that bad put them in the conference rooms

 

jmho

 

Paul

[peteukmcr]

I'm so glad to see that you all can't wait for the return of the art auctions! (my comments about 'Enjoy' was a little bit of UK tongue in cheek humour). :D

 

I agree a walking tour could be interesting as I do wander around the ship looking at the art on display, but then again as I can walk on my own and read the labels, I won't be paying for a tour because I doubt these will be free tours.

[BecciBoo]

If you enjoy getting swindled out of hundreds if not thousands for pieces you can buy in print catalogues for dollars...go for it. Same paintings on every cruise and every ship prove that. Personnally, I thought it a waste of anybodies time and certainly agrevating to those of us who know the scam. I have a friend who bought thousands worth on every cruise, the frames alone were absolute swindles. She never listened to my warnings and just kept on buying. Now she has a worthless collection of copies...IMHO. But to each their own.:)

 

Walking tour of the tasteful and unique ship's collection is a great idea.

[Esmerelda]

We all jumped for joy when we realized they were gone.

 

It's not in our future either.

 

:D

[elizabethbp]

I loved the auctions! Yes, they were silly and the art overall overpriced and some stuff you would see in Bed, Bath and Beyond, but still, fun and I loved the champagne. On the Enchantment, for around $50 I got a cute Mickey Mouse as the Wizard print that I framed for twice that amount. It makes me happy.

[yogimax]

We enjoyed the Park West Auctions and always attended. We got some great deals on framed take-offs.

 

When we were on Oasis last year, the had Art Actually. it was very disappointing to say the least. I hope they have improved!

[PH8]

For any of you who have missed the art auctions onboard RCI ships since the loss of Park West, well despair no longer.

!

Anyone REALLY miss them??:rolleyes:

[yogimax]

Anyone REALLY miss them??:rolleyes:

 

Uh, I just said I did.:rolleyes:

 

We were on the Carnival Glory last month and the PW auction must have drawn about 200 people, most I have ever seen. So yes, there are many7 who miss them!

[negc]

I loved the auctions! Yes, they were silly and the art overall overpriced and some stuff you would see in Bed, Bath and Beyond, but still, fun and I loved the champagne. On the Enchantment, for around $50 I got a cute Mickey Mouse as the Wizard print that I framed for twice that amount. It makes me happy.

 

You left out 'annoying' from your description, and there were those who felt that the champagne that they served was more properly described as "sham"pagne.:)

[sjcruiser]

Since taking an Art Appreciation course I've become more interested in Art in general. While on my last cruise I spent more time than usual taking in the artwork or sculptures around the ship, so I think an art walking tour would be a great experience.

[filamino]

I'm okay with the tours but don't junk up the common areas. I like the idea of this being in a conference room.

[Kartgv]

If they want to stage art auctions in an area that doesn't interfere with other activities and people want to spend their time and money that way - fine. But please don't take over the entire Viking Crown Lounge for a whole sea day like we've had happen several times on past cruises. That's by far the best place to spend a sea day and to have it completely packed with easels filled with "art" that can't come close to the scenery you could be watching outside is shameful. We do have interesting memories of one art auction many years ago - one large family group completely dominated the bidding, buying item after item. The next day the family, which had been very visible all over the ship, seemed to just disappear. At the next port, we saw them being escorted off the ship with their luggage - it turned out that they had used a bogus credit card to pay for their purchases. Can't figure out how they thought they wouldn't get caught!

[The_Big_M]

Sounds like an interesting take. Onboard art is often well done and interesting. Could be crowded in the corridors though!

[Darkwolfe]

Having personally found fraud pieces in PW shows (and pointed out the obvious details to people thinking that the art was real on Serenade), I remain skeptical. I remain especially skeptical since Art Actually appears to have been created specifically to work with Royal Caribbean. (Just take a peek at their webpage)

 

Now since I said that, at the same I will say that if they are above board and do fair business, then well and good. But, I'll also be one that calls them out if I find "art" glued to frames or laserjet calibration marks in the corners. If they show a painting and claim its real, it had darn sure better have brush strokes and colorings that match up properly.

 

Do those things make me an art expert? No, Heavens No even. But they are simple details that will help those who are shopping for real art avoid getting shafted by fakes.

[Desertbelle]

Ugh, not at all interested in any part of the art auctions, we were thrilled they were gone.

[MikeKool]

I miss the art auctions! To me they didn't take up any more space than any other activity. Don't hear anyone whining about the "inch of gold" or "tee shirt, watch and other junk" clogging the hallways and public areas. Nobody forced anybody to sit through an art auction....if it wasn't for you then leave! Speaking of blocked hallways......what about all the cheesy "professional" photographers with the fake backdrops? I have no interest in trivia games and some other activities that take place on ships but I don't go around bad-mouthing something just because I personally don't like it. So yes.....I enjoyed the auctions and never felt like I got ripped-off.

[tahqa]

I'm so glad to see that you all can't wait for the return of the art auctions! (my comments about 'Enjoy' was a little bit of UK tongue in cheek humour). :D

 

I agree a walking tour could be interesting as I do wander around the ship looking at the art on display, but then again as I can walk on my own and read the labels, I won't be paying for a tour because I doubt these will be free tours.

 

So far, at least, the tours have been free. At least the ones I took on Navigator. Also on Navigator they did a free art history lecture. The tours were pretty cool and give more information than can be gleaned from reading the labels.

 

There was a free tour scheduled on Oasis but the Art Actually representative never showed up so it was OBE. :rolleyes:

[PH8]

Uh, I just said I did.:rolleyes:

So,you did.....:rolleyes:

[mommabean]

The art tour on Adventure of the Seas last November was also free and was offered more than once. I didn't go on one.

 

But I did go to one auction just to see what was going on. It was a lightning fast art auction advertised as 59 minutes long if I remember correctly. I KNEW it would go overtime because there was a promise of a free work of art if they went over. And it wasn't a carry off piece. It required a shipping charge. All the free options were NOT anything I'd want. Park West "actually" :rolleyes: had nicer free posters. And Art Actually didn't even have any Thomas Kinkade which I at least liked looking at.

 

I did listen to one art history lecture that was about some of the artists. Unbelievably it was quite interesting. I wouldn't mind reading biographies about a few of the artists after hearing some of the soap opera like stories :o of their lives. :eek:

 

Gina

[north29]

The art work will be more valuable than the fram it cost a fortune for. I would tell a story, but do not have time.

[mommabean]

The art work will be more valuable than the fram it cost a fortune for. I would tell a story, but do not have time.

 

I always thought the frames were the better deal. Have you seen how much custom framing costs at a framing store? :eek:

 

That being said, I have 2 pieces of Park West "art" I got free for winning contests. One I won on Carnival, the other on RCI. I actually like them both and paid the shipping of around $35 for each of them. I bought frames with mattes for $10 each at a local thrift store. We have a lot of old people around here with lots of estate item turnover. So I kept my measurements handy and checked the store often until my sizes came into stock.

 

I do suspect my framed "art" isn't worth the $45 total I paid for each. :rolleyes: But they are up on the walls which is more than happens to most of the bought and unframed art sold on board, I'm sure. :)

 

Gina