Anyone just off Emerald??Few Questions

[remidog]

How was the entertainment?? How was the food?? Was the Gelato available in the IC ??:o Thanks for any information...

[Amtrack Springfield]

We did not like the new entertainment format. There was nothing to do after 9:00 PM. They scheduled shows at 11:15, but who can stay up that late.

The food was great. We ate in the buffet a couple of nights and a few of the pasta dishes were very salty.

No gelato. The freezer case in the IC was broke unless they got it fixed since we got off.

The crew and staff was great and we really liked the ship for 20days.

[chris0424]

My husband and I just finished our cruise. The entertainment ruined everything for us. The 30 minute format is a mess. They simply need to change the times of the shows and not the length. By the time the entertainers got started, it was time to start wrapping up. We were told by the CDs staff that the change was to increase alcohol sales bc the shows don't generate money, the bar sales do. We were so disappointed.

 

The food was average. Nothing great, but nothing really to complain about.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Although I am sorry to hear that others were disappointed by the entertainment change, at least I feel like I'm in good company. We were quite unhappy with Anytime Entertainment. I encourage everyone who feels similarly to make sure that Princess knows your feelings. You can include them in your survey or write to Customer Service. I'm even going to snail mail Martin Hall (the VP of Entertainment and Onboard Activities)...I don't know his email address, but if someone does, and posts it here, I'd be grateful. We had planned a lot of Princess cruises in our future and I'd hate to think that they would all be filled with 30 minutes theater shows and lots and lots of game shows.

 

It's funny that someone else is commenting on lack of entertainment at certain times throughout the evening. The goal of AE (the way that it was explained to me) is to reduce theater crowding and make sure there were always several things going on throughout the evening. It seemed to me that, on this latter point, it's failed quite badly.

 

Has a string quartet returned to the Emerald since 2/16?

[chris0424]

Theater crowding would be better relieved if they changed the times of the main shows. If you have a show start at 10:15, many people are going to opt for the earlier show. Why not just change the times to 7 and 9. Given a 9pm option, I'm more apt to come back to a show that was crowded at 7.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Although I am sorry to hear that others were disappointed by the entertainment change, at least I feel like I'm in good company. We were quite unhappy with Anytime Entertainment. I encourage everyone who feels similarly to make sure that Princess knows your feelings. You can include them in your survey or write to Customer Service. I'm even going to snail mail Martin Hall (the VP of Entertainment and Onboard Activities)...I don't know his email address, but if someone does, and posts it here, I'd be grateful. We had planned a lot of Princess cruises in our future and I'd hate to think that they would all be filled with 30 minutes theater shows and lots and lots of game shows.

 

It's funny that someone else is commenting on lack of entertainment at certain times throughout the evening. The goal of AE (the way that it was explained to me) is to reduce theater crowding and make sure there were always several things going on throughout the evening. It seemed to me that, on this latter point, it's failed quite badly.

 

Has a string quartet returned to the Emerald since 2/16?

 

With your numerous Princess cruises I'm sure you must be bored with seeing the same shows over & over like I am but now to reduce it to 30 minutes and not have much else to go to the same evening is an insult. :mad: I'm hoping that they will at least run some additional movies after the last performance since going to the smokey casino isn't or sitting in a bar isn't one of our favorite things to do.

 

Does anyone know if the 30 minute shows have spread through all the Princess ships or not?

[zahav1]

Theater crowding would be better relieved if they changed the times of the main shows. If you have a show start at 10:15, many people are going to opt for the earlier show. Why not just change the times to 7 and 9. Given a 9pm option, I'm more apt to come back to a show that was crowded at 7.

 

That wouldn't work for late seating, we're usually done with dinner at 9:45.

[Amtrack Springfield]

No string quartet 2/16 cruise. Just a guy playing the steel drum.

[cindep]

And why is the case for gelato still broken? Unless they're having to build a whole new case, this is hard to believe as there was no gelato on our 1/17 cruise.

 

Agree with others about the new entertainment format. I few games are great but for the majority of the evening is just no good.

[cruzwithus]

We just got off the Emerald on 3/7 and were on the ship for 20 days and the gelato machine was broken the entire time. The entertainment was certainly lacking after the 30 minute shows. The length of the shows didn't bother us as much as there was little to do after it. We missed the other entertainment venue that used to be in the Vista room on the Grand. The Emerald has the Fusion Room but whenever we went in there to watch something, it was very difficult to see the stage - lots of posts in the way. Not a room to have a comedian in or to attempt to watch something on the stage as it was so difficult to even see the entertainer. We usually like to go to MUTS but the selection of the movies was not the greatest - plus most of them were repeated the 2nd 10 days of our cruise. We had a wonderful time but I would have to agree that the entertainment was not like it used to be - used to not be able to attend everything that we wanted to - not this time.

[CDay]

We too just got off the Emerald on 3/7. We had anytime dining and the topic at dinner each evening was the lack of nightime entertainment. We would be in the MDR at 5:30 and had to rush through dinner and skip the coffee just to try and make it to the first show. Still had to arrive 20 mins. early to get a decent seat. I would love to see an early, pre-dinner show, say 4:30. Then you could relax and enjoy a leisurely meal.

 

We are not dancers or big drinkers so sitting in Club Fusion, Explorer's Lounge or The Wheelhouse Bar holds no interest for us. Most nights we were in bed by 8:30. :(

 

I also don't consider a day full of UNHOSTED games good onboard entertainment. Lee Childers has to be one of the worst CD's ever. Never saw him once out and about the ship. His Morning Show left lots to be desired. (not to mention the fact we never got our "prize" for answering the question of the day) :mad:

 

Ship was clean, crew was friendly and accommodating and food was above average. HC & CC were much better than expected for dinner. Lunch left something to be desired, but we would just opt for pizza or the grill. :)

[cantwaitfornextcruise]

Oh dear sorry but we enjoyed the anytime entertainment, we went to the show at 7:15 then dinner and there was always something else to do or see.

I do agree with the comment re Lee Childers the lesser spotted cruise director as we called him, Andy was very good though

We just got off

[PescadoAmarillo]

I have made this point before on this board. Late diners (who had the least issue before getting seats in the theater) are now afforded TWO entertainment times- pre-dinner and post-dinner. It is almost impossible to be an early diner and get to the 7:15pm show (we did it several times, but truly rushed through a two course dinner with dessert). So the 7:15pm show really appeals to the late diners who previously went to a show after dinner. There is still a wait (now it's a standing wait) for the 8:30pm show. And the 10:15pm show is half empty.

[1 HappyCruiser]

The way I see it for us since we like the early show (7:15) is that we'll have to be among the first to enter the dining room, skipping dessert, then return to the dining room a second time for dessert. Since there's nothing doing as a alternate entertainment each evening as there used to be we'll just take our time in the dining room the second go around.

[RASHOPPER2]

We just got off the Emerald, and were very disappointed in the 30 minute shows. First, they were too short; second the quality was poor. The entertainers were wonderful, but they just did not have the material. The usual production shows obviously could not be cut to 30 minutes. As a result someone produced low budget, lower quality shows. I have heard that Princess is trying this on the Emerald as an experiment - I do hope that they realize that the experiment is a failure and go back to the 45 minute shows. I kept hearing on the ship how poor the entertainment was. Many first time cruisers were comparing the shows to other lines, and found that the entertainment didn't match up to other lines. This may be a factor in cruise line choice if the experiment is adopted for all the ships. Princess - how many drinks can people consume in 15 minutes?

[Stevesan]

Please be sure to rake the changes in show times and length over the coals in the survey.

[Phisherman Phil]

Off the Emerald on March 7th. Had a wonderful cruise, great cabin steward, ship was clean, staff in every area very friendly. Delicious food in the dining rooms with excellent service, great experience in the Crown Grill, the buffet is the buffet (what can I say) food is good just don't come at a busy time and try to find a seat, love the IC (just need more help there since it's been discovered by so many people).

 

Ah, the entertainment ~ or better yet, the lack of! The Princess Theater is just too small to accommadate the number of passengers who would like to see an entertaining show at a reasonable time of night. When you have to arrive 30 minutes early to get a seat for a 30 minute show, it better be worth it. Steve Moris, Al Katz and The Beatle Manics were! Didn't go to the production shows as we've seen them over and over, time for some new ideas. MUTS showing the same movie in the evening more than once on a 10 day cruise, whose idea is that! Agree with everyone else about the cruise director and the "Wake Show"

 

Overall, had a wonderful time. Cruised with wonderful friends, and made some new friends thanks to CC. A cruise (like anything) is what you make of it and we make the most of ours!

[timetravler]

After reading the comments here, I do hope they make changes to the entertainment by Oct when I get on this ship. BTW, Very few times do we ever order a drink at the shows and I don't see many that do order drinks. Hope Princess reads these comments.:(

[Solorca1]

What time do they typically show the movies on MUTS? In the email they sent, they mentioned The Artist and The Descendants, both of which I've been wanting to see. I don't really want to schedule around a movie that I can see at home, but if the timing is right, that's definitely something I want to do.

[tip]

No string quartet 2/16 cruise. Just a guy playing the steel drum.

 

 

It is a long way off, but we are sailing the Emerald next January. One of our favorite things to do is to listen to live classical music after dinner. We find it relaxing. As much as I also enjoy steel drums, I find that more appropriate for topside during the day, not after dinner. I hope that the string quartet returns!

[bigguy1]

Although I am sorry to hear that others were disappointed by the entertainment change, at least I feel like I'm in good company. We were quite unhappy with Anytime Entertainment. I encourage everyone who feels similarly to make sure that Princess knows your feelings. You can include them in your survey or write to Customer Service. I'm even going to snail mail Martin Hall (the VP of Entertainment and Onboard Activities)...I don't know his email address, but if someone does, and posts it here, I'd be grateful. We had planned a lot of Princess cruises in our future and I'd hate to think that they would all be filled with 30 minutes theater shows and lots and lots of game shows.

 

It's funny that someone else is commenting on lack of entertainment at certain times throughout the evening. The goal of AE (the way that it was explained to me) is to reduce theater crowding and make sure there were always several things going on throughout the evening. It seemed to me that, on this latter point, it's failed quite badly.

 

Has a string quartet returned to the Emerald since 2/16?

 

It appears that Princess is cutting back. We always enjoyed the string quartet. I read on another post that they had a steel drummer in the Atrium. How sad is that! A steel drum should be in the pool area. Hopefully they will have a pianist in the Atrium - at the very least. We have always enjoyed the production shows. Cutting them back to 30 minutes - a reduction of 33% - is the wrong way to go since production shows on other lines are superior.

 

Regarding Lee Childers - the CD. With the press that he's gotten on CC, he should be worrying about his job. Hopefully, he reads this and steps up. I say that because I'm on the Emerald for 19 days next month.

 

Joel

[PescadoAmarillo]

Well, I know that Martin Hall really liked the steel drum music, and after he was on the ship, Trevor Cole (the steel drum musician, and a wonderful guy) was moved all over the ship...poolside, the Piazza, the Wheelhouse, a couple of times in Adagio with the orchestra (that was really fun). So, I think the inclination is to use more of the single musicians, like Trevor, backed up by music from his laptop, and less of the quartets.

 

And much as I loved Trevor his music, that's a damn shame.

[Loucat]

We are just off our first Princess cruise and booked Emerald for February 2012. I hope that they improve the entertainment issue, as I would cancel if they stay with the 30 minute shows and we have fixed 6 PM seating. We would not make the early show and the later show is too late. We will see:confused:

[Tony Villano]

We just got off the Emerald on 3/7. Had a great time. The crowd seemed older than the other Princess cruises we've been on.

 

The entertainment was lacking in some areas. The end of cruise skit, which looked to have promise when it opened, was somewhat disappointing.

 

I never did see the CD, although I didn't mind his morning show ramblings. It was good background noise while running (once the treadmills opened after 8;)).

[bambam26]

Just off the Emerald on the 7th also. This was the roughest cruise we have ever been on and the weather was very iffy most of the 10 days.:( Also this was the oldest average age cruise we have ever been on, I like a little better mix of ages. Cruise director Lee Childers was horrible, however I thought his staff was awesome. The shows were all pretty good in my mind except the ones by the ships dancers. We loved all the comedy shows and the magician and the illusionist. Still a good cruise but it was not as nice as our last cruise on the Ruby, IC is getting very crowded and no Gelado was a big disappointment.