Holiday and Karaoke?

[cameronsmom]

:confused: Last year when we cruised on the Sensation, we spent just about every night at the Karaoke Bar and had a blast. Does anyone know if the Holiday has Karaoke?

[earlethepearl]

While I haven't been back on the Holiday lately, I am sure they do. You can check for Holiday capers and see what they have listed. You can search on http://www.webshots.com for Holiday Capers and should find some there. Have Fun!

[KroozFoolz]

I did a forum search for "karaoke" and looked for thread titles containing "Holiday" - here is one that I found:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=371574&highlight=karaoke

[cameronsmom]

Thank you for your reply. I will check out the links right away.

[LHP]

:confused: Last year when we cruised on the Sensation, we spent just about every night at the Karaoke Bar and had a blast. Does anyone know if the Holiday has Karaoke?

 

 

Yes they do. And thankfully it has expanded from the pitiful 1 1/2 hours a couple of nights a week, to a full blown karaoke host that pulls 3 hours every night on the Carnival ships (some might get one night off??)

 

If you prefer to ues your own cdgs, bring them on. Karaoke hosts I have sailed with have been very careful with them. Their units do have key control, although our last karaoke host had to be shown how to use it. Don't be afraid to speak up.

 

Be sure to praise karaoke on your comment cards so they will continue it!!

[tigereye]

I think it is a waste of lounge space where Carnival does not have to pay for performers. If I have heard 1000 passengers sing at these clubs, I have only heard 2 or 3 that I would ever care to hear again. Pay a band! Let the passengers wait for the talent show.

[Cruise, J.D.]

I guess karaoke isn't for everyone. I somewhat agree with tigereye that most of the performances are terrible. I can take one night of it in good fun, but every night :eek: I would much rather have more professional/semi-professional performers.

 

To answer the question, yes, there will be more than enough karaoke for you on the Holiday. It was offered every night and one night they had a competition. As LHP said, there will also be a karaoke host.

[LHP]

I think it is a waste of lounge space where Carnival does not have to pay for performers. If I have heard 1000 passengers sing at these clubs, I have only heard 2 or 3 that I would ever care to hear again. Pay a band! Let the passengers wait for the talent show.

 

 

The bottom line is (as always) money. They used to have a duo or trio professional band in every bar that they now do Karaoke in and almost every time they were empty. We are talking one or two folks..five folks tops. Which means the bar isn't selling any drinks. However, no matter how bad the singers, karaoke always "packed the house".

 

The decision was a simple economic one. Pay a professional band to sing to an empty lounge or pay one karaoke host (I know what they make...much less than a professional band) and have a packed bar.

 

As a matter of fact, I was one of the folks who "discussed" this issue with "Uncle Bob" after watching the following scenerio cruise after cruise. Karaoke would run from 7:30pm to 9PM and the place would be packed.

Karaoke would end and the band would start and the place would empty out and stay empty. These bands were good. Most of the time a trio, but usually a really talented duo. So again, why pay more money for entertainment that is not going to produce bar revenue???

[Cruise, J.D.]

That makes sense LHP and I saw a little of what you are talking about. On the Conquest there was a very good band that played in the Degas Lounge every night but that place stayed empty almost the entire cruise. To be honest, the best party I saw that entire cruise was in a bar (don't remember name) on a karaoke night. There was a family from Louisiana that absolutely had the place rocking.

[LHP]

That makes sense LHP and I saw a little of what you are talking about. On the Conquest there was a very good band that played in the Degas Lounge every night but that place stayed empty almost the entire cruise.

 

I know and it is really a shame because they used to have some great duos. One couple had been playing with Carnival for 17 years. The last time I saw them was on the Holiday. That was back in 2003...just before the change over. I think they were called The Breeze. I want to say Bobby and Gloria. I have their names around somewhere. Extremely talented.

 

Another thing that always surprised me was the Asian bands that always played in the smaller lounges on the Fantasy class and smaller ships. Every one I ever heard was fabulous. And they would also be playing to a very small number of folks. The attendance was better on the Pride in March. So maybe they are catching on!!

[Jabee]

Karaoke is NOT for the audience...

it is for the entertainers...

 

I agree, every cruise I have gone on we have aobut a half dozen real good entertainers in Karaoke (I will tell you I am one that people come to listen to.)

I was a voice major in college and can entertain you with Frank Sinatra style of music all night long, but I intentionally only sing two or three times a night.

 

You see, the fun thing to me is that after I sing, I encourage others to get up and have fun. Yeah, some are not very talented, but they have FUN. The get up in front of a crowd and sometimes make fools of themselves, but in front of total strangers who cares.

 

Karoke is for FUN. It if fun entertainment for some who come every night to laugh and smile. It is fun for he people who hop on the stage. It is fun to go up to a complete stranger and ask them to sing a duet. It is fun to get up and sing a special song (like 15 grandchildren did) to the Grandparents who had brought them on the cruise. It is fun to surprise a newly wed couple by singing "their song" and dedicating it to them, and then have them get up and dance while you sing.

 

Yeah, if all you want to do is come in and hear quality singing, then you better go to the piano bar...ok...forget that idea.

 

But, if you want to have some fun with others, come on down to the Karaoke Bar!! We will be having a blast!!

[LHP]

You see, the fun thing to me is that after I sing, I encourage others to get up and have fun. Yeah, some are not very talented, but they have FUN. The get up in front of a crowd and sometimes make fools of themselves, but in front of total strangers who cares.

 

We will be having a blast!!

 

You are so right. The most fun I had on the Pride was helping others become a part of the Legends show. All it took was a little prodding, a little extra attention and 3 of my "new best friends" were selected. They were beyond excited. I had already sung in a dozen different old fashioned Carnival Talent shows and all 3 were on their first cruise and had never performed on stage. Just to share their excitement at this experience was undescribable.

 

On the Spirit last year, it was getting a group of girls whose big dream was to be "back up singers" so I was Diana Ross and they were the Supremes!!

 

But the best on the Spirit was a young lady who could carry a pretty good tune and she had a karaoke song that she loved to sing...but she could never get it right. It turned out the only problem was that she was trying to sing it in the wrong key. I had her drop it down 2 and she was great! It was the first time she had ever sung that song and had really been proud of the way she pulled it off. She did not know what key control was and what it could do. From now on, where ever she goes to sing that song, she know nows all she has to do is say "drop it down 2"!