Oh no! Art auctions

[Nitemare]

Same Foxnews article as in the other thread. Full of errors.

 

I'm not a fan of art auctions on upscale lines, and if we ignore them and don't buy from them, they will go away. But spreading lies and innuendo isn't the way to win this fight.

[kiawahdon]

I am curious. Just what are the errors as I have followed the Park West trials since 2008 having read almost every public transcript.

[bar_20]

I have not been on an Azamara cruise so I don't know exactly what is sold on the ship. What I think bothers some people is first it's going to be art auctions, next it will be different types of jewelry sales, watch sales, booze sales, etc., etc. All these different things take ship personnel to run them,. When they use ship personnel that means they have to cut out some free programs. I was just on two HAL cruises, two different ships and all cruise long it was sell, sell, sell. with very few free programs. Sure I can avoid the sales but that's not the point. No one wants a K-Mart at sea.

[bar_20]

Several years ago Carnival threw Park West off all their ships - all lines. For RCCL and AZ to continue to do business with this corrupt (read convicted) company and its president says a lot in my mind. The quest (pardon the pun) for the dollar has overtaken common sense in my opinion and I am concerned that a very good cruise line is not long for this world.

In today's market place it is exceedingly difficult to maintain profitability with just 2 ships and 1300 berths. The economies of scale are not there and art auctions won't make up the short-fall. The auctions are a desperate attempt to gain a very minor amount of revenue at a significant public relations expense in my opinion.

 

Are you sure these auctions are run by Park West? I was on two HAL, a Carnival owned cruise line, cruises recently and they had art auctions. However I don't think they were run by Park West. They were a smaller operation and didn't seem to have the old Park West atmosphere.

[Nitemare]

I am curious. Just what are the errors as I have followed the Park West trials since 2008 having read almost every public transcript.

 

Here's where I broke it down on the Cruise Question board.

 

Pretty obvious the writer has never attended an art auction at sea, nor purchased art at sea.

[geocruiser]

I just went to Park west's web site and on their Fall Sale there were many giclée prints. I did not know about this way of making prints.

[Nitemare]

I just went to Park west's web site and on their Fall Sale there were many giclée prints. I did not know about this way of making prints.

 

Yeah, it's a much more modern technique (last 25 years), as opposed to lithography, which goes back hundreds of years.

 

I'd never buy a giclee expecting it to have any value at all, other than decorative, as it is basically a really nice photocopy that can be reproduced an unlimited number of times. A traditional lithograph has a limit to how many times it can be reproduced (due to the degradation of the printing blocks), and might have a chance of value beyond decorative, due to the limits on numbers produced and any fame of the artist.

[Ithikan]

I just went to Park west's web site and on their Fall Sale there were many giclée prints. I did not know about this way of making prints.

Some artists offer "enhanced giclees," their own work upon which they'll add a few brush strokes or additional materials to texturize or highlight. Same image as the (several) other prints, but made "original" by the enhancements.

[wripro]

Giclee is French for fake art.

[tommui987]

Art auctions take up space; art auctions requires that AZ put up the auctioneers and assorted minions. And there are costs involved in housing them and feeding them.

 

If the auctions are ignored, management will figure out that auctions are not a profit center.

 

If they are ignored, maybe management will figure out that perhaps a harpist would be a good thing to have - he/she may not generate actual cash but it will generate a lot of good will as far as the passengers are concerned.

[captainmcd]

We just boarded the Journey on the President's cruise and this subject came up with management. Of course no promises were made, but they are aware of the "push back" from cruise critic members.

So far the auction desk and area is relatively small. Park West delivered a fairly large 4 color glossy brochure for use on any ship to our room. The area involved is on deck 5 forward port side between the cabaret and casino. There is no harp music, but guitar player is on the program, but I have heard no music on day one. Larry Pimentel and his wife did greet the CruiseCritic members personally. So far I am pleased with how things are going, the boarding went very well, as it usually does.

[gillianrose]

We just boarded the Journey on the President's cruise and this subject came up with management. Of course no promises were made, but they are aware of the "push back" from cruise critic members.

 

Did anyone ask the President whether the harpists were actually replaced with the art auction? Did anyone ask about the housing of the harpists and the housing of the art auctioneers? It's always possible to ask staff members on board, of course. Management is not the only place to get answers.

[geocruiser]

Azamara did have art auctions on our first cruise. If they did not do well then (I guessing they did not because they got rid of them) why is Azamara trying again?

[captainmcd]

The location of the silent auction is on deck 5, but starboard side aft, across from Mosaic Cafe, and the artwork is on that deck around the after stairwells and elevators, and into the passageway back to discoveries louge. I was jet lagged when and disoriented when I made my last post. I have not seen any interest yet in this area of the ship. I did ask about the harpist and the auctioneers, but as expected they admit that CruiseCritic is not happy about the changes, and they do pay attention to us, but said that the changes were necessary. I will continue to gather information about these changes. The call centers being outsourced was also mentioned, and I mentioned how nice it is to call and talk to someone who actually has been on the ship and can give good answers to your quesions.

[BruceMuzz]

Art Auctions tacky? Absolutely

The so-called art is garbage? Absolutely

Art Auctions taking up valuable public space? Absolutely

 

So why would a cruise line lose valuable space to a venture that is tacky garbage?

 

Because the passengers buy that garbage, that's why - and they buy a lot of it.

Nobody ever lost any money underestimating the taste of the American Public.

Just ask the Walmart people.

 

Any venture on a cruise ship that does not make any revenue or profit quickly disappears.

Art Auctioneers on cruise ships generate more revenue and profit per employee than any other revenue stream out there.

They are here to stay.

 

On the positive side, Art Auctions generate so much revenue and profit that the cruise lines do not need to raise prices and fares so often to protect profits.

You should thank the idiots who keep the Art Auctions on ships. They are saving you plenty money.

[nordski]

The location of the silent auction is on deck 5, but starboard side aft, across from Mosaic Cafe, and the artwork is on that deck around the after stairwells and elevators, and into the passageway back to discoveries louge. I was jet lagged when and disoriented when I made my last post. I have not seen any interest yet in this area of the ship. I did ask about the harpist and the auctioneers, but as expected they admit that CruiseCritic is not happy about the changes, and they do pay attention to us, but said that the changes were necessary. I will continue to gather information about these changes. The call centers being outsourced was also mentioned, and I mentioned how nice it is to call and talk to someone who actually has been on the ship and can give good answers to your quesions.

 

Thanks for the clarification re: location of the art and communicating the onboard responses to recent concerns posted here.

 

One can only hope that repeated support for the presence of the harpists might lead, someday, to their return. At the least, it should remove any doubt as to the depth of that support.

[uktog]

The location of the silent auction is on deck 5, but starboard side aft, across from Mosaic Cafe, and the artwork is on that deck around the after stairwells and elevators, and into the passageway back to discoveries louge. I was jet lagged when and disoriented when I made my last post. I have not seen any interest yet in this area of the ship.

 

Sounds like they are cluttering up some of the areas people need to circulate in, though perhaps you will tell me otherwise

[Spursgirl]

We are on Quest next week and will report back where the art is sited on that ship

[wripro]

I suggest everyone take that glossy four page brochure, tear it up in pieces and deliver it to the Park West desk. Or the purser's desk. There's nothing better than a visual demonstration of how people feel.

[nordski]

I suggest everyone take that glossy four page brochure, tear it up in pieces and deliver it to the Park West desk. Or the purser's desk. There's nothing better than a visual demonstration of how people feel.

 

I understand the forceful expression of displeasure, but I personally wouldn't return it to the Park West desk.

 

Unless I'm incorrect, the representative at the desk is a minor player in this situation and far from the decision-making level. Perhaps poorly paid as well and simply needing a job.

 

Thus we'll direct our negative comments to the appropriate officers and also to the survey conducted at the end of cruise. (We will also keep calling for the return of the harpists on that survey until we cease to cruise on ACC.)

 

Therefore, we think it a good idea to return it to the Purser's desk, albeit intact.

 

Having read Host Andy's and Bruce Muzz's comments, perhaps we can make peace with the presence of that revenue stream onboard, and we may have to recognize that others may enjoy it. However, we agree that it must be as unobtrusive as possible.

[gillianrose]

The auctioneer is not poorly paid. Direct displeasure there, among others.

[kiawahdon]

I got off the Quest just before the auctions started. However, if I was still on board, I would be the most unsteady passenger on board continually knocking over the easels and art.

[CRUISERTN]

Has anyone read the book "Ship For Brains- Cruise Confidential"? (about life on a cruise ship as an art auctioneer)? They get paid well. A must read for cruise lovers!!:eek: