Would you pay for entertainment?

[richleeds]

I think you are probably right. We often say that you wouldn't get such a variety of entertainment and activities free on a land based holiday but it is expected on a cruise.

 

RCCL are being clever with it by putting on new and exciting premium features for punters to purchase but still delivering the free basic cruise.

 

For example the rock climbing wall, the ice rink, the surf sim, the observation pod, the dodgems, the rip cord etc etc - all with great photo opportunities for the ships snappers.

 

These are all on top of the cover charge restaurants.

 

The problem is all these facilities take up deck space which would have normally housed inclusive facilities.

[Josy1953]

As our cruise on Britannia is getting nearer I have started to look more closely at what we can do. I have looked at the Limelight club this morning and found that we would pay £22 each for a visit (a reasonable fee I thought) but the acts on the maiden cruise are Jaki Graham, Dean Andrews, Madeline Bell and Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri, I expected something exceptional but in my opinion they are "has-been"s that I would not choose to pay for, I seriously doubt that, with the exception of Jaki Graham, I would even go to see them even if they were the free show in the theatre on the ship. The 4 sample menus do not attract me either, though I suppose it is all a matter of personal preferences.

 

If P&O are seriously considering introducing pay to watch acts then they will need to have better offerings than this to attract me. I would prefer to pay a little more and have more recent acts to choose from.

[Denarius]

It doesn't. You will find the lead in prices for cruises reducing further and further and you will find more and more chargeable optional onboard activities appearing on ships.

 

This trend is sadly, well established in the mid market sector occupied by P&O. With extra berths to fill on ships ordered pre recession, there is a price war on. To keep the headline price down the basic product is being degraded, whilst at the same time more and more extra charge options are being introduced, many occupying what would have otherwise been public space. On Ventura in the Caribbean for example, we have over the last few years lost drinks on the flights, the resident steel band, the classical music artist, the Spanish guitarist, one of the cocktail pianists, live music in the Exchange, the circus skills team and bungee trampoline, half of the Exchange (to additional cabins) and deck space to the pay extra Retreat. The Beach House Diner, previously free, now incurs a cover charge.

[Southendweather]

The way the question was asked, it seems OK as the *special* performances *may* reduce the bun fight for each performance when there is not enough space for everyone and then some poeple don't get up and stay in their seats for the 2nd. It happened with us on the Oceana to the Canaries, when we couldn't get a seat in the first one we were told to come back later, again, not a chance. We enjoy the entertainment, and we all have our preferences, but this situation did stress us out and we found we couldn't be asked after that.

As for paying, well if you know about it, you can budget for it, but it appears that so much gets bolted on the cost that in fact, it isn't as cheap as you first thought, plus the choice of room and dining (saver) you go in blind, which has got worse.

 

Keith (Southend)

[jeanlyon]

I have never, on any cruise, found a problem getting in to the show after 2nd sitting. What am I doing right?

[heywood]

Our experience was much like Keith's. We also sailed to the Canaries- maybe the same cruise but there were queues, full theatres and some evenings we gave up.

The rows of bucket seats in the Starlight were so close together in some areas that you either couldn't move at all or moved when someone 3 seats down moved their chair and everyone's moved with it. People were finding it very difficult to pass along the rows.

The theatre also got crowded well before the performance started. It is not a pleasant venue for a drink but that didn't stop people going in.

[Host Sharon]

And yet while prices get cheaper and there are more and more add-on charges, other lines are going all-inclusive??

[brillo]

It would have to be a much higher standard of entertainment than the normal fare !!!

[richleeds]

It would have to be a much higher standard of entertainment than the normal fare !!!

 

Therein lies the issue. The SPH on ents is getting lower and lower as the prices of cruising drops so the quality of the acts is getting worse and worse. Just in the same way the cuts of meat or the quality of the pillow chocolates or the biscuits or the afternoon tea etc etc drop so does the calibre of the acts.

 

So if you have 200 people paying £10 for an intimate venue experience and this generates £2k for the artist ON TOP of the fee for appearing in the main theatre then you may get the more well known or desirable acts appearing.

[pete14]

 

So if you have 200 people paying £10 for an intimate venue experience and this generates £2k for the artist ON TOP of the fee for appearing in the main theatre then you may get the more well known or desirable acts appearing.

 

The Limelight club artistes on Britannia will not be appearing anywhere else on the ship, only their 3 or 4 night stint in the Limelight. If they were to appear in the theatre or other show lounge, I guess fewer people would pay to see them. The singers on the Britannia maiden, presumably the only ones we know of at the moment until her second cruise starts online bookings, are maybe past their best but in the 'dining club' atmosphere their professionalism, experience and expertise should ensure a great show. At least they are not tribute acts which seem to be P&O flavour of the month at present.

[richleeds]

The Limelight club artistes on Britannia will not be appearing anywhere else on the ship, only their 3 or 4 night stint in the Limelight. If they were to appear in the theatre or other show lounge, I guess fewer people would pay to see them.

 

You are correct but this thread/idea has no connection to Limelight or the artistes that will be appearing in it.

[pete14]

You are correct but this thread/idea has no connection to Limelight or the artistes that will be appearing in it.

 

Apart from the fact that to my knowledge, for the first time, the Limelight club has 'paid for entertainment; the subject of the thread.

[richleeds]

Apart from the fact that to my knowledge, for the first time, the Limelight club has 'paid for entertainment; the subject of the thread.

 

Yes, but the opening post clearly states it would be the same acts as seen in free public theatres unlike Limelight, it also states it is not directly related to P&O but the cruise industry as a whole, the concept would be a free drink and canapes - Limelight is a full dinner service with exclusive entertainment.

[pete14]

Yes, but the opening post clearly states it would be the same acts as seen in free public theatres unlike Limelight, it also states it is not directly related to P&O but the cruise industry as a whole, the concept would be a free drink and canapes - Limelight is a full dinner service with exclusive entertainment.

 

Whilst that may be true, 38 posts often tend to broaden and develop an original post. I don't think the way this has gone is very far from your original idea and it is actually rooted in an innovation that P & O are introducing. Maybe other lines do this already, I don't know. Whether it is successful or not may influence thinking about providing exactly as you suggest.