Art Auctions

[shellsrus]

Long time Hal cruisers here (3 star). On the last few cruises we took the Park West art auctions have really started to annoy us. The hallways are cluttered, a large lounge area is monopolized and it can get loud. We're not big art connoisseurs, but none of the stuff looks that great to us. Plus, we never see more than a handful of people participating in these things. Is this that big of a revenue generator for Hal to allocate this much space? Maybe we're off base and people love this. All we see is crap, clutter and noise.

[RuthC]

All we see is crap, clutter and noise.

All I see is "crap, clutter and noise", too. But apparently all HAL sees is $$$$$ or they wouldn't have started them up again. :(

Edited June 13, 2016 by RuthC

[Hlitner]

Long time Hal cruisers here (3 star). On the last few cruises we took the Park West art auctions have really started to annoy us. The hallways are cluttered, a large lounge area is monopolized and it can get loud. We're not big art connoisseurs, but none of the stuff looks that great to us. Plus, we never see more than a handful of people participating in these things. Is this that big of a revenue generator for Hal to allocate this much space? Maybe we're off base and people love this. All we see is crap, clutter and noise.

 

You answered your own question. It is a large profit center for the cruise lines. As to not being art connoisseurs, it has been argued by some that anyone who buys stuff from Park West is also not an art connoisseur :). If you want some interesting reading just Google "Park West Gallery Scams" and you will get plenty of material including an entire web site dedicated to this company.

 

Hank

Edited June 13, 2016 by Hlitner

[thinfool]

Your words could describe other contractor operated venues on cruise ships, HAL included.

 

Art Auctions

Jewelry/clothing/souvenir shops

Spa services

Photography

 

Yet these all remain a part of sailings on cruise ships.

 

My takeaway here is that they produce profit for the cruise line and are likely to remain.

[Karennella]

I went to one auction out of curiosity and then avoided it like the plague! But funny thing is I was given a print, no doubt worthless, in with other marketing claptrap. Now home, it looks like if I frame it it will fit in really well in our living room.

I would never dream of buying good art on a ship auction. To me it would be as stupid for me as buying Sydney real estate in the same way.

[alwaysfrantic]

Well described, OP

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were glad when Park West was removed from the ships. Thought that would be the end of those art auctions.

Nope -- then a British firm moved in. Complaints were even worse with them -- people were not getting the "crap" they bought. So they were removed from the ships.

For a couple of years there weren't any art auctions. DH didn't have to circle all over the ship to avoid tripping over all that junk.

Now they are back. Can't believe that people pay tons of money for stuff that is not really valuable. People from earlier years had their art work appraised they discovered it wasn't worth much. It was all over the news.

I glanced in at a couple of them on our recent cruise -- very few people there.

[take us away]

Stopped in for some champagne - it was horrible. Also resent them taking over a lounge and hallway for hours.

 

Do admit the jewelry auction was worse; 1) they did not describe the items carats of gold or stone, quality of stone, etc. 2) the store manager 'passed' the jewelry but by the time it was shown to maybe 50% of the audience, the auction was closed, 3) 3 items sold; 2 to jewelry store employees and a few days later the pieces were back in the case for sale and not sure who the 3rd person was .....

[ellieanne]

I have been complaining about the Art Auctions taking over the entire Ocean Bar for HOURS every sea day for years. It annoys the holy heck out of me. I was physically escorted out of the Ocean Bar one cruise at 10:00 in the morning because they had to set up for an auction scheduled at 1:00 pm. It was a rainy sea day, and the other lounges all had cruise activities going on in them. What did they expect me to do -- go ashore to find peace and quiet to read? Not like I could have gone outside for a lounge chair either -- it was raining!!

 

I hate the auctions. I don't care if you want to buy art, but make sure those of us who want one can have a quiet, peaceful lounge for reading or talking with friends/family. I wish they would go away. I had hoped the ships with the Art Galleries on them would keep the auctions in the dedicated Art Space, but to no avail.

 

Maybe if we all complain they will change the practice, but I doubt it.

[taxmantoo]

I had the opportunity on our last long cruise due to terrible weather and a few missed ports to attend a few of those auctions and study their sales methods. It got very boring quickly after a few minutes but I still went to get an answer to a question I've been asking myself for a while : "Who the hell buys a $5000 piece of art from a guy wearing a $100 suit?" :rolleyes: Still don't have an answer :rolleyes:

[Hlitner]

i had the opportunity on our last long cruise due to terrible weather and a few missed ports to attend a few of those auctions and study their sales methods. It got very boring quickly after a few minutes but i still went to get an answer to a question i've been asking myself for a while : "who the hell buys a $5000 piece of art from a guy wearing a $100 suit?" :rolleyes: Still don't have an answer :rolleyes:

 

roflmao!

 

:d

[kevingastreich]

Long time Hal cruisers here (3 star). On the last few cruises we took the Park West art auctions have really started to annoy us. The hallways are cluttered, a large lounge area is monopolized and it can get loud. We're not big art connoisseurs, but none of the stuff looks that great to us. Plus, we never see more than a handful of people participating in these things. Is this that big of a revenue generator for Hal to allocate this much space? Maybe we're off base and people love this. All we see is crap, clutter and noise.

 

We have fun at them.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Stopped in for some champagne - it was horrible. Also resent them taking over a lounge and hallway for hours.

 

Do admit the jewelry auction was worse; 1) they did not describe the items carats of gold or stone, quality of stone, etc. 2) the store manager 'passed' the jewelry but by the time it was shown to maybe 50% of the audience, the auction was closed, 3) 3 items sold; 2 to jewelry store employees and a few days later the pieces were back in the case for sale and not sure who the 3rd person was .....

 

So employees of the jewelry store were bidding at the jewelry auction? So, if the pieces were back in the case a few days later, were their bids fake, just to get things going? On land, I think that would be illegal.

[OTOW guy]

is just to avoid them and not buy anything or drink their lousy fake champagne.I nobody attends they will just go away.

[jtl513]

On our last cruise (Eurodam, 11/15) I remember walking by a gallery area a couple of times with no one there, but nothing more than that.

[kevingastreich]

is just to avoid them and not buy anything or drink their lousy fake champagne.I nobody attends they will just go away.

 

We actually find them quite entertaining. You're not obligated to buy anything you know?

[loki805]

My wife and I enjoy going to a few auctions every cruise. We normally buy 1 painting as a souvenir. It has it's perks Park West invites us to their land events

At 5 star hotels and pay for everything. We haven't ever taken them up on that yet, but we did receive a email yesterday for a free 7 night veranda balcony on the Westerdam to Alaska. With a free night in a hotel the night before in Seattle.

We will be taking them up on that offer. We never tried HAL before only ever Carnival 13 times. Going to be nice to try a different line on someone else's dime

[north29]

The best thing about the art is the lectures on Art History. If you buy, be very careful about the TRUE value of the piece. I could share a long story abut the quality.

[twin123185]

If you like something buy it. For investment value? Forget it. You can buy on eBay many pieces Park West sells on ships for half the price. If I buy anything it's always an original painting. It's been many years though since I purchased anything. Everything else to me is poster art. My father used to be in the art business for 40 years and always had a good laugh at the ship auctions.

[OTOW guy]

than the mass produced stuff that Park West puts on every ship and charity auctions. Just how many originals can they offer by just changing one color in a spot and call it an original. The so called art experts on the ship are just hired tout with no formal art education. It's liking buying a condo with the Trump name on it that he never saw.

Edited June 14, 2016 by OTOW guy

[cruising cockroach]

Chronologically, my only two HAL cruises have been bookended by two Princess ones (short repos). Princess art auctions were quite pushy and took over the Explorer (or whatever lounge/bar which is o.k. because it is unlit and dark. On the last voyage a few weeks ago, hardly any champagne offered and so bad (though it might be real champagne) that we didn't bother.

 

The 2 HAL cruises were longer repos which were heavy with frequent cruisers and presence of art shows was much lighter (limited to the galleries).

 

Based on that, I wonder if art sales are pushier on cruises where there's a large proportion of new cruisers.

[Hlitner]

Chronologically, my only two HAL cruises have been bookended by two Princess ones (short repos). Princess art auctions were quite pushy and took over the Explorer (or whatever lounge/bar which is o.k. because it is unlit and dark. On the last voyage a few weeks ago, hardly any champagne offered and so bad (though it might be real champagne) that we didn't bother.

 

The 2 HAL cruises were longer repos which were heavy with frequent cruisers and presence of art shows was much lighter (limited to the galleries).

 

Based on that, I wonder if art sales are pushier on cruises where there's a large proportion of new cruisers.

 

Personally, we would rather count fish then go to one of the art auctions on any ship. But forty+ years cruising on many lines, and having a friend who used to be the Art Auctioneer on Princess ships...has really educated us about the industry. It is a decent profit center for the cruise lines...which is why they condone the activity (and some related scams). But we have never met "pushy" art auctioneers....or at least they have never been pushy unless a passenger shows some interest. What we find laughable is the folks that go to the auctions just because they get a glass of free champagne (usually a $2-$4 per bottle lousy sparkling wine). Personally, my time is more valuable then having cheap wine (I have a T-shirt that says , "Life if too short to drink Bad Wine."

 

The people selling art works are akin to used car salesman. If they detect any sign of interest they will pounce...although most are smart enough to be subtle. Our friend (who used to do this on Princess) made so much money that he retired to a very large home in Florida (full of art works). At one point Princess approached him to set up a company and take over the art business on that line (he refused). At one time, Princess had so many complaints about a certain company (well known on HAL) that they ousted that company and took the art business "in-house."

 

A few years ago we had a tablemate on a cruise who was a professional art appraiser located in the Atlanta area. Once everyone found out what he did..the question of cruise ship art auctions quickly became the topic. He said that much of his job was appraising art collections for estates....often for the heirs. He further explained that most of the art works sold on ships were hardly worth more then their frames (although he said there were some exceptions) and he hated delivering the bad news to families.

 

The appraised value of art is a bit like jewelry. You can usually find somebody to give you a decent appraisal...but the truth is that any piece of jewelry or art is only worth what somebody else is willing to pay. Ask an appraiser, who says your item is worth $10,000 how much he/she will give you for that item and the answer will usually be "not interested" or a fraction of the appraised amount. So if you buy a work of art because you like it...that is great....but if you are buying it as an investment....then its probably best to deal with reputable art merchants/galleries.

 

Hank

Edited June 14, 2016 by Hlitner

[hunt182644]

Gosh after reading all of the negative remarks it makes me wonder why my wife and I go to these. Well on sea days am not interested in the pool, origami, bridge , dance class and so on this leaves the casino or art auction. Wife says I spend enough time in the casino, so we go to the auction and people watch.:D The champagne while of dubious quality is not bad after the second glass;). We have purchased a couple of inexpensive wildlife prints that caught my eye, that is about the extent of it with the exception of one that my wife really liked. How can you tell the love of your life no.:) It always amazes me what some people spend on what I would not hang in my shed. I guess to each his own if they are happy so be it, just like the previous poster who just had to get their dislike of art auctions off their chest.

[OTOW guy]

and was also given 2 free balcony cruises as a perk. There must be a great mark up on the art to gibe away $5000+ in cruise trips.

[dakrewser]

and was also given 2 free balcony cruises as a perk. There must be a great mark up on the art to gibe away $5000+ in cruise trips.

 

Exactly. Those weren't "free" cruises.