Bagpipes & Carnival

[4spring]

Just returned from a 7 day Carnival cruise to Saint John, Halifax & Sydney last week. In scouring through these threads I read about how there is usually someone playing bagpipes when the ship arrives & when it departs (as sort of a welcome & send off). I love bagpipes so I payed close attn to when we arrived & left. Unfortunately Carnival didn't care about this lovely tradition as they made it virtually impossible get a good view of this &/or hear them.

Here was the problem: when we arrive, we debark on the 3rd floor - this also happens to be where the outside railing is so that you can see & hear the bagpipes. If you run up to the Lido deck, your view is obstructed & all you can hear is the blaring music from the Lido screen. Now Carnival could allow passengers to go out on part of the deck to see/hear the bagpipes but instead they close off both doors (even though we aren't ready to disenbark yet). Upon leaving, they take their time moving their equipment from these areas & again block both entrances (when they could allow folks the opportunity to go out one of the entrances). Both cities, we were lined up (15 to 20 of us), with cameras waiting to be given the go ahead to go outside. Both times, we missed the welcome & one time we completely missed the send off & the other, we caught the last bit of "Amazing Grace".

My guess is that in time, the bagpipe player will quit coming since he probably feels like no one cares if he is there. We do care & would love to listen to this beautiful music. I did complain to Carnival guest services with no response. My purpose for posting this is that maybe if others also let it be known that they would like to have access to hear the bagpipe welcome/send off then maybe if Carnival got enough feedback, it would do something to allow passengers this possibility (or maybe ask if the bagpipe player could come a little later when passengers are actually allowed off the ship).

I'm also curious if this is a problem on other ships or just Carnival.

[Acey-SJ]

Just returned from a 7 day Carnival cruise to Saint John, Halifax & Sydney last week. In scouring through these threads I read about how there is usually someone playing bagpipes when the ship arrives & when it departs (as sort of a welcome & send off). I love bagpipes so I payed close attn to when we arrived & left. Unfortunately Carnival didn't care about this lovely tradition as they made it virtually impossible get a good view of this &/or hear them.

Here was the problem: when we arrive, we debark on the 3rd floor - this also happens to be where the outside railing is so that you can see & hear the bagpipes. If you run up to the Lido deck, your view is obstructed & all you can hear is the blaring music from the Lido screen. Now Carnival could allow passengers to go out on part of the deck to see/hear the bagpipes but instead they close off both doors (even though we aren't ready to disenbark yet). Upon leaving, they take their time moving their equipment from these areas & again block both entrances (when they could allow folks the opportunity to go out one of the entrances). Both cities, we were lined up (15 to 20 of us), with cameras waiting to be given the go ahead to go outside. Both times, we missed the welcome & one time we completely missed the send off & the other, we caught the last bit of "Amazing Grace".

My guess is that in time, the bagpipe player will quit coming since he probably feels like no one cares if he is there. We do care & would love to listen to this beautiful music. I did complain to Carnival guest services with no response. My purpose for posting this is that maybe if others also let it be known that they would like to have access to hear the bagpipe welcome/send off then maybe if Carnival got enough feedback, it would do something to allow passengers this possibility (or maybe ask if the bagpipe player could come a little later when passengers are actually allowed off the ship).

I'm also curious if this is a problem on other ships or just Carnival.

 

I would give this feedback to Port of Saint John http://www.sjport.com

Perhaps they could allow bagpiper in a different area?

[sail7seas]

Everytime we arrive and depart Halifax on HAL's Maasdam, there are always pipers welcoming us in the morning and piping us away in the afternoon. Whichever side of the ship faces the dock is full of folks on their verandahs waving and enjoying the music. They dress in their plaids and it's a wonderful experience I've never tired of despite seeing it many times.

 

[Keith1010]

We have always enjoyed this. For us it is part of the tradition of visiting here.

 

Keith