Lincoln Center replacement

[skidroe]

This there any information about what HAL will be replacing Lincoln Center with ?

 

[BigMattT]

“In partnership with Classical Music Monthly Magazine, for an additional charge, select passengers* will experience the thrill of bartenders humming their favorite selections by Bach.

 

* - This is an exclusive new experience only available to book onboard through the Holland America Navigator app on itineraries visiting Astoria, Oregon.”

 

 

~ quoted from me, being sarcastic

[TiogaCruiser]

LOL!

 

We’re currently on Volendam and have been enjoying a very talented duo ( piano and cello). They have played most nights in the “stage” area that was LC (previously part of the Explorers Lounge). They have been typically playing a couple 45 minute themed sets (last night was Russian composers) in the afternoon and 2-3 in the evening. The sets have been the same on a given day (as far as I am aware.) I don’t think the idea was to spend the evening there…..  and personally for me, I would prefer different content from set to set, and spend the evening there.

 

 

 

 

[OlsSalt]

I gather from all prior discussions, they only stopped using the Lincoln Center brand and their in-house talent pool; but have not discarded classical music entirely.  Much like they tried franchising the Oprah brand for a while. Or America's Test Kitchen.

 

 

[PalmSprings]

I agree with TiogaCruiser that the two young women on Volendam are terrific!  We’ve been enjoying their performances very much.

[atexsix]

When we were on Princess last year there was a violin duo from Ukraine that performed throughout the ship, I would imagine something similar on HAL because it definitely gave them more flexibility, going wherever needed.  They even split them up one evening, thankfully we caught one in the Crown Grill lounge area and it was probably the best concert we ever attended on a ship.  It was hard not to talk about the war, and they were approached by several passengers.  The passion definitely came out in the music, at times intense and vibrant, at others a pronounced sadness.  But it was so much more than musicians following a script (no offense to Lincoln Center, we enjoyed those throughout the years too).  

 

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by atexsix

[NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope]

I'm not sure of the relevance of my observation, but I attended a concert at Lincoln Center NYC this month and they were still promoting their partnership with HAL (via electronic billboard) My guess is that the partnership is changing but not disappearing.

[atexsix]

15 minutes ago, NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope said:

I'm not sure of the relevance of my observation, but I attended a concert at Lincoln Center NYC this month and they were still promoting their partnership with HAL (via electronic billboard) My guess is that the partnership is changing but not disappearing.

Love your name, I'm imagining all sorts of contexts (caught in the christmas tree? knitting? swimming? watching people take vitamins?) LoL  Anyway, gave me a chuckle and memories of when I first saw that movie, long before I'd ever been on a ship, and wondered what it was like. 

[kazu]

15 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

LOL!

 

We’re currently on Volendam and have been enjoying a very talented duo ( piano and cello). They have played most nights in the “stage” area that was LC (previously part of the Explorers Lounge). They have been typically playing a couple 45 minute themed sets (last night was Russian composers) in the afternoon and 2-3 in the evening. The sets have been the same on a given day (as far as I am aware.) I don’t think the idea was to spend the evening there…..  and personally for me, I would prefer different content from set to set, and spend the evening there.

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds very similar to the Adagio of old which DD DH and I always enjoyed.  They did play different music at each set and I agree it is much more enjoyable and, like you we liked to spend more time there.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope said:

I'm not sure of the relevance of my observation, but I attended a concert at Lincoln Center NYC this month and they were still promoting their partnership with HAL (via electronic billboard) My guess is that the partnership is changing but not disappearing.

 

Supposedly, LC will be on various ships on the mainstage, but not all the time. Kind of like Cantare. Which ships and for how long remains to be seen.

[Hlitner]

7 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Supposedly, LC will be on various ships on the mainstage, but not all the time. Kind of like Cantare. Which ships and for how long remains to be seen.

The bottom line is that, when booking any HAL cruise, you are rolling the dice on whether there will be any classical music. any cooking demos, or just about anything.  Heck of a way to run a cruise line.

 

 It is even the same with alternate restaurants.  Here on the Westerdam, Canoletto has offered their usual

menu every other week with a truncated Tarimind menu on the other weeks.  Those that booked in advance had no way to know what they were booking.  

 

When we started this cruise in March, we had a decent LC group.  Their contract ended and they left the ship in early April.  LC has remained dark and there has been zero classical music since that group departs.  Kind of a waste of space to see the LC Stage unused and the adjacent Explorers Lounge generally empty.

 

Just reading the various blogs here in CC makes it pretty clear that when you book HAL, there is no telling what you will or will not get on a particular cruise.
 

[3rdGenCunarder]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The bottom line is that, when booking any HAL cruise, you are rolling the dice on whether there will be any classical music. any cooking demos, or just about anything.  Heck of a way to run a cruise line.

 

 It is even the same with alternate restaurants.  Here on the Westerdam, Canoletto has offered their usual

menu every other week with a truncated Tarimind menu on the other weeks.  Those that booked in advance had no way to know what they were booking.  

 

When we started this cruise in March, we had a decent LC group.  Their contract ended and they left the ship in early April.  LC has remained dark and there has been zero classical music since that group departs.  Kind of a waste of space to see the LC Stage unused and the adjacent Explorers Lounge generally empty.

 

Just reading the various blogs here in CC makes it pretty clear that when you book HAL, there is no telling what you will or will not get on a particular cruise.
 

 

It's sad to hear this. When surveys ask "would you recommend this cruise to friends?" I always think, well, depends on which friends are asking. But for the first time, I cannot imagine recommending HAL to anyone. What would I say? The plus factors are that they aren't megaships with 6,000 passengers and the itineraries are good. 

 

I have two HAL cruises booked, both on the remaining R ships. I booked them for the itineraries, both port intensive. I will go knowing that I may spend a lot of my onboard time reading. If the entertainment is good, that will be a bonus. 

 

[GeezerCouple]

This is so disappointing.

Just before Covid arrived, we had our first HAL cruise, an Auckland to Sydney itinerary.  We booked it on relatively short notice because of the itinerary, thinking that HAL was a line that we might like (at least, not on our no-sail list!).  I had read here on CC about the "Lincoln Center" plans, and that definitely intrigued us, given we are serious classical music lovers.  (We have been taking Italian opera lessons for the past few years... having never spoken Italian other than an occasional "Ciao!")

 

And we LOVED it.  Unbelievable.  I'd arrive early with a book to get two good seats (the room was always overflowing - didn't that tell someone something!?), and DH would arrive closer to the start time.  The musicians were wonderful, as were the music selections.  Heavenly!

 

We decided we'd found a new home on the sea!

And then... and then... 😡

 

We will no longer look *first* at HAL, unfortunately.

That excellent classical music (regularly performed, not an occasional add-on) put HAL in a class of its own.  Something we could count on...

 

What a disappointment!

 

GC

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

I'd arrive early with a book to get two good seats (the room was always overflowing - didn't that tell someone something!?),

 

I have asked myself that same question. Going back to when LC was new on K'dam and had their own space (now Rolling Stone) to more recently on the smaller ships where LC was in what had been the Explorer lounge, I always saw a good crowd for LC. It wasn't broke, why did they "fix" it?????

[tscoffey]

1 minute ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I have asked myself that same question. Going back to when LC was new on K'dam and had their own space (now Rolling Stone) to more recently on the smaller ships where LC was in what had been the Explorer lounge, I always saw a good crowd for LC. It wasn't broke, why did they "fix" it?????

Perhaps Lincoln Center is having issues supplying sufficient talent? On Westerdam last summer they had 4-5 string players, and a pianist.  Maybe players of sufficient caliber aren't too interested in a cruise ship contract?  (Might not be a good look on a resume if you plan to be a paid performer in a good symphony).

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 minute ago, tscoffey said:

Perhaps Lincoln Center is having issues supplying sufficient talent? On Westerdam last summer they had 4-5 string players, and a pianist.  Maybe players of sufficient caliber aren't too interested in a cruise ship contract?  (Might not be a good look on a resume if you plan to be a paid performer in a good symphony).

 

When LC was brand new, I met the mother of one of the LC group. She said when he was a student, he worried about finding employment as a classical musician. There are only so many symphonies, after all. He was thrilled to have this as a starter job and loved being at sea.

 

Have you read the bios of any of the LC players? Most have had varied and "serious" careers before sailing on HAL with LC.

[mightycruisequeen]

My understanding is that they're keeping the classical musicians, but just phasing out the "Lincoln Center" room on the ships, and relocating their classical performances to the main theater.

[OlsSalt]

Monetizing space seems to be a recent decision-driver. Not enough drinks sold, or fancy after dinner coffees ordered during the classical presentations?

 

Too many like me, enjoying  the free chocolates offered at the smaller ship Explorers Lounge during concerts.🤑

[Kellybc]

Just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam. The room had a lonely piano on stage facing empty chairs the entire 17 night cruise. 

[funntheson]

There is a classical pianist listed as mainstage evening entertainment for a couple of nights on our upcoming cruise. I don't know if he will have any supporting musicians or not.

[DCThunder]

On Oosterdam recently, the classical trio (or quartet) alternated between the LC area and the Main Stage.  Mostly they played the LC which was an area off a main corridor leading from the casino and Billboard area and the MDR.  The area was usually full when the group played there, however.

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, mightycruisequeen said:

My understanding is that they're keeping the classical musicians, but just phasing out the "Lincoln Center" room on the ships, and relocating their classical performances to the main theater.

Which is where they belong.

[GeezerCouple]

29 minutes ago, mightycruisequeen said:

My understanding is that they're keeping the classical musicians, but just phasing out the "Lincoln Center" room on the ships, and relocating their classical performances to the main theater.

 

That would be okay, if the quality of the performers was still very good.

However, the reports here do not seem to include just what you describe.  The reports (and we have no idea what the "true plans" are, obviously) are that there will be no way to predict when - or even on which cruises - there will be serious classical music performances.

 

If there is a good chance that our cruise might NOT have them, well... we can accomplish that on a line/ship we prefer (namely, Oceania's Riviera, for starters).  But the amazing classical music had us convinced we'd found a new home for many, if not necessarily all, of our future cruises.

 

Those musicians were, much to our surprise, excellent.  To have that (predictably) while at sea?

"Priceless!"  😁

 

However, there *are* some cruises we take on various other lines, due to the itineraries, so we are not saying, "Never again, HAL".  But HAL has dropped off our "try to book with them if there is a choice" list.

HAL can fix that, of course, for us and apparently for some others... 😉 

Those performances really made HAL special.

 

GC

[OlsSalt]

Chamber music belongs in an intimate setting. Surrounded by exceptional acoustics.

 

Hope to God they do NOT amplify the classical ensembles whey they ask them fill the vast emptiness of the Main Stage Theater, like they do when they use these ensembles to back a BBC nature film. (Groan)

 

It is a shame HAL is not honoring this more intimate classical option, as part  of its touted "music walk"

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by OlsSalt

[BigMattT]

48 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Chamber music belongs in an intimate setting. Surrounded by exceptional acoustics.

 

Hope to God they do NOT amplify the classical ensembles whey they ask them fill the vast emptiness of the Main Stage Theater, like they do when they use these ensembles to back a BBC nature film. (Groan)

 

It is a shame HAL is not honoring this more intimate classical option, as part  of its touted "music walk"

 

 

 

The Main Stage theaters I've been in on HAL ships seem extensively treated to be acoustically 'dead'. I agree it's the wrong type of space for a classical ensemble, but failing to mic them in a space with such acoustics would be an even bigger mistake. Cruise ship construction, being devoid of wood paneled high ceilings... are rarely going to make for good acoustic instrument listening in general. But I'd be happy to be able to enjoy the Classical Musicians, amplified, in the Main Stage space versus the cramped LC Room with so much other noise permeating their very skilled performances.