What is so special about a piano bar?

[deborahjo]

The piano bars are fun so long as the crowd is into it and the player is good. I wish CCL could get dueling pianos going. Twice the fun.

 

Here's one of my favorites:

 

Dough, is what I buy beer with

Ray, the guy who sells me beer

Me, the guy that drinks my beer

Far, a long way to get beer

So, I'll have another beer

La, la la la la lager BEER!

Tea? No thanks I'll have a BEER!!!

Which brings me back to dough,,,,

 

Repeat until every drunk in the room sings along.

 

:D:D:D:D

 

We went to Dueling Pianos every night on Disney. Love love love it.

[stargate fan]

They used to be a great adult venue however since the removal of smoking in them the piano bar has become a hang out for familys and kids.

 

That is not the experience we had on Splendor back in April. The piano bar was non-smoking and the place was so packed that people were standing in the hallway singing.

[stargate fan]

On another note, does the piano bar keep song books by the tables? We always love the piano bar at Sandals resorts, but every table has a song book so one can sing along? Do they do this on the ships?

 

On our first cruise, Paradise in 2000, there were giant binders with lyrics to lots of songs on every table. We were there until 2:00 or 3:00 every morning singing and meeting people. Have not seen the books on any of the other ships we have sailed, which is a shame.

 

Carnival beards, if you are reading this-bring back the song books!

[Socref124]

It all depends on the piano man. The good ones pack in the place for good music and sing alongs and fun. They are a lot of fun. The bad players sit alone most of the cruise. We have had both. I saw someone mention Ron Pass, he is one of the best we have seen. Damian is also very good.

[RuthlessBoss]

As noted above, the BIG draw in the piano bar is the interaction of the crowd, and the piano guy/gal. If you've got a good performer at the piano bar, nothing can be finer! GREAT fun, and it's very easy to spend the entire evening there. I've never had the occasion to witness a bunch of kids at the piano bar, but I can imagine how that might/could spoil the fun for everyone else. :eek: I have, quite often, seen a bunch of kids take over karaoke, and that WRECKS that activity. I guess that's why they limit the "child participation" to the early hours of the evening at karaoke.:cool:

 

"SKY"

But, but, but the parents think it's soooo cute:eek: and they get their pictures!! I had that happen on a small ship called Mirage when it was here. Parents let their kids get to the dance floor and start their twirling and giggling. All other adults sat down or left, leaving just them hogging "their" dancefloor.

[pmang]

On our first cruise, Paradise in 2000, there were giant binders with lyrics to lots of songs on every table. We were there until 2:00 or 3:00 every morning singing and meeting people. Have not seen the books on any of the other ships we have sailed, which is a shame.

 

Carnival beards, if you are reading this-bring back the song books!

 

Carnival has nothing to do with lyric books and song lists. It's up to the entertainer if he/she wants to provide them...

 

As someone who is a piano bar performer (and did 5 years with Carnival), let me share my point of view on why I find song lists and lyric sheets a terrible idea.... By putting out a list of songs, that really limits what requests are made. Say you put out a list with a few hundred song choices... It's going to be the same ones over and over (which happens 80% of the time anyway..why encourage it further?). It's much more fun to have a song requested that may be out of left field... Even better is if the player doesn't know it completely and uses his/her years of experience to figure it out with the audience helping to sing... That is great crowd interaction!!!

 

Passing out lyric sheets for a sing-a-long is a very old fashioned way to perform in a piano bar... I know that's how it was done years ago... Not so anymore.. Here some things you can't do if the audience is trying to read along out of a book...

 

*the freedom to change lyrics (think comedy!.... Example from American Pie... "I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck, Tiger Woods sure likes to.... golf")

 

*cut out a verse (who wants to sit through all 9 minutes of American Pie anyway?)

 

*incorporate some guests in the bar into the song,

 

*end a song early if it's not going over well

 

These are just a few reasons why top players don't hand out lyric sheets. A good show is fast paced and it would kill the momentum in the room if the player had to announce... "please turn to page 26 as we sing Brown Eyed Girl". The audience interaction is the way a good player can personalize a song/night and it's what makes a night at the piano bar special...

 

If you want to read lyrics and hear the song exactly as recorded... karaoke is across the hall! That's my 2 cents... Have fun!!!

[glrounds]

They used to be a great adult venue however since the removal of smoking in them the piano bar has become a hang out for familys and kids.

 

I quite agree. Its hard to imagine a Frankie, Lena Horne, Sammy singing in any venue other than a blue-hazed smoke-filled room.

[okwriter]

Thanks for all the explanations and opinions. I'll try to check it out on the Triumph in November or the Magic in April.

Is there a list somewhere of which piano players will be on board during those times? Do they rotate from ship to ship?

[stargate fan]

Carnival has nothing to do with lyric books and song lists. It's up to the entertainer if he/she wants to provide them...

 

As someone who is a piano bar performer (and did 5 years with Carnival), let me share my point of view on why I find song lists and lyric sheets a terrible idea.... By putting out a list of songs, that really limits what requests are made. Say you put out a list with a few hundred song choices... It's going to be the same ones over and over (which happens 80% of the time anyway..why encourage it further?). It's much more fun to have a song requested that may be out of left field... Even better is if the player doesn't know it completely and uses his/her years of experience to figure it out with the audience helping to sing... That is great crowd interaction!!!

 

Passing out lyric sheets for a sing-a-long is a very old fashioned way to perform in a piano bar... I know that's how it was done years ago... Not so anymore.. Here some things you can't do if the audience is trying to read along out of a book...

 

*the freedom to change lyrics (think comedy!.... Example from American Pie... "I was a lonely teenage bronkin' buck, Tiger Woods sure likes to.... golf")

 

*cut out a verse (who wants to sit through all 9 minutes of American Pie anyway?)

 

*incorporate some guests in the bar into the song,

 

*end a song early if it's not going over well

 

These are just a few reasons why top players don't hand out lyric sheets. A good show is fast paced and it would kill the momentum in the room if the player had to announce... "please turn to page 26 as we sing Brown Eyed Girl". The audience interaction is the way a good player can personalize a song/night and it's what makes a night at the piano bar special...

 

If you want to read lyrics and hear the song exactly as recorded... karaoke is across the hall! That's my 2 cents... Have fun!!!

 

I understand your point of view.

 

From my perspective as a passenger who has sailed Carnival five times so far, the Piano Bar on Paradise, with the song books on the tables, was by far the most fun we have had in a Piano Bar to date. People shouted out song titles and found the pages themselves. Everyone sang and sang all night. Verses and words were changed and songs were shortened as needed. (See, 11 years later and those nights still have a big impression on me.) No other Carnival Piano Bar has come close.

[divetrash]

Thanks for all the explanations and opinions. I'll try to check it out on the Triumph in November or the Magic in April.

Is there a list somewhere of which piano players will be on board during those times? Do they rotate from ship to ship?

 

 

There is a thread called "Best Piano Entertainer on Carnival" which can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=362780

 

If you go to the most recent post and then look back, the list is usually within about a page or two, depending on how recently it has been updated. A couple of caveats, this is NOT an official Carnival schedule. It gets a lot of help from people at Carnival (particularly John Heald), but it is always subject to change. The list does have some future dates on it, but those future dates always come from the entertainer themselves. If the info you are looking for does not appear on the list, or there is no entertainer listed for the ship, it just means we don't have the info at the moment. The list is generally updated as soon as anyone has any info.

 

If you are on Facebook, there is a group called the Carnival Cruise Lines Piano Bar-Barians.

 

The list is posted there is as well. It is the same list, generally updated at the same time.

 

The entertainers generally do change and move between ships. Most of their contracts are about 3-5 months. Some longer some shorter.

 

I personally love the piano bars. But I loved them on land before I even started cruising. I love all kinds too, the raucous party bars and the quieter ones as well. I found on the cruise ships, it's a great place to meet people and interact especially as a solo cruiser (or a forced solo, when the kids you bring run off their friends... lol)

 

It does depend on the passengers in the bar as much as the entertainer themselves because they often feed off the energy in the bar. A really good entertainer though, can make your cruise.

 

Happy cruising,

 

Laura

[elcuchio24]

You got me. I guess it isn't for everyone. We have gone in a couple times and never stayed more than a few minutes. No each his own.

[unfdoug]

I've been hooked on the piano bar since my first cruise. There is something about it with the camaraderie, drinks, and singing til the wee hours of the morning that does it for me.

 

On the other hand, I've been in some piano bars that have been super lame. It depends on the player.

 

Jason Davis is by far the best we've ever had. Not sure where he is now. Was on Sensation, Glory, Miracle, and Dream at one point.

[WeBeCruisin']

I am one of those people who cannot sing at all and who can't remember song lyrics, so I never really even went near the piano bar on the ships for years. On one of the Saints and Sinners group cruises (a b2b on the Destiny) I went to the piano bar with some of our group and my perception of piano bars changed drastically. The host was Damian who charmed us all with his wit and talent and our group went there every night after our late dinner. We interacted with Damian and other staff members to the point of closing down the piano bar with them each night, then closing down the disco with them, and then to the pizza bar and then up to deck 11 for more drinks and conversations until about 5 a.m.. Damian and the staff members also joined us in our cabana crawl at Half Moon Cay. By some kind of magic, we all became great friends.

 

I would usually go into the piano bar a little later each night, after I had made several donations to the casino, and it was great having everyone shout my name as I walked in and even Damian would stop playing to greet me. Also, two of the ship's gorgeous dancers would take me onto the disco dance floor each night and try to teach me the Cupid Shuffle and the Cha Cha Slide.

 

It was an amazing experience.

 

On the Swine Flu cruise to nowhere on the Splendor, our group consisted primarily of Cruise Critic Hosts and Supervisors and their guests and we were fortunate enough to have a private one-hour cocktail party in the piano bar with Ron Pass. He is extremely witty and creative and is brilliant at changing lyrics to match the occasion.

 

Since those two wonderful experiences, I have tried in vain to find something similar. Tom on the Fantasy was very good, though, and joined us for drinks several times.

 

So, I guess the key is a combination of the crowd and the entertainer and sometimes there's a chemistry which develops which can change everything.

 

I still can't sing or remember song lyrics, though. :)

[buckshot0074]

They are a lot of fun. The person playing gets the crowd into it. By playing songs they want to hear then people join in singing. Throw in a little comedy makes for a great night. I like the dueling piano players the best. The Bar at Times Square @ NYNY in Vegas is the best I have ever been to! Its always packed and a complete blast!!! Next time you go on a cruise make sure you check it out or if you get to Vegas. Then there is Crocodile Rock in Myrtle Beach. Also JellyRolls at Disney is pretty good too.

x2 the bolded, wife and I where there 2 years ago and had a blast !!

[SNJCruisers]

You got me. I guess it isn't for everyone. We have gone in a couple times and never stayed more than a few minutes. No each his own.

What time have you gone in...if you go in after early sitting before the evening has really started, then it could be dead. Go in after 11:00 pm, have a drink and join in, you might surprise yourself.

[DarthGrady]

[quote name='H82seaUgo']a piano bar only works when you have a personality magnet in there.

they are the ones that not only play, but integrate the personalities of the "customers".

they tend to get more popular as the night progresses as more drinks are consumed, and everyones inhibitions become very low.

someone who just plays piano doesn't keep them very long, and can get painful when the guy that thinks he's frankie or elton try to take over.

[COLOR="Red"]since they became no smoking, they now have families and kids in there, [/COLOR]



.[/QUOTE]

Ugh! Late night piano bars are not supposed to be kid or family friendly. The nastier the better I say. Once Brad on Sensation sang Adam Sandler's "At a Medium Pace". I would rather be choking on the smoke than dealing with kids and their easily offended parents.

[SNJCruisers]

[quote name='DarthGrady']Ugh! Late night piano bars are not supposed to be kid or family friendly. The nastier the better I say. Once Brad on Sensation sang Adam Sandler's "At a Medium Pace". I would rather be choking on the smoke than dealing with kids and their easily offended parents.[/quote]
I am in full agreement with you. The only places that the kids can't go is the casino and the disco and for the most part the music played in there is for those cruise passengers in their 20's and 30's. The piano bar should be an adults only haven where adults can act as adults and as the night grows older be able to sing appropriate songs that are a bit risque. The kids have enough areas of their own and that are "family friendly". The piano bar should be restricted to 18 and over.

[valtandc]

If you like a sing along kinda thing but don't like to stand up in front of the room and do the karaoke then this is the place. I enjoy them. chatting with pianist and others at bar.

[finzup-kt]

a few dueling piano bars were mentioned but one other is [URL="http://www.howlatthemoon.com/"]howl at the moon[/URL] -- they are in a few locations.. the one I went to was in Orlando on I-drive.. we had way TOO much fun!! The guys playing piano were amazing -- they knew every song you could think of, and if they didn't they seriously punched it into their ipad, looked at it for 30 seconds, then played it! They had this side thing going on -- giant boards behind the pianos and you could pay $1 to put a quote on the board. If you wanted to erase someone's quote, the price went up. People were putting "red sox rule" and then some yankees fans would pay more and have "red sox suck"... (the quotes got more colorful as the night went on ... ) I think when we left it was up to like $30 on each board!

I can't wait to go to the piano bar on our 1st cruise!

[gliner]

[quote name='finzup-kt']a few dueling piano bars were mentioned but one other is [URL="http://www.howlatthemoon.com/"]howl at the moon[/URL] -- they are in a few locations.. the one I went to was in Orlando on I-drive.. we had way TOO much fun!! The guys playing piano were amazing -- they knew every song you could think of, and if they didn't they seriously punched it into their ipad, looked at it for 30 seconds, then played it! They had this side thing going on -- giant boards behind the pianos and you could pay $1 to put a quote on the board. If you wanted to erase someone's quote, the price went up. People were putting "red sox rule" and then some yankees fans would pay more and have "red sox suck"... (the quotes got more colorful as the night went on ... ) I think when we left it was up to like $30 on each board!

I can't wait to go to the piano bar on our 1st cruise![/QUOTE]

Don't expect anything like "howl at the moon."

I don't understand the piano bars either, or most "bars" on cruise ships. Most are empty all the time anyway. I have been on cruises where some bars were never open at all during the entire week.

Just wasted space that could be used for something else.....anything else.

[TheGrandparents]

[quote name='gliner']Don't expect anything like "howl at the moon."

[/quote]


There is nothing quite like a good....


[IMG]http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss348/TexMexSu/HOWL.jpg[/IMG]
We are regulars at the Chicago location.

NCL has a HATM on the Epic which is about as close as you can get to the wild parties of the late night, kid free land-based Howls.

I have been considering another NCL cruise just because of Howl however I am afraid that if I book it they will do away with it before we cruise.

So we stick with Carnival.

[LibratPDX]

[quote name='DarthGrady']Ugh! Late night piano bars are not supposed to be kid or family friendly. The nastier the better I say. Once Brad on Sensation sang Adam Sandler's "At a Medium Pace". I would rather be choking on the smoke than dealing with kids and their easily offended parents.[/quote]

I am an allergic non-smoker, but I have to agree! Was that Brad Alexander? I "heart" Brad! "I'm the only gay eskimo" was one of my favorite late-night tunes.....hehheh

[DocF]

I have yet to set foot in a piano bar on a cruise account the amount of smoke they used to emit.

However, the piano bar is a great way to be entertained anywhere. The really good ones like the guy who was at the Drake Hotel in Chicago for over 30 years make everyone feel like a regular. They can play anything and everything. They have a wonderful line of patter that is their own.

Absolutely the best piano bar player ever was a guy in Grand Rapids, MI named Harry Smith. Unfortunately, Harry liked a laundry list of illicit substances. When he was sober, he was world class. When he wasn't he was apt to start the evening playing his 8 note Samba, "Its Dark, Dark, Dark in John Ball Park" and play it until closing.

We will visit the piano bar on the Magic in a little over a month and see how it is. I promise to report back.

Doc