Oceania-Entertainment-any good?

[F11]

Magicians,jugglers and so on-any good real live Shows? I have heard mixed reviews....

[esther e]

If you mean Las Vegas type productions, the answer is no. They don't have the facilities.

[mike35]

I would describe the entertainment as fun, but not extravagant by any stretch of the imagination. On the three cruises we've been on, they had two guys and two gals who were rather new in the business, but they tried hard and were a pleasure (to us, at least) to watch. They also acted as social crew members, and all 4 were great. They also have had a rather good magician, a violinist who played loudly, a concert pianist who'll never make it to Carnegie Hall (although he was wildly applauded), etc. They also had string quartets on both ships - exceptionally professional on one, and just average on the other.

 

Mike

[larablair]

Thank Goodness!! Las Vegas and a cruise of the Baltic's? I don't get it. I would appreciate local entertainers. Hey, Yakov Smirnoff? He is a fabulous Russian Comedian. (he has a theatre in Branson, Missouri( Also local dance troupe would be great! I know some of you are putting your noses in the air like I did when I was first assigned to do a tour of Branson. You know, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the different kinds of entertainment available there.Anyway off the subject. I would appreciate local entertainers onboard, like there were on the Paul Gaughin in Tahiti!!

[F11]

does not sound that exciting-to be honest.NCL has great shows! How about Ali G for excitement,I would laugh so hard the ship would rock!!!

[mike35]

I think everyone would agree that Crystal has the best entertainment afloat; but - we and so many others prefer sailing on Oceania for all of the other benefits and features that have been discussed at length on this board. I'm certain that if the demand were there for extravaganzas or name acts, FDR et al would be glad to book them, and of course the fare would be increased accordingly. "If it ain't broke, please don't fix it". JHMO

 

Mike

[frankpc]

We'd definitely agree with Mike. The port intensive itineraries and late dinners that result make a relatively low key entertainment schedule a good thing. We need to get *some* sleep ...

 

Frank

[LHT28]

I don't think DH and I ever went to the theatre ....after a leisurely dinner we went for a walk and then enjoyed the string quartet near the Grand staircase.

 

On the last 3 cruises (different lines) we maybe saw 3 shows total.

On the port intensive cruises as "frankpc" stated we need to sleep ..especially on Oceania's comfy beds!:D

 

 

 

I say if you want glitzy shows don't sail O....next they will want rock climbing walls!;)

[brian_uk]

Finishing Dinner at around 10 pm the only thing we are looking for is a quiet location for a nightcap and then off to bed early, ready for the next day.

 

If Las Vegas is what you want......go with a larger Line.

 

Brian

[meow!]

The entertainment is night club cabaret style, in a single storeyed lounge, and not "production shows". The entertainers try hard, but the "hardware" is limited. However, most people go on Oceania cruises for the itinerary, the food and the service, which are very attractive, though becoming more expensive in the last couple of years (which is not unique to Oceania)!

[spindrift]

I think the relaxing environment and the type of entertainment they have is just perfect. It is the staff and crew who socialize with you that makes it a truly comfortable vacation. We usually enjoy a nightcap after dinner and rest for the next day--just as those on this thread who have already commented.

[shedevil]

We choose Oceania for it's smaller ships, more intimate sailing experience and interesting itineraries. We also liked what it did not have - lots of kids, Vegas style entertainment, and long lines.

 

I am looking forward to spending evenings listening to soft piano music in the Martini Lounge sharing tales with other passengers about the wonderful places we will be visiting in the Baltic.

 

We are all lucky that there are different cruise lines that are able to meet the desires and expectations of such a broad customer base....if great shows and "broadway" type productions are important to an enjoyable cruise, Oceania is probably not a good choice. :)

[love vacations]

Do they have a piano bar? That is one of the things we have enjoyed on previous cruises.

[digby]

does not sound that exciting-to be honest.NCL has great shows! How about Ali G for excitement,I would laugh so hard the ship would rock!!!

 

 

To me, lavish entertainment is not very high on my list when picking a cruise line. If I want to see great shows I go to NYC or Las Vegas. The entertainment on the two "O" cruises I've taken was more than adequate to keep us happy.

[marienbad]

Is there dancing (ballroom style) before and after dinner? If so, is the dance floor decent size, and is there a dance orchestra?

[mike35]

Do they have a piano bar? That is one of the things we have enjoyed on previous cruises.

 

Yes - the Martini Lounge, just outside the casino, has a terrific piano bar. We loved Mario on the Insignia, and the pianist on Nautica was also quite good, although more subdued. And...great martinis if you're so inclined.

 

Mike

[Jane110]

Is there dancing (ballroom style) before and after dinner? If so, is the dance floor decent size, and is there a dance orchestra?

 

 

There definitely is ballroom dancing, as well as disco dancing.

 

Dance floors are a good size.

[Fleuve51]

We returned from the regatta on May 8th.

It is the first time that we did not dance on a cruise.

It was our 35th cruise--first on Oceania.

Where are the ballroom & disco dance floors?

There was a small area in the show lounge--I never saw anyone dancing, anywhere!.

It was however, our best cruise to date. we have 2 more booked in the next 6 months.

[shoshona2]

Hi Fleuve,

 

My husband and I love to dance -- we've been on over 25 cruises now! We have been on Oceania three times and danced in two places quite a bit. Before dinner, you can go up to Horizons for ballroom dancing (it becomes a Disco late at night). Before the show, you go to the show lounge on deck 5 forward. There was plenty of room for dancing there even during the Captain's Welcome Party and the returning guests' party. I know because I kept asking them to turn up the air conditioning.

 

Sheila

[Fleuve51]

That is true --I did see the area in the Horizons lounge, however never saw anyone dancing.

I think because it was a port intesive European destination,

everyone was way too tired to dance, especially after dinner.

It is very different than a Caribbean cruise.

[mike35]

Hi Fleuve,

 

My husband and I love to dance

Sheila

 

And DW and I can attest to Irwin and Sheila (shoshona2)'s dancing prowess -- they're terrific! We enjoyed watching them dance almost as much as watching the ship's entertainers!

 

Mike

[shoshona2]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks. You have made my whole week now!!! We're off to the Caribbean next Friday with our granddaughter. More dancing on the Navigator of the Seas!! Have a great time with your granddaughter in Alaska.

 

Sheila

[cruisin'cats]

We attended on show, Bookmarks, with a relatively limited cast of four not too great performers (one gal was downright awful and we told Lesley John about this and he said it was stage fright and that she'd get better, first time show and all that stuff). We are like Mike, we ate later and sat for relaxation and pleasant conversation with people afterwards; in the library one can sit on nice couches and pretend that one is at home with friends, very nice! As for other entertainments--we decided to enjoy the relaxing dinner pace and not rush for them or waste well paid for time with amateurs who hadn't gotten the routine down pat. Unfortunately, we ended up missing the impressionist, Ken Block, who we were told was good (and we got to know him later and he says we'd have enjoyed his show and I have no reason to doubt him as people were coming up to him while we were talking to compliment him on his act). We did have a wonderful entertainment on our cruise that is probably limited to just that one time thrill...Mark Friedman, the music director for Oceania Cruise Lines, was on our ship for that tour to break in the new orchestra and cast. It was our good fortune that he joined the pianist in the Martini lounge to lead a game of Name That Tune. The first night Mark did this, the turn out was very small but word spread about how much fun we all had with Mark's good humor and Tonee's playing and comments and each night after that the crowds got larger and larger. We were clammoring for a space to ourselves by the second to last night that the game was played but instead we filled up all the seats in the entire lounge area and had SRO for those who were playing as well as those who were watching us compete. It was a blast!!! Mark wasn't supposed to be the one leading this game but it was our luck and good fortune that he was! If he ever tires of doing the corporate gig, he can always get a real job on the ships!!! (If you're reading this Markie, remember D minor won the match!)

 

Overall, entertainment wasn't high on our priority but we did find that the ship was relatively dead at night (once the NTT game ended, esp.) but people were tired from the ports, tours and heat and there were a lot of older people on board as well. NOT to say that some of them weren't night owls like us, but more of them were in bed early. As you can tell from the time of this posting, I'm a night owl and my hubby and I were one of those crazy people out on deck playing Shuffleboard at 1 AM when the bars closed down (including Horizons, even while we were sitting there with drinks in hand).

 

I'd say that you have to bring your own entertainment with you if you want to be entertained well at night <wink>...and darn it! I forgot the Travel Scrabble game and just had to 'make do'!