1970’s vs. current cruising

[lenquixote66]

In the 70’s if you were to go to the theater on a cruise ship you would see A rated entertainment every evening.Big name singers ,comics ,etc .These days if you got to see a top name entertainer he or she would likely be in their 80’s.

[Cruzaholic41]

Not sure about that. The entertainment on RCIs bigger ships is still pretty spectacular. 

[cruizergal70]

You're assuming that there are a lot of people who have been cruising for 50 years or more.

[lenquixote66]

8 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

You're assuming that there are a lot of people who have been cruising for 50 years or more.

Not really.I have not been cruising 50 years.I am just saying that years ago you could see people like Rodney Dangerfield on a cruise.Nobody comparable would be on a cruise in the US these days.

[iancal]

On some cruise lines today  you might be fortunate to see a B run movie or a comic who has not been able to find employment or a contract anywhere on land.

 

  It really varies however our experience is that it all downhill right to and including the high school like productions.

 

A change from when we first cruised in the early nineties, let alone the 70's. 

 

But....cruise fares, adjusted for inflation, are so much lower today than they were in the 70's (and the 80's and the early 90's)

Edited December 3, 2020 by iancal

[Ashland]

1 minute ago, iancal said:

On some cruise lines you might be fortunate to see a B run movie or a comic who has not been able to find employment or a contract anywhere else.  It really varies however our experience is that it all downhill right to and including the high school like productions.

The Aqua Theater shows recently have always been great !

 

[dkjretired]

11 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Not really.I have not been cruising 50 years.I am just saying that years ago you could see people like Rodney Dangerfield on a cruise.Nobody comparable would be on a cruise in the US these days.

Less ships cruising so able to get better entertainment. 

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, dkjretired said:

Less ships cruising so able to get better entertainment. 

I do not think that was it.Big name talent was not commanding the big bucks of recent years.

[neverbeenhere]

Sorry... not sure Rodney Dangerfield would be my measure of great entertainment.  But, the economic model has changed for “stars”. Up and comers may accept the pay rates that cruises offer, but established acts will not.  In the 70’s, exposure was important in a different way then it is today. —See the couch at the Tonight show starring Johnny Carson.  

Personally, we have seen many acts that were great, and of course many that weren’t. The bad ones don’t last long in the circuit. 

[cruisemom42]

 

I've been cruising since the 1970s and I have NEVER been on a cruise with any "A" list or even "B" list entertainer. No names anyone would recognize except perhaps a small handful who were relatively well-known only on the cruise circuit...

 

 

[mom says]

Considering what A list entertainers can earn for a single night on land (in the 6-7 figures) it's no wonder at all that you don't see them on cruise ships. Even B listers probably get more for a single video than they'd earn in a year of cruising gigs. 

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

The Aqua Theater shows recently have always been great !

 

 

Agreed.  I've only been cruising since the 80s, but I'd say the current entertainment on RCI Oasis Class is the best I've seen.  

 

Ref Rodney Dangerfield, I don't think he struck big until his movie roles in the 80s.  I'd say he was still an up-and-comer in the 70s.  Likewise, most comedians I see on cruises have appeared on late night.  Who knows if they'll be big in the next decade?

[neverbeenhere]

BTW: I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Cher,  John Wayne, Joan Rivers and the like on many cruises. 
 

 

;)

[clo]

35 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

BTW: I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Cher,  John Wayne, Joan Rivers and the like on many cruises. 
 

 

😉

As passengers, right?

[mom says]

1 hour ago, neverbeenhere said:

BTW: I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Cher,  John Wayne, Joan Rivers and the like on many cruises. 
 

 

😉

And apparently all 4 Beatles are alive and kicking. At least they were on our cruise last Feb.

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, mom says said:

And apparently all 4 Beatles are alive and kicking. At least they were on our cruise last Feb.

But John and George did not seem to have their usual energy.😢

[sanger727]

Why would big name entertainers be on cruise ships? They can charge $100+ per ticket per show. No cruise line could afford that. Especially considering the fact that they don't do show after show after show like they can on land. Like most things in life, I'm sure things were quite different in the 70s. 

[ColeThornton]

Well, by the looks of this thread someone is bored on their "pretend cruise".

[George C]

I saw many top names in 80’s Shirley Jones , Red Buttons , Al Martino , but on our very recent cruises on charters we saw America, Foreigner, Air Supply , Boz Scaggs, BJ Thomas, Rita Coolidge and Micheal McDonald who just went into rock and roll hall of fame. 

[cruisegirl1]

 

20 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

You're assuming that there are a lot of people who have been cruising for 50 years or more.

Almost 40 years for us.  Cruising has changed so much over the years, some for the better, some not. 

Edited December 3, 2020 by cruisegirl1

[cruisegirl1]

Back in the 80's there were professional headliners, many still in their prime.  The entertainment , especially the headliners, were  an important part of the cruise experience. This is, of course, well before any water show, ice show, Broadway  show etc.     There was a production show or two, and a headliner. 

 

M

 

 

[George C]

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Back in the 80's there were professional headliners, many still in their prime.  The entertainment , especially the headliners, were  an important part of the cruise experience. This is, of course, well before any water show, ice show, Broadway  show etc.     There was a production show or two, and a headliner. 

 

M

 

 

NCL had broadway shows in the 1980’s saw Barnum 3 times on SS Norway and Seaward also had plays, but I agree in general, back then the flagship of each line got the most talent like SS Norway and Sovereign, no real flagships anymore. I have cruised at least once every year since 1977. 

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, George C said:

I saw many top names in 80’s Shirley Jones , Red Buttons , Al Martino , but on our very recent cruises on charters we saw America, Foreigner, Air Supply , Boz Scaggs, BJ Thomas, Rita Coolidge and Micheal McDonald who just went into rock and roll hall of fame. 

 

But those recent cruises were not regular cruises, right?  They were charters, if I recall correctly.

 

I dunno, guess I have never sailed with any of the lines that put big bucks into entertainment. 

Edited December 3, 2020 by cruisemom42

[Aquahound]

23 minutes ago, George C said:

NCL had broadway shows in the 1980’s saw Barnum 3 times on SS Norway and Seaward also had plays, but I agree in general, back then the flagship of each line got the most talent like SS Norway and Sovereign, no real flagships anymore. I have cruised at least once every year since 1977. 

i remember that. I have memories of seeing Grease on the Seaward. 

[George C]

27 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

But those recent cruises were not regular cruises, right?  They were charters, if I recall correctly.

 

I dunno, guess I have never sailed with any of the lines that put big bucks into entertainment. 

Yes they were all rock and romance on Celebrity we did this the past 3 years , definitely more expensive than normal cruises , but lots of fun with live music from about 2 in afternoon to 2 in the morning.