Does Carnival have entertainment shows like Royal Carribean?

[grandmarnnurse]

11 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

I have been on 1 Carnival 7 night Xmas cruise and 3 RC cruises, a total of 30 nights. I have hardly seen a bad show on RC and only remember I was unimpressed with Carnival shows, very amateurish.  I think it’s a trade off and the MDR food on Carnival was far better than that on RC.  I booked a cruise for 12/20 and asked my grandchildren if they cared more for food or entertainment.  We are going a Carnival!

Exactly how we feel. Carnival has so much more to offer me, I don’t feel deprived if I skip a theater production. Our whole family actually prefers everything about Carnival. Royal enthusiasts can say what they want, but when it comes down to a great cruise with fabulous food, and plenty to do for all age groups, Carnival is the logical choice.

[Oakman]

We have sailed Carnival on all classes since our first cruise on the Festivale in 1981. All of our cruises have been great experiences filled with great food, fun and excellent Main Stage entertainment. That was true until the advent of Playlist Productions. A small cast lip-syncing lyrics on a set- less stage is a great departure from the beautifully costumes and staged productions of the past. This was our time to depart Carnival and return to RCCL.

While many are not phased by the decline in entertainment offerings on the Main Stages of Carnival, it is very important to us. Not drinkers, we love the production shows in the evening. While the decline is a product of increased cost cutting, it has given us the opportunity to once again sail RCCL, whose shows are almost second to none in terms of shipboard entertainment. Plus, the past passenger discounts and benefits RCCL offers have allowed us to reach Diamond Plus status in a short period of time.

I know we will return to Carnival at some point for a "Fun Ship" cruise and hopefully the entertainment will have been at least slightly improved by that time. Just my 2 cents.......................

[graphicguy]

Generally speaking, Carnival has more, but smaller productions throughout their ships.  I remember one particular show “spilling out” from the theater into the atrium.

 

But, NCL has the best productions at sea from my estimation.  Royal is probably 2nd.  Carnival after those two as far as quality of the productions.

[Keys2Heaven]

On 10/25/2019 at 10:54 PM, xps15z said:

Ok so basically they don't do production type shows like RCCL. I'll look into Mardi Gras when they start sailing to get a different cruise experience. Just needed to know my expectations as far as shows, as we love the RCCL production shows.

 

They are "production" shows, perhaps not in the style you prefer. The "Behind the Fun" tour talked about the shows and how each show is produced, refined, taught and then rolled out to the fleet. Each show typically runs about 5 years due to the costs involved in creating them.

[DryCreek]

Well, I don't have much to compare with here, only an opinion.  Ten years ago we took our first cruise on the Ecstacy.  We went to a couple of the stage shows (rest were canceled due to heavy seas).  Once the first show began I couldn't help but think that I was sitting at one of the productions back at Six Flags Over Texas.  It was uncanny how suddenly the comparison hit me.

It wasn't horrible, but it didn't live up to our expectations.  It wasn't even Disney theme park quality.

Just an observation, and offering the closest comparison to other type venues I could come up with.

We are hoping that the new Playlist Productions! type shows are better than those from our last experience.  We sail again mid-February of 2020 (Vista, 7 day). 

[Garf]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:06 PM, grandmarnnurse said:

As someone who has sailed Carnival, RCCL, and NCL, let me just say that yes, there are entertainment shows, but the shows in the theater are called Playlist Productions. Believe me when I say this, without getting flamed, that there is no comparison to the Broadway caliber shows we saw on RCCL and NCL. With that said, the pluses are that they are entertaining and you do not have to reserve the shows ahead to get in, as we had to on RCCL and NCL. So, aside from their stage productions, I found all the other entertainment 100% better than on RCCL and NCL. Music everywhere all the time, loads of trivia and game shows like Love & Marriage, Quest, Hasbro the Game Show, to name just some, but the clincher for us were the Dive In Movies with free popcorn! And the Comedy shows are far more plentiful, and no reservation needed to get in! We found we were more than happy to return to Carnival. Their prices were better, their complimentary food was abundant, they were less pushy trying to nickel and dime you, just a better all around cruise experience. I know all the bad rumors that are always spread.....Carnival is a booze party cruise with trashy “Walmart” cruise ships. TOTALLY NOT TRUE! We are senior citizens and fell back in love with Carnival after several years away testing the waters by trying RCCL and NCL. You will be very happy to book a Carnival cruise. But I always advise people to do your research. Find a ship that has the amenities you want. Watch several cruise ship videos on YouTube. My favorite tour videos are done by Cruise Radio. 

 

I agree 100% with you

grandmarnnurse.

 

I have been cruising since 1990 and have been on RCL 5 times, NCL 4 times and CCL 15 times, DW and myself prefer Carnival.

For food I would give NCL 100%,CCL 99% and RCL 97%.

[glrounds]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:26 PM, Organized Chaos said:

Carnival calls their live music shows Playlist Productions. They consist of a half dozen or so singers/performers that do shows grouped by music genres. Costumes, some stage design, dancing, and one or two of them include a live band, but a majority do not. This Cruise Critic article offers a run-down of the current Playlist shows on each ship and a brief description. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=3235 Obviously Mardi Gras won't be included on this list yet. If it follows the pattern of the Vista class ships, it'll get some of its own unique shows.

 

Playlist Production shows are hit and miss with most Carnival cruisers. Some enjoy them, some hate them. I do enjoy some of them, but it's also of my opinion that many of the performers just aren't very talented. I've seen shows that I think would've been a lot better if the performers were better singers, but the fact that they weren't brought down the shows overall.

 

Then there's things like comedy, as you already mentioned. Each comic will perform a family friendly act and an R rated act. Live bands in different locations around the ship at different times. There's a lot of trivia and other games (we played a game of Scattergories). The Fun Squad, which are the entertainment hosts that work closely with the cruise director, host different events and activities, like deck parties.

 

I would have to echo these comments as identical to mine. In "Days of Yore" Carnival had great stage shows with a full orchestra sometimes rising out of an orchestra pit in front of the stage with great singers and dancers, but those days are gone. Much of the music is recorded and the singers and dancers subpar, IMHO. To be fair, the costs of these  quality performers in salary, benefits, and accomodations probably became exorbitant for an inexpensive cruise line. But, that's progress I guess.

 

I once lived very close to a SoCal arts school for dancing, acting and singing. Many of the students were screwups whose parents just wanted to get them out of the house and "warehouse" them for $40,000 per year. Upon graduation the top students would get offers from Broadway, Vegas, Chicago, Frisco, and numerous local production companies. The "bottom of the barrel" students would get offers from cruise lines. Graduation day was either a great day of celebration or a bummer.

Edited October 29, 2019 by glrounds

[glrounds]

On 10/26/2019 at 2:07 PM, Tapi said:

Carnival started using the term “Vegas Style” to refer to their stage entertainment at a time when it was truly similar to Las Vegas. Think of the 80’s and 90’s, with poorly choreographed women wearing elaborate feathery outfits with big headdresses, dancing while a singer sang cheesy songs. That’s what I remember from my cruises during those decades.

But it’s 2019 now. Some of those elements are still present on Carnival’s production shows, (the cheesy dancing and singing, and the use of  costumes, although not as elaborate), But Vegas shows have considerably changed over the years, and Carnival stage shows have changed as well. It’s not the 80’s anymore. People don’t go to Vegas to see feathery outfits anymore. They go there to see high tech, elaborate productions or headliners that Carnival can’t replicate even in their dreams. 
 

So in my humble opinion, “Vegas Style” doesn’t really apply anymore, although a lot of people still like to use the term. 

 

EXACTLY !

 

[sanmarcosman]

11 minutes ago, glrounds said:

 

EXACTLY !

 

They're right about Vegas but what about the comparisons to Broadway so many make? I have to wonder if they ever saw a Broadway musical.

[eroller]

On 10/25/2019 at 10:41 PM, xps15z said:

I've only been on Royal Caribbean and anyone who has went on Carnival have never mentioned any entertainment shows.

 

I am curious does Carnival newest ships have the same kind of entertainment shows that Royal Caribbean offers? For example Symphony of Seas had:

 

• Hairspray! The Broadway Musical  
• Flight: Dare to Dream
• Hiro
• Stand-Up Comedy (I know Carnival has comedy)
• 1977
• iSkate 2.0
• Aqua Nation

 

 

 

 

 

The production shows on Carnival are no comparison to Royal Caribbean.  They used to be large extravagant Las Vegas style shows with 25+ performers/singers.  Now with Playlist Productions, the budget has been drastically reduced and you're lucky to have 8 singers/performers.  The elaborate sets are gone, replaced with an LED screen that is a major part of the show.  Of course no ice skating shows or Aqua Theater diving shows.  The entertainment on Carnival tends to be more audience participation style.  Even the show lounge on many of the ships have been greatly reduced in size.  Replaced with cabins on the lowest level.  

Edited November 5, 2019 by eroller

[thesmiths]

Carnival has had a Non Production show every night at 11:30 PM for years.

Called: Cheers for All.

 

Only members that have reached the 15 drink limit can participate in this show.

Based on 2 parts.

First part is in the Piano Bar.

2nd part is at the Pizzeria between 12& 2:30

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by thesmiths

[beachbum53]

In order for Carnival to keep cruise fares as low as possible for families and those of us in the middle income bracket, Carnival has had to cut corners ( what some refer to as "cutbacks"). Unfortunately, some of those cuts include entertainment. The theater orchestra was replaced by pre-recorded music. On a previous "Behind the Fun" tour, we learned that there is a bit of a turnover for talented singers and dancers. A number of them tend to move on to other cruise lines (or land based theaters) where the pay is better. The Playlist Production shows that many have mentioned typically range between mediocre (at best) to downright awful. The steel drum band(s) that used to perform on the Lido deck were replaced by a DJ playing mostly hip-hop music (at an excessively loud volume). This led to a large number of complaints, and so there is a musician that alternates with the DJ. It's usually someone that plays guitar and sings, or someone that plays steel drums accompanied with a synthesized keyboard. If you're hoping for top-notch entertainment, you may be disappointed. Despite the less-than-great entertainment, Carnival is still an enjoyable cruise. 

[pacruise804]

We did find on our Sunrise cruise that they are incorporating live music back into the shows more.  I do agree that most of the "characters" in the stories are good to mediocre talent, with more focus on dance than voice.

[jimbo5544]

On 10/26/2019 at 8:13 PM, sanmarcosman said:

No, they're apples and oranges. When Carnival introduced Playlist shows after a few cruises of attending the shows we stopped going. The comedy shows and the other musicians scattered throughout the public areas are more than enough for us. 

Nice post, cruising is always evolving, whether some here believe it or not, Carnival is giving their clients what the want.

[jimbo5544]

On 11/5/2019 at 6:06 AM, thesmiths said:

Carnival has had a Non Production show every night at 11:30 PM for years.

Called: Cheers for All.

 

Only members that have reached the 15 drink limit can participate in this show.

Based on 2 parts.

First part is in the Piano Bar.

2nd part is at the Pizzeria between 12& 2:30

 

Laugh out loud funny!!

[crewsweeper]

On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 10:41 PM, xps15z said:

I've only been on Royal Caribbean and anyone who has went on Carnival have never mentioned any entertainment shows.

 

I am curious does Carnival newest ships have the same kind of entertainment shows that Royal Caribbean offers? For example Symphony of Seas had:

 

• Hairspray! The Broadway Musical  
• Flight: Dare to Dream
• Hiro
• Stand-Up Comedy (I know Carnival has comedy)
• 1977
• iSkate 2.0
• Aqua Nation

 

Then it'll have the late night entertainment shows like Quest, Family Feud, Love and Marriage, etc.

 

We like to stay busy with activities so just curious if they put on big shows like Royal does. Need to understand my expectations as I've heard a lot of bad things about Carnival, but if I go it would be Mardi Gras when it launches.

NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!  Would hate to even think about what a disaster something like Flight or Hairspray would be on Carnival.  And don't get me started on the foul mouthed comedians that Carnival uses.   . Gave up laugh at  a run of  f words 40 years ago.  Better  adult joke material on Reddit.

[jimbo5544]

22 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!  Would hate to even think about what a disaster something like Flight or Hairspray would be on Carnival.  And don't get me started on the foul mouthed comedians that Carnival uses.   . Gave up laugh at  a run of  f words 40 years ago.  Better  adult joke material on Reddit.

2nd run off brodway shows do nothing for me.  For the record, there are g rated comedy shows on Carnival..... 

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

2nd run off brodway shows do nothing for me.  For the record, there are g rated comedy shows on Carnival..... 

Not only that, there are a lot of comedians on Carnival ships that don't spend the entire time cussing.  They can tell adult jokes without using foul language throughout their entire shows.  My husband and I attend every single comedy show, family and adult, that isn't a repeat.  The majority of comedians are not cussing the entire time.  Carnival does a great job in hiring comedians who are actually funny.

[jimbo5544]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:54 AM, sanmarcosman said:

They're right about Vegas but what about the comparisons to Broadway so many make? I have to wonder if they ever saw a Broadway musical.

The answer is if they did, they do not remember.  

[twangster]

Last Carnival Cruise was in 2015.  I’ve sailed 10 Carnival cruises.  Entertainment varied like it does on Royal.  
 

Most main theater entertainment on Carnival is like Radiance class or earlier entertainment.  Generally I don’t bother on either.  On newer Royal ships entertainment blows away Carnival.  No comparison.  So consider the source when comparing.  
 

Comedy can be better on Carnival but I find too many just like to drop F bombs thinking it’s funny.  There are some good comedians on Carnival but like everything this varies show to show. 
 

Sometimes Royal comedians aren’t great either and on Oasis class they seem to repeat more frequently but at least they don’t fall back using profanity to cover up poor comedy.   I’m not offended by profanity, it just doesn’t equate to comedy.  Royal I suspect has a higher “less profanity” requirement on its comedians.  

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Simple question.  Which one have, if any have you sailed?

 

As a paying customer we have sailed on Oasis. I did a review of my sailing on both this board and the main RCCL board as well.  But to be honest,  not sure why you asking.  In the attempt of clarity, I have experienced 3 total, just not as a paying customer.  How many Vista class ships have you sailed on? 

Edited November 7, 2019 by jimbo5544

[twangster]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

How many Vista class ships have you sailed on? 

 

Zero.  After doing my research I cancelled a Vista booking and have no regrets about doing so.  I booked Horizon for the beer, not the entertainment but it fell through.  I'm torn between Panorama and Mardi Gras to achieve Platinum or simply move on to Princess.  Platinum isn't all that so I'm leaning towards Princess.  

[jimbo5544]

Also experienced Quantum and Anthem if that helps.  Does all this make my opinion count more or less?

[jimbo5544]

10 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Zero.  After doing my research I cancelled a Vista booking and have no regrets about doing so.  I booked Horizon for the beer, not the entertainment but it fell through.  I'm torn between Panorama and Mardi Gras to achieve Platinum or simply move on to Princess.  Platinum isn't all that so I'm leaning towards Princess.  

Options are a good thing.  

[jimbo5544]

Entertainment on Carnival ships is so much more all over the ship than a summer stock off broadway show.  To each their own on appreciating entertainment, bit those who simply say there is no comparison, have a jaded view IMHO.