The End of Lincoln Center

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Explorer's Lounge. I am also on the Westerdam and agree this group is fantastic 

[PROCRUISE]

6 hours ago, FlaviaOfTheMonth said:

On Westerdam now and the classical trio is fantastic. Their selections are far more challenging and engaging than what the Lincoln Center groups typically offered. Every performance has been excellent, and that is saying a lot for a 28-day cruise.

That's great. However, what about those of us who can only take 7 - 10 day cruises? It seems that I already read that HAL was going to return some classical music to only the longer cruise itineraries and Atlantic crossings.

[Mary229]

7 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

That's great. However, what about those of us who can only take 7 - 10 day cruises? It seems that I already read that HAL was going to return some classical music to only the longer cruise itineraries and Atlantic crossings.

If I still did 7 day cruises I would not limit myself to HAL.  

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 hours ago, PROCRUISE said:

That's great. However, what about those of us who can only take 7 - 10 day cruises? It seems that I already read that HAL was going to return some classical music to only the longer cruise itineraries and Atlantic crossings.

 

For quite a while, HAL has been doing more for the longer voyages than the short ones. Only legendary and grand get guest speakers, etc. Perhaps it's because they can fill short cruises more easily, so they feel they don't have to make an effort. I rarely do a 7-day cruise, but I do 10-14, and I would appreciate some of the enrichment and entertainment that the longer cruises get. But I don't expect it to happen. 

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

For quite a while, HAL has been doing more for the longer voyages than the short ones. Only legendary and grand get guest speakers, etc. Perhaps it's because they can fill short cruises more easily, so they feel they don't have to make an effort. I rarely do a 7-day cruise, but I do 10-14, and I would appreciate some of the enrichment and entertainment that the longer cruises get. But I don't expect it to happen. 

I may shock some when I defend HAL.  A major difference in many long cruises, when compared to shorter voyages, are the number of sea days.  On port intensive cruises, there is less of a demand for lecturers, and even activities, because ships are generally in a semi-shutdown state when they are in a port.  Just think about a 28 day cruise we took from Seattle to Sydney, where 10 of the first 12 days were at sea.  This puts pressure on the CD to find ways to provide some daytime entertainment, and HAL has often looked to lecturers to fill the void.  There is also a difference in the evening, because when you have many long port days, an awful lot of passengers (especially on HAL) will eat dinner early and just go to their cabin to rest-up for the next day's port.  But when you have multiple sea days (especially when some are consecutive, more folks will stay awake past 9pm :).

 

And by the way, this is not just an issue on HAL.  We take cruises on many different lines, the longer cruises with lots of sea days tend to get more lecturers and even some daytime entertainment.

 

Hank

[BermudaBound2014]

5 hours ago, Mary229 said:

If I still did 7 day cruises I would not limit myself to HAL.  

 

This^^^ 100%

 

 

 

[scooter6139]

Some of us chose to do 7-day cruises due to scheduling or employment (teacher schedule).  This is one of the reasons why we are trying Oceania next year on a 9-day (don't get me started on how hard getting my wife to agree to just that!), as we still want that small ship feel with an older, adult demographic.  If HAL is actively marketing away from this, we might not keep booking HAL.

[Petronillus]

14 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This^^^ 100%

 

?????

[BermudaBound2014]

6 minutes ago, Petronillus said:

?????

 

 

I was agreeing with Mary (who I quoted). 

 

This (indicates agreement)

^^^^ (indicates I'm agreeing specifically with the quoted above statement)

100% (means I agree 100%).

 

If your ??? marks indicate that you don't know what I'd look elsewhere for a 7 day cruise (which is the statement I was agreeing with :-), then my rational for that is simply based on my experience (over the last 35 years sailing nearly all main stream lines) is that other cruise lines provide (for me) better entertainment, equal food, equal service, newer ships, more activities. 

 

[Mary229]

57 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

This^^^ 100%

 

 

 

Sent you an email but forgot to say the Mardi Gras transatlantic to Barcelona 

Edited June 23 by Mary229

[DFWGUYZ]

We have been loyal to HAL however, are now booking a couple of  Celebrity cruises to feel them out. We've done Princess and they are okay but Celebrity is part of RC Company and they have a different vision than CCL. I think it's worth the try.

[foodsvcmgr]

I don’t know what their shorter cruises offer but we were on Celebrity Eclipse in January for a 14 Night Antartica drive by with 8 sea days.

Excellent lecture program with three different speakers.

[PROCRUISE]

14 hours ago, Mary229 said:

If I still did 7 day cruises I would not limit myself to HAL.  

I don't! Have cruised with: CCL, HAL, X, NCL, RCCL, Princess, Windstar and Viking Ocean. Regardless, fail to see why I can't have just a little classical music with HAL just because it's only a 7 day cruise.

[sambamama]

I did a 14 night Asia cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong that was booked when Lincoln Center was available. We had no classical music at all. When I have to fly to and from Asia, and sail a cruise postponed for 4 years, and lose my classical music, not to mention the other cutbacks, I was pretty upset. HAL is offering very little for me now, and I doubt I will be cruising much any more. 

[foodsvcmgr]

Reports are indicating significant differences developing between shorter and longer sailings re: food, entertainment, speaker programs, etc.

Seems like something that could become a marketing issue, i.e those taking shorter cruises hesitant to book a longer sailing because they are unaware more will be offered and those used to longer cruises being severely disappointed if they take a 7 day, etc.

Just the latest example of the lack of clear identity and direction that HAL has suffered from for years now.

[richstowe]

On 6/22/2024 at 4:23 PM, Mary229 said:

I agree.  These new trios are so much better, true professionals.  LCS was challenging for the listener 

Different musicians, different outcomes. It's not the name, it's the players. We've had fabulous Lincoln Center experiences and more ordinary ones.

On 6/23/2024 at 9:04 PM, PROCRUISE said:

I don't! Have cruised with: CCL, HAL, X, NCL, RCCL, Princess, Windstar and Viking Ocean. Regardless, fail to see why I can't have just a little classical music with HAL just because it's only a 7 day cruise.

Which of those had excellent classical music? BTW, try Cunard. It's wonderful in many ways.

[Mary229]

12 minutes ago, richstowe said:

Different musicians, different outcomes. It's not the name, it's the players. We've had fabulous Lincoln Center experiences and more ordinary ones.

The removal of the brand gives HAL much more leverage to fire and hire. When you buy the branded package, you get what they send you. 

[ghstudio]

My understanding of the Lincoln Center contract ending....from a HAL executive....was that Lincoln Center did not want to renew.  They said that it was too difficult to find classical musicians that were willing to play multiple times a day, every day of the week. Keep in mind that HAL had Lincoln Center on all of their ships, so that's a lot of musicians.  Don't know if this was the reason, but it sounded believable.

[St Pete Cruiser]

5 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

My understanding of the Lincoln Center contract ending....from a HAL executive....was that Lincoln Center did not want to renew.  They said that it was too difficult to find classical musicians that were willing to play multiple times a day, every day of the week. Keep in mind that HAL had Lincoln Center on all of their ships, so that's a lot of musicians.  Don't know if this was the reason, but it sounded believable.

I respectfully disagree.  The Lincoln Center musicians usually did three 45 minute sessions a day with at least one day off every week.  We invited a few of them to dine with us onboard, and they were quite happy to be paid well and have the priviledge to travel and see the world.  

 

[TRLD]

20 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

My understanding of the Lincoln Center contract ending....from a HAL executive....was that Lincoln Center did not want to renew.  They said that it was too difficult to find classical musicians that were willing to play multiple times a day, every day of the week. Keep in mind that HAL had Lincoln Center on all of their ships, so that's a lot of musicians.  Don't know if this was the reason, but it sounded believable.

Always easier to say that the cancellation was due to the other party, instead of saying that it was to expensive to continue, so I would take that with a grain of salt.

 

 

[TRLD]

To be honest, while we liked Lincoln Center, we did find it to be over curated, regimented and repetitive. Find classical duos and trios that are on many lines to be more flexible and less tied to an exact play list.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

When the cruise director on the current 28 day Legendary cruise interviewed the trio, she indicated classical trios or duos would be on the world cruise, grand and legendary voyages, but as everything else seems to be with the current HAL,  subject to change. 

[FlaviaOfTheMonth]

6 hours ago, richstowe said:

Different musicians, different outcomes. It's not the name, it's the players. We've had fabulous Lincoln Center experiences and more ordinary ones.

Which of those had excellent classical music? BTW, try Cunard. It's wonderful in many ways.

On this cruise at least, it is largely the program. LC always stuck to the crowd pleasers, but our Westerdam trio of Alex, Alice, and Ashley have a different and very challenging program every day. Much of it I have not heard previously. Comparing to LC is like Filet-O-Fish vs Alaskan salmon sushi right on the boat.

[sambamama]

Having sailed with HAL for a very long time, I remember Adagio, the classical group before Lincoln Center. I also have a friend who is an opera conductor, so I have an insider in the classical world. For a HAL executive to say they couldn't get musicians is ludicrous And if they couldn't continue with Lincoln Center per se, they could have reverted back to Adagio instead. Instead they chose to eliminate classical music as a standard and put it in as a rare bonus. Many of us remember when there was always a steel drum band. That's gone on HAL. I haven't even heard a solo player. On my solo Princess Panama Canal crossing, there was a solo steel drum player every day. The entertainment I saw on my Asia cruise on the whole was the  worst I've ever seen. One night they had a guy whose act was making balloon animals, and we had him twice! His act was suitable for an 8 year old birthday party! I also saw the worst dancers ever. I'm convinced HAL stopped listening to their customer base, and that the new management is making a few really poor decisions that will drive us long timers away like the decision about letting larger parties book your prey booked cabin!!

[Mary229]

38 minutes ago, sambamama said:

Having sailed with HAL for a very long time, I remember Adagio, the classical group before Lincoln Center. I also have a friend who is an opera conductor, so I have an insider in the classical world. For a HAL executive to say they couldn't get musicians is ludicrous And if they couldn't continue with Lincoln Center per se, they could have reverted back to Adagio instead. Instead they chose to eliminate classical music as a standard and put it in as a rare bonus. Many of us remember when there was always a steel drum band. That's gone on HAL. I haven't even heard a solo player. On my solo Princess Panama Canal crossing, there was a solo steel drum player every day. The entertainment I saw on my Asia cruise on the whole was the  worst I've ever seen. One night they had a guy whose act was making balloon animals, and we had him twice! His act was suitable for an 8 year old birthday party! I also saw the worst dancers ever. I'm convinced HAL stopped listening to their customer base, and that the new management is making a few really poor decisions that will drive us long timers away like the decision about letting larger parties book your prey booked cabin!!

I keep hearing the complaints.  On every cruise I have been on since the startup (8 or 9) we have had classical music.  The change over to trios who are not part of Lincoln has been a vast improvement .  I think the person above said the LCS could not find musicians, not that HAL could not find musicians

Edited yesterday at 11:32 AM by Mary229