Awful music on Princess ships

[swedish weave]

OP got 75 bites on one piece of bait !!!!

[PescadoAmarillo]

OP got 75 bites on one piece of bait !!!!

OP? What OP? We're on to our own discussion now.

[landnsea]

I was on the Coral recently and they played the WORST music in the Atrium. It was all 1940's jazzy oldie moldy 78 RPM stuff. And it was on all the time and at just enough volume that it wasn't "background" any more. If you tried to sit in the library and read you had to listen to it... If you were waiting in line to buy a shore excursion, you had to listen to it.....If you were in the shops you had to listen to it...... Maybe it's just me, but couldn't they change up the music a little?

 

I can appreciate that some of the passengers, maybe 90 and older, don't want to have to turn up their hearing aids to listen to "their" music, but please - just once put on something other than a dead rat-packer. Simon and Garfunkel, Beatles, even Herman's Hermits.... it doesn't have to be 50 Cent and AC/DC here. On Oktoberfest night in the Horizon Court, do you think there might be some German music playing? Nope, more dead rat-packers!

Is this true on all Princess ships or does the Cruise staff on Coral just have a fixation on this particular music genre?

 

 

Our thoughts exactly, Princess continues to cater to there aging customer base.

[Meatman1]

OP got 75 bites on one piece of bait !!!!

 

Good one.

:)

[Ethel5]

Our thoughts exactly, Princess continues to cater to there aging customer base.

 

We pay the rent! :p

[Skai]

You wouldn't if you were a culturally Jewish atheist; take my word on that. But I did manage to survive the caroling on the Star without kvetching to CC. 'Cause that's the kind of guy I am.

 

C'mon man, how can you not break even a little smile when you hear:

 

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..."

 

or

 

"Sleigh bells ringing, Are you listening, In the lane, Snow is glistening..."

 

Schmaltz?

 

I guess I'm the kind of guy that would remain indifferent if there was some Klezmer playing, or some Kirtan, or some Shinto, or someone playing an oud, or even some Tibetan throat chanting. But that's just me.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Let me tell you...I celebrate Christmas but the thought of hearing Christmas music 24/7 is enough to make me commit mayhem! One year our local oldies/light rock radio station decided to play only Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving. I was ready to kill the Little Drummer Boy and choke the Chipmunks!

 

We are not bad people! :)

 

Only from the day after Thanksgiving? Consider yourself lucky. :D Aussie shopping centres start playing constant Christmas music at least two months ahead, and Christmas decorations go on sale in September. :eek: By Christmas Eve I'm totally over the whole thing!

 

That's why we're cruising this Christmas. Please tell me I'm not going to have to endure constant Christmas music for the first week of our cruise? *makes note to pack earplugs, headphones and MP3 player*

Edited July 12, 2014 by OzKiwiJJ

[satxdiver]

We have not been on a holiday cruise because of family obligations not to mention the extended prices. I have not been found the piazza music that bad or loud - I just turn my hearing aids off! :rolleyes: Well actually that is not true about the hearing aids. I agree with other posters though that the Xmas music constantly 24x7 is a bit over the top for me. I always travel with my noise cancelling headset and iPod which works very well on the aircraft when your seat partner suffers from motor mouth syndrome.

[FritzG]

I love classical music in the atrium area. We love sitting in the atrium and meeting new people, but sometimes the music is so loud that carrying on a conversation is nearly impossible.

 

Also we're not big fans of the games in the atrium that we're seeing more often. Ring toss reminded me of occupational therapy I've seen in nursing homes.

[redtogo]

I love dead rat-packers. And I'm 34. You don't have to have a hearing aid to appreciate that music. If it makes you feel any better, there was an entertainer on one of my most recent cruisers that was partial to Neil Diamond. I probably heard half a dozen "Sweet Caroline" sing alongs. Not my style, so I just moved on to one of the many other venues. :cool:

 

I think I was on the same cruise!

[redtogo]

Just a little trivia to go along with the music:

 

"Jingle Bells" was not originally a Christmas song. It was written as a Winter song for his friends at Thanksgiving. Modern songsters changed its identity to the Christmas season when it was recorded on their Christmas albums.

Edited July 12, 2014 by redtogo

[Mom33]

OP got 75 bites on one piece of bait !!!!

 

Hmmmmm......really? :)

[USNUZULOOSE]

Last year where we live they started laying Christmas music from the first of November. I love Christmas music but not for two months. If it were random I could tolerate that.

[LewesBeach]

I love classical music in the atrium area. We love sitting in the atrium and meeting new people, but sometimes the music is so loud that carrying on a conversation is nearly impossible.

 

Also we're not big fans of the games in the atrium that we're seeing more often. Ring toss reminded me of occupational therapy I've seen in nursing homes.

 

Agree! You're having a nice quiet conversation in Vines, then something akin to a 3 ring circus starts up in the atrium, and you can't hear a thing.

[tequilasunrise]

I like ALL sorts of music (except disco and rap) but most of all, classic rock - The Who, Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Rolling Stones etc.

 

However, I firmly believe the Atrium should ONLY ever have a classical string quartet.

 

Agree! Love the string quartet in the atrium...or at least classical music. But I do like all of the others you mentioned; great for other venues.

[Bill B]

OP got 75 bites on one piece of bait !!!!

LOL... didn't even need to 'chum the water'.

 

Agree! Love the string quartet in the atrium...or at least classical music. But I do like all of the others you mentioned; great for other venues.

Thanks... but my parents hated 'my' music. "You can't please everyone... so you've got to please yourself."

 

Unfortunately, string quartets (and pianists) cost money. If we all want to book 7-day cruises for $399 we're going to have to listen to crap. Remember -

It could be worse... they are not yet (as far as I know) blasting canned, K-pop (Korean pop) out of the Atrium speakers at 120 Db. Oh the horror! ;)

[shepp]

C'mon man, how can you not break even a little smile when you hear:

 

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..."

 

or

 

"Sleigh bells ringing, Are you listening, In the lane, Snow is glistening..."

 

Schmaltz?

 

I guess I'm the kind of guy that would remain indifferent if there was some Klezmer playing, or some Kirtan, or some Shinto, or someone playing an oud, or even some Tibetan throat chanting. But that's just me.

 

Please note: both songs you cited are totally secular songs, but apparently everything that happens from Halloween to spring thaw is part of The Christmas Season. "Let It Snow" might well be a Kwanzaa song, "Winter Wonderland" a Hanukkah ballad. But they're not regarded as such…which proves my point about hegemony.

 

Anyway, I have no problem whatsoever with Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." In fact, it makes me tear up. My problem, as I said earlier, was waiting on line to pick up blood pressure meds at the pharmacy and being regaled, way before Thanksgiving, with "O Holy Night."

 

I have the feeling that if cruises during Ramadan featured Arabic devotional music over the PA, there might be some hackles raised. I do love Tuvan throat singing, though. Have you ever seen those guys perform in person? Amazing.

Edited July 13, 2014 by shepp

[Skai]

I do love Tuvan throat singing, though. Have you ever seen those guys perform in person? Amazing.

 

Not in person yet, however, not only would I be unopposed to hearing some in the atrium area on Princess ships, I would also love to see the looks on some passengers faces if that was the music being played.;)

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...Unfortunately, string quartets (and pianists) cost money. If we all want to book 7-day cruises for $399 we're going to have to listen to crap...

 

I would rather listen to nothing at all then. There is nothing wrong with peace and quiet in public areas, especially early in the AM before coffee.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

DH threatens to get a chainsaw every time he hears "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."...

 

Yup, that is probably one of the most annoying Christmas tunes. "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas" is another, IMHO.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

Agree! Love the string quartet in the atrium...or at least classical music. But I do like all of the others you mentioned; great for other venues.

 

ITA. On my last cruise, I loved sitting in the atrium while the quartet played, drinking a cappuccino and reading a book.

[landnsea]

An eye opening observation, we primarily do longer sailings now of 20 days or longer, yes we are well aware the longer the sailing the older the passengers, we get it.

Last year we were in Europe onboard The Crown, not much of a night life onboard the ship to say the least, did not take long to see that Princess had once again booked low end bands and entertainers for the ship, here's our eye opening observation....as we walked the ship say 9- midnight the bands in the different lounges were playing to just a hand full of passengers if that, all but empty you can say. So yeah, we get it, why would Princess pay the price to book a high end Rocken Band or Entertainer when there is no need to because of the age of the passengers onboard, knowing no one is going to show up to see them.

Try this everyone and see for yourself, next time your onboard your next cruise, your in the Princess Theater watching a show, count the number of people that watching the show that are sound asleep.

Just our thoughts on the topic at hand folks.

 

John, Laura and Gaby

Seattle, Wa.

Go Hawks

[shredie]

Try this everyone and see for yourself, next time your onboard your next cruise, your in the Princess Theater watching a show, count the number of people that watching the show that are sound asleep.

Just our thoughts on the topic at hand folks.

Maybe if they hired better bands more people would show up and fewer would fall asleep? The next time you're in the Princess Theatre with a good show, count the number of people who are awake. :D

[shepp]

I would rather listen to nothing at all then. There is nothing wrong with peace and quiet in public areas, especially early in the AM before coffee.

 

I may have a faulty memory, but I have no recollection of music ever being piped into the Piazza when I go to fetch my morning coffee from the IC.

[Cruisin' Chick]

An eye opening observation, we primarily do longer sailings now of 20 days or longer, yes we are well aware the longer the sailing the older the passengers, we get it.

Last year we were in Europe onboard The Crown, not much of a night life onboard the ship to say the least, did not take long to see that Princess had once again booked low end bands and entertainers for the ship, here's our eye opening observation....as we walked the ship say 9- midnight the bands in the different lounges were playing to just a hand full of passengers if that, all but empty you can say. So yeah, we get it, why would Princess pay the price to book a high end Rocken Band or Entertainer when there is no need to because of the age of the passengers onboard, knowing no one is going to show up to see them.

Try this everyone and see for yourself, next time your onboard your next cruise, your in the Princess Theater watching a show, count the number of people that watching the show that are sound asleep.

Just our thoughts on the topic at hand folks.

 

John, Laura and Gaby

Seattle, Wa.

Go Hawks

 

My last few cruises were the holiday ones...with a range of ages from under ones to those who have visited their retirement departments at work twenty or more years before. Besides many people gathering in the atrium whenever Elua was playing their beautiful Hawaiian melodies, there seemed to be a full house at the performances of the "Motor City" and "British Invasion" shows (we saw both on each of our last two cruises) and a packed Piazza full of partiers dancing to a live band on New Years Eve until 1 PM (and many of them were in the senior age group). So I guess it depends on the itinerary (those on the Alaskan cruises probably get up much earlier due to the ports) and time of year.