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Entertainers on board – Who are your Favorites?


Kurtp13

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I have been following these boards for a while and I have seen questions about favorite drinks, favorite food, etc.   But other than random mentions in trip reports, I really haven’t seen a summary list of favorite entertainers.    Not the big production shows themselves, but the rotating bands, headliners, lounge acts, etc.   I’ve seen good ones, but some just seem to be on a different level.   I’ll start out with some standouts for me with my limited experience on my most recent sailings of Allure and Grandeur.     

  • Centerpiece - On Allure of the Seas last year the rock band named Centerpiece performed in Dazzles off and on in the evening.  Excellent band especially the lead guitarist.  I wanted to hear them more.  Their sets were amazing.  
  • Las Vegas Tenors.   This was a Headliner group also on Allure and a lot more entertaining than I expected.  My whole party enjoyed this group.   
  • Gary Caouette – Stand-up Comedian.   He had the ‘required’ cruise jokes, but many were more creative than I’ve heard before.   If I’m guessing the punchline before it’s delivered, as in most of the comedians I’ve seen on board, then the performance doesn’t really stand for me.   I really enjoyed his sets and as a plus, he didn’t rely so heavily on ‘adult’ shock humor which I think is a crutch.  

What are some of your favorites and why?     
 

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This is just my opinion, but to me, there is no comparison whatsoever to the current trend of music cruises where the normal entertainment is given the week off and touring music acts (usually at least 1 headliner and a bunch of lesser knowns) are brought on board to entertain. I've been on three of these cruises, and they are amazing.

The first two were headlined by the Barenaked Ladies.  We were guaranteed 1 full length concert with the band.  We got 2 and several additional appearances and experiences.  At the sailoff show they said the following (or something similar) "We are here with our families.  If you see us with our families, we ask for privacy.  If you see us out by ourselves or with other band members, stop us to say hello."  In addition to that, the band sat for hours for each travel party to come through a line in which a photo was taken of your party with the band.  Each passenger was given a free 8X10 photo.

On top of that was the legendary Barenaked at Sea photo in which some 700 people gathered on the Lido Deck to drop their robes for 5 seconds to create a moment we will never forget (it can still be found on the internet).

Then the best part of all was that we were exposed to some bands we never heard of.  Most of them you might hear for a couple of songs as you walk by the venue in which they were playing.  However, you might also hear something fantastic... and we did.  The band 'Gaelic Storm' started playing on the stage in the casino one night.  I'm convinced, this is the greatest band noone has ever heard of.  I always suggest people check them out.  Crazy talent, amazing stage presence, strong lyrics (drinking songs, funny songs, meaningful songs), and without a doubt the most fan friendly band in the business (they come out to do a meet and greet with fans after every show and are known to have fans on stage during the show).  Great band.  Check them out.  You won't be sorry. 

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Many, many years ago we caught Matt Yee on two different cruises. YouTube is probably the best way to describe it. He gets the entire schooner bar singing, brings in props, it's hysterical and great fun.

On Anthem in September we saw Jeff Trachta (singing Trump from AGT) and really enjoyed it. His impersonation skills are way bigger than singing Trump. He was very entertaining, very talented, he made me laugh and almost cry. So glad I went. 

Royal does a great job of sourcing various headliner acts and comedians. 

Edited by sk8erguy1978
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Gary Williams - Sings Rat Pack era songs.  He doesn't bill himself as doing a tribute to Frank Sinatra, but can sound just like The Chairman.  Also sings some original songs and has performed for HRM Queen Elizabeth last year.

Solomon Jaye - An old fashioned showman.  Sings, dances, plays instruments - all well.  I'm a bit biased here since  Solomon was the first performer to feature my photos in his print advertising.

Hector Ruiz (formerly Hector Is Magic) - Probably the kindest performer I've seen shipboard.  Puts on a family friendly show in Spanish and English, but does it so that the show doesn't lag.  Talks with fans after the show long after he finishes selling merch and frequents public areas when not performing.

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35 minutes ago, Fuzzywuzzy said:

In August on Adventure there was a Journey cover band named DSB that was awesome. ALOT of the people who went to the first show came back for the second show which was then SRO.

(DSB: Don't Stop Believing)

 

They were on the President's Cruise last year.  Complete with Filipino singer just like Arnel Pineda!  Very faithful cover band.

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20 hours ago, RCVoyager said:

This is just my opinion, but to me, there is no comparison whatsoever to the current trend of music cruises where the normal entertainment is given the week off and touring music acts (usually at least 1 headliner and a bunch of lesser knowns) are brought on board to entertain. I've been on three of these cruises, and they are amazing.

The first two were headlined by the Barenaked Ladies.  We were guaranteed 1 full length concert with the band.  We got 2 and several additional appearances and experiences.  At the sailoff show they said the following (or something similar) "We are here with our families.  If you see us with our families, we ask for privacy.  If you see us out by ourselves or with other band members, stop us to say hello."  In addition to that, the band sat for hours for each travel party to come through a line in which a photo was taken of your party with the band.  Each passenger was given a free 8X10 photo.

On top of that was the legendary Barenaked at Sea photo in which some 700 people gathered on the Lido Deck to drop their robes for 5 seconds to create a moment we will never forget (it can still be found on the internet).

Then the best part of all was that we were exposed to some bands we never heard of.  Most of them you might hear for a couple of songs as you walk by the venue in which they were playing.  However, you might also hear something fantastic... and we did.  The band 'Gaelic Storm' started playing on the stage in the casino one night.  I'm convinced, this is the greatest band noone has ever heard of.  I always suggest people check them out.  Crazy talent, amazing stage presence, strong lyrics (drinking songs, funny songs, meaningful songs), and without a doubt the most fan friendly band in the business (they come out to do a meet and greet with fans after every show and are known to have fans on stage during the show).  Great band.  Check them out.  You won't be sorry. 

The Rock Boat is my dream vacation!!!!! So jealous!!!

***Edit - you're talking Ships and Dip, though, right? I just realized I confused myself with my music dream cruises. Rock Boat is Sister Hazel...

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20 hours ago, RCVoyager said:

This is just my opinion, but to me, there is no comparison whatsoever to the current trend of music cruises where the normal entertainment is given the week off and touring music acts (usually at least 1 headliner and a bunch of lesser knowns) are brought on board to entertain. I've been on three of these cruises, and they are amazing.

Agreed..it's a totally different vibe than a normal cruise, though.  I was surprised by exactly how much different it really was.  I did the Warped Reward at Sea a few years ago and it it was very much like the Warped Tour festival..but on a ship in the middle of the ocean.  Amazing experience as all the bands end up mingling and hanging out with the fans and treating it like their vacation too.

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2 hours ago, Vacation Crazy said:

We seen a Bon Jovi cover band in August while on Ovation.  This 80's girl was in heaven!  I've always been a fan of Bon Jovi and now even more.   They will always remind me of our wonderful Alaskan cruise.  

Wanted! We saw them on Anthem in February and really liked them as well! The lead singer was super nice and spent some time chatting with us and let the kids take pictures with his hollow guitar and gave them all sorts of cool stuff from the band. We also saw Tommy Green Jr in the pub on our sailing, and he had a fiddler with him. They actually played a longer set in the Main Theater one night, and they were amazing. We watched him several nights in the pub because he was that good in our opinion!

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A country/rock band called Savannah Jack performed on our Rhapsody cruise back in 2017. FANTASTIC! Fiddle player on Devil Went Down to Georgia would certainly make Charlie Daniels nervous to follow him!

A very young group of guys that play 50's/60's rock called Rookie  that performed on Grandeur in 2018. Again, FANTASTIC! I got a chance  to shake the guitar player's hand after the show and told him his solo work on Johnny B. Goode would make Chuck Berry proud.

Both are known to perform on Royal ships regularly.

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1 hour ago, Kerry said:

The Rock Boat is my dream vacation!!!!! So jealous!!!

***Edit - you're talking Ships and Dip, though, right? I just realized I confused myself with my music dream cruises. Rock Boat is Sister Hazel...

Yes, we did Ships and Dip twice and the Mayercraft Carrier.  Gaelic Storm now does the Rock Boat annually.  I'd like to do it.  It's already sold out for next year.  

 

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My favorites are usually just the comedians , including things like ventriloquist or impersonators....esp if with our kids as these are family friendly.

On Independence and on Navigator, we saw two (different) very good acapella groups.

I love Abba and Queen music so anything with that would be great...but a lot of the older bands don't interest me as much (e.g Beetles era).

One of my favorite night time music, is Schooner Bar.....and a big thumbs up for the guy on Navigator.  He was amazing, and so funny.

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3 hours ago, Vacation Crazy said:

We seen a Bon Jovi cover band in August while on Ovation.  This 80's girl was in heaven!  I've always been a fan of Bon Jovi and now even more.   They will always remind me of our wonderful Alaskan cruise.  

Why see a Bon Jovi or Journey cover band when you can cruise with the actual bands?  I know Bon Jovi has done this.  Not sure about Journey.  Sixth Man is one company that does it (mostly on NCL).  Carnival now has their own brand of music cruise.

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8 minutes ago, SPS said:

A country/rock band called Savannah Jack performed on our Rhapsody cruise back in 2017. FANTASTIC! Fiddle player on Devil Went Down to Georgia would certainly make Charlie Daniels nervous to follow him!

I saw Savannah Jack on Allure in 2017. The lead singer ended up sitting at the table next to us for dinner on the last night. It was great chatting with him!

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We cruised on Oasis in 2015. CATS only played the first 2 nights (that’s not normal right...? We heard something happened and they canceled the rest of the shows). We were lucky enough to have seen the show, but admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the show. (The performers were ridiculously talented... I just didn’t care so much for the show). 
 

They brought in an ABBA cover band (I think was called ABBA Caddabra)... that show was unforgettable. It STILL is our favorite show we have seen anywhere. They had the entire Opal Theater singing, and dancing... it was unbelievable. 

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On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 12:15 PM, Kurtp13 said:

Las Vegas Tenors.   This was a Headliner group also on Allure and a lot more entertaining than I expected.  My whole party enjoyed this group.

Oh, I wish I had mentioned them on my posting! We saw them this past January on Freedom. I didn't think I would enjoy them very much, I WAS WRONG!

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  • 1 month later...

Must agree wholeheartedly with Savannah Jack! As a Pinnacle member, I admit to being spoiled rotten but have seen them multiple times on Royal ships and would gladly pay to see them on land.

 

Seems funny to type "see them" as I am missing my canal cruise today and a AN cruise next month due to a retinal tear ;>( 

Modern medicine is wonderful though as well as faith of course so maybe can keep the HM in April ;>)

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50 minutes ago, Hagar said:

Seems funny to type "see them" as I am missing my canal cruise today and a AN cruise next month due to a retinal tear ;>( 

Modern medicine is wonderful though as well as faith of course so maybe can keep the HM in April ;>)

Yikes !  Sorry to hear about this.  Hope it all rectified itself soon 

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Spectrum performed on Vision of the Seas last February!  This group that sings oldies/motown and many other type songs is fabulous! They had the whole ship rocking, with people dancing in the aisles! They play in Vegas where they are wildly popular for much of the time but do perform on cruises fairly often. I wish I would know when they were going to perform again so I could book that cruise!

Edited by Phillip Diamond Plus
I misspelled a word by accident.
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  • 1 year later...

I've had a few over the years - Not much of a headliner or show guy so mine are typically onboard musicians who make for a memorable trip. 

The first was the Katia Labozetta jazz band on Oasis back in 2010. We found our way to Jazz on 4 the 2nd night while walking around the ship and instantly became regulars. We were there every night closing it down, chatting with the band on breaks and singing their praises to the rest in our group trying to getting them to come to see a set before the cruise was over. Finally, on the last night when my brother and I had planned to stay until their first break and say our goodbyes and head back to the room - a very large group of people we had been harassing all week came in and wouldn't let us leave early. Was a fun night but man disembarkation was difficult the next morning. Still in contact with Katia on facebook all these years later. 

Second was a classical guitarist who played nightly onboard Liberty in 2016. Voytek (I think is how you spell it). He was great and really enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails while listening to him. 

In 2017 on board Anthem the Journey cover band Infinite Journey was on for the week in the Music Hall and were awesome. They also played 270 one night and the place was packed. 

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I really enjoyed Kivi Rogers when he was on Liberty Of the Seas, Oct 2019. He was very matter of fact,  challenges political correctness, and was all around nice as well as funny. 

I don't remember much else that was going on but so far this cruise is almost like they grabbed someone who was a small blip on the radar but would never go very far. Here is hoping that the next one will be better. 

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Favorite pub guy Charlie Jourdan.

Favorite schooner guy Billy Pando.  Kelly Goodrich close 2nd.

Favorite band Muzak Express or Centerpiece. As a side note these two bands are from the Philippines. I saw the male singer from Centerpiece in the star lounge one night and spoke with him.

I asked him if they here the music they play on the ships while they were growing up as they play American pop hits from many decades.  He said no and they buy cd's and teach themselves to play the music and songs. Pretty incredible!

 

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  • 4 months later...

Just got off Symphony of the Seas and sat in the airport ready to fly home 12 March 22.

Just wanted to say that Centerpiece, the 6 member band we had the pleasure of listening to all week were truly outstanding and made our cruise amazing. They play every possible style from Guns n Roses through to Chic and do it so well that you have to remind yourself that its not the original artist. They play almost every night in Dazzles as well as overlooking the Royal Promenade. They are a very talented group of individuals with drive and enthusiasm. In essence they are the best ship band ive ever heard by a long shot and not to be missed!

Thanks!

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Really enjoyed guitarist Voytek Kozikowski "The Guitarist" on Harmony of the Seas last week.  Amazing repertoire and style. Played in Central Park, Schooner Bar, and other locations throughout the ship.  Very talented musician.  He was selling his CDs onboard, but unfortunately said no presence on any of the streaming platforms.

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After seeing El Gaucho twice on different ships I have to say he is fun and entertaining.  Going to break out my guitar and start playing Flamenco now that he showed me the secret... Lifting up my damn stand mixer is going to suck though.  Might have to spring for a handheld one at some point.

 

Most have at least been funny or informative to watch, there have been a couple that just made us cringe though.  I think finding that group is a much better idea though.  One woman on Liberty in October literally just wasn't funny at all.  Every time where she could have cracked a joke and ran with it she just couldn't string it together and would fumble after getting the slightest chuckle.  This other guy was often yelling at the top of his lungs for half the show.  It started off kinda ok and the longer he went on and the more amped up and louder he got the less funny it was.

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We grew up in the 80's and Wanted (Bon Jovi) and No Quarter (Led Zep) have been great bands so far.  Still hoping to see DSB and Phoenix.

Hector the magician, Landry the comedian, Jeff Trachta (singing and impersonations) have all been solid entertainers.

The pub singer on Symphony in September was from Scotland and was personable and very talented, can't remember his name.

Axel Guidice (Oasis Central Park) plays a great mood setting acoustic guitar most nights.

Andy from Empress of the Seas looked and sounded like Elton John and packed the Schooner Bar whenever he played.

For something different, try the jazz band in the Jazz on 4 stage.   They are great.

The cruise director on Oasis, Mike, got up and sang 2 songs with the Humans and he did well.   

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I second the votes for No Quarter and DSB!   They were both on the Christmas week Odyssey of the Seas, and they were both excellent.  The added bonus was that Miles Schon (DSB lead guitarist and son on Journey's Neil Schon) jammed with No Quarter on the Christmas Eve show in the Music Hall.  It was great!

In general, the Music Hall on the ships is a great location to see these bands.  

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