Music level onboard ships ?

[heavenlysea]

Considering taking a Carnival cruise (no specific ship in mind yet) but have heard the music levels can be overbearing in public areas, including elevators. What's your experience? I'd like to be treated as an adult (am 50+) and don't appreciate loud anything.

[Shmoo here]

Considering taking a Carnival cruise (no specific ship in mind yet) but have heard the music levels can be overbearing in public areas, including elevators. What's your experience? I'd like to be treated as an adult (am 50+) and don't appreciate loud anything.

 

I can only tell you that on our Inspiration cruise last Feb, hubby and I couldn't talk while we played cards on the pool deck because of the noise (music?) issuing forth from the speakers.

 

I don't recall that the music in the elevators was especially loud. Or in the atrium area.

[cacroozr]

I was really worried about this on our Sunshine cruise this past July and was pleasantly surprised. I felt like the music was at a reasonable level where you could hear but could easily talk over it.

[SadieN]

Music is always too loud around the pool and when the band is playing off of the Casino at night. But everywhere else is at a conversational level

[dad2my3]

Had to leave the pool area with my kids a few times on the Inspiration because of the loud music. We couldn't sit and eat out there if we wanted to chat over lunch. It wasn't an issue in most other areas of the ship.

[winddawn]

Considering taking a Carnival cruise (no specific ship in mind yet) but have heard the music levels can be overbearing in public areas, including elevators. What's your experience? I'd like to be treated as an adult (am 50+) and don't appreciate loud anything.

Carnival's brand ambassador had posted a while back on social media that the volume would be turned down. From what people have reported here and from what I've experienced, it seems that might have lasted a very short time on some ships and then reverted to previous uncomfortable volumes. I agree with the other post that the volume on the Lido deck around the pool area, and the area by the casino where there is live music in the evenings is way too loud. There is a DJ that plays in the pool area on Lido that seems to be a source of frustration for many people. And when they have certain events on Lido, such as the hairy chest contest, it can get pretty loud then too. And the big screen TVs on deck can get pretty loud too. I've never experienced loud music in the elevators. You would probably enjoy the adult (21+ only) Serenity area as an alternative to the crowded, noisy Lido pool area. Serenity has nice cushioned lounge chairs. If you want to enjoy the casino without loud volumes and cigarette smoke, the best time to visit is early in the mornings on sea days. They usually open around 7 AM on sea days. But at night, the casino gets pretty loud and smoky. The smoke in and around the casinos is likely to get worse with the upcoming ban on smoking on balconies. The casino bar and casino are one of the very few indoor areas that allows smoking.

Edited August 12, 2014 by winddawn

[ready2cruzagain]

On the Conquest in December it was ear splitting by the pool. We were on the beach at Mahogany Bay and you could hear the large screen tv plain as day. Ridiculous.

 

In the Atrium, they played music all of the time from recordings and it was so loud you couldn't talk. That was quite annoying especially when you were sitting there waiting for over an hour to reboard for a b2b.

[Seago2]

The lido DJ on Glory (last summer) and Miracle (months before) was absolutely ear splitting. The atrium wasn't that loud but still: obtrusive. The jumbo screen movies are much louder than necessary but it's not like you need to be watching the movies. Being on deck during the day is pretty much the "done thing" and to crank up the volume to ear splitting levels is just plain stupid and wrong. I just drag a loud chair completely forward or aft and get away from it.

 

I've never noticed the volume in the elevators or hallways.

 

I'm really hoping the volume has been turned down for my upcoming cruise.

 

Who was crazy enough to think that replacing live music on deck with a DJ would be better by cranking the volume to ear splitting levels????

[SkyMaster]

I too, agree that the music levels, and some of the music selections are not to the liking of most of the cruisers. Recently, aboard "Paradise", the band playing at the stage near the casino was so LOUD that I don't honestly know how anybody could stand to stay there. :eek: Lido music, with the DJ, is ALWAYS ear splitting, on every ship I've sailed in the last few years. WHY???????

 

"SKY"

[RWolver672]

I'm prpbably wrong but I don't remember music being played in the elevators. The only thing I remember is the lady's voice calling out the deck names.

[cruizinisthebest]

Just off the Freedom yesterday and there were only a few times (and I took mental note since I remember people on here complaining about it) that the music was loud. Once on embarkation day during the sail away party, another time during the deck parties in the evening, and again when we first docked in Nassau on Sunday. The music was at a reasonable levels all other times from what I recall and I walked on and through the Lido deck constantly since my room was on that floor. I also thought they played a nice variety for the entire 8 days. The acoustic guitar player from Red Frog also played on Lido frequently. The music was fine all around.

Edited August 12, 2014 by cruizinisthebest

[LzyCruiser_NWA]

We were just off the triumph last week and we felt that the music level on lido was very reasonable.

[Seago2]

This is very good to hear.

[edinboro cruiser]

Don't remember the elevators. The lido tv wasn't that bad. The Soloist on the lido at night was way too loud. Couldn't talk to other people. People walking through were covering their ears. This was on the Liberty this past January. This is also the first tine I was able yo hear music from the deck in my lido cabin.

 

 

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[BallFour4]

In the three years since bands vanished we've been on the Triumph five times, the Conquest, Glory and Imagination. The first three had music so loud on sea days it was metering 110 decibels on my phone app. I use this app for my own weekend DJ and emcee business.

 

I've talked with all the DJ's aboard the ships about software preferences and each one tells me Carnival wants the volume loud to help the party atmosphere and drive up alcohol sales. This year we've sailed the Triumph three times (it's close) and it got worse each time. In the captains cocktail party I showed them the meter max levels, showed them the photos of what has become a bawdy mix of women grinding on the shower poles and the Girls Gone Wild mentality.

 

Mike, who replaced Jen on the Triumph for a month was genuinely interested in the comments. I put all of them in the evaluation form emailed to me after each cruise. I also sent them links to my images and video.

 

I'm not sure they changed anything. We ride bicycles on Galveston Island many afternoons and you can hear the sail away music as the ship sails by.

 

The elevators and other areas of the ship have never had music at any volume that would be considered uncomfortable. Even in the evenings when live music in offered in the atrium the levels were comfortable.

 

Here's what Carnival is doing; it's a shift from families enjoying the lido deck on sunny days. It's a 20-30 something crowd pouring on alcohol and dancing on the benches. Families wanting something less than getting their young daughters heckled are forced to the aft pools. Aboard the Triumph in June this resulted in cannon balls being demonstrated in the hot tubs.

 

If a deal breaker ever existed this might be it. I hate to leave platinum status after cruising on ships from the Mardi Gras to the Magic, but this is a factor.

 

The other side of the coin is since the lido deck calypso bands are gone who really wants to hear hip-hop as we sail the Caribbean?

 

Four ships, eight cruises and only the Imagination got it right. And that cruise was over spring break, headed to Cozumel and Key West. We've only sailed when school was out since my wife is a teacher.

 

 

.

Edited August 12, 2014 by BallFour4

[NCTribeFan]

I never take the elevators, just the stairs (have to work off all those extra calories somehow!).

 

I hate the big TVs. Hate them. And the Conquest-class ships with the Serenity areas are not at all serene because the big TV is blasting most of the day. Unless you are in the very front of the ship, you can hear it. And then, unfortunately, you'll have people in the hot tubs above you bellowing at ear-shattering levels at people sitting 8" away. :mad:

 

Yes, in port it is absurdly loud. Maybe Carnival doesn't realize that the volume when sailing along at 20 knots might need to be louder than when in port. And, yes, the bands outside the casinos are rather loud. Perhaps musicians need to have it explained to them that they aren't playing in a 10,000-seat arena so it isn't really necessary to have the amps on 10.

 

But then, I complain about the horribly-invasive loud music everyone you go these days. I mean, seriously, do I need bad, loud pop music blaring in the grocery store? Seriously? Almost makes me wish for the bad-old-days of Muzak! :p

[kelkel2]

The only place I have recalled overly loud music on my last cruise which was post 2.0 upgrades was on the Lido. But it wasn't deafening. It certainly could have been turned down a notch but I kind of feel like that's the vibe they are going for on the lido..the loud celebration atmosphere. But you could still talk and hold a conversation.

[richfret]

It's not just the Pool Area. The music in the theater can be over whelming at times. Some times I think they base music quality on volume.

[erocrobro]

Onboard the Liberty this week, the music was so loud at the sail away party that we ended up leaving. We couldn't talk to each other without yelling. During the day, I didn't notice that it was so bad. We could easily visit by the pool, unless there was some sort of deck party going on. Also, the band that plays in the evening outside the casino is incredibly loud. Our family loved to sit on the promenade during the day and visit, people watch, enjoy the view, etc., but once the band started we had to leave.

[Anyislandwilldo]

I've talked with all the DJ's aboard the ships about software preferences and each one tells me Carnival wants the volume loud to help the party atmosphere and drive up alcohol sales.

.

 

 

New survey!! Does the volume of music inspire you to drink more alcohol?

[sjcruiser]

The music on the Lido Deck is always to loud for me, even at sail way. I take into account that this is suppose to be a party/Caribbean atmosphere, bringing back some live Caribbean music or steel drum bands/group would be better in place of the loud music of the latest top 20 by the DJ. Other areas of the ship I have found the music at a comfortable level, except for the theater, which also seems to be to loud, and is often distorted in some areas. I usually sit right behind or beside the sound technician on the balcony which is the optimal spot for me in hearing and viewing the productions (IMHO).

[iluvit!]

I pack earplugs and definitely needed them in the Magic's RedFrog pub. It was painfully loud but good song selection. By the pool the rap crap is inescapable--whatever happened to Jimmy Buffet?

 

 

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[iluvit!]

No, it prompts me to leave! The music in the Magic's RedFrog was so loud I had to put on my earplugs. By the pool it was annoyingly loud and the rap-crap drove us away. I'd much rather hear Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley, island rather than urban music.

 

 

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[sueinphilly]

this is disturbing to hear (no pun intended)

 

I don't want to have to retreat to my cabin because of loud music

 

I plan on bringing my own music to listen to via headphones, but I fear that ship music will be overbearing even with my own music playing :-(

[jmcancruise]

We have definitely gravitated away from lido because of the noise on our last 3or4 cruises. I like a party atmosphere, but don't want to go deaf.