Do That Many People Buy Artwork Onboard?

[jhannah]

I might have seen one boxed piece being taken off the ship once. I certainly haven't seen what I would consider a viable amount to justify the space the gallery takes. Maybe I'm just clueless, but I can't help but wonder if that enterprise really makes a financial impact for HAL (or any cruise line.)

 

What's your impression?

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our last HAL cruise, we saw very, very few people attending the art auctions.

Truthfully, I may be wrong, but I don't think they sell that many pictures.

It was actually delightful to be able to walk through the Atrium without tripping over the pictures for the couple of years that HAL didn't have any art group.

[kazu]

I honestly think it depends on the clientele on board.

 

I saw the room packed on a couple of our transatlantics and as I passed by, I did hear bidding so I guess they weren't just there for the "free champagne" aka sparkling wine.

 

I do see people at the desk though.

 

I imagine the company pays $ to HAL to be there and suspect HAL gets a cut on the sales - but that's just a guess on my part.

[paganwoman]

Not all art purchases are ones you "carry off". We bought our one and only (so far) art purchase on a trip to Australia in February of 2015 and it was mailed to us (from Florida I think) around the middle of April. So they may be selling a fair number but they would not be carried off by all.

[Sea42]

Not all art purchases are ones you "carry off". We bought our one and only (so far) art purchase on a trip to Australia in February of 2015 and it was mailed to us (from Florida I think) around the middle of April. So they may be selling a fair number but they would not be carried off by all.

Agreed. My mother has bought a few painting she liked and after picking out the frames she wanted they were delivered a couple of months later. Most people would not want to carry their purchases home.

[Stratheden]

I have never even been to an Art Auction let alone buy something. Buying art is not my reason for travelling.

[catl331]

I have no idea how much they sell, but it must be "enough" or HAL would end the deal.

[haladdict]

The art auction people are very well dressed and look as though they are doing well in life.

So my guess is that plenty of people buy.

Sandra

[OCruisers]

My guess is ... They must be selling enough to continue to have the art auctions. :confused:

[BAHunt]

One of my best girlfriends went to an art auction while her husband was napping. 3k and some champagne later she came home w some mediocre art that we still make fun of her for.

 

 

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[caribbeanboy]

What I have noticed the last couple of years, that there is at least 3-4 well dressed people selling art. So obviously they are selling because when I started cruising in 2007 it used to be 1 to 2.

[ZSandy25]

Met a couple on our Australia/New Zealand cruise, she loved to play in those poker tournaments and she did very well in $$$. She then went to the Art Auctions and bought a few pieces. They were frequent cruisers and she said she always purchases something. So whatever floats your boat:):)

[navybankerteacher]

Any non-profitable activity fairly quickly closes up shop; the fact that they are still on board indicates that it is worth their while. Since part of the pitch is to sell a frame to go with the purchase, in most cases it is shipped after the cruise. And, because for the most part what is being sold is reproductions (either limited and numbered, or simply run off) they want to keep the shipboard inventory to keep selling the pieces. People do not generally walk off carrying anything.

 

The business is profitable because what is sold has very little real value and the buyers are usually people who did not allow space in their luggage to pack their common sense — so the profit margin is enormous.

[GUT2407]

Carry off is rare.

 

Clearly they’re making a buck or two for someone.

 

We’ve bought a few things, but you need to know your prices. The things we bought we would have paid more most places on land, and they’re lovely reminders, I look at one and recall our first cruise, others of the cyclone we hit, etc.

[DaveOKC]

Our tablemates last week bid on an art auction and "won" the bid for under $200. Sounded like a good deal until they found out that they also had to take the $500 frame with it (total cost $700), so they backed out of the deal.

 

Interesting twist on the auction I thought.

[cabinluvn]

My SIL has bought tons from the auctions. Enough that the artist has brought them, all expenses paid, to Minneapolis for 3 days. Wined and dined and treated like royalty. Of course, they buy more artwork, but they have fun

 

 

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[kazu]

Yes, most pieces are shipped. Most stay on the ship unless it is the "last one" and then you have to carry it off or pay a shipping charge.

 

My biggest regret was when I was on NCL. (this is a long time ago) Zamy Steynovitz was on board doing a painting of the ship and cruise. Stupid us, thought it was too expensive.

 

In hindsight, the original way back then was a steal and I am sorry we didn't make the purchase.

 

Art on the ships have changed a lot since then. Back then, there were some truly nice pieces IMO.

[sail7seas]

We never bought any of Park West items........ no regrets . :)We never saw anything that interested us,

[Hlitner]

For anyone interested in on-board art auctions you might want to simply Google "Park West scams" and do some research prior to your cruise. And yes, the Art Auctions are very profitable to both the cruise line and so-called art auction company. We had a friend who used to run the auctions on many Princess ships and he did quite well. But he never encouraged any of his friends to buy anything :).

 

Hank

[kevingastreich]

The art auctions can be fun. You just have to be aware of what you are doing and not get caught up in all the hoopla and fanfare and make a poor decision. I go for the free pieces that they hand out. They make nice mementos for my cruise book.

[kazu]

The art auctions can be fun. You just have to be aware of what you are doing and not get caught up in all the hoopla and fanfare and make a poor decision. I go for the free pieces that they hand out. They make nice mementos for my cruise book.

 

Very good point. I used to go and collect those and then donated them to silent auctions for charities that mattered. Believe it or not they were appraised for $.

 

they went on the block framed (I either paid at a discount or got it done because the kind framer believed in the cause)....

 

And they always sold for around $200 - $300 on average and sometimes more. All for a good cause.

[innlady1]

I might have seen one boxed piece being taken off the ship once. I certainly haven't seen what I would consider a viable amount to justify the space the gallery takes. Maybe I'm just clueless, but I can't help but wonder if that enterprise really makes a financial impact for HAL (or any cruise line.)

 

 

 

What's your impression?

 

 

We have never attended an art auction nor do we plan to in the future. It so obnoxious...seeing what they call “art” mucking up the ship! It was lovely...the short time Park West was not around.

 

 

 

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[Halfmoonfan]

I read a book a few years ago called Cruise Confidential, or something like that. The author was a waiter first, and then got a job as an art auctioneer. He claimed on some cruises the art sales equaled or passed the revenue of both the casino and the bar departments.

[cruzingnut]

Buyer beware when you are at sea and have no way to check on the "art" that Park West sells. As has already been said; Google them and see what you find. Thankfully, they are not as prevalent on HAL as they were; hopefully they are dying out as people get wiser. Does anyone seriously think that one piece of artwork that is supposedly worth $20,000 would really come down in price and end up at THREE pieces for 4 or 5K together is real? I've seen it and thankfully, no one fell for it...that time at least.

 

The old saying goes "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is".

 

Linda R.

[ithaca gal]

I go for the free pieces that they hand out. They make nice mementos for my cruise book.

 

I went to an auction a few years ago. I "won" a piece of art. I had to make an appointment to get it that evening. I went and was told that they didn't have it on the ship but I could have it mailed to me for $30. No frame, just the piece of paper. I asked them if I really, truly looked stupid.

 

They didn't reply. I told them to keep the "prize".

 

Once they established what they are, I don't even walk through that area. Shame on HAL for giving them a place to prey.