Total Immersion?

[cruzincat50]

Golden Princess Hawaiian cruise on 1/2/2013.

 

Yeah, I am the one who posted about it possibly being my last cruise beacuse we got sick. Nothing due to Princess or the destination. Just the experience of being on a cruise and being stuck in the cabin and the situation of being sick as a dog.

 

This is a different type of post.

 

How many of us go to Hawaii to become totally immersed in the Hawaiian culture versus just going to Hawaii to enjoy the scenery, the weather and the beaches? Besides being ill on this cruise, I was getting sick of hearing non-stop Hawaiian music being piped throughout the ship. This was constant until we left Hawaii and we were heading back east.

 

I understand that some people like to get totally involved with the destination, such as taking ukelele lessons, hula lessons and the like. Those situations can be avoided by people who don't care for such things. But the experience of walking through the public areas and hearing non stop music of one style that most, if not all the people on the ship can't recognize, gets old after nine days of it. It was refreshing to me when it changed over to "normal" elevator music.

 

Of course on disembarkation day, it was back to the Hawaiian theme again, for the people coming on board for the next cruise. They could have at least waited until the next group started coming on board.

 

I can't be the only one that feels this way.

[trikeman]

I would rather listen to Hawaiian music on a Hawaiian cruise than steel drums on a cruise to Mexico like we had on the Diamond one cruise. Yes, I'm one of the ones that think the music should match the cruise. I'm not saying that you can't mix it up with other music too. When we were on the Golden two years ago there was a lot of other music being played around the ship.

[2BeOnaBoat]

I would rather listen to Hawaiian music on a Hawaiian cruise than steel drums on a cruise to Mexico like we had on the Diamond one cruise. Yes, I'm one of the ones that think the music should match the cruise. I'm not saying that you can't mix it up with other music too. When we were on the Golden two years ago there was a lot of other music being played around the ship.

 

I love the steel drums - for about an hour!!! It gets old fast.

[beg3yrs]

Reminds me of a song done by Jimmy Buffet. It is called "Altered Boy" and it begins with music by an band that plays in the Tonga Room in San Francisco. The band only plays schmaltzy Hawaiian music and "just can't stop".

 

Hilarious.

[USNUZULOOSE]

I would rather hear some music piped in or played other than just a lone DJ. I will be on my first cruise to Hawaii in Oct. So I am looking forward to it. Do you have a device that you can put your own music on and listen to? Maybe that would help a little.

[highheel girl]

I think if you are on a Hawaiian cruise in either direction do as the Hawaiians do. :p

[sackman]

I would tend to think that most folks going on a cruise to Hawaii would enjoy, even expect to hear Hawaiian music during the voyage.

 

JMHO, but I believe the OP was disappointed in missing out on a lot of the good parts of the cruise, and the music was a constant reminder of what she was missing out on. That became an annoyance to her. Understandable, but not justification for change.

[cruisemom42]

I like immersion.

 

When I'm cruising in Europe, I wish the ships would offer more European-based menus and perhaps showcase specialties of the port/region being visited that day.

 

If I'm visiting Spain, I like to hear flamenco music; if I'm in Italy, a little Italian opera would be nice.

 

Just sayin'

[cruzincat50]

I would tend to think that most folks going on a cruise to Hawaii would enjoy, even expect to hear Hawaiian music during the voyage.

 

JMHO, but I believe the OP was disappointed in missing out on a lot of the good parts of the cruise, and the music was a constant reminder of what she was missing out on. That became an annoyance to her. Understandable, but not justification for change.

 

I noticed it before I got sick, so that was not the case. I am just not the type that prefers to do everything at 100%. By the way, I shared a dorm room in the AF in the 70's with a guy(I am not female BTW) from Hawaii, and he had a stereo system. The only Hawaiian music he played was a vocal group from Hawaii that was something like The Ray Conniff Singers, but I cannot remember their name. I wish I could remember, so I could put some of it on my IPod.

[cruzincat50]

I like immersion.

 

When I'm cruising in Europe, I wish the ships would offer more European-based menus and perhaps showcase specialties of the port/region being visited that day.

 

If I'm visiting Spain, I like to hear flamenco music; if I'm in Italy, a little Italian opera would be nice.

 

Just sayin'

 

"That day" is the key. We were on board for about five days before we ever got there. Imagine hearing one style of music incessantly for five days. Imagine you are in a cell in Gitmo listening to rock music when you are an Islamic prisoner. What would they call that? Total Immersion?

[sackman]

I noticed it before I got sick, so that was not the case. I am just not the type that prefers to do everything at 100%. By the way, I shared a dorm room in the AF in the 70's with a guy(I am not female BTW) from Hawaii, and he had a stereo system. The only Hawaiian music he played was a vocal group from Hawaii that was something like The Ray Conniff Singers, but I cannot remember their name. I wish I could remember, so I could put some of it on my IPod.

 

Please accept my apologies for the incorrect assumption. I associate "cat" with females. Ignorant on my part, I know. Sorry.

 

And while I understand where you're coming from, I maintain that on a cruise to Hawaii, it's very likely that the vast majority of passengers would be expecting a heavy dose of Hawaiian music throughout the ship. I'm sure the crew gets annoyed by it.

[cruisemom42]

"That day" is the key. We were on board for about five days before we ever got there. Imagine hearing one style of music incessantly for five days.

 

I'd be fine with it.

 

I enjoy land travel too in various places; I don't expect to hear "my style" of music wherever I go. If I am in Egypt and the available music is Arabic, that's fine with me. I enjoy it while I'm there. (And I've even developed an appreciation of Umm Kalthoum and bought some of her music.)

[cr8tiv1]

Thank you very much for your post. I can never get enough of Hawaiian Style music. I even loaded my iPad with a dozen more CD's. When I am in Hawaii (for a month at a time), I listen to the Hawaiian Music setting on the radio.

 

I can't recall if my NCL around the island had non stop music, but I am truly looking forward to my cruise on the Golden in a couple of weeks. The Aloha Spirit will be abundant on this cruise since it has ELUA and Dave Cole.

 

I am sorry that your experience was not very pleasant. Maybe this cruise was not what you had expected. I hope you find a cruise that matches you better. For me, this one is perfect.

 

Renee (displaced local girl)

[shredie]

Earplugs?

[Amuse Bouche]

I agree. While sometimes would be good, like pool time or cocktail hour, I'm not looking forward to it. I read somewhere on here that there is steel drums also? I cringe at that. I have no interest in Jamaica because steel drums sounds cool for only about 5 minutes.

 

I thought about taking the grandkids on a Disney cruise, but I guess it's like the park, and non stop Disney music. I'm afraid their parents are going to have to endure that, not me.

 

I'm not being grumpy or complaining, and I don't think the OP is either. Everyone has their reasons for visiting someplace. I'm going to Hawaii for the relaxing sea days, the fabulous view of wide open skies, the volcanic geology, and the umbrella drinks. I don't plan on attending a luau, and poi is not on my list of foodie experiences. BBQ pork, however, is. :p

I do appreciate the cruiselines effort to make it a theme, but it should be when you want to experience it, not when you don't. I hope I can find a nice place to read outside without Hawaiian music playing...I prefer classical so I can concentrate on what I'm reading.

[caribill]

I was getting sick of hearing non-stop Hawaiian music being piped throughout the ship. This was constant until we left Hawaii and we were heading back east.

 

Imagine hearing one style of music incessantly for five days.

 

Then you may want to avoid sailing on Princess in December. Xmas music 24 hours a day for the entire cruise.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

For many a cruise may be a once in a life time event,

 

as such they want ever second to be about the places they are going to visit, music has so much power to bring back things.

 

 

I still recall my first flight to Holland many years ago, why because of the music they played Eye Level.

 

yours Shogun

[Working 2 Cruise]

cruzincat50, you are probably in a very small minority... It does not look like cruising is for you...

 

I always enjoyed the Hawaiian music on my four cruises... It is not always piped in by the way and not everywhere, but usually in the morning, and then Elua performs in the afternoon and evening.

 

There are many many places on the ship where you could have avoided "the Aloha spirit..."

[nukesubsailor]

Golden Princess Hawaiian cruise on 1/2/2013.

 

Yeah, I am the one who posted about it possibly being my last cruise beacuse we got sick. Nothing due to Princess or the destination. Just the experience of being on a cruise and being stuck in the cabin and the situation of being sick as a dog.

 

This is a different type of post.

 

How many of us go to Hawaii to become totally immersed in the Hawaiian culture versus just going to Hawaii to enjoy the scenery, the weather and the beaches? Besides being ill on this cruise, I was getting sick of hearing non-stop Hawaiian music being piped throughout the ship. This was constant until we left Hawaii and we were heading back east.

 

I understand that some people like to get totally involved with the destination, such as taking ukelele lessons, hula lessons and the like. Those situations can be avoided by people who don't care for such things. But the experience of walking through the public areas and hearing non stop music of one style that most, if not all the people on the ship can't recognize, gets old after nine days of it. It was refreshing to me when it changed over to "normal" elevator music.

 

Of course on disembarkation day, it was back to the Hawaiian theme again, for the people coming on board for the next cruise. They could have at least waited until the next group started coming on board.

 

I can't be the only one that feels this way.

 

I understand your sentiment. For myself, I am just thankful that there is no RAP music. If they played that on a Princess ship the passengers would likely mutiny.

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Golden Princess Hawaiian cruise on 1/2/2013.

 

Yeah, I am the one who posted about it possibly being my last cruise beacuse we got sick. Nothing due to Princess or the destination. Just the experience of being on a cruise and being stuck in the cabin and the situation of being sick as a dog.

 

This is a different type of post.

 

How many of us go to Hawaii to become totally immersed in the Hawaiian culture versus just going to Hawaii to enjoy the scenery, the weather and the beaches? Besides being ill on this cruise, I was getting sick of hearing non-stop Hawaiian music being piped throughout the ship. This was constant until we left Hawaii and we were heading back east.

 

I understand that some people like to get totally involved with the destination, such as taking ukelele lessons, hula lessons and the like. Those situations can be avoided by people who don't care for such things. But the experience of walking through the public areas and hearing non stop music of one style that most, if not all the people on the ship can't recognize, gets old after nine days of it. It was refreshing to me when it changed over to "normal" elevator music.

 

Of course on disembarkation day, it was back to the Hawaiian theme again, for the people coming on board for the next cruise. They could have at least waited until the next group started coming on board.

 

I can't be the only one that feels this way.

 

Then I suggest avoiding a Christmas cruise because you will hear carols/holiday because most of the cruise.

 

May I also suggest a private cruise so you can get exactly what you want? Maybe you will be happier.

[cruzincat50]

There is a difference between Christmas music, which I hear everywhere at the same time every year, and music with a Hawaiian theme which one rarely hears outside of Hawaii. If the songs were recognizable it would be different. For example, I like the Hawaiian version of Over The Rainbow that plays at the end of 50 First Dates.

 

If they played songs that are popular, but with a Hawaiian sound, it would be more acceptable, but during the cruise I was on I might have heard one song that I recognized.

[caribill]

If they played songs that are popular, but with a Hawaiian sound, it would be more acceptable, but during the cruise I was on I might have heard one song that I recognized.

 

I bet that after hearing them over and over and over they became familiar to you.

[shredie]

We did the Golden to Hawaii last year. I don't remember lots of Hawaiin music. Maybe I got used to it so I didn't really notice it. (Perhaps it's a feature of the CD. We had Lee Childers who was sort of temporary on that route.) I remember some violinists in the atrium who played classical music. I remember a man on a piano there playing something other than Hawaiin. I spent a lot of time on my balcony on that cruise where you can escape the music, so maybe that was it. In any case, I really don't remember being bothered by Hawaiin music.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I would rather listen to Hawaiian music on a Hawaiian cruise than steel drums on a cruise to Mexico like we had on the Diamond one cruise. Yes, I'm one of the ones that think the music should match the cruise. I'm not saying that you can't mix it up with other music too. When we were on the Golden two years ago there was a lot of other music being played around the ship.

 

I was on the sailing right before the OP, and I feel the opposite, and agree with trikeman. I absolutely loved listening to the Hawaiian music. Both the live music by Elua and any piped in music. We also heard a lot of Christmas music, but certainly would have had our fill back home, except when we could play CDs instead. And my hubby bought one of Larry Rivera's CDs when we met him on our tour of the Coco Palms in Kauai (he's a cultural icon there and performs at weddings that are still held amid the ruins there) -- and has probably played it many a time since we got home.

 

But I also disagree with the assertion that (even discounting all the holiday music on my cruise) only Hawaiian music could be heard. There was a pop band, New Deal, there were other performers playing in the lounges and in the Piazza, there was music at midnight up in Skywalkers played by a DJ (so I'm guessing that wasn't music involving a slide guitar).

 

If I'm on a Mexican Riviera cruise, I would expect to hear mariachi music (not my thing, but I would expect it). On a cruise in the Caribbean, there should be quite a bit of steel drum music.

 

Thank you very much for your post. I can never get enough of Hawaiian Style music. I even loaded my iPad with a dozen more CD's. When I am in Hawaii (for a month at a time), I listen to the Hawaiian Music setting on the radio.

 

I can't recall if my NCL around the island had non stop music, but I am truly looking forward to my cruise on the Golden in a couple of weeks. The Aloha Spirit will be abundant on this cruise since it has ELUA and Dave Cole.

 

I am sorry that your experience was not very pleasant. Maybe this cruise was not what you had expected. I hope you find a cruise that matches you better. For me, this one is perfect.

 

Renee (displaced local girl)

 

You'll love Elua. Not only when they're singing, but they have a little segment on the Wake show (unfortunately I didn't catch this until a few days into the cruise) where they don't only talk about the activities, but also give advice about places to visit in Hawaii and teach a phrase or word in Hawaiian every day. I took the hula classes (for the second cruise in a row!) and when the Ultimate Deck Party was starting, Leialoha had everyone doing the hula to the Hukilau song (I took great pleasure into making hubby do it too). Then New Deal took over with pop music for the rest of the party.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I agree. While sometimes would be good, like pool time or cocktail hour, I'm not looking forward to it. I read somewhere on here that there is steel drums also? I cringe at that. I have no interest in Jamaica because steel drums sounds cool for only about 5 minutes.

 

I thought about taking the grandkids on a Disney cruise, but I guess it's like the park, and non stop Disney music. I'm afraid their parents are going to have to endure that, not me.

 

I'm not being grumpy or complaining, and I don't think the OP is either. Everyone has their reasons for visiting someplace. I'm going to Hawaii for the relaxing sea days, the fabulous view of wide open skies, the volcanic geology, and the umbrella drinks. I don't plan on attending a luau, and poi is not on my list of foodie experiences. BBQ pork, however, is. :p

I do appreciate the cruiselines effort to make it a theme, but it should be when you want to experience it, not when you don't. I hope I can find a nice place to read outside without Hawaiian music playing...I prefer classical so I can concentrate on what I'm reading.

 

I was just at the California Adventure Park (the sister park to Disneyland) a couple of weekends ago as my daughter's band was performing there. I'm not a Disney fan, but I knew I would be hearing a lot of Disney music that day. But even then, the song on the street car was "California, Here I Come," and when some of us were sitting outside the building where the kids were changing out of their band outfits, we were watching the Alice in Wonderland Show, which featured non-Disney songs (eg. "Move Like Jagger"). Later on, we had nearly front row seats at the major light show, which featured, surprise, songs from Disney movies. We were all singing, "A Whole New World."

 

Seriously, if you go anywhere (cruises, malls, doctor's offices) and listening to music not to your taste would drive you crazy, you can do what some people do and bring a MP-3 player. I don't have one, but I'll put up with most music, even though I mentally go nuts if "Funkytown" is played (I'll let my daughter have dibs on the car radio with her alternative rock station, but I have dibs on changing the channel if "We are Young" come on).

 

There is a difference between Christmas music, which I hear everywhere at the same time every year, and music with a Hawaiian theme which one rarely hears outside of Hawaii. If the songs were recognizable it would be different. For example, I like the Hawaiian version of Over The Rainbow that plays at the end of 50 First Dates.

 

If they played songs that are popular, but with a Hawaiian sound, it would be more acceptable, but during the cruise I was on I might have heard one song that I recognized.

 

That version of "Over the Rainbow" is by the iconic (and sadly late) Izzy.

I just wonder if you are invited to a school recital, would it bother you to listen to classical pieces you may not be familiar with or other types of music. Maybe you shouldn't see the movie "The Descendants" which is filled with traditional Hawaiian music.