Do you think Regent should offer some classical music ?

[tripperva]

Two years ago on an Oceania Baltic cruise, they included a string quartet which played show music and classical in the lobby before dinner and at other locations throughout the trip.These were four young ladies from Ukraine and most passengers truly enjoyed the music. Regent has sometimes provided  concert pianists who have been very popular. Since it is somewhat rare, would anyone enjoy more classical music on the cruises?

[Hambagahle]

Would be lovely.   I absolutely adore boarding Oceania with that music playing!   It is real "class" !!

 

There have been times on Regent when there has been a classical concert in the evening but not nearly enough for me!

[forgap]

Yes, yes, yes!    We have been season ticket holders to the Atlanta Symphony for many years and we really miss classical music while on board.   People complain that the music that is played by groups on board is a bit dated (I.e., not current pop hits).   I’d like it to be a bit more dated  - like to the 18th & 19th centuries!  

 

I think the ideal mix is to have a range of styles, especially in n the lounges.  Although with classical, I like to listen and dream without a whole lot of conversation around me.  

[Gilly]

Yes please from here too.  We have been on board when a classical musician has been part of the entertainment programme and offered a concert as an evening show.  I can't say that has worked at all well - maybe it's not the right setting for such niche entertainment?  I don't know...     I would certainly like to hear more informal performances such as those described above, for sure and think that a classical offering in a lounge after dinner would be lovely.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yes!  We once went on a Radisson cruise, back when they did "Spotlight on ..." cruises, and this one was classical music.  It was in the Black Sea, so we had former-Soviet-trained musicians onboard from the Ukraine, plus many of the excursions had a music orientation--it was truly great.  Would love this.  I despise the "broadway"-type shows they do onboard.

[Cerinda]

Yes, I'd love a classical quartet or a concert.  But even more, I'd like more dance music, as opposed to contemporary pop.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

28 minutes ago, Cerinda said:

Yes, I'd love a classical quartet or a concert.  But even more, I'd like more dance music, as opposed to contemporary pop.

 

What do you consider dance music?  Baby boomer stuff, like 50's, 60's, 70's?  Or are you talking about ballroom dancing music?

[Travelcat2]

I like the variety of music that is played on Regent ships.  There are people of different ages, from different backgrounds/countries so keeping with a variety of music types should meet everyone's tastes (at least while their favorite music is being played).  I do enjoy classical music but only in certain atmospheres (like in my home).

[poss]

We much prefer classical music to any other kind.  We also enjoy quiet jazz.   (And in certain settings/at certain times, we enjoy folk, rock, disco, reggae, many other kinds of music, but classical is our main pleasure.)    Would love to have more on Regent.

[Cerinda]

Wendy, maybe I should have specified danceable arrangements of popular music.  We'll dance to anything, though I admit we find hip hop particularly challenging and big band particularly natural.  We grew up rockin' and rollin' (we're late Baby Boomers) and started swing and ballroom because we had so much fun dancing on our first cruise (Radisson Seven Seas Navigator) nearly 20 years ago. We've found Silver Seas the most dancey ships, HAL the least, and Regent right in the middle.

[GOARMY]

As to classical music:  You have hit a very sensitive "note".  Yes, yes, yes, and, may I add YES!. 

 

Perhaps I am a bit-biased on this matter.  But, I wooed my dear wife 49 years' ago with such piano selections from Chopin, Shuman, Beethoven, and Debussy.  It worked!  We will celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary aboard Splendor, March, 2020--San Diego to Miami. 

 

For many years, have completed numerous Regent Cruise Evaluations on this very topic.  Recent example: Earlier this year aboard Navigator--LA-Panama transit-NYC. Two-two very-talented pianists were onboard.  One led the Regent Band.  Heard them play at afternoon Tea venues.  Basically, background music. 

 

Asked Ray to please-please, give these guys the opportunity for solo, in Theater, venues.  This worked.  Experienced magical performances, which took my wife and I back to late 1960s. 

 

Applause was given on post-cruise evaluations.  Regent listened to clients. So--

 

Please--more classical venues, whether quartets, or solos. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

  

[UUNetBill]

My wife and I may skew just a bit younger than some on this board (certainly not young at 49 and 57) but we would both enjoy chamber and/or classical on board.  My wife plays classical piano and I grew up listening to both big band and classical.

 

I find it very relaxing and enjoyable and would certainly like to hear a bit more on board.

[Hambagahle]

More classical music - tea time, pre-dinner, post dinner, anytime really - would be heavenly!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

And not some pseudo-classical pop extravaganza either.  Recently on Seabourn they had a pianist, one of these pop-classical performers with the big personna--trying to be a latter-day Liberace, everything electronically overblown.  That doesn't cut it, for me.

[Hambagahle]

20 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

And not some pseudo-classical pop extravaganza either.  Recently on Seabourn they had a pianist, one of these pop-classical performers with the big personna--trying to be a latter-day Liberace, everything electronically overblown.  That doesn't cut it, for me.

Especially not that André Rieu fellow!!

[1982CruzStart]

Classical music is not my thing but think all kinds of music should be played. I can just not go somewhere i don't enjoy the music. There are many places to go on this ship so having classical music available to those that love it should not be a problem for anyone that doesn't.  

[travelwell]

I agree with adding more classical music on board. A string quartet that is playing around different parts of ship sounds great. I would also love a classical pianist, we had a great one last winter on Seabourn. There are enough areas on Regent to have a variety of music for different tastes and time on many cruises to invite different guest musicians.

[JMARINER]

They used to have a Harpist, a separate Piano player (as well as dance hosts, dance instructors and at holidays, a priest and/or Rabbi). Of late, the solo piano player does double duty with the show band. Ah, the "good ol' days." 

 

IMO if you want lots of live music on your voyage, then you need to sail with Crystal. On our last C Symphony there was a  string Quartet, County Duel, 4 piece jazz group, two piano players and the show orchestra. The music is on other reason that we are sailing Crystal more and more, after more that 17 years and 40+ Regent voyages. 

 

J

[captjohn]

If I might chime in . We tend to go to Observation Lounge before dinner and enjoy music in the background but it seems the piano player's seem to want to put on a" performance " and play over any conversions that are going on instead of just playing in the background. OK , I'm done with my rant. 

 

Yes we would really enjoy some good classical music but I guess we will just have to wait until our Crystal cruise !!

[Travelcat2]

5 minutes ago, captjohn said:

If I might chime in . We tend to go to Observation Lounge before dinner and enjoy music in the background but it seems the piano player's seem to want to put on a" performance " and play over any conversions that are going on instead of just playing in the background. OK , I'm done with my rant. 

 

Yes we would really enjoy some good classical music but I guess we will just have to wait until our Crystal cruise !!

 

Agree with you.  We love all types of music in the lounge when played at level where you can still talk.  The worst in terms of blaring their music is Nature's Rhythm.  I love this group - such amazing harmony that is ruined by how loud it is (speaking about the music they play before dinner).  On our cruise last month, they were playing in the Voyager Lounge and when we got off of the elevator on the 9th deck, the music was still loud.  

[flossie009]

4 hours ago, JMARINER said:

They used to have a Harpist, a separate Piano player (as well as dance hosts, dance instructors and at holidays, a priest and/or Rabbi). Of late, the solo piano player does double duty with the show band. Ah, the "good ol' days." 

 

 

On SS Explorer now and they have a piano player (separate from the keyboard player in the Regent Band) who plays most evenings in the Observation Lounge before and after dinner. From memory this is the same on most Regent cruises.

Also on this cruise there is a pair of professional ballroom dancers in the Production Cast who give dance classes on sea days.

 

Haven’t come across a Rabbi or a Harpist yet.

[JMARINER]

52 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

 

On SS Explorer now and they have a piano player (separate from the keyboard player in the Regent Band) who plays most evenings in the Observation Lounge before and after dinner. From memory this is the same on most Regent cruises.

 

FAAIK Only on the Explorer is there a separate piano player and in the evening in the Observation lounge s/he must play a very reduced volume levels due to suites above. If you are in the back of the room you can barely hear her. They are supposed the fix the acoustics on the new ship.

 

J

[GOARMY]

Having reviewed the above--

 

This is a bit of comparing apples to oranges, given size of ships and so-on:  But, Cunard tops them all as to offering musical "variations".  Enjoyed evening solo pre-dinner piano, violin, or quartet performances--for those of us at either Princess or Queen's Grill levels at that separate Lounge.  Wonderful string quartets each afternoon during Tea-time; and late afternoon piano or violin solo concerts in the Main Theater for all.  That has been our experience on several sailings--But that was also on QM2 with, what--2,600 passengers and in a very, very class-conscious level-of-service environment.   

 

Also agree re: Crystal.  Great variety on every one of our cruises, which have all been on Symphony.  But, again, a bit-larger ship.  One key aspect of Crystal is that the separate Lounge stuff does not apply. 

 

Reference my earlier comment:  Sue and I approached Cruise Director Ray Solaire after listening to the pianist (also Lead Band guy--and I believe from Ukraine) play background music during an afternoon Tea early-on in that cruise.  Simply magical.  For those who wanted to talk--fine; plenty of room and tables for that.  For the increasing number of folks who chose to listen to Brahms, Chopin, and Debussy--cluster near the piano and--listen, and be transported.  It was interesting to see the shift in seating as the cruise went on.  Bigger and bigger clusters near the piano.  Applause after every selection.   

 

So, we met with Ray.  He advised we were not the first couple on the cruise to bring this matter to his attention.  But, he put it in the context of contractual agreements with performers.  They have a contract for a certain number of hours.  This includes rehearsal time.  And, for the Lead Band guy, those hours can mount up in a hurry.  He pledged to do his best to "arrange" venues for the two great classical pianists who were with us for that segment for 25-minute recitals, or mini-concerts, or call it what you want. 

 

This worked out. And, no attempt to emulate Liberace either at Tea or in concert. Having stumbled through a few of these selections myself--way, way back in the day when courting my wife--certainly appreciated how these guys stuck to the script. 

 

The above, again, was made a matter of record on our mid-cruise evaluation; final evaluation; and a separate letter written to Regent management following returning home.  Got a response from Regent's "Brass" section.  Yes, we had been heard.  Well, our next boarding will be on Explorer in 2019.  Hope for an encore as to opportunities to listen to the Classics. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[tripperva]

So far, there seems to be a solid majority in favor of more classical music offerings. Perhaps a string quartet and classical pianist. Cunard, Crystal, Oceania and other lines have featured classical with good success.

[Travelcat2]

10 minutes ago, tripperva said:

So far, there seems to be a solid majority in favor of more classical music offerings. Perhaps a string quartet and classical pianist. Cunard, Crystal, Oceania and other lines have featured classical with good success.

 

Have to wonder if Cunard, Crystal or Oceania are doing as well as Regent.  Even with classical music offerings, Crystal seems to run several itineraries with less than full ships (and they only have 2 ocean going ships), Oceania is always running extreme specials (and is not a luxury cruise line) and Cunard is also not a luxury cruise line (but does have a "luxury section" in their very class-oriented ships).

 

My point is that there was a thread this year where many posters were asking for music from this century.  Now there is this thread with some posters that would prefer more classical music.  

 

IMHO, Regent already has classical music as well as some music from this century and the always favorite (for a heck of a lot of baby boomers who Regent markets to) rock and roll.  I personally don't see the need for a change.  However, trying classical music in one lounge to see if is well attended may be a good idea.