About Cirque du Soleil...

[Belle gueule]

About Cirque du Soleil on Constellation and others Millennium Class ships

 

http://rccl.bridgetrack.com/cirquedusoleil/P2/default.htm?clicksrc=Ship_page_loc_A','popup','toolbar&BT_TX=1

[Desertbelle]

I sure wish the Millennium was going to get Cirque du Soleil, I adore Cirque du Soleil.

[Belle gueule]

June 24th 2004, a video of Press conference, I think, it's at Miami...

 

http://www.planninggroup.com/cc_pressconf/High-Speed-Connection-V2.wmv

[Brad1185]

Hopefully the Mille will not get this venu. I watched the video and first there is no mention of the extra fees that will be charged. Im sure there will probably be an entrance fee to go into the lounge as well as no mention of the $30 pp fee for the show.

 

If you watch the video, your only impression was that it would be provided as part of the cruise.

 

Please leave one of the Mille class ships without it.

[Perki]

I have only seen info about a late night event in a bar area with Cirque people more or less milling about with the passengers...is this the show? Where was it noted that it was $30pp, was that in the press on the above item? Just wondering cause due to be on Constellation end of April so wondering what it is all about. Thank you!

[robsvacation]

I continue to be interested in this projrct. Ships discos are usually lame, this settup envokes some interesting Ideals and imaged

[davehau]

Brad,

 

I am sure you were unaware of the information included in this thread , which makes it clear the only charge will be for a once-a-cruise CDS Masquerade Ball.

 

An excerpt from that post:

A: There will not be a charge for the 7-9PM nightly

experience. We will be offering reservations to the

exclusive, one-time per cruise Masquerade Ball for a

moderate charge. ***endquote***

 

Personally, I love seeing Celebrity and their parent company RCL, look for new content for their products, that can exist alongside the traditional cruise experience Celeb offers. If they can put together a true world class experience and do it for $30 a person, excellent.

 

That's how innovation flourishes in the real world: Come up with a great idea, develop it well, and people pay you for it.

 

Heck, I'd like to see Celeb/RCL add some other things to their cruises, and I'd glady pay a reasonable extra amount for them (Celeb, if you're reading, take some notes.)

 

--High speed, high availability wireless internet access ship-wide, particularly in every cabin. No need for special kits, just open your laptop and be there.

 

--Professionally produced and taught development and training opportunities. There's a group called Geek Cruises that combines professional seminars with industry sponsorship on board and charges market rates for it. They seem to be doing quite well -- would love to see Celeb pair with them. Anything to beat the last cruise's photo class taught by the comedian, who also was a photographer :confused:

 

--Expanded and enhanced excursion opportunities, with onboard staff and activities. I am thinking here like the Xpedition style excursions I have heard folks rave about, where the onboard naturalists meet with the guests before arrival at the port-of-call to brief them and plan parts of the excursion to the guests' needs and desires. Of course, would need appropriate special specialists for each type of excursion, not necessarily naturalists.

 

--Digital photography processing and printing. While the Millennium class ships have the Fuji digital equipment, Celeb seems to have dropped the ball on refitting at least some of the rest of the fleet. With digital cameras becoming the dominant technology for most of the public, having the capabilities to produce high quality prints from digital media on board becomes more important. Also, the ships' photographers' offerings would also benefit from digital technology. Don't know how many times I've walked through the photo gallery onboard and seen prints that would have been so easily fixed with digital technology, instead languish on the racks.

 

I'm sure if I thought some more about it, I might come up with a few more!

 

Give us choices, and I am happy. If I like them, I'll pay for them. If not, I'll be up on the deck relaxing :)

[Desertbelle]

Davehau, some excellent suggestions. I hope Celebrity does read your letter...I am another person who would talk with my money. Give me something worthwhile to spend it on and I'm there!

[Perki]

Hi DesertBelle fellow Las Vegan here! I agree I am willing to pay for quality and different things. My husband & I always visit the "pay-extra" fancy restaurants onboard ships as we love the extra pampering and wonderful food. We would certainly do the same for a Cirque show and being from Las Vegas where we have 3 different Cirque shows already with 2 more coming down the pike this is most definitely a crowd pleaser and money maker and always a fun, albeit something strange experience. count me there on Constellation in April!

[Sea Island Lady]

Cirque du Soleil was one of the reasons we decided to go with celebrity again...on the Millennium. Now I hope that the Mille will not have this entertainment in the fall of 2005 as we didn't realize that we would be paying for it. However, how will this effect the other shipboard entertainment?

[davehau]

Sea Island Lady

 

As I understand it, this product will require the modification of one lounge in each affected ship, to reflect a CDS theme. In this lounge there will be a nightly 2 hour "experience" with CDS characters both in the area and about the ship. There will be no specific additional charge for this "experience." The Masquerade Ball will be held once a cruise in this area, and will be at an additional charge and by reservation. So far, the word has been that there will be no CDS shows beyond this on these vessels, though I'd guess you'll see a CDS influence on many of the shows performed by the Celeb dancers/singers. There will also be Enrichment Lectures by some of the CDS staff and management.

 

Like any other enhancement to a cruise ship, the passengers are going to pay for it one way or the other. If Celebrity elected not to charge for any portion of this entertainment, they'd simply boost the price for the cruises on which CDS product appeared. By charging for at least part of the new activities specificly and directly, perhaps the hit to the overall cost of the cruises will be less. Rest assured though, that as a responsible public company, RCL never makes a change anticipating it will reduce their profits, unless they absolutley have to, such as legislative or insurance requirements.

 

Quite frankly, I've never gotten into the CDS thing, so it isn't a draw for me and I don't really want to pay higher cruise prices so folks can go to the Ball without paying extra.

 

Now, if Celeb wants to lure me onto a ship to see a performance, all they need to go talk to Feld Entertainment (Barnum and Bailey et al) and find the geniuses who designed and choreographed Barnum's Kaleidoscape. This was an incredible small area show that I'd quite literally go anywhere and pay almost anything to see again. Many of their acts would probably adapt quite well to Celeb's theatres, and the folks behind it understood how to interact on an intense level with a small audience. I also could easily see adapting the pre- and post- show experience to Celeb's hallways and lounges. I saw it twice in Pittsburgh, and only wish I'd known it was only going to have the one run, as I would have chased it across the country.

 

Dave

[dmk]

What a coincidence! I just recieved some mail from Cirque Du Soloeil today. I live in Montreal where the Cirque originated from. They start their new shows here. Well there is a new show coming in April 2005. I just purchased to tickets for it. I am very much looking forward to it. The prices here are very reasonable!

[robsvacation]

I thought I was the only one to see Kaleidoscape (I saw it in NYC). It was a neet idea (obvious done to compete with the likes of CdS and Big Apple Circus) but it was only done for one season and was never repeated. Personally I enjoy CdS more and the absence of animals in CdS is nice, more money for the acrobats that truly take my breath away.

 

As for Celebrity I'm really looking forward to at least hearing about the "Bar at the Edge of the Earth" Could be incredible, could be a bust. But all the cruise lines need to distinguish themselves more, they were all becoming too similar. I just wish Celebrity had better singles rates. With an interesting intinerary and CdS onboard I would definitely give them a try.

[gkm]

They're also starting a new show in Las Vegas. We received an email for the Cirque about it. It's going to be at the Mirage and will "celebrate the musical legacy and extraordinary experience of The Beatles. It will be a unique and magical voyage revisiting all the excitement of "Beatlemania" and is set to begin at the The Mirage in 2006." We might have to go to this one!:D

 

Garry

[Lois R]

Hi Garry:) they are already in Las Vegas and they are part of Celine Dion's show at Ceasars........

 

IF it is the same thing, I believe I saw them back in 1989 when I was living in Miami......(before they became famous).......all sorts of flying acts...not a "normal circus" by an means.