Main Theatre shows or lack of?

[retird]

Haven’t been on HAL since 2017.     Ive been looking at posted dailies for a few recent cruises and noticed there were no 7pm and 9pm shows listed.    Has HAL completely moved away from guest entertainers, singer and dancer shows etc in the main theatre at night?   I have a 25 day cruise booked for a few months time and was wondering if longer cruises with multiple sea days might have more entertainment than what I see listed on recent shorter cruises.   We are mid 70’s , but still like the evening shows.   

[billbunger]

We are on a 28 day cruise as I type. This week we have a dance group, a singing group and a comedian on the MainStage. Show times vary and they have so far been doing two shows most nights. There are also performances by BB Kings Allstars, Third Avenue West and Billboard Onboard through out the evening at different venues on the ship. 

[oaktreerb]

The format on the dailies has changed so maybe you just didn’t see the main stage entertainment listed.

Singers, dancers, comedians, on the main stage and sometimes a movie (you have a pretty good movie selection in your stateroom, too).   Then there’s the music walk and sometimes a comedian in the music venues in the evening.

[CruiserBruce]

On our recent 11 day cruise, there was some activity on the main stage every night. Dance shows, comedians, musicians, BBC, etc.

[VMax1700]

The music, dancers, entertainers etc are not listed on the chrononlogical list, but in separate panels of the Daily Program.  The are listed chronologically within the Navigator App.

 

Look at the Right half of this recent Daily Program - Presentations/Performances/ Music Walk

 

 

 

[jljcruise]

We're on the Oosterdam later this month for 26 days. The Navigator app list is still  incomplete, but so far shows that on Main Stage in the evening we'll have (two nights  each IIRC) Lincoln Center musicians, Cantare, a classical pianist, a comedian, and One Step Dance group. Like Vmax1700 says, they're listed separately on the right side of the Daily.

[REOVA]

The entertainment will not be what you remember from the past.  HAL contracted with a dance group (Step One) , a singing quartet (Cantare) and "BBC movies" in the world stage. They got rid of their production team and stage performers. If you haven't seen these performances before (as they do the same routines rotating on all the ships so many are repetitive for those that cruise alot) they might be worth a look. For the longer Voyage there may be a comedian, musician, singer, etc brought on unless your 25 day is also sold as a B2B then you may have repetition on your cruise. Supposedly HAL is slowly adding more stage options (still behind other lines) so hopefully you will enjoy. Expect the worst and maybe be pleasantly surprised. 

[robotpony]

On our September 11-day we had 2 comedians and an illusionist, in addition to the Step 1 dancers, and a mashup of the dancers and Billboard pianists, as well as Billboard onboard, Rolling Stone room, and BB King bands. There was one evening with a movie playing on the main stage (instead of in the lido pool). The days included the typical port and EXC talks.

 

On our April 18-day there were 3 comedians, Step 1 dancers, a new music group, and a number of island performers (dancers, sand artist, etc.). There was enough we couldn't see it all. Additionally, this itinerary had a jazz band playing Third Avenue West, in addition to the other standard bands.

[VMax1700]

There have been no BBC movies on Main Stage on Rotterdam this cruise.  Indeed I don't remember any mention of BBC movies at all.

They have had a couple of first showings - Book Club the next chapter, Fast X, as examples, shown on mainstage screens but not available in stateroom.

[rj59]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:05 AM, REOVA said:

The entertainment will not be what you remember from the past.  HAL contracted with a dance group (Step One) , a singing quartet (Cantare) and "BBC movies" in the world stage. They got rid of their production team and stage performers. If you haven't seen these performances before (as they do the same routines rotating on all the ships so many are repetitive for those that cruise alot) they might be worth a look. For the longer Voyage there may be a comedian, musician, singer, etc brought on unless your 25 day is also sold as a B2B then you may have repetition on your cruise. Supposedly HAL is slowly adding more stage options (still behind other lines) so hopefully you will enjoy. Expect the worst and maybe be pleasantly surprised. 

I've met former HAL singers on other lines. Brian who was in the excellent Westerdam shows (Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales) is on Celebrity Apex, which has two production casts, doing shows in 3 different venues. I saw curly-haired Patrick on Ruby Princess, who I remember from another HAL ship. Every line except for HAL is willing to pay for production shows and casts, including actual Broadway shows, not a choice of 3 interpretive dance shows with 4 dancers. Other lines also have varied musicians around the ship, not corporate robots playing the same approved setlists on every ship, on every cruise, in sponsored venues. I miss piano guys playing requests and interacting with people, and a Ukrainian girl in the Adagio classical duo learning a Mozart sonata and playing it for me.