Do Saga cruisers really want their Ears blasted by Orchestra in the Theatre or in Brittania Lounge

[phillipahain]

In middle of a heated convesation today where several passengers had complained about the ear splitting volumes from orchestra which drowns out the singers and that even those who remove their  Hearing Aids find the noise level utterly intolerable ....response from staff was  " thats what Saga wants " 

 

Saga is for the over 50s not a load of 18 yr old teeny boppers and current sound levels on Saga are quite simply unnesecary and extremely damaging 

 

Seriously have to wonder who is controlling all this as clearly they are wholly ignorant of how loud noise damages hearing and is intolerable to both those with good hearing and those who have the misfortune to need to rely on hearing aids for a partially normal life 

 

 

[nosapphire]

Not been on their ship since the pandemic, but my recollections were that the theatre was often quite unbearably loud with the singers being over-amplified. The amplification was often set up so that the singers drowned out the orchestra, which was a shame as they had a good orchestra but not quite so good vocalists.

In the lounges it was much more pleasant, as the orchestra was set up to a pleasant level.

I add, I am hard enough of hearing to need to either lip-read or have subtitles - but I find loud volumes distressing and physically painful.

And if several people were unhappy, that was not a good reply from the staff - I would have expected them to at least indicate that it would be discussed with head office.

Saga have traditionally always taken customer complaints and feedback very seriously, so very worrying if they are now going along the "that's how we do it, so tough" attitude.

 

[Kohima]

I’d just like to add that we find the relentless non stop loud ‘muzak’ in the lido area and the Grill eating area outside a bit much too! While it may be appropriate at times and some people (other than the crew) may like it, does it really need always to be so loud?  It would be lovely to enjoy occasionally eating and drinking overlooking the waves in some peace and quiet.

[nosapphire]

Oh dear. It really does seem that Saga are changing, and not for the better. 

[Windsurfboy]

Hope everyone  let Saga know  both on board and head office.

[Vivaldi]

My wife has had to buy earplugs to try to make the sound levels tolerable, and even then has had to leave performances on board because she found it a painful experience. I'm a bit luckier, in that I just switch off my hearing aids while leaving them in my ears, where they act as earplugs. Two years ago we went to an after dinner performance in the Discovery's Britannia Lounge, and we only lasted a couple of minutes before the pain in our ears forced us out. We did mention it to a Saga attendant who shrugged and suggested that we sit further away. Well, we simply stopped going to performances. We have also, more than once, commented on this excess volume in our post-cruise comment sheets, so it is very disappointing that it is as bad as ever. Does anyone actually need it to be this loud, or really prefer it to be like this? 

[nosapphire]

Sitting "further away" in the Britannia lounge on the Discovery is not an option if you are trying to watch something, the layout means that for any display you have to huddle around the small dance floor. Anyway, if I remember correctly, the speakers were also in the middle of the room - so you can sit further away, not be able to see, and still get deafened.

Maybe it is so people in the gym above can listen in?

I am getting more and more depressed with Saga - their unique selling point was always how much they listened to/acted upon customer feedback, so be really sad if they lose this. I wonder who their target market is nowadays?

[phillipahain]

It appears the problem lies with Sound Technicians as the performers themselves say they do not hear high volume levels in headphones etc  ....have heard this before on other lines and also heard singers complain that they are very aware of how orchestra noise drowns out their words and that no one in management will listen to them when even they raise the subject 

 

Surely a lot of the reason people especially elderly  go on a cruise is to be abke to enjoy the entertainment too

 

Seems to me with Saga that lots of EMails direct to CEO is needed 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, phillipahain said:

 

Seems to me with Saga that lots of EMails direct to CEO is needed 

 

One of the benefits of free wifi you can do it there and then

Edited November 17, 2021 by Windsurfboy

[phillipahain]

A decibel meter reading would be an added bonus to send !!