Masquerade Balls

[bepsf]

Why aren't there Masquerade Balls on cruises anymore?

[seastar2]

guess they are hiding with the passanger talent shows..nothing personal but I don't miss thoses... :eek:

[Tarheelbelle]

also, remember Pink nights and White nights?

[Bunti]

On the October 14 Travel Channel special about a Royal Caribean Mediterranean cruise, there was a masquerade night. (Splendour of the Seas, I think)

 

Bunti

[Host Walt]

Frankly I never understood the point of them on today's "resort cruises."

 

On most ships today, unless you are travelling with family or friends, who will you know in the first place? In other words, masquerade balls were really for the fun of dressing up in strange and creative attire rather than to disguise one's identity, and were really a residual element of societal events held on the transatlantic crossings on the big ships in the first half of the 20th Century.

 

Remember there were no port calls or other distractions available during those 5 day sailings so things like formal attire and masquerade balls were used to create some excitement for the passengers.

 

Formal nights are the only significant social characteristic that has carried into the 21st century from that era.

[Tarheelbelle]

The last I was on a ship that had a masquerade was in 1996.

Do you know if any of the current transatlantic sailings have any of these special events?

[Fairsailing]

Last month on our Brilliance 12 night Med sailing there was a masquerade ball when we left Venice. A lot of people had bought masks in town, which I guess is famous for making them....

[seagoingJLW]

Why aren't there Masquerade Balls on cruises anymore?

 

And why are the old horse races now defunct? We used to love the auctions and decorating the horse with its colors prior to the actual races.

 

Incidentally, passenger talent shows still exist. They have been relegated to afternoon entertainment.

 

What happened to the wonderful classical concerts on board?

 

And what happen to the stewards who would wrap you up in a blanket on your deck chair and bring you morning bouillon?

 

What happened to skeet shooting? We really used to enjoy that.

 

Joan

[Drink-in-Hand/Toes-in-Sand]

On Voyager of the Seas they still have the racehorses (complete with costumes/colors).

 

Brilliance of the Seas does have a masquerade when it leaves Venice.

 

And classical concerts are only evident if you're lucky enough to have a good concert pianist on board that will entertain you during tea time or before dinner in the atrium. On Century we listened for the beautiful tinkling music and followed the sounds to a wonderful baby grand player piano!

 

I believe we need some of the vintage cruise offerings to return--I'd love that boullion morning treat!

[Ta421sBtrHalf]

And why are the old horse races now defunct? We used to love the auctions and decorating the horse with its colors prior to the actual races.

 

And what happen to the stewards who would wrap you up in a blanket on your deck chair and bring you morning bouillon?

 

What happened to skeet shooting? We really used to enjoy that.

 

Joan

 

Costa and Carnival (the Inspiration in 2003) both still have the horse races

 

The deck chair thing seems a bit creepy and intriguing at the same time. Hmmmm maybe I should ask my butler on my next cruise about that.

 

I heard somewhere that the skeets were bad for the ocean.

[Lisa63]

What happened to the wonderful classical concerts on board?

 

And what happen to the stewards who would wrap you up in a blanket on your deck chair and bring you morning bouillon?

We had both of these in 2003 -- but it was on QE2. Among my favorite memories is falling asleep in a deck chair on the top deck one morning, and waking up to find myself covered with a wool blanket. :)

 

What happened to skeet shooting? We really used to enjoy that.

We did, too. The last time I saw it was in 2000 on a cruise to nowhere on Premier. The line folded a couple of months later. :( While I never participated, I enjoyed watching it.

[lexxity]

Erm, perhaps you should all be cruising cunard, we've had masquerade balls, pirates balls, black and white balls, horse racing, ok you get the message....

 

Cheers

lexx

[ctguy001]

Lexxity is right. You can find all those things on QM2. They haven't given up on the old traditions, just refined them a bit.

[DFD1]

Brian: Could it be that you are doing some research for the costume party on the HAL fall CC cruise? Hope so. That should be quite a cruise....and quite a party. DFD

[YoungQE2Cruiser]

I was going to add, we had a masquerade ball on New Year's Eve just gone on the QE2 Caribbean Xmas cruise! The masks were sold every day for a few days prior to Dec 31st and the ball took place that night!