Strauss1020

This article/show schedule is almost 1.5 years old but I think it may give you an idea. https://cruiselifestyle.co.uk/complete-princess-cruises-theatre-shows-guide/

Thanks!

I saw this. Yes, the soprano was good but..... sorry, I still want a story. The soprano sang the Habanera from Carmen Act 1. Now Carmen has a GREAT story!! 😁

A very interesting article that answered my question (at least for now). The multi- generational stuff was great. It did mention that they were/are still reassessing the experience so for now, it looks like it's designed for guests 13 and older. Hopefully, it'll stay that way at least in offering a non-alcohol experience! Thanks!! Please keep us (me) posted!

Thanks!! Please keep us (me) posted!

That's what I read as well. I saw that the "Magic Castle" was a club with some pricey membership dues. Just hoping that there's a nonalcoholic version of this. I know that there are 0 proof versions of chef tables on other Princess Cruise venues.

Thanks. I'm really not looking for a lower price. I'm just hoping that a non-alcohol option will be available as it is on the Discovery Princess. It would be a shame to have a magic cocktail made and after all of the showmanship of the bartender/magician, have to simply push the drink away with a "no thank you".

Thanks. I saw this video this morning and was extremely excited to visit this attraction. However, Mr. Terris told about his experience with great enthusiasm but did not mention about a non-alcohol option. I may not have posted had I not seen the video, I might have been able to quell my curiosity a bit longer. 😀

I have a question about the new "Spellbound" dining/attraction dinner show. When I first read about this attraction I was very, VERY interested. I had never heard about The Magic Castle. When I googled the Hollywood, California location I found out that you purchase the drinks and dinner a la carte. This implies that you can, of course spend more or less depending on your drinks and entrees. My question is this. There are non-alcohol "mocktails" available at the California location which are naturally less expensive then the drinks with alcohol. I'm wondering if there would be a non-alcohol version of this on Sun Princess. I'm not trying to save money (although that's always nice) but I don't drink and would REALLY like to see this dinner/show!! I LOVE magic and this attraction really has me excited! Would the magicians still be able to create all of the smokey illusions with non-alcoholic drinks? Just wondering.

Actually, I couldn't agree more!! I absolutely love opera and go every chance I can. I've had lots of opportunities here where I live. I could attend all of the ballets that are performed here but I choose not to and give away my tickets to good friends. My biggest problem is that I'm totally aural and NOT visual. That's why I have a blind spot (forgive the pun) towards monotony in music. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one genre of music or another. Phillip Glass and other minimalists are thought of as "classical composers". I'd sooner endure a painful kidney stone then listen to their compositions. I see every day how hard dancers work. I truly admire them. I wish my old, fat body could do 10% of what they're able to achieve. Yet most ballet eludes me. After 40+ years I appreciate ballet but I'll never love it. Opera on the other hand is mostly aural. Through the music, you can discern the characters innermost feelings. I don't speak fluent Italian, German or French but I find the communicative power of the music overwhelming. The singer doesn't need to be good looking or a great actor (before Maria Callas, most opera singers were really bad actors!). I play ballet classes. That's what I do at my employment. I will tell you that most of the music I play comes from opera. I rarely, RARELY play something from a ballet score. They haven't fired me and I've been at my current job for over 25 years.

I already stated that the lack of good evening entertainment wouldn't keep me from cruising. There are many aspects of both Celebrity and Princess that seem very, very enticing. I simply started out by stating 1) I haven't cruised as of yet; 2) I looked at what the shows were like on both Celebrity and Princess and 3) the production shows on both cruiselines seem to be terrible. I don't have unrealistic expectations. As stated before, the production shows don't need to be at a Broadway/West End level or to the standards of La Scala or the Met. I simply stated that I thought the shows would be much more entertaining if they had dialogue, a plot and story rather than just a variety show. I also brought up the fact that other cruiselines have, in fact, utilized this type of entertainment. Several people have rebuked me for having this opinion. Some have told me that I shouldn't cruise at all. I'm not sitting in an ivory tower castigating any show that can't live up to the high standards of an opera by Verdi, Puccini or Wagner. I'm simply saying that I feel that the production shows of Princess or Celebrity are lame. Many others concurr with this sentiment. Both Celebrity and Princess have made huge changes to their ships. Princess, whose ships in their Grand and Royal classes can be difficult to tell apart, made enormous changes to their most recent Sun Princess. If you observe the difference between the Millennium and Soltice class ships of Celebrity and the more recent Edge class ships, the fleet seems to be almost unrelated. Both cruiselines seem to be making huge transformations. I only hope that the oft disparaged production shows will change from the shows I watched on YouTube. When looking at the alterations that both cruiselines have implemented, no one in their design department seems to be accepting of your "it is what it is" attitude.

I apologize for what I said about the singers/dancers. I don't apologize for what I said about the music itself. What I heard when I listened to the some shows is EXACTLY an honest assessment. It's not an opinion, it's a provable fact!! I'm a musician with two degrees, who's been involved in music for over 55 years. I've also been blessed with perfect pitch. When I listen to a song, I can tell you what key it's in and quickly analyze the chords utilized. I'm afraid that I tend to be very dismissive of a good deal of both pop music and pop culture; most, not all. There's some interesting pop music (The Beatles and Queen are two groups that immediately come to mind) but most pop especially today sticks to 2 or 3 chords with no modulation and no fluctuation in tempo. I have NEVER heard a rap or hip-hop song that breaks this mold. One of my severe criticism' of current Disney is that Lin Manuel Miranda seems to be their favorite flavor for composing music to their current animated features i.e. Moana, and Encanto. Again, Mr. Miranda simply utilizes two and three chords that stay out of the way of his lyrics; lyrics that are written with much more care then the music. One of my strongest beliefs after spending 55+ years playing, coaching, learning and teaching music is this: There are no rules in music, only sins; and the cardinal sin is MONOTONY!! That's why I want something different from Princess and Celebrity. I'm sorry if what I've said offends you.

You're correct in your assessment that I'm new to this community. I did see that Royal Caribbean currently has a production of "Wizard of Oz" and has also produced "Grease" on some of its sailings. I've seen where "Jersey Boys" and "Hairspray" have been produced on NCL or RC (I can't remember who did what). When I lived in Kansas City, there was a wonderful dinner theater venue that produced wonderful plays with old t.v. actors (I saw Sally Struthers, Don Knotts, Jaime Farr, Bonnie Franklin, Marion Ross, and Michael Learned in several different plays). All were very entertaining. All acted in plays that told a story. The dinner theater was VERY successful. It wasn't easy to get tickets. They made their venue extremely profitable. My point is that both NCL and RC have a lower price point then Princess or Celebrity. I would just prefer a quieter, calmer vacation then the big megaships that those lines offer. I don't think it's a prohibitive price that stops Celebrity and Princess. NCL and RC have seemed to go in a different direction. Princess and Celebrity have made a very conscious decision to produce, for the most part, shows without dialougue or plot. Maybe "Secret Silk" will be to my liking. However, I've read lots of complaints about the production shows on these lines. This isn't going to stop me from cruising with Princess or Celebrity. Who knows, when I cruise with them I may end up trying out a production show. If I don't like it, I won't go to the shows. I'll sit in the hot tub when it's far less crowded.😀

I am planning on going on a Disney Cruise. I'd just enjoy sailing on other lines as well. I understand that there's no perfect cruiseline. As you must be aware, Disney is 2 to 3 times as expensive as Princess and Celebrity. Furthermore, I'm at a point in my life where I don't want to be surrounded by kids 24/7. Don't get me wrong, I love kids. I have 3 daughters of my own. I'm constantly around them in ballet classes at my full time employment. I just want a little break when I'm on vacation. (I know about the "Quiet Cove" section on DCL ships). Furthermore, DCL usually sails at full capacity so, while it's attractive to me, it isn't perfect; no cruiseline will be perfect for anyone. I'd like to try out Princess and Celebrity. I've read passenger complaints about shower curtains in the Princess cabins. Well, the new Sun Princess got rid of the shower curtains. Celebrity was charging for their once complimentary cookies. After a lot of complaints, they stopped doing that. Apparently, both companies listen and try to improve and innovate their product. I've read a lot of complaints about Celebrity's new "infinite balconies". I've read criticisms that dealt with the Wi-Fi and medallions on Princess ships. Are my complaints about shows offensive? A lot of folks don't think so. A lot of people seem to think that the shows should change. Others seem to feel I'm attacking their own personal belief system. I can tell you that I have huge disagreements with others when it comes to favorite interpretations of the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Shostakovich and especially Mahler. However, I'm willing to simply shrug my shoulders and live let live. Why is it that when I simply express that wordless, plotless variety shows are silly, people take it very personally (I'm not referring to you Thrak), however some have seen what I've said as a personal affront. Are they truly that insecure?

I agree without ever seeing the shows in person. In ballet companies, the dancers are only paid for the weeks that they are either on stage performing or rehearsing for a performance. The dancers don't have a salaried position. Therefore, I supposed that the cast members probably take these parts when they're not working in another dance company. From what I've seen, they live in cramped spaces, rehearse hard and then do two shows a night, working six day weeks. Only a youngster would have the energy to keep up with the grind. I'm sorry if my remarks seemed at all pointed towards the performers or the stage directors or the lighting designers or stage hands. You're absolutely right in assuming that they bear no responsibility in the choosing of the material. My criticism in towards the higher-ups in Princesses and Celebrity's entertainment division. They've made awful decisions in putting on plotless shows with no storys or dialogues! If the dining rooms served up a "liver night" featuring beef livers, lamb livers, pork livers and chicken livers for the evening entree, there would undoubtedly be an uproar. The chefs and cooks may do their best in the food preparation, the servers may be wonderful and attentive. However, most people would be very angry that the bone-headed decision to have a "liver night" was implemented. I feel the same way about the shows that I've observed. A lot of others feel the same way. Other folks might be fine with the shows. Some people really like liver. But a lot of folks feel the same way I do i.e. the shows on Princess and Celebrity are lame. Both Princess and Celebrity are premium cruiselines. The fares are higher then NCL or RC. Folks who cruise the premium cruiselines expect and should receive more. Generally they get more for the extra money; better food, better service, a quieter, less crowded environment, better shore excursions. And yet most people agree that the entertainment on NCL and RC is better than Princess or Celebrity. This doesn't need to be the case. From what I can see, the theaters are very nice on both Celebrity and Princess. Both cruiselines may hire fine performers and stagehands. The problem is at the top!! Someone needs to hire creative minds to write and compose a show!! A lot of us don't like liver!!!

My mistake. I was just quoting when Cruise Raider stated; "I haven’t liked a couple of their shows, Fiera or Magic Can Do, but that’s because I don’t care for magic". I haven't seen the show. I'm saddened to learn that it isn't a magic show. I might like that a lot. In fact, when I do eventually cruise on Princess, I hope there's one or more magic shows!!

If you need to pay the royalties for a current Broadway hit, you're absolutely correct. Those costs can be enormous. However, there are many shows from the "golden age" of Broadway that wouldn't have those prohibitive costs. Just as RCL is currently staging "The Wizard of Oz", and staged "Grease" in the past there are many, many shows of Rogers and Hart, Lerner and Lowe, Rogers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman, Kander and Ebbs which could be adapted into a 45 to 60 minute show.

So are you simply saying that unless I see the show in person, I can't have a valid opinion?? I only watched on YouTube and could immediately see a difference between Disney and other cruiselines that featured trimmed down versions of shows which have appeared elsewhere - (Wizard of Oz on RCL, Summer: on NCL). I also watched what's available on Princess and Celebrity. If someone takes your rebuke seriously, there's no valid reason to like or dislike any musical performance unless you see it live. Taken to that logical conclusion, 70% to 80% of my recordings shouldn't warrent an opinion from me. After all, the many, many classical artists whose recordings I've often enjoyed are musicians I never heard live. Most of them are dead. I shouldn't give a contrary opinion unless I've actually seen the show in person! No one has given me a serious argument against my opinion. My opinion is this: most of the shows on Princess and Celebrity don't tell a story. The only exception was "5 Skies" on Princess Cruises. I'm sorry. I simply find plotless variety shows to be silly and NOT entertaining!! A few have said that they didn't like the production of "Magic To Do" on Princess because they don't care for magic acts. I, on the other hand, LOVE magic shows!! I find them to be incredibly entertaining. Considering that the new Sun Princess dedicated a whole new facility "Spellbound" to magic, I'm not alone in my thinking. Still, I'm not offended by a contrary opinion. If you like loud variety shows, good for you. I simply want to be entertained in the evening when I've paid big bucks for a cruise.

I have to reply to the "disrespect" comment. I don't truly mean to be disrespectful. I've worked in the fine arts area for 39 years now. I used to be a performer and though it's difficult to believe nowadays, I once used to be young. I've known several dancers who have worked on cruise ships and many other venues working on Broadway with productions of Phantom of the Opera, Newsies, Will Roger's Follies, Jersey Boys..... I simply want a story!! Both Princess and Celebrity seem to be willing to spend a great deal on sets, designs, costumes, lighting effects and the theaters themselves. I don't mind at all if Disney is "rehashing" the stories that they made popular in their animated cartoons. Also, Disney put out some original productions for their cruises i.e. Disney Dreams - An Enchanted Classic, Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story, The Golden Mickeys, Disney's Believe and Disney Seas Adventure. Of course it takes some money to hire a writer and a composer/lyricist. However, I can think of a dozen or more associates who would jump at the chance to write an original story that could be adapted to a musical. Any young singer worth his or her salt is going to have to learn new material and learn it quickly. If they don't have those abilities, they won't get the job. I don't think it's asking an unreasonable request. As it is, the production shows on Princess and Celebrity seem to be about as entertaining as old Lawrence Welk shows except the music on Lawrence Welk was better.

I haven't cruised yet but I watched a bit of the Princess shows on YouTube. I must say I was HORRIBLY disappointed in what I saw from both Princess and Celebrity. Someone commented that there really isn't enough time to "tell a story". I couldn't disagree more simply because DCL has production shows that TELL A STORY!!! I'm absolutely uninterested in a bunch of song and dance numbers loosely pigeonholed into a so-called show! I happen to work as a professional pianist for a very major ballet company. This doesn't mean I necessarily want or need to hear great symphonies or operas or ballets on a cruise. It DOES mean I want to be ENTERTAINED! I'm not entertained with some so-called singer or dancer screaming into a microphone while a dozen young idiots dance behind going from one monotonous, two chord pounding song to the next unrelated monotonous, two chord pounding tune!! Who the hell makes these ridiculous decisions?? Give us a show!! Give us a story!!