Carnival getting rid of show bands

[Middleager]

Always amazed how people want to throw one part of the cruise out that they do not use. I cruise to be at sea, could care less of the ports we go to. I enjoy all the aspects of a cruise and talking with people about their experience on the cruise.

 

If I was going to be self centered and just want a cruise to fit my standards I would get rid of reduce the following:

 

-Room stewards, I do not need my bed made, can save on tips.

-Casinos

-Bars, a coke machine in the corner would do.

-Main dinning room cut the staff and place the rest in the buffet also reduces tips.

-Reduce ports of call, less tax, less fuel. The list would be much longer if I wanted to continue.

 

I been cruising for a long time, I feel the continued pressures to cut costs does affect the experience. Just wish people would stop being so self centered.

 

You have your opinion. Another person can have another opinion. So if your opinion is not the same as another person, you are not self-centered but the other person is. You believe your logic is not self-centered.

[goduckies05]

I don't see this as a necessarily bad thing. I like the playlist production shows, I don't see what is so superior about live music on the ship.

 

I agree I liked Epic Rock far more than even Ticket to ride... there were plenty of live band music on the ships just not in the shows... nbd to ne.

 

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[wareaglefan]

doesn't bother me either. I do miss the steel bands on Lido the day of cruise, always made me happy knowing I was Caribbean bound!

[katiel53]

I am one who doesn't care much about the shows as we rarely go to one, but I do love the bands that play throughout the ships. A few months ago, a new VP of entertainment came onboard and I think she would be the one to write to. Her name is Sarah Beth Reno.

 

Writing to the VP in charge of entertainment makes more sense to me as that is her area, but hey, what do I know?

[fla_momuv3]

We love the live bands. That's how we like to relax, listening to those talented musicians who work so hard to entertain us. Have heard many terrific acts over the years. #1 in our book, & still performing, is Music Boardwalk.

 

 

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[papadewey]

Members,

 

When I talk about show bands, that is what I am talking about during a theater show. I have cruised on Princess, and it canned music during the theater shows can not compare to the live band that I heard during my last cruise. Omar and Miracles ( Currently on Carnival Miarcle) bring a brightness and ambience to the show , a cd could never bring. Maybe an example might be why people are going back to listening to records as opposed to CD's.

 

One person mentioned, they want a cheap cruise experience, well I like a bargain to, but I would not cheapen it to the point, that all they served was peanuts and soda.

 

Doesn't anyone care about the quality of the cruise experience, just the price they pay?

 

papadewey

[nybumpkin]

Over the 10 years we've been sailing with Carnival we've seen lots of changes in entertainment. We used to love the jazz trios that performed in the cigar bars. They disappeared, I think even before the steel drum groups on the Lido deck (and before the cigar bars disappeared altogether). On several of our cruises (Legend last year and Miracle this year particularly come to mind) the show band would do some concerts around the ship - different styles of music, some jazz, some Motown, etc. Last year on Legend the band teamed up with the singers to put on an afternoon concert - it was packed. Now the show bands are disappearing, as we experienced on Glory in August. As you've probably read in some of my posts, I really dislike Playlist Productions. Canned music, bright lights, and - in my view - just not very good. I've passed my thoughts along to the powers that be at Carnival, but I'm not expecting it to change. They've invested too much in the new entertainment. It certainly won't keep us from sailing - we just won't be in the show lounge any more. There are other lounges with good entertainment where we can spend our money.:p

[Disconnections]

Members,

 

When I talk about show bands, that is what I am talking about during a theater show. I have cruised on Princess, and it canned music during the theater shows can not compare to the live band that I heard during my last cruise. Omar and Miracles ( Currently on Carnival Miarcle) bring a brightness and ambience to the show , a cd could never bring. Maybe an example might be why people are going back to listening to records as opposed to CD's.

 

One person mentioned, they want a cheap cruise experience, well I like a bargain to, but I would not cheapen it to the point, that all they served was peanuts and soda.

 

Doesn't anyone care about the quality of the cruise experience, just the price they pay?

 

papadewey

 

 

Photo courtesy: jenseib; http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2113867&page=14

Edited December 27, 2014 by Disconnections

[LMaxwell]

I have cruised Carnival in the past, but when the entertainment went downhill I jumped ship. I have written to Carnival saying more live music, less blast your ears to bleeding DJ and I will be back. Perhaps I should send them all the invoices for cruises I've taken in the past few years not on Carnival to show them some of the $$ they are missing.

 

Canned music for all entertainment is a serious downgrade. Carnival used to be known for phenomenal entertainment!

[Warm Breezes]

On a typical 7 night Caribbean Cruise, with 4 stops, a person will spend about 80-84% of their time on the ship. The ship is the destination, with a few side stops.

 

Live bands, whether they are show bands, poolside bands, night clubs etc have been and are still a part of every major cruise line. Even the Casino boats out of Florida have live music. IF the only music is a DJ, or prerecorded music than it cheapens the cruise. 80% of your time, and all they do is play canned music?

 

Anyone that wants to write, can do so today, and not wait until February. You can address it to any president, new or old, because it will be opened by staff who will compile the letters and submit it to the President.

 

Is not part of the fun, the music?[/QUOTE]

 

That depends on what you enjoy in cruising. DH and I were just talking about that today. To us a "live band" is not a make or break thing for us when deciding what ship to cruise on...having said that, we have yet to sail a ship without a live band in the production shows. It was not a deciding factor for us, it just turned out that way. For both of us the music is "back ground" noise. If I am watching a show I pay more attention to singers and dancers than I do the band...maybe that comes from being a dance mom. We listen to so much canned music at competitions that hearing it live or recorded really doesn't matter to us and it definitely isn't what makes a cruise fun for us.

[Warm Breezes]

I've been on several (14) cruises and have seen the bands dwindle. As a lover of live music, I certainly want the bands to stay. My question to all the other posters is; Are we cruising on a cheap cruise line or one that offers a great value? I book looking for value and that doesn't always mean lowest price. A previous poster said if it "keeps their pricing low and allows me to afford a cruise every year" to me sounds like they only go based on price so they could cruise 3 times in 2014. That's not a knock against them just an observation. I don't cruise Royal because I'm not paying extra for things that don't interest me. Flowrider surfing - I lived in Cali for 15 years and didn't surf so no, rock climbing - both knees replaced three years ago so no, ice skating - I live in upstate NH so plenty of chances to skate so no, and zip line - I'd rather do it with more than one line so no. I don't think any of us cruise for the band or the food or the room but as a combination of all of the pieces, as pieces are removed, the value goes down. Smaller or no bands, midnight buffet, pens in rooms, decks of cards on pillows, free soda, daily free sushi, enforcing dress code at dinner, and Caesar salad at the 24 hour pizza for those of us who didn't really want pizza. These are all things that will not make me stop cruising Carnival but does make me question if it is a good value. Long winded, I know but there's my two cents.

 

That depends on what you value. Just like your don't sail Royal because you don't value surfing, ice skating, or rock climbing and don't want to want to pay extra to sail on Royal because it wouldn't be a "value" to you. In my case, none of the following items: "Smaller or no bands, midnight buffet, pens in rooms, decks of cards on pillows, free soda, daily free sushi, enforcing dress code at dinner, and Caesar salad at the 24 hour pizza for those of us who didn't really want pizza" have any value to me when cruising so why would I want to pay extra for them? I certainly wouldn't miss any of them if the ship didn't have them and I don't look for them when deciding which ship to sail. To me Carnival is still a good value because they still offer the things I value in a cruise. But to tell the truth I base my decision based on the ship and not the cruise line. We are usually looking for different things whenever we cruise so I look for the ship that offers those things at a price I'm willing to pay for it. It's not always Carnival...but most of the time it is....and when it is I usually consider it a great value for what I am paying.

[golfb4cruzing]

I believe Gerry Cahill left the company about a month ago. For the record it really doesn't bother me a bit. I don't cruise for live bands. I cruise for the destinations and the fun that I have with my wife.

 

ditto

[Warm Breezes]

Members,

 

When I talk about show bands, that is what I am talking about during a theater show. I have cruised on Princess, and it canned music during the theater shows can not compare to the live band that I heard during my last cruise. Omar and Miracles ( Currently on Carnival Miarcle) bring a brightness and ambience to the show , a cd could never bring. Maybe an example might be why people are going back to listening to records as opposed to CD's.

 

One person mentioned, they want a cheap cruise experience, well I like a bargain to, but I would not cheapen it to the point, that all they served was peanuts and soda.

 

Doesn't anyone care about the quality of the cruise experience, just the price they pay?

 

papadewey

 

People care about quality in the "cruise experience" that they want. We don't all want the same "cruise experience" that you want....in fact sometimes we don't want the same "cruise experience" in different vacations. Live music plays a big part in your "cruise experience". Quite frankly if the entertainment on a cruise was something that I valued that much in my "cruise experience" then I would choose a line other than Carnival because in the 4 lines I have cruised I would put Carnival's entertainment in last place. But I still love cruising Carnival and would not hesitate to sail on their ships.

 

We have chosen ships in the past for their entertainment. On our NCL Epic cruise we did choose between NCL Epic and Royal Oasis for that vacation because we were looking for a ship with better entertainment for that cruise. Epic was $1000 less than Oasis and we had a great time and enjoyed the entertainment greatly. The same could be said for our Disney cruises. Our kids were young then and we chose our Disney cruises for the Disney experience. But usually the entertainment is not what our cruise vacations are about so choosing a ship with lesser entertainment but offering us everything else that we do want out of our "cruise experience" gives us the value we want and we have just as great a time on those cruises as we have on the ships with the better entertainment.

[poison7fl]

1. What's the source? Verified before starting a writing campaign?

2. Are we sure it wasn't just "omar" having his contract ended and being replaced?

3. Not sure if i care about the live orchestra.

4. Canned music would be easier, more consistent, and work just as well, in my opinion. It would not change the quality of my enjoyment or cruise.

5. I wish they canned the singers music in the main shows, they typically suck and/or are off key.

Edited December 28, 2014 by poison7fl

[yogimax]

It's not just about the bands..

 

It's about the continued downgrading of the product. On our last (final?) Carnival cruise, talented singers and talented dancers were replaced by a few singers/dancers who couldn't sing and couldn't dance.

 

Sets were replaced by goofy computer generated backgrounds which seemed like something a high school kid programmed. Volume was increased to ear shattering in a futile attempt to mask the multiple mistakes of the singers.

 

How the mighty Carnival has fallen!

[Jana60]

Carnival cruisers

 

Do you like a LIVE band during shows when you cruise? Well if you do, be aware that Carnival is on a path to rid themselves of the cost of these live bands. I just returned from a cruise on the Carnival Miracle which has the last of the 9 piece show bands, the leader of the band Omar, has a band called Omar and Miracles. They are high energy group of musicians which work very hard to assure LIVE music during shows.

 

If you are like me and want to not have a CD player provide your show music then please write to Carnival Corporation, either thru their e-mail on their web page or Gerald R. Cahill, at

Carnival Corporation

3655 NorthWest 87th Ave

Miami, FL 33178

 

Let them know you want live music not canned when you cruise.

 

papadewey:eek:

 

I've already had noticed that and have called complaining concerning this issue after my past few cruises. I chose my last two cruises for the continued existence of the show band on the ship and chose my future cruise on Carnival Splendor for the same reason. So indeed I DO choose cruises for the live show bands. I always have my personal vacation planner check and make sure that the ships I sail on do not have playlist productions (this is what they call the shows with the canned music). And I make sure that I tell every member of the staff that I can, that the reason I chose their ship is for the live show band.

 

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[goduckies05]

Pretty sure the Miracle will get playlist productions in the Dry Dock just like the Pride. As long as they have the 4 piece bands and solo acts that is fine by me. And I don't go on the ships for Broadway shows, I can get that in my town. I go to have fun and if it is cheaper to not have 20 people do the shows plus no show band as long as they keep the fares low that is ok.

 

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Edited December 28, 2014 by goduckies05

[Disconnections]

Pretty sure the Miracle will get playlist productions in the Dry Dock just like the Pride. As long as they have the 4 piece bands and solo acts that is fine by me. And I don't go on the ships for Broadway shows, I can get that in my town. I go to have fun and if it is cheaper to not have 20 people do the shows plus no show band as long as they keep the fares low that is ok.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

 

I didn't know Carnival had Broadway shows like Royal Caribbean's Oasis, Allure and possibly Quantum.

[poison7fl]

It's not just about the bands..

 

It's about the continued downgrading of the product. On our last (final?) Carnival cruise, talented singers and talented dancers were replaced by a few singers/dancers who couldn't sing and couldn't dance.

 

Sets were replaced by goofy computer generated backgrounds which seemed like something a high school kid programmed. Volume was increased to ear shattering in a futile attempt to mask the multiple mistakes of the singers.

 

How the mighty Carnival has fallen!

 

Uh, not sure who you have been cruising with, but the singers and dancers have been crappy for many many years in my opinion, actually since my first cruise in 2001, they have never been much better than amateurs. The Dancers usually do well though.... And the sets have always been goofy, that is the point of the shows...

 

I don't care though, it's cheap entertainment.

Edited December 28, 2014 by poison7fl

[Warm Breezes]

It's not just about the bands..

 

It's about the continued downgrading of the product. On our last (final?) Carnival cruise, talented singers and talented dancers were replaced by a few singers/dancers who couldn't sing and couldn't dance.

 

Sets were replaced by goofy computer generated backgrounds which seemed like something a high school kid programmed. Volume was increased to ear shattering in a futile attempt to mask the multiple mistakes of the singers.

 

How the mighty Carnival has fallen!

 

I have yet to be on a ship with the playlist productions but a co-worker of mine went on his first cruise this year on a ship with them so I was interested to get his perspective having never sailed before....he loved the playlist production and is currently looking to book his second cruise. He is more than willing to book Carnival again if they are his best deal. Entertainment, like food, is subjective. Apparently not everyone shares your opinion of the playlist productions as my coworker and some other posters on this thread have pointed out. I will be more than willing to give my opinion when I finally sail a ship with it....until then I will keep an open mind. My personal opinion of what I have seen to date, is that Carnivals entertainment has been lacking since I started sailing with them in 2005 as compared with the other lines I have sailed. But I have still enjoyed all my cruises with them. That's just the way we roll.

[Warm Breezes]

Uh, not sure who you have been cruising with, but the singers and dancers have been crappy for many many years in my opinion, actually since my first cruise in 2001, they have never been much better than amateurs. The Dancers usually do well though.... And the sets have always been goofy, that is the point of the shows...

 

I don't care though, it's cheap entertainment.

 

LOL too funny. We were basically saying the same thing at the same time....

[Warm Breezes]

I didn't know Carnival had Broadway shows like Royal Caribbean's Oasis, Allure and possibly Quantum.

 

They don't....they have Vegas type shows, only a little on the cleaner side ;). I will withhold my opinion on the playlist shows until I see one...

Edited December 28, 2014 by Warm Breezes

[Disconnections]

They don't....they have Vegas type shows, only a little on the cleaner side ;). I will withhold my opinion on the playlist shows until I see one...

 

I know that. Goduckies doesn't. ;)

[bassmaster150]

I have cruised Carnival in the past, but when the entertainment went downhill I jumped ship. I have written to Carnival saying more live music, less blast your ears to bleeding DJ and I will be back. Perhaps I should send them all the invoices for cruises I've taken in the past few years not on Carnival to show them some of the $$ they are missing.

 

Canned music for all entertainment is a serious downgrade. Carnival used to be known for phenomenal entertainment!

 

 

Sounds like an interesting idea...at first...then when you realize that pretty much every Carnival ship sails full, all that is really happening is that your $$ is replaced by someone else who is cruising in your place. Carnival has to cut costs somewhere to keep prices where they keep them.

[nybumpkin]

That depends on what you enjoy in cruising. DH and I were just talking about that today. To us a "live band" is not a make or break thing for us when deciding what ship to cruise on...having said that, we have yet to sail a ship without a live band in the production shows. It was not a deciding factor for us, it just turned out that way. For both of us the music is "back ground" noise. If I am watching a show I pay more attention to singers and dancers than I do the band...maybe that comes from being a dance mom. We listen to so much canned music at competitions that hearing it live or recorded really doesn't matter to us and it definitely isn't what makes a cruise fun for us.

Maybe that's the difference for us. DH and I are band geeks. We met my junior (his sophomore) year of high school when he took my place as first clarinet in the school band and I was "demoted" to second clarinet (so much for seniority:p). We do appreciate singing and dancing (we began dating as a result of a musical version of "A Christmas Carol" in which DH was Scrooge and I was the Ghost of Christmas Past:p), but we're band people first and foremost. Although neither of us was really impressed with the singing and dancing we saw/heard with Playlist....

 

We're sailing on Breeze next summer. DH is already set on avoiding Playlist like the plague. But like I said, we'll find lots of other places to visit.