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Can't believe how awful the resident theatre company on Queen Victoria are.


Barnum42
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We've recently returned from our first Cunard cruise- a week aboard Queen Victoria.

 

One thing that we really could not comprehend is just how bad the resident theatre company are. The theatre band were terrific and thankfully had a chance to shine with other performers during the week, but the four vocalists of the theatre company were unbelievably bad.

 

I know it seem to be a tradition where a ship has a group of vocalists than one is a weak link, but all four are weak. One has the astonishing knack of just missing every note - how you can get so near and still miss is a mystery, another liked belting despite their voice being not up to it and the other two were just weak and boring. Even the dancers could not agree on when they should all move.

 

I'm hoping this group are not typical of the quality of performers cast by Cunard. Whoever put those shows together claiming to to be "West End" standard should be ashamed.

 

Looking around at others in the audience, and talking to our table-mates, I could see we were not alone, but I'm curious what others on here may think.

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We've recently returned from our first Cunard cruise- a week aboard Queen Victoria.

 

One thing that we really could not comprehend is just how bad the resident theatre company are. The theatre band were terrific and thankfully had a chance to shine with other performers during the week, but the four vocalists of the theatre company were unbelievably bad.

 

I know it seem to be a tradition where a ship has a group of vocalists than one is a weak link, but all four are weak. One has the astonishing knack of just missing every note - how you can get so near and still miss is a mystery, another liked belting despite their voice being not up to it and the other two were just weak and boring. Even the dancers could not agree on when they should all move.

 

I'm hoping this group are not typical of the quality of performers cast by Cunard. Whoever put those shows together claiming to to be "West End" standard should be ashamed.

 

Looking around at others in the audience, and talking to our table-mates, I could see we were not alone, but I'm curious what others on here may think.

 

Think these could the "singers" who were kicked off the QE because of complaints. They all have the ability to invent keys at a moments notice, causing havoc with the band. In particular one female actually admits in one song "I can't dance, I can't sing". The other should stick one tune, being The Good Ship Lolypop, without accompanant. The two males copied their moves from Twizzle, and should just walk off into the sunset, never to be seen or heard again on any ship.

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We sailed onQueen Victoria for 28 nights in June this year. The Cunard Singers and Dancers had just joined the ship, it was theirfirst contract, some had not even been to sea before!

 

I can honestlysay that they were the best theatre group we have ever experienced on any ship;we have nearly 300 nights cruising under our belt, with six different cruisecompanies.

They were youngand enthusiastic, very professional, well-co-ordinated and could definitely singin tune. We felt they were West Endstandard and their performances had standing ovations we had not seen before onany other cruise.

 

Their contractwas to run until January 2019 – can this possibly be the same group you arereferring to?

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We were on QV end of July for two weeks and went to one show. We didn’t think they were any worse or better than others we’ve seen. To be honest for us personally there’s always too much going on and they all just need to calm down, but they are only doing what they are told I suppose. We do think they were extremely young looking and as such can’t have much experience.

 

They certainly wouldn’t hold their own in the West End, but I always feel that is an exaggerated term from the shows onboard that we’ve seen.

 

Overall we felt like a lot of the entertainment in the Theatre had been dumbed down and had been better entertained on previous voyages. We may have been unlucky and it just wasn’t to our taste.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I was on your cruise I think - ex Southampton 31st August? I have just posted on Hattie's report about this being my first Cunard experience and I had a couple of niggles. The main one being the productions shows. They were all over the place, but as has been said, they are so busy! I watched quick change after quick change and that DID affect performances, no doubt about that! I know too that two dancers were injured and they had to fly someone out to Valencia to join Hollywood Rocks - I saw it on Celebrity as iHollywood, they bought that in from a production company. The worst one was the one about the artists. The dancers eyes were all darting about looking at each other as if to say "what do I do next? etc etc". I can't believe out of all the people who auditioned that they chose these. I agree that they are the worst cast I have ever seen on any ship.

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We sailed onQueen Victoria for 28 nights in June this year. The Cunard Singers and Dancers had just joined the ship, it was theirfirst contract, some had not even been to sea before!

 

 

I can honestlysay that they were the best theatre group we have ever experienced on any ship;we have nearly 300 nights cruising under our belt, with six different cruisecompanies.

 

They were youngand enthusiastic, very professional, well-co-ordinated and could definitely singin tune. We felt they were West Endstandard and their performances had standing ovations we had not seen before onany other cruise.

 

 

Their contractwas to run until January 2019 – can this possibly be the same group you arereferring to?

 

There is no way it could have been the same group. The above lot must have been sent to another ship. The current lot are truly awful.

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I was on your cruise I think - ex Southampton 31st August? I have just posted on Hattie's report about this being my first Cunard experience and I had a couple of niggles. The main one being the productions shows. They were all over the place, but as has been said, they are so busy! I watched quick change after quick change and that DID affect performances, no doubt about that! I know too that two dancers were injured and they had to fly someone out to Valencia to join Hollywood Rocks - I saw it on Celebrity as iHollywood, they bought that in from a production company. The worst one was the one about the artists. The dancers eyes were all darting about looking at each other as if to say "what do I do next? etc etc". I can't believe out of all the people who auditioned that they chose these. I agree that they are the worst cast I have ever seen on any ship.

 

Nearly our cruise, ours ended the day yours began.

 

Quick changes are no excuse to be unable to sing or dance in time. The costumes are designed for that very purpose and you should be well versed in getting changed.

 

I agree that the artist show was particularly poor. The material left a lot to be desired, and it was just made worse by the low grade performers.

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We were on the cruise for two weeks. They repeated two of the shows on the second week. Something I had never seen before. There was no alternative act to go to for people who had seen the shows. It was our first Cunard cruise and we were disappointed that the only other entertainment was music from bands, groups or individuals. I agree about how awful the singers and dancers were.

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We were on the cruise for two weeks. They repeated two of the shows on the second week. Something I had never seen before. There was no alternative act to go to for people who had seen the shows. It was our first Cunard cruise and we were disappointed that the only other entertainment was music from bands, groups or individuals. I agree about how awful the singers and dancers were.

 

I often wonder if any member, on the Cunard staff are paid to read comments that are posted, If so, it would be nice if they could answer some of the questions.🤔

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I often wonder if any member, on the Cunard staff are paid to read comments that are posted, If so, it would be nice if they could answer some of the questions.[emoji848]
Not as far as I am aware, they may read but they don't post in this section.
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I don't think any performer would risk posting, you should read their contract!

 

http://www.carnivaluksupplier.co.uk/Content/pdfs/Entertainment%20Contract%20Terms%20and%20Conditions%20Feb%202017.pdf

 

This contract is not for the the singers and dancers. It is for the temporary performing artists who travel as passengers.

 

The singers and dancers are crew and eat in the crew mess and have crew cabins. They also have muster duties and must respond to all "crew alerts".

 

P & O singers and dancers are "Headliners" and Cunard are now also employing them and they are being phased in. Can't say whether the ones in question are Headliners or not, but their regime is extremely tough and subject to dismissal at any time of training right up until they board the ship for the first time.

 

Our daughter was the principle female Headliner for a year or so with P & O and that gave her officer status so she got a single room. The rest of the cast were two to a room. She was also able to eat in the Ward Room and occasionally hosted a table in one of the MDR's with the passengers.

 

Depending on the seas, sometimes the performances have to be altered at short notice for H & S reasons. Same for any sudden illnesses, when another cast member has to quickly learn and perform an extra part.

 

Who knows why the particular cast in question were under performing, but it's still a not an easy life.

 

Stewart:o

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We sailed onQueen Victoria for 28 nights in June this year. The Cunard Singers and Dancers had just joined the ship, it was theirfirst contract, some had not even been to sea before!

 

 

I can honestlysay that they were the best theatre group we have ever experienced on any ship;we have nearly 300 nights cruising under our belt, with six different cruisecompanies.

 

They were youngand enthusiastic, very professional, well-co-ordinated and could definitely singin tune. We felt they were West Endstandard and their performances had standing ovations we had not seen before onany other cruise.

 

 

Their contractwas to run until January 2019 – can this possibly be the same group you arereferring to?

 

 

Thank you for this reassurance Solent Girl.

 

I'm looking forward to my return to Queen Victoria. ;);)

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Hi,

 

I will be boarding the Queen Victoria on September 22, 2018 for a seven-day cruise. Because I always attend the evening shows on cruises, it will be interesting to compare the current shows on the QV with the many other shows that I have seen on ships.

 

In any event, I am looking forward to my cruise on the QV. I sailed aboard this ship in 2015 and had a wonderful time.

 

Chuck

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