Are P&O passengers "too snotty" when it comes to entertainment?

Hi

I messaged a friend of mine who shall remain nameless he/she was a well known TV personality in the 70's and still works now. If you are over 40 you will of heard of him/her and if you see summer shows or panto's then you might have caught this person.

As they have worked P&O in the med before I messaged them to see if they were working P&O this year as we are taking a med cruise.

The reply I got back was "No, I didnt like them, too snotty a crowd, may try a Thomson ship"

So there you go, are we too snotty, dont we like acts that are maybe past their prime?

Are we a bit like a notorious Working Mens Club audience, sat there not wanting to crack a smile, where the act can try its best but fail to win over the audience?

Do we want more than our pound of flesh before we give some applause in return?

Rich

Sounds a bit like sour grapes as they haven't been asked back.

I've not yet sailed on P&O so I can't comment on the relative snottiness of the passengers !

Sounds a bit like sour grapes as they haven't been asked back.

 

I've not yet sailed on P&O so I can't comment on the relative snottiness of the passengers !

No I don't think it's that. They would have bluntly said "not asked back" they wouldn't need to make excuses.

It is so hard for all cruise lines to get known names as acts that I would be surprised if any name offering their services was turned down. Names always have more panache in the cruise planner than an unknown comic or tribute act even if they are past their prime!

I don't think you can call P&O passengers "snotty" but like any audience at any show if the act are not very good then they will vote with their feet.

The majority of the shows we have been to on P&O cruises have been very good, but the odd one has been diabolical:)

Molly

The complaint traditionalists have about P&O is that new-comers aren't snotty enough :D! We've only been cruising with P&O for 6 years but in our experience most acts are treated very well with lots of laughs and applause. I must say though that my heart sinks when I read in Horizon that the act for that evening made his name on New Faces in 19dot!!

Agree with hattiethecattie that it's probably sour grapes on your friend's part. Has he really been asked and refused?

Snotty P&O passengers? There are invariably a number who walk around looking as though they have eaten a wasp sandwich.

Cb

I would agree with that. I would give any act a chance and have thoroughly enjoyed acts that I thought I wouldn't like. I have a friend who was a professional singer in the sixties - appeared on TV with Tommy Steele, has a voice to die for and still does at 78. She could knock 'em dead now, but nobody would ask her. :-(

On our recent Celebrity cruise we found the guest artists to be of a far higher standard to the majority of P&O acts. However the Theater company was poor in comparison to those on P&O ships.Talking on-board with a British act, it would appear that they are better 'looked after' by Celebrity.

Cb

Rather than say the passengers are "snotty" do you think there is chance the word might be "snooty" although I must say in fairness to people I've met on my two previous cruises neither was the case.

If we were presented with a 1970s TV has been as entertainment we wouldn't be snotty, we'd be disappointed to think P&O must have got to the end of their contacts for entertainers.

We had a washed up 1980s 'entertainer' on Celebrity who was obviously desperate for the work if he thought his racist act worked in front of an international audience.

Rather than say the passengers are "snotty" do you think there is chance the word might be "snooty" although I must say in fairness to people I've met on my two previous cruises neither was the case.

Its quite possible it was a typo or maybe they did mean snotty! I think it might hark back to us Brits known to be a tough audience and hard to win over and the higher up the food chain you go the harder it becomes, that's why for example there is so much canned laughter added to the Royal Variety Performance before it goes out on TV as much of the audience are not typical cabaret punters.

I guess the comment of trying Thomson next may mean a less well to do audience maybe more appreciative.

snotty p&o passengers? There are invariably a number who walk around looking as though they have eaten a wasp sandwich.

 

Cb

lol!!

On our recent Celebrity cruise we found the guest artists to be of a far higher standard to the majority of P&O acts. However the Theater company was poor in comparison to those on P&O ships.Talking on-board with a British act, it would appear that they are better 'looked after' by Celebrity.

 

Cb

Isn't that strange because we were speaking to some singers on a Celebrity Cruise and they said that they wouldn't work for Celebrity again because of poor pay and conditions :D.

BTW, loved the "wasp sandwich" comment

We are loyal P & O pax but don't cruise for the entertainment. We go and see some of the Headliner shows and occasionally a Cabaret artist. We have sat through some dire entertainment as we would not be so rude as to walk out which we have seen a lot of pax do.

There are so many excellent young people trying to make a name for themselves that I cannot understand why PO don't use more of these acts rather than opt for acts well past their sell by date.

On our last cruise one of the headliner troupe singers was a far better singer than any of the second rate Cabaret acts we sat through.

I don't think we are snotty or snooty but just know what we like. We are quite happy sitting in a bar listening or dancing to the music if the main entertainment doesn't appeal.

I feel that often there is not enough description in the ship's newspaper to be able to judge if an entertainer is going to be to my taste.

A bit more effort by the CD could see less passengers leaving the show midway.

Yes, there are snooty passengers. I was once enjoying listening to a female caberet singer and the man next to turned round and said 'she only got the job because her father has a high position with Carnival'. I thought to myself, she sounds OK to me and if he does not like the act why doesn't he leave. What people must remember is you are NOT getting top acts, they would cost too much.

I think the headliners are not as talented as the Peel provided show teams on Thomson (same as Fred) who can have excellent singers and work a lot harder with 12 shows a week plus matinee plays on sea days.

another snooty incident. I sat at the bar on the first evening and there was a couple next to me. I was talking to the barman when they arrived and he greeted them in a friendly manner. I made a comment and the lady looked at me as if i had just crawled out from under a stone, stuck her nose in the air and turned away. i don't know what she thought of me sitting next to her for the next 13 nights ;)

Isn't that strange because we were speaking to some singers on a Celebrity Cruise and they said that they wouldn't work for Celebrity again because of poor pay and conditions :D.

 

BTW, loved the "wasp sandwich" comment

Celebrity have handed their shows (and the casting and production of) over to a UK company called Qdos who are best known for producing most of the UK's bigger pantomimes.

They are based in Scarborough, North Yorkshire and even rehearse the Celebrity dancers there as its much cheaper than London!

I would imagine that when Qdos got the job with Celebrity the cost per show won them the deal so they have screwed down all costs incl artiste pay. The thing with showbiz is that for everyone who leaves there will be 100 more begging for an audition.

Hi

 

I messaged a friend of mine who shall remain nameless he/she was a well known TV personality in the 70's and still works now. If you are over 40 you will of heard of him/her and if you see summer shows or panto's then you might have caught this person.

 

As they have worked P&O in the med before I messaged them to see if they were working P&O this year as we are taking a med cruise.

 

The reply I got back was "No, I didnt like them, too snotty a crowd, may try a Thomson ship"

 

So there you go, are we too snotty, dont we like acts that are maybe past their prime?

 

Are we a bit like a notorious Working Mens Club audience, sat there not wanting to crack a smile, where the act can try its best but fail to win over the audience?

 

Do we want more than our pound of flesh before we give some applause in return?

 

Rich

Must say we have enjoyed most of the entertainment we have seen on P&O ships, exceptions being a crude comedian on Ventura and sorry to say, Ronnie Corbett who was hopeless, kept forgetting his next joke and had to keep going back to find his notes on the top of the piano. Still he is probably getting free Wiltshire Farm ready meals now!

The only name as such that I've seen on a P&O cruise was Phil Daniels (Paul Daniels son) & he was very good, having said that I saw him again two years later on Royal Caribbean & it was virtually the same set so was a tad disappointed.)

Was the crude comedian a Cuban by any chance ? we had one on Ventura for New Year 2010/11 and he was pretty rubbish.

Saw Tom O'Connor on RCI and he was brilliant.

The only name as such that I've seen on a P&O cruise was Phil Daniels (Paul Daniels son) & he was very good, having said that I saw him again two years later on Royal Caribbean & it was virtually the same set so was a tad disappointed.)

 

Was the crude comedian a Cuban by any chance ? we had one on Ventura for New Year 2010/11 and he was pretty rubbish.

 

Saw Tom O'Connor on RCI and he was brilliant.

Yes, I agree Phil is good and worth watching but yes you are right many acts hardly change their act at all over the years.

The only name as such that I've seen on a P&O cruise was Phil Daniels (Paul Daniels son) & he was very good, having said that I saw him again two years later on Royal Caribbean & it was virtually the same set so was a tad disappointed.)

 

Was the crude comedian a Cuban by any chance ? we had one on Ventura for New Year 2010/11 and he was pretty rubbish.

 

Saw Tom O'Connor on RCI and he was brilliant.

No, the comedian was scottish, never heard of him before or since! We also had Jimmy Carr who we enjoyed, but lots did not.

the only "name" that we have seen on P&O was Mick Miller (one of The Comedians), we thought that his material was quite dated but it was still funny but there were one or two people who left the show early and we overheard some people in the bar saying that he was not the sort of entertainment that P&O should have on their ships, perhaps these are the same snooty/snotty passengers that the original poster is referring to.

Thinking about it the son of Paul we saw was Martin, not Phil, he must have more than one in the business.

Just come back from a mini cruise on the Oriana where we had a fantastic Beatles tribute band on board. Nice lads too which we shared a couple of drinks with on both nights.

Just come back from a mini cruise on the Oriana where we had a fantastic Beatles tribute band on board. Nice lads too which we shared a couple of drinks with on both nights.

Beatles Celebration?