San Francisco to New York-Pirouette's observations

[ronrick1943]

OK, here is my two cents. I agree with TC2 about the music in the lounge before dinner. Soft and background is good, after all you go to relax and have a drink-talk to someone your with or people you meet. However after dinner that's another story, let their be fun! Even if the music leaves the room, it will be soft sound my time it gets to a suite.

And Regent pays the band, so Regent should give the orders of what the guest want. And if they need practice time, which one would hope they do that anyway just to be good and better. Rick

[Travelcat2]

OK, here is my two cents. I agree with TC2 about the music in the lounge before dinner. Soft and background is good, after all you go to relax and have a drink-talk to someone your with or people you meet. However after dinner that's another story, let their be fun! Even if the music leaves the room, it will be soft sound my time it gets to a suite.

And Regent pays the band, so Regent should give the orders of what the guest want. And if they need practice time, which one would hope they do that anyway just to be good and better. Rick

 

Just a quick comment .... the noise in our Grand Suite (above the Observation Lounge) from trivia in the afternoon was loud (the microphone) that it disturbed my quiet reading time. Music from the piano was clearly heard until they stopped at approximately 11:15 p.m. While we never go to bed before midnight at home, some long port days with another excursion the next morning had us trying to sleep by 10:30 p.m.

[flossie009]

Agree to disagree. Music is pretty universal - I think regardless of nationality, active professional musicians would follow a wide range of music. These guys play all the lounges, all the shows, all the on-board events, everything. Picking up a few new numbers is nothing. Good lord, in high school, we had to learn a half dozen or more new songs every week for rallies & halftime shows. The thought of a professional band not being able to afford sheet music or unable to play more contemporary music is absurd.

Totally agree, Bill.

 

The Regent show bands have very talented players, who will all be perfectly capable of playing international contemporary music, particularly since they all read sheet music.

 

They often support visiting performers and therefore have to learn new music, of various genres, at short notice.

 

Our Spring cruise on Explorer proved how professional and talented the musicians are. The band members all joined in Barcelona and for most of them it was the first time they had met, let alone played together; within a day they had settled in to playing together as a well established band.

 

All it needs is for the Regent Entertainment department to review what they want played and to supply the band members with the relevant music.

Edited September 15, 2017 by flossie009

[UUNetBill]

I guess my point (poorly stated) was that the band should be, and probably is capable of playing any music it's presented with. I'm sure the musicians are very talented and can quickly learn new tunes - but Regent is probably directing what's played. I completely agree that soft background music is appropriate in the lounges and more lively numbers (from any era, really) can be played in the evenings.

 

I'd guess that Regent dictates the playlists based on their perceived demographics, and I'm fine with that for the most part...although some newer numbers on some evenings would be nice, too.

 

I am just as happy going to our local philharmonic as I am going to an Iron Maiden concert with my sister and her kids. :o But I also boycott some local restaurants because they can't control the volume of their live entertainment - in fact, I've walked out of some nicer places simply because the music is just Too. Damn. Loud. If that makes me an old fogey, so be it.

 

But the "we can't play different songs because the sheet music is too expensive" is just an absurdity.

 

Sorry for getting off on a tangent - I'm finished. :halo:

[Travelcat2]

Bill, still thinking about this and would like to respond to one comment you made: "I'd guess that Regent dictates the playlists based on their perceived demographics, and I'm fine with that for the most part...although some newer numbers on some evenings would be nice, too."

 

Passenger cruises in the "olden days" (like on the Queen Elizabeth) was a very formal, upscale mode of transportation (unless you were in "steerage" as my DH was on that ship). Classical music was played rather than music to dance jitterbug or whatever else was popular in the 20's (or was it 30's). It seems as if luxury cruise lines have tried to keep a bit of the nostalgia and, while they only have classical music in the theater sometimes, have no desire to bring their music to this century (or even the end of the last century). While I agree that the "Peggy Lee" show was not enjoyable -- it wasn't about her music (I would enjoy hearing "Fever" anyplace - anytime), it was more about doing an entire show about her. I agree with JPR that playing "Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, and the rest of The Great American Songbook....with some 60s and 70s thrown in is great.

 

 

In the 25 years that Regent has been sailing, they have drawn passengers of various age groups - despite the fact that much of the music was popular before some passengers were born. To my knowledge, Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea still play the "classics" which gives the cruises a taste of the early years of cruising. I don't think that they need to change a thing.

P.S. Still think the comment about sheet music was just dumb! Also want to add that there is some great numbers in Krew Kapers which are definitely more up to date.

[JPR]

The "expensive sheet music" explanation is right down there with the famous untruths "The check is in the mail," "I'll call you," and "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you."

:D

[UUNetBill]

As long as they don't play "My Heart Will Go On" I don't really care what they play, really. If I don't care for a particular music set, I'll relocate. See? I'm easy that way.

 

 

 

On a side note, on our one non-Regent cruise, we were on QM2 heading out of New York in some heavy December seas. They were doing karaoke in one of the lounges on a lower deck - low enough that the waves were breaking *WAY* over the windows - and one lady had the audacity to sing that song. It wasn't well received. :confused:

[Pirouette]

I love the discussion. As the OP I think it is great to have the perspective of others.

 

There appears to be a consensus that quieter music in the cocktail and dinner hour. I agree but that was not my initial concern. I was lamenting the lack of contemporary music by the house band after hours, i.e once the show is out and they are playing supposed dance music in one of the lounges. I forget what it is called but I believe it is on deck six.

 

Well something magic happened last night. Due to sea conditions, a dance party from nine thirty to ten thirty was moved to the atrium. The whole ship participated. There were people dancing in the glass elevators. The music included songs from the sixties to present plated by the house band! Maybe they were able to get new sheet music overnight on the internet, or maybe these selections were in the band reperatoire all along and they were playing the playlist dictated by Regent. Who knows. It was a great success and the party continued in Stars lounge afterward. It was packed.

 

I hope this was noticed. We will see what happens from here. I complimented the CD for the event last night and said that we would be happy, now knowing that the band has the capability, if they would include some modern numbers into the mix in the evening hours. As it was, nothing beyond about the sixties was included and that leaves out some great dancing music from the last forty years.

 

We are really enjoying the lecture series. The topics are varied and well presented.

 

The seas are calm and the weather is warm today. The captain clearly made the right choice in changing course around hurricane Max. We have been warned that it is rainy season in this area, essential for the operation of the canal, so we may experience a few showers. We dock early in Puerto Quetzal tomorrow.

 

Deck life has been great today, a leisurely breakfast, swimming in the salt water pool, barbecue lunch, a fitness class later if the mood strikes.....All is good!

[Travelcat2]

The dance party sounds like it was a blast! Wish we had been there.

 

Is Captain Teo still onboard? It sounds like the hurricanes and storms going on are a bit challenging for the Captains.

 

Continue enjoying your cruise. The Panama Canal will be just as interesting from inside the Observation Lounge in case it is raining. We got seats there and stayed for hours as we transited the canal!

[UUNetBill]

They did a Beatles dance party in the atrium of Explorer last month. It was packed and most everyone danced the entire time. Even my in-laws, who stopped in "for five minutes" stayed the entire time. It was a blast.

 

Oh, wait, can I mention a dance party in the atrium or is that off-topic? Or is it allowed since the TS mentioned a dance party? Or do I need to remove this because it was a specifically a Beatles dance party? Dang it...all these rules have got me confused...

[Travelcat2]

They did a Beatles dance party in the atrium of Explorer last month. It was packed and most everyone danced the entire time. Even my in-laws, who stopped in "for five minutes" stayed the entire time. It was a blast.

 

Oh, wait, can I mention a dance party in the atrium or is that off-topic? Or is it allowed since the TS mentioned a dance party? Or do I need to remove this because it was a specifically a Beatles dance party? Dang it...all these rules have got me confused...

 

A Beatles dance party sounds great to me....... but, it was the last century (although definitely "classic"). Don't think that anyone would think that you are off topic:-)

[Pirouette]

A busy couple of days with very early wake up (for us anyway). 6 am for 7:20 m tours on both days. Yesterday was Antigua, Guatemala. Today was Corinto, Nicaragua. Room service breakfast on both days was excellent.

 

The tours were fine-we preferred today's as there was much more history and more to see. Today's guide was excellent in providing a very comprehensive description of contemporary Nicaragua as well as covering historical highlights. There is really no free time on either of the tours. It is a challenge for guides to stay on top of a diverse group with different levels of mobility and expectations.

 

Dinner at Prime 7 again last night and Signatures tonight. To my surprise, we really enjoyed Sette Mare two nights ago, once we got beyond the fact that it is normally the buffet restaurant. The food was very good and the outdoor table aft was beautiful.

 

Time to do laundry. There are three laundrettes for the whole ship and everyone seems to be motivated to do this chore at the same time.

 

We will be in Costa Rica tomorrow. Weather is very hot and humid with rain in the late afternoon/ evening. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same. All eyes are on hurricane Maria as well as Jose. The captain did a great job of keeping us safe from Max. We are in skilled and experienced hands. Someone asked in an earlier post about the captain. It is Captain Teo and the CD is Paul Reynolds.

 

Off to throw the laundry in the dryer!

[Eager2Travel]

Thanks for bringing back my memory of our Sette Mare dinner on the aft deck. It is a favorite for us. Glad that you enjoyed it too.

[irishwitchy]

Nice to hear that the music has improved a bit. This next comment will be slightly off topic, but fits so well in this discussion. I saw Paul McCartney in concert this past week and he played for almost 3 hours - my husband and I had a great time! However, a few days before the concert a good friend mention taking her teenagers to see him a few years ago and their comment was - "He was in a band before Wings?"

[Pirouette]

Lol Irishwitchy! That is funny!

 

After a lovely dinner at Signatures we decided to take in the show, which we rarely do. We have had the good fortune to have two talented solo artists on board over the last 8 days, Elyse Branch and Nelle (whose last name escapes me). Both are fabulous and we have had the pleasure of interacting with them over the last few days. They are superb artists.

 

It was Nelles's turn tonight and she did a fabulous one woman show. Paul Reynolds joined her on the piano for one number and it was excellent.

 

The show was done by 9:45 and there were two choices announced for the balance of the evening: smooth jazz by the house band in Stars lounge and more upbeat music by the Stars Duo ( who are usually very good and danceable) in Horizons lounge.

 

We chose the latter and waited for some dance music. We left when they began to play "Tie a Yellow Ribbon". We were back in our cabin by 10:15 . The musical selections remain a problem for those of us under 60. We even noticed in the Mariner lounge tonight before dinner that after the pianist left, the recorded music was "crooners" from the 50's and early 60's. what would be wrong with some Beatles, Carole King, or something more modern?

 

I have noticed a certain rigidity when suggestions are made about alternative options. This is regrettable. Most aspects of the cruise are great but there are some simple tweaks that could make the cruise better and more responsive to the demographic that will move it forward.

[fizzy]

We have always noticed, whether on Regent or Silversea, that when there is a "group" on board and this is usually on shorter cruises, a DJ comes in and cranks it up and a party gets started til late into the night. at the dance club. There are often officers at the bar enjoying the vibe and it can be a lot of fun with the extensive music menu that the DJ has access to. The music seems to draw lots of people into the area who might have just drifted back to the cabin to go to bed. It is a welcome option.

[Hambagahle]

As far as the music goes - I think that every time a song is played in public there are royalties to pay. I have no idea how this works but I know someone who has quite a nice income from her father's music... And I also think there is a sort of "statute of limitations" on how long the royalties go on. so maybe the "golden oldies" can be played free of charge? This is just a guess but I think it might be the reason for the music...

 

Pirouette - your accounts of the cruise are fascinating and I am really enjoying reading your posts. We did a LA to Ft Lauderdale cruise on the Mariner a long time ago and we loved it so much we have booked one on Explorer for 2020. Long time to go but your posts are really whetting my appetite! Thank you for taking the time to post them.

[Travelcat2]

Gerry, you bring up such a good point about royalties. I didn't realize that this applies to musicians playing on cruise ships, in lounges, etc.

 

Last night I watched a program on the newest Carnival ship that holds around 4,500 passengers. It was an interesting program and it gave us quite an insight into life on a mega ship. One thing that was of particular interest was the music. While I have a no doubt that they play up to date music, the party they showed was from the 80's. This was quite surprising since I doubt if most of the passengers were old enough to remember music from that era. It was fun to watch the passengers enjoying themselves. Sometimes learning about music from days gone by can be fun as well as informative.

 

I grew up in a musical family and enjoy almost all music from before I was born to some current music (can't tolerate the words in hip hop or rap songs though). IMO, they play a nice balance of music on Regent ships and can see no reason to change things too much. The Carnival show opened my eyes to the fact that young people (20's and 30's) can have a blast with older music.

 

While not wanting to get off topic, it would be interesting to learn the age demographic on Regent. We know that summer cruises skew younger, longer cruises skew older but I wonder what the average age is. Wanting to draw a younger demographic is one thing but can luxury cruise lines fill their ships with the under 50 crowd (especially on longer itineraries?). I remember when I thought that the "over 50" crowd meant "over the hill", but people are living much longer. Baby Boomers aren't exactly dead yet and the younger ones have many years left of cruising and are likely to have the time and money to spent on luxury cruising. Discussing music more or less makes one think of age. Just something to ponder.

[Pirouette]

A very full day in Costa Rica today. We chose to do the "Walk in the Clouds" excursion because it seemed to be the most active. The rating was "strenuous" but it really was not very taxing, though there was some uphill walking and three crossings over suspension bridges. It was a nice walk in the cloud forest with our excellent guide Bryan, a young Costa Rican man with a wealth of knowledge who spoke perfect English.

 

After three port days in a row, we will be able to relax on the ship tomorrow and take advantage of some of the fitness classes. I believe the emerald show may be tomorrow as well. Looking forward to that!

 

As to the Regent demographic, I can only speak to this cruise. At 18 nights, it is the longest cruise that we have taken. Our prior Oceania cruises ranged from 10-12 nights. I have been told that seniors are often attracted to longer cruises and that could explain my observations about the age group on this cruise. Most of the passengers are delightful, regardless of age, but others that I have spoken to over the last week have expressed that they feel like they are sailing on a floating care home. It is what it is.....we will all just make the best of overeating and being catered to during the time we are here.

 

TC, I respect your opinions greatly and remember you from the Oceania board as well. We will disagree on background music in the lounges etc. We did not experience such rigidity on Oceania on our four cruises with that line. There appeared to be a genuine effort to be inclusive and appeal to all tastes. If other cruise ships can make this effort,so should Regent.

 

As my name suggests, I too can appreciate classical music and the "old standards", but not a steady diet of music that is geared toward the top age end of the demographic on this ship. As I have said before, there is very little music beyond the 1960's.

 

As to the juke box, it is set up in the Stars Lounge but there has been very little assistance from staff in either setting it up or encouraging participation. The volume is insufficient as is the configuration and size of the dance floor.

 

We will keep showing up and dancing where we can...There are several of us, including a lovely man in his 70's who loves Metallica!

 

Off to dinner: Compass Rose or Sette Mare, we haven't decided. Cruisers should be aware that it is not difficult to get extra dining reservations in either specialty restaurant while on board and finding a table for two. We were actually approached by one of the servers at Compass Rose and asked if we wished to dine in Signatures the next night. It probably is helpful that we like to eat at 8:30.

 

More tomorrow....

[Travelcat2]

Pirouette, loving your posts. It is interesting that you mention Stars Lounge. On most of our Mariner cruises, that lounge has been a waste of space. At one time there was talk of cutting a portion of the lounge out to make a better Boutique (obviously this never happened). Stars Lounge is used extensively for children during the summer Alaska cruises. I suspect that things are quite active during the short (usually 7 night) cruises since the age skews so low.

 

IMO, it is fine to disagree about music. Mariner is more sound proofed than Explorer or Navigator so it is possible that they could do some louder music at night. However, if the music disrupts the sleep of passengers after 11:30 p.m., it will likely be shut down or the music turned down. It seems that the ships are not built to accommodate the type of loud music that is popular now. As an aside, based on what I'm seeing with Gen-X, there will be a huge market for hearing aids in another 10-20 years due to the damage that high decibel music has caused. This is yet another thing that Regent needs to consider.

 

I'm following the numerous hurricanes in the Caribbean and hope that they subside before the Mariner sails that area. It is definitely a concern. After this hurricane season I must question why Regent would have their ships anywhere near that area in September/October. I seem to recall that Mariner spent time in South America after their Alaska season. Perhaps that was a better choice of itineraries!?

 

Continue to enjoy your cruise. Soon you'll transit the Panama Canal -- something we did a few years ago on Mariner and will repeat in 2020 on Explorer.

[RachelG]

As far as the music goes - I think that every time a song is played in public there are royalties to pay. I have no idea how this works but I know someone who has quite a nice income from her father's music... And I also think there is a sort of "statute of limitations" on how long the royalties go on. so maybe the "golden oldies" can be played free of charge? This is just a guess but I think it might be the reason for the music...

 

Pirouette - your accounts of the cruise are fascinating and I am really enjoying reading your posts. We did a LA to Ft Lauderdale cruise on the Mariner a long time ago and we loved it so much we have booked one on Explorer for 2020. Long time to go but your posts are really whetting my appetite! Thank you for taking the time to post them.[/quote

 

Actually as far as music goes, this is not correct. I was, many many years ago in a previous life, a professional pianist. You buy your sheet music, and you can play and perform it in lounges, at weddings, etc etc as much as you want, no royalties required. That is why you pay so much for sheet music, and you are not allowed to photocopy it.

[irishwitchy]

This confirms that for my 18 day cruise, my portal bose speaker and ipad play list need to be in fine order if I want to listen to music that doesn't make me want to go to sleep! Not that I think Ac/DC is great dinner music (however I do like to cook to it), but it appears when we are mentioning nothing beyond the 1960, it is the slow sleepy non rock songs. How about the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Winwood they all were all in the 60's - rock is over 50 years old, folks!

[Travelcat2]

This confirms that for my 18 day cruise, my portal bose speaker and ipad play list need to be in fine order if I want to listen to music that doesn't make me want to go to sleep! Not that I think Ac/DC is great dinner music (however I do like to cook to it), but it appears when we are mentioning nothing beyond the 1960, it is the slow sleepy non rock songs. How about the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Winwood they all were all in the 60's - rock is over 50 years old, folks!

 

Haven't you attended Beatles night? Since you enjoy Paul McCartney (as I do, it is a fun evening. Yes - old music but still tons of fun to listen to. And, the Broadway shows that are done on stage are wonderful. IMO, music is timeless. For those people that like to dance, the oldies but goodies can't be beat (IMHO).

 

If any of you watch Dancing with the Stars, the most beautiful dancing is done to the slower songs (whether they are new or older). Guess I'm just a romantic and could listen to Barbra Streisand forever.

[Pirouette]

A sea day today. The internet has been down until after 5pm, not good for those of us who need to be connected to the office or home. No particular reason was given for the lack of internet service. This was included in the price of the cruise but if we had been required to pay for it we would be very unhappy. Service has been spotty on most days and we have randomly been disconnected from the server and forced to log in again multiple times. Sometimes this has been blamed on "switching satellites ".

 

The day has been lazy. The emerald fashion show was great. Random passengers were selected to model some exquisite pieces. One necklace was a 31 carat emerald surrounded by 6 carats of diamonds, suspended from a string of pearls. Apparently it is a museum quality piece with a price tag to match: $250k! Looking is free!

 

There was a curry lunch offered today as well. It was supposed to be on the pool deck but the weather did not cooperate. There were a variety of curries: Thai, Jamaican, Indonesian and one other. The usual accoutrements were offered: naans, papardams, various chutneys and basmati rice. It was not to my taste but it is nice to see Regent trying something different. My husband lamented that none of the curries were truly Indian and they were not spicy enough. One thing of note: tandoori chicken has been added to the menu in Compass Rose tonight. I had it last week and it was very good, some of the best I have had outside India or at home dinners with Indian friends and family.

 

We had afternoon tea today as well. It was fine but the tea service on Oceania has a much greater variety and level of service. We were underwhelmed with Regent's offering today.

 

We will be passing through the canal tomorrow morning. I hope the weather improves! Who knows what awaits on the other side. We were provided with our excursion tickets for Nassau yesterday so at present it appears the captain plans to cruise there.

 

Time for a glass of champagne!

[Travelcat2]

Really interesting about the internet since we had the best connectivity that we ever had in Alaska. It is obvious how the part of the world you are in and the number of passengers online makes a huge difference.

 

The Asian inspired food sounds wonderful. You gave me a great idea -- we will order Indonesian food while onboard in November. We love Indonesian food and having it will be wonderful (we'll be in Indonesia in March). We will likely do Indian food as well. Thanks for your food posts:D

 

I can't compare Oceania's tea service with Regent's because we didn't go to it on Oceania. The best tea service we have had was on Silversea. We absolutely "chocolate tea" on Regent but find that having desserts in the late afternoon doesn't work for us -- just too much food. When they do a chocolate tea, we stop by and pick a piece of fruit or marshmallow to dip in the chocolate waterfall (or whatever it is called). The chocolate that they use is high on the "yummy" scale!

 

Your comment about going to the Bahamas is puzzling. I'm tracking both the hurricane and the Mariner. The weather map tonight (Tuesday) shows what remains of the hurricane/storms to be in the Bahamas on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, things may change. You are in good hands and I'm sure that passengers will come through the Caribbean unscathed.

 

Looking forward to learning about the Panama Canal crossing. Of particular interest is whether you can view any parts of the "new" canal.