It's official. Production shows are back!!

[Ken the cruiser]

24 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Since the prices have increased so much HAL could afford better music entertainment imo

Just for the record when comparing prices back in 2019 with now, we were on the Maasdam on a 30-day Australia Circumnavigation cruise in a veranda cabin that ran $372 pp/day (with no extra booking perks). I just checked and a similar veranda cabin on the Nov 2024 Australia circumnavigation cruise on the Westerdam is $294 pp/day (without HIA). Like I said, one big reason we're looking at HAL again is because their costs have definitely become more competitive. 

[Hlitner]

Definitely a good step in the right direction.  Given the HAL track record we will wait to see if, and when, these shows exist on all the ships.

[mcrcruiser]

31 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Definitely a good step in the right direction.  Given the HAL track record we will wait to see if, and when, these shows exist on all the ships.

  Then Hank will you sail once again on HAL ships ?

[Bostonjetset]

17 hours ago, RuthC said:

A step in the right direction! The former production shows were so much better than the One Step Dance Company that replaced them. 

Now, if HAL can only return classical music and bring back Piano Bars! That would be wonderful. 

Aww I actually like the Step One Dance Co. It’s just that it gets boring seeing the same show every sailing across different ships in different areas of the globe. I saw one of their sets thrice…once on Rotterdam in the Caribbean in 2022, once on Rotterdam in Scotland in 2023, and again on Koningsdam in Alaska later in 2023. I enjoyed it but would like some variety. I’m happy they are bringing some variety back. Though who knows what we will get on Volendam this June as they aren’t listed for the new stage shows yet. 

[RuthC]

16 hours ago, REOVA said:

I thought someone posted recently a solo piano player did a few sets and the last set was audience choice. 2 years ago on VoV there was only 1 pianist and when she got sick, Glenn Michael (who used to be a pianist on ships) sat in and did sing alongs and audience selections. But that was Zaandam and a unique situation. 

I remember Glenn Michael from a stint he did as the musician in the Piano Lounge (it was a lounge on that ship, as opposed to a Piano Bar). He was really, really good in that role. 

Over the years I have found the requests that some of the musicians have are less spontaneous than formerly, when there were real Piano Bars, and being limited to (usually) the end of the evening, a lot less fun. 
Then, of course, the musician has to know the songs requested! The people Seattle is hiring these days do not tend to have extensive repertoires. 

[RuthC]

12 hours ago, Kay S said:

Anybody have a favorite from the old productions shows? 

I was always especially fond of 'Encore', as the music and the costumes were both gorgeous! 
I only got to see it twice, but could have seen it more times, had it been offered. 

I used to love 'Copacabana', but that was around a while, and I know others got kind of sick of it. I didn't, but then I only saw it 2-3 times. 

[SeaMatesNYC]

3 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

Aww I actually like the Step One Dance Co. It’s just that it gets boring seeing the same show every sailing across different ships in different areas of the globe. I saw one of their sets thrice…once on Rotterdam in the Caribbean in 2022, once on Rotterdam in Scotland in 2023, and again on Koningsdam in Alaska later in 2023. I enjoyed it but would like some variety. I’m happy they are bringing some variety back. Though who knows what we will get on Volendam this June as they aren’t listed for the new stage shows yet. 

I enjoy them as well!  

 

But by the third time around, I found myself becoming a critic:

 

"Oh my, all that red dress fabric seems to be getting the better of her! She seems afraid of it." ("Humanity" solo to "Never Enough" from "The Greatest Showman") 

 

[smirk]

 

[Petronillus]

On 4/11/2024 at 4:15 PM, mcrcruiser said:

One thing that HAL could do as it was very popular in days gone by are the Hirse Racing , People actually win a oprize for the best costumed wooden horse . They did these races on the main stage & got good attendances 

To each his/her own.

[Petronillus]

20 hours ago, RuthC said:

That's good to hear. However, I am willing to bet that the revamped Billboard Onboard is still doing only sets, with breaks the length of sets in Rolling Stone Rock Room, and that those sets are mainly comprised of songs approved by Seattle. 
That's still not a Piano Bar. 

I would love for HAL to return to those intimate rooms of yore, where the musician took his cues from the passengers who were there all night, every night. 

 

On our most recent cruise, 28 days on the Westerdam, I wasn't every night for every set but I certainly did become one of the regulars.

There is no "Music Walk" per se on Westerdam, and so Billboard Onboard and Rolling Stone are not in direct competition as on the pinnacle class ships. Our pianist at Billboard Onboard (BO???) was the marvelous Krista Meadows. She played three sets per night. The first two were programmed (a cycle of music of the 50s/60s/70s/80s/90s, Beatles, Country & Western, British Invasion, etc.) but it seemed that Krista herself selected the pieces and the order in which she played them.

The third set was all requests. Right after the second set Krista distributed request slips and golf pencils, which she collected and formed a playlist out of on the spot. (Amazingly, Krista did not take the time between sets for any me-time; I found her diligence edifying.) Pieces she was unfamiliar with or she felt were not yet ready for prime time she would take back and prepare in anticipation of the next day's requests. I blithely kept requesting MacArthur Park not appreciating how difficult a piece it is. She didn't disappoint (although it took several days of work before she was satisfied with her arrangement). 

I can only hope that Krista sets the HAL standard for the new one-piano format at Billboard Onboard.

[RuthC]

I was picturing the Pinnacle ships when I posted that, as that was the class of the last ship I was on. Of course, you're right---on other classes, musicians don't have to break for an entire set so as not to conflict with another group. 

However, all else you posted about the procedure in the Westerdam Billboard Onboard still keeps it from being a piano bar, which is certainly my preference. Even if HAL would reintroduce Piano Bars on the remaining R-class ships, that would work for me. And it would leave a choice for HAL patrons. 

[Petronillus]

16 hours ago, TRLD said:

There are only so many cabins for entertainers. They did away with production shows when they increased the musicians for music walk  They cutback on some of the music walk positions (Lincoln Center and went from 2 piano to one). Not sure how many slots the new production shows will use compared to 1 step. might be other changes as they go away from the branded acts on the music walk.

On our last cruise the six dancers of Step One Dance Company, in a chat session, said that HAL is exceptional in giving the performers single cabins -- which they liked a lot. Maybe that's one of the reasons other cruise lines have a fuller/wider range of entertainment. 

[BetsyS.]

Petronillus - I like "MacArthur's Park" too! Back in the 70s 

and 80s, I went on cruises on the QE2. They had a radio show 

and you could call from your cabin to request songs. I requested 

"MacArthur's Park" a lot, and the DJ always played it. 😊

[Petronillus]

In support/defense of the Step One Dance Company, I think their shows should be looked at as choreographed performances, ballets in other words. I suppose that if we had subscription tickets to a season of the New York Philharmonic and all they performed all season were the Beethoven symphonies, I'd complain about the lack of variety. But on the 28 days of our last cruise Step One performed each of their four shows twice. We saw all four once and a couple of them twice, and enjoyed them all. We had seen them previously in the ultra-high-tech setting of the pinnacle class World Stages, and were intrigued to see how effectively the shows worked in the smaller, proscenium space of the Westerdam. I don't see myself getting tired of them or their performances anytime soon. 

It also helped that the six dancers were all of a top-notch caliber. Previously, one couple has stood out as technically and artistically superior to the other two and the consistency of their skill levels and artistry this time did make a difference.

[BetsyS.]

KayS - Years ago on the Veendam, there was a singer who had played Christine 

in "Phantom of the Opera" for over 10 years on Broadway. Her voice was beautiful.

She sang songs from the show. I hope that HAL will bring back music and singers  from the Broadway shows! That would be great! 😊 I hope they will also have music from "Les Miserable!"

[Bostonjetset]

3 hours ago, BetsyS. said:

KayS - Years ago on the Veendam, there was a singer who had played Christine 

in "Phantom of the Opera" for over 10 years on Broadway. Her voice was beautiful.

She sang songs from the show. I hope that HAL will bring back music and singers  from the Broadway shows! That would be great! 😊 I hope they will also have music from "Les Miserable!"

I think they do depending on the itinerary and availability perhaps. Last year on the Rotterdam in Scotland we had a guy who played Rum Tum Tugger in Cats (West End) among other roles. He did a variety show one night (in between the three nights of Step One) and he was great. Though he didn’t sing anything from Cats which was a disappointment, he had a wonderful voice. 

Edited April 13 by Bostonjetset

[jeh10641]

On 4/11/2024 at 6:40 AM, Ken the cruiser said:

OK, we're now really starting to get excited about cruising with HAL again on their 3+ week cruises! 🕺💃

 

Holland America Line Debuts New Production Shows - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

 

Beginning in February 2024, Holland America Line is set to debut four shows that unite singing and dancing in a new mainstage experience. The concert-style productions are fronted by three multi-talented headliners, who will be supported by an ensemble of singers and dancers.

 

New shows include “Song & Dance,” which is set on a studio backlot and features two leading men fronting a concert of musical numbers from Broadway, Hollywood and more.

 

Holland America is introducing “Class Act,” a production that aims to bring Las Vegas to the sea with an elaborate show that celebrates iconic female music performers.

 

“All That!” was created to transport guests to a TV studio, where they can be part of the audience of variety shows of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

 

The new program includes “Hey, Mr. DJ,” which will feature iconic radio DJs presenting songs from the ’60s through today.

 

HAL's elimination of the production shows back in 2019 was one huge reason we started cruising with other lines, as we do enjoy going to the theater shows in the evening.

I had heard "rumors" about this. Thanks for confirming them

Jim

[jeh10641]

Across many "conversations" on Cruise Critic, I have read complaints about seeing the same show over and over. I also have read many comments from others who said how much they enjoyed going to same show over and over. People sell out on shore concerts for musical or comedic shows by entertainers they have seen or heard over and over. Others attend "Broadway" style shows many times both on shore and on ships. Everybody is right and everybody is wrong. Just enjoy what you are seeing or do not go and complain about it.

Jim

[Broadway99354]

On 4/12/2024 at 12:23 PM, RuthC said:

I was always especially fond of 'Encore', as the music and the costumes were both gorgeous! 
I only got to see it twice, but could have seen it more times, had it been offered. 

I used to love 'Copacabana', but that was around a while, and I know others got kind of sick of it. I didn't, but then I only saw it 2-3 times. 

I saw "Encore" 8 times.  It is by far my favorite production show.  Only 2 singers, no dancers, but with with a live orchestra.  With Courtney and Dustin Cunningham, I was in paradise.

[ChinaShrek]

On 4/11/2024 at 3:34 PM, Menocchio said:

That title is going to confuse and annoy a lot of millennial and gen y passengers. 

 

Also raise a few eyebrows, given what we now know was going on in the TV studios of the 90's and 2000's. 

Does Dan Schneider work for HAL? 

[Hlitner]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:01 PM, mcrcruiser said:

  Then Hank will you sail once again on HAL ships ?

Had to think about the answer.  We are currently on a 35 day Oceania Vista cruise which is far superior to anything we have experienced on our HAL cruises (except for the Prinsendam).  Not sure we would give up O, Seabourn, or Explora Journeys to book HAL.  But never say never 😉

 

Hank

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Had to think about the answer.  We are currently on a 35 day Oceania Vista cruise which is far superior to anything we have experienced on our HAL cruises (except for the Prinsendam).  Not sure we would give up O, Seabourn, or Explora Journeys to book HAL.  But never say never 😉

 

Hank

Enjoy Oceania. We find it to be far too sedate, far too repetitive with little change from day, with little variation, and the food while being a little better, not really that much better, with less variation. 

 

While we like classical music we also like variety in the music played. Here the music is the showband, the quartet, and the piano player. All.of which are playing sets dictated by corporate with little interaction with passengers. 

 

While you find it superior we find it boring. Makes HAL seem actually energetic.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

20 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Enjoy Oceania. We find it to be far too sedate, far too repetitive with little change from day, with little variation, and the food while being a little better, not really that much better, with less variation. 

 

While we like classical music we also like variety in the music played. Here the music is the showband, the quartet, and the piano player. All.of which are playing sets dictated by corporate with little interaction with passengers. 

 

While you find it superior we find it boring. Makes HAL seem actually energetic.

I don't know, Oceania isn't all that bad. It's just different. They have a theater show every evening, trivia and professional lectures on sea days, an awesome outdoor dining area up at the Terrace Cafe with pretty tasty food to include a grill where you can get steak and lobster every night, and some pretty unique itineraries. 

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I don't know, Oceania isn't all that bad. It's just different. They have a theater show every evening, trivia and professional lectures on sea days, an awesome outdoor dining area up at the Terrace Cafe with pretty tasty food to include a grill where you can get steak and lobster every night, and some pretty unique itineraries. 

They have unique itineraries. As far as their evening shows. There 3 production shows on our 21 day cruise. That bring back memories of Lawrence Welk. There were 2 local shows 1 in Hawaii and one in Bora Bora. Which were probably the better shows.

 

We have had solo guest singers 4 nights. A comedian that was not very good 2 nights. ventriloquist 2 nights. 2 different piano players each doing 2 nights. One with a very good act both playing and audience interaction,  the other a good player but not much interacting with audience. A magician/comedy whose second show we are still waiting for.

 

So yes they have a show each night, but really nothing better than similar acts on HAL, Celebrity or Princess.   And unlike those lines where there are usually two shows with competing entertainment in other venues on Oceania you have one 9:30 show with nothing else competing.

 

We could have copied the daily schedule for the first sea day and most things would be the same for every other sea day with maybe a couple of unique items per day such as the jewelry making, or the exciting addition of the majority rules game show at 3:30 today. Yesterday they had a fair on deck 5 with games such as how to put a pillow in a pillow case, selecting black or red on the roulette table, the colors game with a ping pong ball and different  colored glasses. Thst certainly seemed to get most people out of their chairs for an hour to win tickets in a drawing.

 

In you paragraph you pretty much covered the list of Oceania activities  except for what seems to be the most popular sleeping on recliners on the pool deck when weather permits.

 

The grilled lobster and steaks in the Terrace Cafe is the one thing that does stand out a bit but even grilled lobster gets old after a while. 

 

What Oceania does do well is very good service in the dining rooms. 

 

We have been on other small ship lines. The big difference is variety. On most other small ship lines there has been more interaction between the musicians and the passengers. More willingness to change and customize for that night, that set of passengers.

Edited April 16 by TRLD

[Ken the cruiser]

19 minutes ago, TRLD said:

They have unique itineraries. As far as their evening shows. There 3 production shows on our 21 day cruise. That bring back memories of Lawrence Welk. There were 2 local shows 1 in Hawaii and one in Bora Bora. Which were probably the better shows.

 

We have had solo guest singers 4 nights. A comedian that was not very good 2 nights. ventriloquist 2 nights. 2 different piano players each doing 2 nights. One with a very good act both playing and audience interaction,  the other a good player but not much interacting with audience. A magician/comedy whose second show we are still waiting for.

 

So yes they have a show each night, but really nothing better than similar acts on HAL, Celebrity or Princess.   And unlike those lines where there are usually two shows with competing entertainment in other venues on Oceania you have one 9:30 show with nothing else competing.

 

We could have copied the daily schedule for the first sea day and most things would be the same for every other sea day with maybe a couple of unique items per day such as the jewelry making, or the exciting addition of the majority rules game show at 3:30 today. Yesterday they had a fair on deck 5 with games such as how to put a pillow in a pillow case, selecting black or red on the roulette table, the colors game with a ping pong ball and different  colored glasses. Thst certainly seemed to get most people out of their chairs for an hour to win tickets in a drawing.

 

In you paragraph you pretty much covered the list of Oceania activities  except for what seems to be the most popular sleeping on recliners on the pool deck when weather permits.

 

The grilled lobster and steaks in the Terrace Cafe is the one thing that does stand out a bit but even grilled lobster gets old after a while. 

 

What Oceania does do well is very good service in the dining rooms. 

 

We have been on other small ship lines. The big difference is variety. On most other small ship lines there has been more interaction between the musicians and the passengers. More willingness to change and customize for that night, that set of passengers.

I have to admit that even though we have been on 10 Oceania cruises spread across 3 ships, the Riviera, Sirena, and Nautica, our last cruise with them was in 2018 and have no plans on ever cruising with them again for a variety of personal reasons. But then we’ve also determined that we are not small ship cruisers but rather enjoy being on ships with a 1500-3000 passenger capacity.
 

As far as luxury cruise lines go, Crystal is the only line we would even think of booking a cruise with and the itinerary would have to be super awesome to offset what they would be asking for one of their veranda cabins.

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I have to admit that even though we have been on 10 Oceania cruises spread across 3 ships, the Riviera, Sirena, and Nautica, our last cruise with them was in 2018 and have no plans on ever cruising with them again for a variety of personal reasons. But then we’ve also determined that we are not small ship cruisers but rather enjoy being on ships with a 1500-3000 passenger capacity.
 

As far as luxury cruise lines go, Crystal is the only line we would even think of booking a cruise with and the itinerary would have to be super awesome to offset what they would be asking for one of their veranda cabins.

We are largely the same as far as the ship sizes. We also do ships in the 30 to 50 passengers in certain areas such as around the Greek Islands or the Dalmatian coasts doing very port intensive activities.

 

We did Oceania this time because of the unique itinerary. Starting in Tahiti on a ship small enough to stop in Bora Bora, while ending in San Pedro.  

 

We have done other premium and luxury lines, but again because of itinerary, 

 

 

Edited April 16 by TRLD