List your top 3 changes you would like to see

[T&C Fulham]

It is amazing how often music is coming up in this thread.

 

Music on cruise liners is probably the biggest user of professional musicians. I used to run a trade journal for professional classical musicians and the article we ran on 'How to get work on a cruise liner?' attracted more reader reaction than any other article printed.

 

I wonder if there is an imbalance of musicians seeking work and professional managers with the skills to select and control them?

 

Certainly the band and its vocalists on the Spirit at Christmas had no idea how to read an audience. Many times they would fill a dance floor and then instantly empty it by moving on to the next number on their pre-chosen playlist.

 

And, as others have posted more times than I can count, the band confused volume with musicianship.

 

Tell me how many times in your life you have heard someone say 'The music would be far better if it was louder'? Count the flying pigs.

 

Tony

[jam52]

I love the large library of movies on hard drive on the Odyssey class ships. I would like to see a larger flat screen TV at the foot of the bed for better evening movie viewing.

[wripro]

jam52,

 

Now that's a change I heartily agree with. The TVs on the Odyssey class ships are pitiful.

[Mr Luxury]

Not the case on our Singapore to Sydney cruise in December.....I usually do not use the pool loungers, but decided to get a few rays on this cruise. Astonished at the number of people who saved their spaces...especially the nice rattan loungers.

 

There is a thirty minute time limit and if there is nobody on the lounger the staff are instructed to take away anything on or by the sun bed and put it with guest services for collection by the sun bed hogger.

 

If you notice this in future just mention it to the bar manager and it will be taken care of.

This sun bed hogging issue is quit rare on Seabourn.

[Mr Luxury]

1) Please have some consideration for your fellow cc posters.

2) How many hours have been spent in meetings on this subject?

3) Not enough hours have been spent in meetings on this matter. If they are going to hire a female to sing with the band, how about listening to an audition tape before she signs a contract? Very noticeable when the half talented showroom singers alternate songs on rock the boat nights with the band vocalist. I've seldom seen a singer act like she enjoys being with the group. The group itself has been forced on one another. Quite pathetic to watch.

 

Sorry about point number 1 but if you pay little money then you will get little in return for it.

 

The bands that have been on the smaller ships are generally Filipino and are really good entertainers.

They can play almost any request that you put before them and they know how to keep the dance floor full.The girl singers are usually fantastic vocalists.

Seabourn are now not employing Filipino bands. There have been some problems with sight reading the music that guest entertainers bring with them and although the US and European bands can read the dots,they are not good at requests or judging the crowd that they are playing for.

[oregon50]

Bring back the Polish musicians on the cruise line to which you make reference. I have no use for the current hires, especially the duo where the girl is singing one song and the guy on piano a different one. They belong in a Manila karaoke bar, not on a ship. Or, maybe Seabourn.

 

Point number 1, of course I agree with you and so stated quite some time ago.

[Tothesunset]

NO piped music anywhere at any time.

 

Decent European-style coffee in addition to the insipid brown hot water currently on offer.

 

A dedicated smokers' retreat as offered on Silversea and RSSC.

[Emperor Norton]

1. No smoking

2. No internet

3. No wimpy wines

[baytraller]

Mr Luxury

 

From your last comment you seem to understand music issues very well (do you actually enjoy music)

 

Are the Filipino bands still working on the triplets

 

On the triplets because the Observation Lounge is not serviced like the Club between 6.30 to 7.30

 

Guest how would prefer a quieter area before dinner should complain to Seabourn, not try and have

 

the guests who like to dance before dinner suffer .

 

On the larger ships the Observation bar with only background piano music is very good for these guests

 

But the Club with the solo singer/guitarist is not enjoyed by those guests who wish to dance

 

On our only large ship cruise we spent nearly all our time before/after dinner in the Observation bar

 

After every cruise on the end of cruise review , the first request was to upgrade the Observation Lounge on the triplets

 

to be more like the Seabourn Square, but nothing was done

 

From the pictures of the Windstar changes to the Pride, this seems to be what has been done

[Able Seaman H]

Since children are never going to be banned, one can only hope that families will be more attracted to the new ship with, probably, more facilities, so including this is, I am afraid, just wishful thinking.

 

Emily is keen to get another SB cruise booked up!

 

Don't worry I'll give you all fair warning again.......

 

 

I'm not a big dancer - know your limitations in life, but felt the house band were pretty good on Sojourn over the New Year. Some individuals were stronger than others I'll grant you but in the main they did a good job and there were certain genres where they really shone.

 

At the risk of opening myself up to a lambasting I would like to see an opportunity for more guest involvement and participation. Possibly an open mike night with the band - posh karaoke or even guest talent matinée performance.

 

You get to know your fellow travellers so well on a Seabourn cruise I think there would be a lot of support and I'll wager there are one or two dark horses amongst the roll call with hidden talents.

 

Henry :)

[SantaAna,CA]

I'm chiming in with most:

 

1. No children allowed.

 

2. Have MERCY on single travelers....I am now priced off of Seabourn.

 

3. No smoking anywhere, please. You can't have smoking in "half of" a room...smoke wafts. Wafts.

 

I've never been on the larger ships; I sure loved the small ones.

 

Fondly,

 

Jane from CA

Edited January 28, 2014 by SantaAna,CA

[Able Seaman H]

I'm chiming in with most:

 

1. No children allowed.

 

2. Have MERCY on single travelers....I am now priced off of Seabourn.

 

3. No smoking anywhere, please. You can't have smoking in "half of" a room...smoke wafts. Wafts.

 

I've never been on the larger ships; I sure loved the small ones.

 

Fondly,

 

Jane from CA

 

 

You can understand single passenger supliments. Ultimately the ship has a given number of berths and a finite amount of space. It simply isn't possible or practical to fit 2 single cabins in the space of 1 double.

 

One solution would be to offer a shared cabin, obviously you don't know who you fellow guest would be, merely that they would be the same sex.

 

I'm going to throw a curve ball in here. When it comes to single travellers children could be your ally. We paid 50% fare for Emily but she shared our standard sized cabin. The only difference was the sofa converted into a bed. You could argue that for every child you can allocate a single room at 150% fare and still end up at full double occupancy revenue. Of course the cruise company need persuading because as it stands the 3 person cabin generates 125% revenue so they get a bit of a bonus. Various areas around the ship are limited in capacity so you couldn't have too many 3 guest cabins.

 

Are there not currently less popular times of the year to cruise when the 200% single guest charge is reduced? A last minute fare could be offered if there is excess capacity.

 

The larger ships potentially offer more scope for single cabins in spaces not quite large enough for a full double.

 

I do sympathise with your plight.

 

Henry :)

Edited January 28, 2014 by Able Seaman H

[Ravenscroft]

NO piped music anywhere at any time.

 

Decent European-style coffee in addition to the insipid brown hot water currently on offer.

 

A dedicated smokers' retreat as offered on Silversea and RSSC.

 

I agree with you.

 

As a former smoker who is now one of those rabid-anti-smoking-nuisance type people, :D I agree that a retreat for smokers would be a good idea. It would only keep me happy though if it was indoors. I was never bothered by the smell of smoke coming from the one on the SS ship, well except briefly if the door happened to be opened just as I passed.

 

I mostly enjoy the coffee at Seabourn Square, although we did notice inconsistency in depth of flavour from time to time even when it was the same barista making it. In other areas of the ship I tend not to drink it at all because it does resemble dishwater.

 

Piped music drives me mad. It was particularly awful at the deck 5 pool on one Quest cruise. The music playing was hip hop which is hideous to my ears, and I feel safe to say is hardly to the taste of 99% of Seabourn guests.

[margbem]

1. No smoking

2. No children under twelve

3. Boiling water for tea

[Mr Luxury]

Mr Luxury

 

From your last comment you seem to understand music issues very well (do you actually enjoy music)

 

Are the Filipino bands still working on the triplets

 

On the triplets because the Observation Lounge is not serviced like the Club between 6.30 to 7.30

 

Guest how would prefer a quieter area before dinner should complain to Seabourn, not try and have

 

the guests who like to dance before dinner suffer .

 

On the larger ships the Observation bar with only background piano music is very good for these guests

 

But the Club with the solo singer/guitarist is not enjoyed by those guests who wish to dance

 

On our only large ship cruise we spent nearly all our time before/after dinner in the Observation bar

 

After every cruise on the end of cruise review , the first request was to upgrade the Observation Lounge on the triplets

 

to be more like the Seabourn Square, but nothing was done

 

From the pictures of the Windstar changes to the Pride, this seems to be what has been done

 

Baytraller,

 

I have been involved with the music business in a financial capacity.

I know the business and understand it a little.

 

There might still be Filipino bands still working on the smaller ships but the larger ships have finished with them for the reasons that I posted earlier.

 

The lounges are somewhat of a problem before and after dinner as a lot of guests do want to dance to a band and the solo guitarist is not what you need to get the evening started.

The solo guitarist on the Sojourn this Christmas was a nice addition to the Patio grill for dinner.He played background music whilst guests enjoyed a relaxed meal,

 

The band as you know have quit a lot scheduled for an evening and most of their efforts are taken up with the show,they also might do a set in the lounge before dinner and then in the club after the show.

A good band can do all of this in their stride and adapt to each venue which challenges them with different acoustics.

Ofcourse a sound technician is with them for all venues but poor bands do still tend to play far too loudly when in the club.

They also stick to playing numbers that they know and like and not always what the guests want to hear or to dance to.

 

I have never had this problem with Filipino bands on the ships because they seem to have a different approach to their work.

they take notice of guests and are able to play almost any request that they are asked for.

I have put them to the test on many occasions and have been very pleased with their enthusiasm and their musicianship.

 

Another great thing on the smaller ships is that they have a duo as well as the band.

The duo generally are very good and provide entertainment whilst the band are performing in the show,so if you do not want to see the show,you are able to dance or listen to the duo in the club.

 

The bands and singers on Seabourn are now shared with Holland America and perform on both lines.This can be good and bad especially if the musicians are not very experienced and are not able to adapt for all types of guests that they might encounter.

[wripro]

As an example of the great duos on the small ships Crossover on the Pride recently was excellent imo.

 

I actually have a question for those of you who love to dance. It seems like the dance music played on the larger ships is always loud and fast. Is that what dancers want or do they want more old fashioned dancing where the music does not inhibit conversation by others in the room? I'm just asking because I don't dance and I always avoid the Club because of the loud music.

[Mr Luxury]

As an example of the great duos on the small ships Crossover on the Pride recently was excellent imo.

 

I actually have a question for those of you who love to dance. It seems like the dance music played on the larger ships is always loud and fast. Is that what dancers want or do they want more old fashioned dancing where the music does not inhibit conversation by others in the room? I'm just asking because I don't dance and I always avoid the Club because of the loud music.

 

Henry,

I am afraid that this shows how bad some bands can be.

Most of the musicians look as if they are twelve years old and so their repertoire is limited.

Ballroom dancers are not well catered for on Seabourn,some other lines like Cunard do this much better.

[softsands]

1- No smoking starting with the Observation Bar NOW. (Note: how hypocritical and nonsensical is the new rule of no smoking before 20:00?)

2- No children. (Note: It's not their fault that their parents don't know better.)

3- No chaise longue reservers with their paperbacks and shades on their towels. (Note: What's wrong with those people anyway?)

 

Happy sailing!

 

Oh please...who says Seabourn isn't right for my kid? If I can pay the freight, Seabourn can carry the weight. (and I hope we all sit RIGHT beside you...on a bad kid day, to boot)

[Emperor Norton]

Oh please...who says Seabourn isn't right for my kid? If I can pay the freight, Seabourn can carry the weight. (and I hope we all sit RIGHT beside you...on a bad kid day, to boot)

 

And you wonder why people make posts like the one you responded to. :rolleyes:

 

 

Compare your posts to Able SeaMans. While inquiring about the line he not once wished a nuclear kid meltdown on his fellow passengers.

[Mr Luxury]

I met Henrys daughter Emily.

 

She is a well behaved and delightful girl who seemed to mix with adults easily and enjoyed herself without other children being around.

 

Henrys behaviour will remain a secret.:D

[baytraller]

We are both over 60 and met in a piano bar

 

Enjoy all forms of music, the music level in the Club(Triplets) before dinner for us is perfect

 

But after dinner we find the music normally too loud

 

We always mention this to the Cruise Director, but there is little or no change

 

Maybe they have to keep to the Seabourn script

 

Last year when we were on the Pride and the Legend was docked next to us

 

Richard E raced over and gave us both a big hug , so we have a great relationship with these Directors not the same on the Quest .

[tv24]

1. Another vote for no smoking. A large number of guests exit the Observation Bar when the smoke accumulates. A few guests are oppressing the vast majority.

2. Restaurant 2: It's just not working. There are lots of empty tables every night except for the Signature dinners. The small plates theme does not appeal to the typical customer. Execution is sketchy.

3. Make the food more adventurous. The menu should include more ethnic options, and then the chef should get it right. With so many dishes on the menu, there should be room for something that is challenging to the taste buds of the passengers.

[Able Seaman H]

I met Henrys daughter Emily.

 

She is a well behaved and delightful girl who seemed to mix with adults easily and enjoyed herself without other children being around.

 

Henrys behaviour will remain a secret.:D

 

;)

 

What goes on south of 25° N stays there !

 

 

Children on Seabourn are an emotive subject as I discovered when coming on here a couple of years ago. "Threatening" people with badly behaved kids won't help things.

 

Seabourn go to great lengths to create a truly wonderful environment which, in the main is adult orientated. We knew that and most importantly knew our daughter Emily. If we were in any doubt we wouldn't have booked. We came prepared with all sorts of things to do but in the end there was actually enough on board to keep us as happy as a family. Some might be surprised particularly as our 18 night cruise wasn't port intensive.

 

A superb selection of games, the staff were delightful, particularly the entertainment crew, and people warmed to Emily because she respected the environment and did nothing to detract from the enjoyment others were having.

 

If anything I would suggest the danger zone is probably 21-30 years, 18-30 years in Europe.

 

Seabourn won't be for all youngsters but for those it does suit they will have a great time. It's important to be honest with yourself though in deciding if your kids will fit in comfortably. Don't just book because you the parents want to go, everyone in the party has to be agreed.

 

If you want to discuss kids on board in more detail feel free to post any specific questions you might have in a separate thread and I will try to answer from a parents perspective.

 

 

Henry :)

[Able Seaman H]

1. Another vote for no smoking. A large number of guests exit the Observation Bar when the smoke accumulates. A few guests are oppressing the vast majority.

2. Restaurant 2: It's just not working. There are lots of empty tables every night except for the Signature dinners. The small plates theme does not appeal to the typical customer. Execution is sketchy.

3. Make the food more adventurous. The menu should include more ethnic options, and then the chef should get it right. With so many dishes on the menu, there should be room for something that is challenging to the taste buds of the passengers.

 

I agree with much of what you say. The observation bar was an area of conflict when it came to smoke.

 

The environment of restaurant 2 was more intimate than the main restaurant. We found that the food in the main restaurant was so good there wasn't necessarily as big a gap in taste or quality as one might have expected. Certainly not coming from speciality restaurants on mainstream cruises where the gap is usually significant to justify the cover charge. I appreciate the menu changes on a rotating basis in R2 so possibly other menus might have evoked a different response.

 

It provided an additional layer to the dining palet but I wouldn't be averse to seeing change.

 

Henry :)

[markham]

So Softsands, we are talking about a luxury cruise ship experience, not a mass market ship where statements such as your own from a certain cohort might well be overheard and accommodated by the cruise line. After all, that's the "mass" they are catering for whereas people of refined taste who know what a limited offering at the 5 star plus level delivers to them- whether it's at a Four Seasons, Nobu, Canyon Ranch or Seabourn. That's what these brands are all about.

 

From you I quote, "Oh please...who says Seabourn isn't right for my kid? If I can pay the freight, Seabourn can carry the weight. (and I hope we all sit RIGHT beside you...on a bad kid day, to boot"

 

I rest my case.

 

Happy sailing on HAL, Celebrity, Carnival, Princess or wherever. I expect that they get your message. They probably hear it all the time.