Opinions on the MUTS

[donaldsc]

There is no polite way that will not be censored by the moderator that can describe how much I hate MUTS. But then again, I go to maybe 1 movie every 2 years or so that tells you what I think about movies. In fact, I suspect that the last movie I ever went to was Birth of a Nation.

 

I totally resent that my private spaces and relaxing time has to be intruded into by the din from the screen.

 

Remember the original commercial for the Mac computer where the lady throws a hammer through the gray IBM screen. If I thought I could get away with it, I would bring a hammer on board.

 

Did I mention that I HATE MUTS.

 

DON

[iceleven]

MUTS at night can be great fun if it's a movie you want to see. There is always a schedule listing what is being played the next day. I think many that are offered are pretty recent. We enjoy wrapping up in the blankets that are offered and just getting lost in the moment of the story. My most enjoyable movie on MUTS was Life of Pi. Being on the ship, with its soft rocking and occasional gentle showers, made the movie almost believable and we felt we were right there. Yes, I guess I am easy to please. ;)

BTW, if you miss a MUTS movie, it often will be played later in the week either in one of the small theaters or on your cabin tv.

 

We never hang around a pool while on a cruise so we've never experienced MUTS during the day. The pools are too small anyway and why would anyone want to sit only inches away from strangers and their children (unless you have children and must be there with them,) or conversations you do not want to be involved in when there are so many other very quite places on the ship to sit with your book or ipod or just napping. I've never experienced a shortage of quiet spots on a Princess ship. The Grand class of Princess ships also have that beautiful aft pool area that is quiet and adults only.

[John Reid]

Other than movies at night. . .

 

Ridiculously loud and intrusive.

Overwhelmingly repetitive.

[critterchick]

Add me to the MUTS-haters during the daytime. We like to walk on the upper deck for exercise, and often have to stop talking to each other while we pass the movie screen because we can't hear each other. There's no reason for the volume and, given how few people are even out there in the morning, no reason to have the thing on at all (great, now I sound like my mother).

 

We were on Navigator of the Seas in San Juan a few years ago and I thought there was an on-deck announcement. When I opened our balcony door, it was the ship docked across the pier from us (I think it was Carnival) blaring CNN International. So it doesn't just disturb passengers onboard, but other ships' passengers as well. Just a bunch of noise pollution.

 

I've never watched a movie at night, but I think it looks like fun.

[JimmyVWine]

I was responding to the OP. As for the daytime, as I said it doesn't bother me but I am busy during the day with trivia and games! If they shut it off during the day- I certainly wouldn't care.

 

I guess that was what I was drilling down to. "It doesn't bother me" and "I wouldn't care" (about daytime MUTS) doesn't seem to add up to "I absolutely love MUTS". I'd say you are squarely in the camp of: "I love it at night, but I don't care about it during the day", which, were I to guess, is the majority view.

[cruzsnooze]

I am soon to sail on my first Princess cruise and my first cruise with a big screen TV in the pool area. What are your thoughts? A welcome addition ? intrusive?

too noisy and I don't like it

[CharlesOK]

We enjoy MUTS most nights. Daytime music everywhere is a Carnival trait. PLEASE let some of us have SOME peace and quiet/ Loud music all day everywhere and especially up top Mid-ships is just a PITA/

[secretcastle]

Is it easy to get seats for the night time MUTS? Do you need to be quite early?

[vmom]

Love it at night, ... but I don't care for it during the day.

 

I really enjoy the movies at night, especially as an alternative to the other entertainment. During the day, the sound becomes annoying and I really wonder how many are really watching.

[vmom]

Is it easy to get seats for the night time MUTS? Do you need to be quite early?

 

 

Alot depends on the movie, how popular it is and the weather. If the weather is great (warm and balmy) and its a popular or newly released movie, it can be hard to find seats.

 

If its a bit cool our, I've never had a problem finding a seat.

[Saymyname]

It was really cold on the Sapphire (Christmas cruise)

 

We arrived just as the movie was starting, we had to take our loungers up a level because there wasn't an open space anywhere.

 

We had 3-4 blankets, socks, sweats and hoodies , the MUTS area was PACKED

 

The Wolverine was playing

[Bill B]

Ridiculously loud and intrusive.

Overwhelmingly repetitive.

 

Bingo!

[Austcruiser84]

MUTS seemed like a good idea, but I decided against it for the following reasons:

 

1. Location. On the Diamond the deck chairs set up for MUTS were located on the pool deck (Deck 14). The screen was so high up that you had to crane your head to the point it hurt. You couldn't sit on Deck 15 due to the fact all the deck chairs were removed at night.

 

2. Wind. My goodness it was windy most of the Sydney to Auckland cruise I went on. At night you must have been an adventurous soul to have wanted to stay for the duration of a movie. I counted maybe 4-5 people at most on night showings.

 

3. Noise. People are still using the pools while MUTS is on. Many loud children were a put off.

 

4. Timing. MUTS competes with too many shows, activities and dining times. Most people were down below (theatres were packed most nights).

 

In contrast, movies shown in the theatre were much more popular. I suspect most, if not all, of the reasons above contributed to this.

 

Perhaps this concept works really well in the calmer Caribbean, but I think they need to rethink how they run it depending on sailing location, weather, etc.

[Hlitner]

For those of us who only want to see MUTS at night, it is just a simple matter of logic and using available space to the best advantage. During the daylight hours there are usually a lot of folks around (and in) the pools who do not want their peace invaded by intrusive blasting sound (out of large speakers). But at nighttime the pool deck is generally empty and there are few folks to object to using the deck for MUTS (plus the screen works a lot better in the dark). If one prefers to see a movie below deck (or in their own cabin) they have those options. Personally, we seldom go to any movie on cruise ships because we can always see those movies at home. But it is a reasonable option and there are lots of movie lovers. But we continue to think that there is just no justification for the intrusion of all that noise during the normal sun bathing/swim hours.

 

There is an irony to the Princess experience. Princess tells us if we want peace and quiet (to read and enjoy our own music) during the daytime we have to pay for the privilege by reserving a seat at the Sanctuary. In a sense we are being forced to pay to get a quiet place to relax....rather then pay to see a movie or whatever else they want to blast out over the main pool deck. It almost seems like they have it backwards.

 

Hank

Edited January 12, 2014 by Hlitner

[marco]

Again...different strokes for different folks. Some folks have said the thing they LIKE MOST about Princess is MUTS. For us, the thing we DISLIKE MOST is MUTS.

[Buck Turgidson]

It seems most posters like MUTS at night but either don't like it or are indifferent about it during the daytime.

I wonder if Princess monitors these boards?

 

I saw some similar opinions about the Carnival Jumbo-tron.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We like it at night, and usually go to the late show if it's not too cold and windy.

 

Not so much during the day; It's not quite so bad when they have movies, but I hate the concerts, and the documentary (I say documentary because they showed the same one, as far as I could tell, of sea-life, every day fort 17 days!).

 

I also felt they had way too many football games--on those nights there weren't any movies, because the games ran too long, I guess.

[Bill B]

Princess tells us if we want peace and quiet (to read and enjoy our own music) during the daytime we have to pay for the privilege by reserving a seat at the Sanctuary. In a sense we are being forced to pay to get a quiet place to relax....rather then pay to see a movie or whatever else they want to blast out over the main pool deck. It almost seems like they have it backwards.

 

No, they have it forwards - straight to the bank.

[Yuk0n Jack]

I've only been on one Princess cruise so far. On that cruise I never watched anything on the MUTS. I don't recall it being too much of a distraction but I know it is for some. When I was in the area of the MUTS it didn't seem like many people were actually watching it during the day.

[jeanarch]

All I have to say is that people start saving chairs by 2 in the afternoon and if you don't want to be on the top deck just forget it. A shoe here and a book there.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Chairs have never been an issue on my Princess cruises. I have watched any movie I wanted to at night without issue and I just showed up at showtime.

Edited January 12, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[dorisis]

I have a hearing problem and can't say I truly can enjoy any movie. However I have never seen anything that looked even slightly interesting on MUTS. I have gone to the theatre and Universe movies and the sound IS better as are the movies shown.

 

We rarely go to a movie in a regular theatre and we also walk out on a lot while on the ship.

[Cruisin' Chick]

All I have to say is that people start saving chairs by 2 in the afternoon and if you don't want to be on the top deck just forget it. A shoe here and a book there.

 

Or you can go around with a little bag and collect a shoe here and a book there.:D

 

And my last cruise, I decided to get a movie in (or most of it) before the afternoon hula class started. There was a chair in a shady spot that had a blouse and a book on it. I asked those in chairs next to that chair if there's been anyone sitting there in the last half hour (which is the time limit on the sign on the sun deck), and everyone shrugged and said they've been there for longer than that and didn't see who left the stuff. So I removed the items and placed on a little table nearby, and told the others, "You didn't see that." They laughed. Maybe an hour later, a woman showed up and quietly took the items. Probably realized that she didn't get away with it and wasn't about to challenge me for the chair (and I certainly wasn't going to let her have the chair).

 

Maybe if more people didn't put up with this kind of behavior...

[Nebr.cruiser]

All I have to say is that people start saving chairs by 2 in the afternoon and if you don't want to be on the top deck just forget it. A shoe here and a book there.

 

I haven't seen this for the night time movies yet--but for some it is better to get there a few minutes ahead of time. This also depends on the weather.

 

We do usually go at 10, so maybe the earlier movie is more popular?

[geoherb]

I've never paid much attention to MUTS. Occasionally I'll watch a football game for a minute or two to check out scores. We like the adults only pools for relaxing.