Is Princess going in a new direction for production shows?

[Guest ldtr]

I am currently on the Regal Princess transatlantic. We have 2 different production casts on board.

 

Each has been doing some of the production shows.

 

The first cast is the 12 to 14 member cast like we have seen on Princess for many years.

 

The second cast has 6 members  4 singer/dancers and 2 dance only. the shows are labeled by Belinda King Creative Productions. These are much more modern dance, with very detailed choreography involving both singers and dancers.  They are doing the old production shows that have been revised for the smaller cast and more modern choreography.

 

Wonder if this represents a new direction for Princess production shows?  Will see if I get a chance to ask the entertainment director over the next few days.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I would guess this represents yet another cost cutting move and a rotation between the two casts - old cast staying aboard until you get to the UK and then disembarking, new cast boarded in FLL and doing final dress rehearsals / previews of each revamped show as they move along and will take over fully once in Europe.

[Almagetty]

This is from the Belinda King Productions Instagram account:

 

 

 

They also perform aboard the Seabourn ships.

[pompeii]

I can tell you from first-hand experience on the Enchanted recently that the production shows did not reflect any cost cutting.  Quite the opposite in fact; they represented quite an investment in terms of the sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and tech in general.  Spotlight Bar, 5-Skies, and Rock Opera were quite impressive.  I know these are not on all Princess ships, but it was great to see some very fresh shows and very impressive talent.

[voljeep]

5 minutes ago, Almagetty said:

This is from the Belinda King Productions Instagram account:

 

 

 

They also perform aboard the Seabourn ships.

hope they figure out to be in Fort Lauderdale and not Miami ...

[Almagetty]

Just now, voljeep said:

hope they figure out to be in Fort Lauderdale and not Miami ...

Lol. According to the OP, it looks like they did make it onboard.

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, Almagetty said:

This is from the Belinda King Productions Instagram account:

 

 

 

They also perform aboard the Seabourn ships.

This is the cast they have on board.

 

Interesting that they refer to them as guest entertainers. So might be something they are rotating in addition to the production cast.

 

The Seabourn link is interesting in that there is a Seabourn rep in the future cruise sales area.

Edited April 25, 2023 by ldtr

[startedwithamouse]

Google is your friend. 

 

To answer your question, no.  This is a one off. 

 

Production shows are fully staffed productions and will continue through 2024, and most likely beyond, with crew Princess production show dancers and guest singers. 

 

The Princess production show casts have anywhere from 6 month to triple 18 month contracts. Most are triples (18 months). 

 

There are Triple Crown or Triple Royal 18 month contracts.

 

The Triple on Enchanted came from Discovery.

 

The Triple on Ruby came from Emerald.

 

There is a new Triple on Sky, who are on contract through September 2024. 

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[Over from NZ]

What about guest artists.. singers, comedians and so-on? Princess were pretty average at best pre-covid. Hope they're not cutting further corners there too. 

[startedwithamouse]

2 minutes ago, Over from NZ said:

What about guest artists.. singers, comedians and so-on? Princess were pretty average at best pre-covid. Hope they're not cutting further corners there too. 

They are not.  Don't believe everything you read here. The production shows are much better than before. 

 

The fly-on fly-off guest tenors are very talented. 

[startedwithamouse]

29 minutes ago, voljeep said:

hope they figure out to be in Fort Lauderdale and not Miami ...

Well, the Princess website states Los Angeles on all bookings, when in fact the Port of Los Angeles is in San Pedro.  

[travelin.sisters]

1 hour ago, startedwithamouse said:

Well, the Princess website states Los Angeles on all bookings, when in fact the Port of Los Angeles is in San Pedro.  

as much as we wish it wasn't, San Pedro is part of the city of Los Angeles

[startedwithamouse]

3 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

as much as we wish it wasn't, San Pedro is part of the city of Los Angeles

I know it's part of, but has it's own name, rather than just a district. We lived in South Shores years ago. 

[Ombud]

I had 3 full scale production shows on my last 3 cruises (Enchanted Princess 11/2022, Caribbean Princess 12/2022, & Royal Princess 4/2023) so I'd say "no significant change." In fact Secret Silk has over 1000 cues .... the opposite of a scaled down production

[Guest ldtr]

12 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Google is your friend. 

 

To answer your question, no.  This is a one off. 

 

Production shows are fully staffed productions and will continue through 2024, and most likely beyond, with crew Princess production show dancers and guest singers. 

 

The Princess production show casts have anywhere from 6 month to triple 18 month contracts. Most are triples (18 months). 

 

There are Triple Crown or Triple Royal 18 month contracts.

 

The Triple on Enchanted came from Discovery.

 

The Triple on Ruby came from Emerald.

 

There is a new Triple on Sky, who are on contract through September 2024. 

 

Still does make one wonder if it is a test. Especially since their program is reworking existing shows, and is not new material that one would expect from guest artists. Both of their performances have been of previously existing shows. Exact same songs and sequence, just with different choreography and much smaller cast.

[Hlitner]

Belinda King Productions has handled Seabourn shows for several years.  They hire lots of amazing talent, rehearse them in England, and send them off to the ships.  Not sure we would view their productions as a step down, even if they utilize a smaller group of dancers. Sometimes quality trumps quantity.

 

Hank

 

[DallasGuy75219]

14 hours ago, ldtr said:

I am currently on the Regal Princess transatlantic. We have 2 different production casts on board.

 

Each has been doing some of the production shows.

 

The first cast is the 12 to 14 member cast like we have seen on Princess for many years.

 

The second cast has 6 members  4 singer/dancers and 2 dance only. the shows are labeled by Belinda King Creative Productions. These are much more modern dance, with very detailed choreography involving both singers and dancers.  They are doing the old production shows that have been revised for the smaller cast and more modern choreography.

 

Wonder if this represents a new direction for Princess production shows?  Will see if I get a chance to ask the entertainment director over the next few days.

Sounds like a trial for a change similar to to when Carnival changed to Playlist Productions. There may be an initial investment in new technology and reworking/rewriting the shows but for Carnival it's been a cost cut in the long run, replacing a larger cast of dedicated singers and dedicated dancers with a smaller (and continually shrinking) cast who can supposedly do both. But in reality their abilities vary significantly so the quality of the shows across the Carnival fleet really depends on how talented (or talentless) the people currently on contract are.

[Buckeye10640]

15 hours ago, pompeii said:

I can tell you from first-hand experience on the Enchanted recently that the production shows did not reflect any cost cutting.  Quite the opposite in fact; they represented quite an investment in terms of the sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and tech in general.  Spotlight Bar, 5-Skies, and Rock Opera were quite impressive.  I know these are not on all Princess ships, but it was great to see some very fresh shows and very impressive talent.

I have seen all of those on Enchanted, some multiple times. They are some of my favorite production shows ever. I like the newer formats. 

[Guest ldtr]

17 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Google is your friend. 

 

To answer your question, no.  This is a one off. 

 

Production shows are fully staffed productions and will continue through 2024, and most likely beyond, with crew Princess production show dancers and guest singers. 

 

The Princess production show casts have anywhere from 6 month to triple 18 month contracts. Most are triples (18 months). 

 

There are Triple Crown or Triple Royal 18 month contracts.

 

The Triple on Enchanted came from Discovery.

 

The Triple on Ruby came from Emerald.

 

There is a new Triple on Sky, who are on contract through September 2024. 

 

Talked with entertainment director. He indicated that it is a one off. Apparently when the current cast boarded there were still some item that limited what shows they could do. So they added Belinda King cast for the 14 day  transatlantic in order to do 4 shows.. When the current cast leaves in May the new cast will not be limited and will be able to do all shows.

 

Belinda King does do some shows on the Princess World Cruise.

 

[MissP22]

17 hours ago, pompeii said:

I can tell you from first-hand experience on the Enchanted recently that the production shows did not reflect any cost cutting.  Quite the opposite in fact; they represented quite an investment in terms of the sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and tech in general.  Spotlight Bar, 5-Skies, and Rock Opera were quite impressive.  I know these are not on all Princess ships, but it was great to see some very fresh shows and very impressive talent.

I'm certain they spent more money on those shows then on past ones but to me their aimed at a younger crowd. We've seen them all a number of times & will skip them on future trips and go for the more relaxed music in one of the lounges. 

[Ombud]

9 hours ago, MissP22 said:

On 4/25/2023 at 1:38 PM, pompeii said:

I can tell you from first-hand experience on the Enchanted recently that the production shows did not reflect any cost cutting.  Quite the opposite in fact; they represented quite an investment in terms of the sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and tech in general.  Spotlight Bar, 5-Skies, and Rock Opera were quite impressive.  I know these are not on all Princess ships, but it was great to see some very fresh shows and very impressive talent.

Expand  

I'm certain they spent more money on those shows then on past ones but to me their aimed at a younger crowd. We've seen them all a number of times & will skip them on future trips and go for the more relaxed music in one of the lounges. 

I don't consider myself as part of the "younger crowd" but those 3 shows plus Secret Silk as the best ones I've seen onboard!!

[Kineticoh20]

We thought Spotlight Bar was the best Princess show we have ever seen!

[Buckeye10640]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

I don't consider myself as part of the "younger crowd" but those 3 shows plus Secret Silk as the best ones I've seen onboard!!

I am with you..definitely not the 'younger' crowd and the Enchanted shows are my favorites. I  have never seen Secret Silk but I have read it might be on Royal, which I am sailing next month. I will definitely check it out. 

[startedwithamouse]

12 hours ago, MissP22 said:

I'm certain they spent more money on those shows then on past ones but to me their aimed at a younger crowd. We've seen them all a number of times & will skip them on future trips and go for the more relaxed music in one of the lounges. 

Songs from the 80s are not aimed at a younger crowd.  The people who enjoy 80s music are currently in their 60's. 

[Over from NZ]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

Songs from the 80s are not aimed at a younger crowd.  The people who enjoy 80s music are currently in their 60's. 

In their 50's lol.. but yeah.. you're right that the 80's are NOT pitched at a younger crowd haha.