Does Celebrity Take Entertainment Seriously?

[Denny01]

We’ll be taking an 11 night cruise on X next April. With a longer than 7 night cruise, does X provide more shows, or do they just repeat the same shows multiple times per cruise? (We realize the entertainers may be the same people.)

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They certainly repeat the production shows on folllowing 7-N cruises as they do the MDR menus, but they add shows so they don’t start repeating after the 7th N of a longer cruise. This goes for the menus also. We’ve done 10, 12 and 14N cruises and they may have the guest entertainers add a show, but they also bring on new ones during the cruise. You’ll see them leaving the ship or coming on at varous ports of call. And the production show dancers/singers change up and add a different show for longer cruises.

 

If you do a 7N B2B the guest entertainers will change some, depending on the timing. The big shows by the set singers and dancers repeat.

 

Den

[jagoffee]

We are huge Celebrity fans, but the on board entertainment is not high on our list of criteria. IMO the entertainment is just average.

[BettyLou260]

I was on an Alaskan cruise on Millie last month; it was my 4th Celebrity cruise since 2015 and had fantastic entertainment; possibly the best I've seen on Celebrity. Duo Nico, an aerialist team, was the highlight with their amazing performance. We also had two nationally known comedians perform, and vocalist Ashlie Amber performing her "I Will Always Love You" show. Four fantastic shows, filled in with Celebrity's own shows. Maybe things are a'changing! High quality entertainment for sure.

[MVPinBoynton]

On my review website that is linked to my n my signature, you can see all the various shows we saw while on our many X cruises. There are short write-ups and photos from each theater show. The production shows aren’t always wonderful; but most of the guest performers are pretty good.

[2theship]

I think that the biggest change in the production shows is that the music is all created and produced in-house. They encourage you to post videos of their shows which they could not do if they were using music created by another source. Some of it's good, some is okay.

[shofer]

My last 2 cruises were on Royal's Vision of the Seas for 12 days each. Our Med cruise had some excellent entertainers ending in a husband/wife mime act which was outstanding.

 

Our last cruise was in the Baltic and looking at the first evening's entertainment I spotted the name of Luis Dalton whose "talent" was spinning plates. He had also been on the Med cruise. I give this guy credit for working but this is more of a circus act.

 

I agree that entertainment is subjective and it can be difficult to find high end people but the use of production shows are just filler and using the "stars" of those shows as headliners is a cost cutting measure for sure.

 

Then again, Jennifer Hudson was singing on Carnival when she tried out for American Idol. So there are some diamonds among the coal.

 

Sue

[Ashland]

After 25+ cruises with RCI we just recently did our first with Celebrity Eclipse...loved the itinerary...Ireland, Iceland & Scotland but onboard we were bored to death day and night and we're low key travelers that don't need a lot of entertainment...back to RCI for us.

[TheCount]

So far on all our cruises with Celebrity there has not been many stand out acts in the theatre. When we have came off a 10/12 or 14 night cruise [we don't cruise any less than 10] we usually think there has been one or two decent acts and always have a complaint about too many production shows.

 

Thinking about this is Celebrity taking shortcuts and just putting on a show for the sake of it or Really thinking abut what the paying customer wants to see?

 

To the question asked, I don’t entertainment is a priority for Celeb. They need to take a page from their sister company, RCCL when it comes to entertainment and night life. Celeb rolls up short on night ti e live quality entertainment and musicians past 1030pm. Just my opinion being on both cruise line many, many many times. :cool:

[TheCount]

After 25+ cruises with RCI we just recently did our first with Celebrity Eclipse...loved the itinerary...Ireland, Iceland & Scotland but onboard we were bored to death day and night and we're low key travelers that don't need a lot of entertainment...back to RCI for us.

 

 

Here here brother. Totally agree. We are in the same 25+ RCCL and 6or so Celeb trips.

[leaveitallbehind]

After 25+ cruises with RCI we just recently did our first with Celebrity Eclipse...loved the itinerary...Ireland, Iceland & Scotland but onboard we were bored to death day and night and we're low key travelers that don't need a lot of entertainment...back to RCI for us.

 

After 24 years with RCI and the last 2 with Celebrity, clearly RCI has the better overall entertainment. But to be fair, we don't cruise for the theater entertainment and in recent years have only gone to a few shows with either line.

 

But I will say that while overall RCI leads in this category, IMO Hairspray on RCI was the absolute worst show we have ever seen anywhere. The leads screamed their songs so loud it was distorted. We went the fist time and left halfway through. On a subsequent cruise we thought maybe it was a bad night the first time so we went again and didn't last that time for 10 minutes. But, very sorry, I digress......;)

[STIguy]

I use the Southpark show rating system.

So far, Celebrity is batting 0.0.

[leaveitallbehind]

Who makes the bookings for entertainers? The individual CDs or Miami head office?

 

The cruise lines have corporate based talent and entertainment departments whose full time job it is to source and select entertainment for the ships. Selection, choreography, set design, etc., are all done through this group on land and then transferred to the ships. On RCI ships, for example, with the Broadway shows this is all done land side and then brought on board with the cast fully rehearsed and ready to go. And due to the complexity, each show typically lasts 5 years and is recycled with the ship's dry dock timelines.

 

Consider the CD's to basically be MC's. While they may have input, talent selection and booking is not their process.

[Marelaine]

The production shows are hit or miss for us. We skip the acrobats and jugglers, but the other shows are an okay way to pass an hour or so in the evening.

 

We cruised on Silhouette when they were changing the shows over to the in house productions. The sets and crew weren't ready for our cruise so we had guest performers every night. Mid-cruise, we were in port with Equinox (I think) and we watched the performers switch ships. It was the best cruise as far as entertainment goes.

[chromered7]

It all depends what you want from a cruise my Wife and I rarely go to the theatre because the shows are so average. I have seen singers that have supposedly been in shows in the West End and Broadway .I can only think they must have been the understudy’s understudy because they were woeful. There has been a reduction of quality of the shows in recent years but that’s the way X are going. If the shows are your thing then choose the cruise line with a better reputation. Happy Cruising.

 

 

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[Paulras]

Was on Reflection last month and was very impressed with the solo guitarist Charlotte Jones. She provided great background music at the Sunset Bar and Ensemble Lounge. Her voice was amazing. I didn't see any of the production shows but I thought the dancers during a Gay Pride Parade and Party put on a great show. Used to it feeling like a high school musical but they were on the mark with their dancing at the pool.

 

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[miched]

It all depends what you want from a cruise my Wife and I rarely go to the theatre because the shows are so average. I have seen singers that have supposedly been in shows in the West End and Broadway .I can only think they must have been the understudy’s understudy because they were woeful. There has been a reduction of quality of the shows in recent years but that’s the way X are going. If the shows are your thing then choose the cruise line with a better reputation. Happy Cruising.

 

 

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I think that the cruise industry has become so large that the talent pool is getting rather thin. Years ago the competition was probably tougher because there were fewer positions available and the shows reflected and utilized their talent. Now I am sure that anyone that has performed in a high school play could get a job. I am sure that there are many applying but it is just quantity over quality. Some of the productions shows consist of nothing but the performers prancing around in a costume carrying a prop, leave the stage do a costume change and come back to prance around carrying a different prop.

 

And to make up for lack of singing talent just play it louder. If you don’t have talent do it loud.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[TeeRick]

My last 2 cruises were on Royal's Vision of the Seas for 12 days each. Our Med cruise had some excellent entertainers ending in a husband/wife mime act which was outstanding.

 

Our last cruise was in the Baltic and looking at the first evening's entertainment I spotted the name of Luis Dalton whose "talent" was spinning plates. He had also been on the Med cruise. I give this guy credit for working but this is more of a circus act.

 

I agree that entertainment is subjective and it can be difficult to find high end people but the use of production shows are just filler and using the "stars" of those shows as headliners is a cost cutting measure for sure.

 

Then again, Jennifer Hudson was singing on Carnival when she tried out for American Idol. So there are some diamonds among the coal.

 

Sue

 

On some destination cruises Celebrity sources local guest talent probably for logistics and to save transportation costs. This was apparent on our recent AUS and NZ cruise where almost all of the guest entertainers were Aussies. Some pretty good ones too. When we did the Baltics with RCCL that was also the case with locally sourced talent.

[TeeRick]

After 25+ cruises with RCI we just recently did our first with Celebrity Eclipse...loved the itinerary...Ireland, Iceland & Scotland but onboard we were bored to death day and night and we're low key travelers that don't need a lot of entertainment...back to RCI for us.

 

That is interesting since we have also cruised quite a bit on RCCL. The production shows seem to be a bit more professional on RCCL. But I am of the impression from speaking to a couple of cruise directors that the guest talent comes from an agency/union and it is used for multiple cruise lines in season in places like the Caribbean and Alaska where there are a lot of ships. RCCL and Celebrity pick and choose from the same sources as do other lines. For northern Europe like your cruise maybe the local talent is not represented by the same agencies or unions.

[GaryfmCol]

To the question asked, I don’t entertainment is a priority for Celeb. They need to take a page from their sister company, RCCL when it comes to entertainment and night life. Celeb rolls up short on night ti e live quality entertainment and musicians past 1030pm. Just my opinion being on both cruise line many, many many times. :cool:

 

 

 

Very, very true.

Well put, in M.H.O.

 

G.

[George C]

:DEntertainment was best ever on my summit cruise a few months ago, Micheal McDonald , BJ Thomas, America , Air SUpply, Poco and others of course this was a charter cruise

[korryp]

Totally not into Broadway shows that are not on Broadway and that includes the stuff in Vegas. No comparison and trying to say that the shows on a cruise ship are in the same league is a joke. If you want a Broadway show go to Broadway.

[Kingofcool1947]

We unusually skip the shows anyways. You've seen them once you've seen them a thousand times. How is the comedy?

The comedy shows suck big time. Same old jokes....Cruiser stereotypes, insulting old cruisers, fat people eatng at the buffet. You hear them once, you don’t need to hear them again. It’s usually the same old, same old. I usually skip the comedy shows anyway. After 30 cruises on Celebrity it is my opinion Celebrity entertainment in general has gone downhill. (n)(n)

Happy cruising. :)

King

[Baron Barracuda]

I think that the cruise industry has become so large that the talent pool is getting rather thin. Years ago the competition was probably tougher because there were fewer positions available and the shows reflected and utilized their talent. Now I am sure that anyone that has performed in a high school play could get a job. I am sure that there are many applying but it is just quantity over quality. Some of the productions shows consist of nothing but the performers prancing around in a costume carrying a prop, leave the stage do a costume change and come back to prance around carrying a different prop.

 

And to make up for lack of singing talent just play it louder. If you don’t have talent do it loud.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

Very much disagree. Two of our daughters attended colleges with big theater programs (not drama majors themselves). College productions much better than anything we've seen on X. Evening tv is filled with talent shows featuring wonderful singers and dancers trying to be discovered. The talent is out there. Maybe X just isn't willing to pay for it.

[davekathy]

So far on all our cruises with Celebrity there has not been many stand out acts in the theatre. When we have came off a 10/12 or 14 night cruise [we don't cruise any less than 10] we usually think there has been one or two decent acts and always have a complaint about too many production shows.

 

Thinking about this is Celebrity taking shortcuts and just putting on a show for the sake of it or Really thinking abut what the paying customer wants to see?

Celebrity obviously thinks they are.

[fizzy1]

Very much disagree. Two of our daughters attended colleges with big theater programs (not drama majors themselves). College productions much better than anything we've seen on X. Evening tv is filled with talent shows featuring wonderful singers and dancers trying to be discovered. The talent is out there. Maybe X just isn't willing to pay for it.

 

 

 

I agree. I am a vocal teacher of 30 years standing in the UK .I have pupils in major Westend Shows, as principle singers on cruise lines world wide etc and i can assure you the standard that is required for all singer/ dancers on the cruise lines is very high . Thousands audition , all of high standards, for their chance to be considered. There are many audition stages to pass before a contract is offered . The fees are about the same whoever they work for

 

 

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