Ocean Bar Schedule?

[Carnevale]

It's been a while since we last sailed on HAL so we are really looking forward to being on Veendam in October. When we last sailed on HAL there was a fairly standard schedule for the band in the Ocean Bar.

 

If memory serves me, it seems they played a set timed to be pre-dinner for the first set MDR sitting and then again a set timed as pre-dinner for the 8pm DMR sitting and one last set later on. Is that still pretty much how it works?

 

If anyone recalls the timing or has any recent daily schedules and can check to see when the band in the Ocean Bar plays I'd really appreciate it!

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL now has the HAL Cats playing in the Ocean Bar -- no more Neptune groups.

Depending on what class of ship you are on, you may have 1 or 2 HAL Cat groups playing there.

And again -- depending on size of ship -- depends on when they begin to start to play. Larger ships they usually start around 5 or 6 PM and take turns throughout the evening.

[Shmoo here]

HAL now has the HAL Cats playing in the Ocean Bar -- no more Neptune groups.

Depending on what class of ship you are on, you may have 1 or 2 HAL Cat groups playing there.

And again -- depending on size of ship -- depends on when they begin to start to play. Larger ships they usually start around 5 or 6 PM and take turns throughout the evening.

 

When did they stop the Neptunes? They were on our Oct/Nov Panama Canal cruise last year.

[RuthC]

With only a very few odd exceptions, the HALCats played in the Ocean Bar from either 7:00-11:30, or 7:30-11:30 most nights on my recent 28-night cruise on the Oosterdam.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Neptunes started to disappear in 2012 and by the time we got on the Westerdam in the spring of 2013 -- they were gone.

We had 2 HAL Cat groups. Have had 2 groups on our cruises on the Vista and Signature class ships. Not certain what is happening on the smaller ships.

[Carnevale]

Many thanks for this info. What are the HAL Cats like? Is this a trio? Or?? And what kind of music do they play?

[RuthC]

And what kind of music do they play?

At cocktail time that sort of depended on which HALCats troupe was playing. One group was softer, cocktail music, while the other was louder and closer to a rock music mostly.

Later in the evening it was definitely loud, jumpy music.

 

For those who have complained that the music played was from your parents' (or grandparents') era, it's been moved up a few decades. Personally, I think they overshot the runway, and are now playing music more recent than the passenger demographic came from.

[Carnevale]

Oh no! That doesn't sound good. Loud jumpy music is not what we go to HAL for so I hope they manage to tone it down a little. As I mentioned, it has been a while since we were last on HAL and we expect some things to have changed, but it is sad to hear that the quality of the music in the Ocean Bar has gone this way...the Ocean Bar used to be a real highlight for us when we sailed.

[Alberta Quilter]

I'm currently on the Amsterdam - The Neptunes are playing in the Ocean Bar from 6:30 - 11:30 pm, according to today's On Location. On our last cruise, a year ago, it was the HalCats playing in the Ocean Bar.

 

Hopefully someone who has just been on the Veendam will be able to tell you what's happening on that ship. But The Neptunes do seem to be alive and singing!

[take us away]

One of the Neptune performers told us that HAL was 'trying out' using Hal Cats in the Ocean Bar instead of Neptune bands on some cruises. So... if you want the Neptune band back - use the power of the survey after your cruise and ask for their return if not on your cruise or make wonderful comments about how you loved them if they were on your cruise.

[Shmoo here]

One of the Neptune performers told us that HAL was 'trying out' using Hal Cats in the Ocean Bar instead of Neptune bands on some cruises. So... if you want the Neptune band back - use the power of the survey after your cruise and ask for their return if not on your cruise or make wonderful comments about how you loved them if they were on your cruise.

 

Possibly because our cruise was a longer one (21 nights) they felt they needed some more variety onboard in the entertainment department. I don't know. But we had both the Neptunes and the HAL Cats onboard. Of the 3 different HAL Cats groups we've seen, the one on our Veendam cruise was the best.

 

Occasionally, when the Neptunes were playing in the Ocean Bar, the HAL Cats performers would join them in performing (sometimes separately, sometimes the whole group). They also used the HAL Cats as the "orchestra" on some of the stage performances in the main theatre.

 

We thought both the Neptunes and the HAL Cats on that cruise were very good. As was the piano player. And we had 2 different guitar players during the length of the cruise (one was a little better than the other, but both were good).

Edited May 20, 2014 by Shmoo here

[Stevedan]

What is the difference in the type of music between Hal Cats and Neptunes? Also, why does everything have to be so standardized that each band throughout the fleet has to have the same name? The ships seem to lose their individuality more and more as all features become simply cookie cutter.

[Shmoo here]

What is the difference in the type of music between Hal Cats and Neptunes? Also, why does everything have to be so standardized that each band throughout the fleet has to have the same name? The ships seem to lose their individuality more and more as all features become simply cookie cutter.

 

Well, in our experience, the Neptunes (usually a trio) play cocktail/easy listening/dance style music. And the HAL Cats are a little more upbeat, 60ish sort of music.

 

I don't know how long they've played onboard the HAL ships, but each group member is hired separately and put together, from what I've been told. Maybe HAL is trying to give the same experience onboard (the things that seem to work, anyway) regardless of the ship.

[POA1]

What is the difference in the type of music between Hal Cats and Neptunes? Also, why does everything have to be so standardized that each band throughout the fleet has to have the same name? The ships seem to lose their individuality more and more as all features become simply cookie cutter.

 

The different band members come aboard for different contract lengths. When a bass player leaves for instance, another bass player comes onboard. The standardized song catalog helps to ensure that all the members know the basic repertoire. There are also music performance licensing fees that must be paid by the cruise line or the band. That limits what can be played.

[reefisher]

Neptunes played in the Ocean Bar in Feb on the Statendam, and they were Dam Good.

[Carnevale]

We love ballroom dancing but, from the sounds of things, the HAL Cats may not be ideal for that. Or, am I wrong? Is ballroom dancing still alive and well in the Ocean Bar?

 

And, if anyone has recently been on Veendam and can comment on what's playing in the Ocean Bar I'd really appreciate it!

 

Thanks again to everyone for all of your comments.

[jhsocal]

We were on Veendam late Feb. and early Mar. The Neptunes played in Ocean Bar, hours varied. Sometimes they played 6PM to 11Pm,other days 4PM to 8Pm with Erika and Halcats8:30 to 11:30. Ocean Bar had Happy Hour from 6Pm to 7Pm. This was quite popular, with every seat occupied by 6:15Pm. People were happy to share tables and booths and the music was soft.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our Westerdam cruise was a 21 day cruise.

About 30 of us signed up for the Cellar Master's dinner and we were seated in the front of the Pinnacle Grill.

All we could hear were the screaming HAL Cats. The Cellar Master had a hard time talking over them about each wine for each course.

On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruises, besides the 2 different HAL Cats, in the Crow's Nest, we had a guitarist that screamed into the mike and had the volume jacked up. She also played at both VIP parties and you couldn't even talk to anyone.

Yes -- I keep writing all this up.

[jackom]

On Ryndam at the moment and experienced the HAL cats last night in Crows Nest

 

the worst group I have ever heard on a cruise ship

[CameraCrazy]

I was on the Ryndam in April, transatlantic from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona. The Neptunes with Harvey, Fernando and Max were there and playing well for those who liked to dance and hear more mellow sounds. Karen and the HALCats were in the Crows Nest for the more raucous passengers, so at least there was a choice. The Neptunes played dance music and some jazz later in the evening.

[seaworthy_c]

The Neptunes we had on our recent Statendam trip were absolutely excellent. Consistently the best entertainment to be found on the ship, in my opinion.

Our incarnation of the HALcats wasn't bad; the rest were mediocre at best.