Entertainers on board – Who are your Favorites?

[Mburlbaugh]

Just finished a cruise on oasis of the seas. There was a classical guitarist that played in Central Park every day that we absolutely loved. He also played in the main hall as a “classical guitarist “. Of course we forgot to write down his name or take any of his information – does anyone know who this may be? I want to say his first name was “Axel “but I’m not sure.

[Moby Dick]

Back pre-pandemic Royal used to have "Tribute" bands on their Quantum Class ships.  We, my wife and I, were on a cruise to Bermuda and there was a GREAT U2 Tribute band.  We though it was great.  They performed in the "Music Hall" a few times and then on the last night, I believe it was, they had a big grand finale in the 270.  We were highly impressed with them.  I hope Royal goes back to Tribute bands, again on the Quantum.    

[ChrisK2793]

Kevin Phillip in the British Pub on Wonder of the Seas.  We first met him when he was performing in the British Pub on Symphony.  He’s EXCELLENT!!

 

[JDawg]

The best band I have seen on a cruise was the Rock Cover band Phoenix out of Las Vegas.  They were on Wonder during the Inaugural cruise.  Played all kinds of 70’s classic rock.

The next best was an Eagles tribute band called “The Long Run”.  Cannot remember if we saw them on the Allure or the Oasis a few years ago.

[Cruiser4Life]

Ever since my daughter was about 5 years old, she has been obsessed with live music and piano bars and it started on a Royal ship… of course I cannot remember the ship or performer name…. But in schooner, the piano player started playing Baker Street… and another crew member walked up with a saxophone and completely blew the crowd away…. The look on her face has shaped a love of music that I could have never predicted. Still don’t know if it was planned or impromptu but now at 12 years old, every time we walk in there, I know she’s hoping for something similar to happen. It was a truly magical memory for our family. Appreciate all the Royal performers and would love to see more “non traditional” entertainment such as what happened that night. 

[jbmakingmemories]

We saw DSB on the Odyssey in November and can confirm they are FANTASTIC!! 

[Song]

Centerpiece band is the best! Best live music I've ever heard. They played at the dazzles on the allure of the seas in September 2022. But they seem to play on different ships. Since we heard them the first time, we started to see them every night. The whole band is amazing, especially the male singer, LOVE his voice !!! and the guitar player is outstanding!!! I'm a huge fan! Wish there's more info about them online. Super talented and super nice people!! Hope to see them again for the next cruise! Anyone got their names? Pls let me know! Greatly appreciate it! 

[USFFrank]

Perry Grant. He's a very talented and funny piano player and singer with quite the following. I've seen him perform on Navigator of the Seas, and most recently on Explorer of the Seas. He is currently on Anthem of the Seas where he mainly performs in the Schooner Bar but also can do shows in the other theaters as well.

[Hagar]

Been able to cruise a BUNCH this past year and do appreciate so many of the artists already named here. Want to add 2 groups that have caused me to book the ship they were on while looking for a late booking pre-Covid, "Abbacadabra" and "Savannah Jack." Fortunately, "Savannah Jack" was a late replacement this year so did see them once already 

[Al Miller]

Kieron Cox has played on many Royal ships over the last ten years. I caught him in April in the pub on Anthem and I saw at least part of his performance every night. By the last night, word got around, and it was standing room only. He probably gets that a lot. Other than his traditional closing song, I don't think he repeated a song all week. He also did something I've never seen before. He broke a string mid set. Rather than take an unscheduled break, he recorded a loop into his little ipad setup, and sang an extended intro to the current song. All while replacing the string and tuning it with one of those little electronic tuning meters. It made the song go about 7 minutes, but the music never stopped. I was fascinated. What a pro.

[JennaRCB]

9 hours ago, Al Miller said:

Kieron Cox has played on many Royal ships over the last ten years. I caught him in April in the pub on Anthem and I saw at least part of his performance every night. By the last night, word got around, and it was standing room only. He probably gets that a lot. Other than his traditional closing song, I don't think he repeated a song all week. He also did something I've never seen before. He broke a string mid set. Rather than take an unscheduled break, he recorded a loop into his little ipad setup, and sang an extended intro to the current song. All while replacing the string and tuning it with one of those little electronic tuning meters. It made the song go about 7 minutes, but the music never stopped. I was fascinated. What a pro.

Also saw him on Anthem. He was really good!!!

[Song]

On 10/28/2021 at 9:12 AM, Doak said:

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!

 

Centerpice is awesome! We just got off allure of the seas with them playing at the dazzles! Do you happen to get their names? 

[JC Pats]

Darla Fox - on par.. maybe even a little better than Kieran. She was the pub singer on Mariner during the recent Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise and played EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. (We had a lot) of our requests and even learned several songs the within a couple of days. 

And Billy Pando is the King of the Schooner Bar.. 

Two favorite bands.. Phoenix and Switched On

[Neesa]

We love live music and the tribute bands are a family favorite The DSB (Journey) tribute band was a band I would go ahead and see again in a heartbeat. If they were to advertise when they were performing as well as other "tribute" bands we believe we would enjoy we might just go ahead and book a sailing based on that. 

Now, I have said a million times, I can't stand jugglers. BUT when I saw Adam Kario on the Royal stage he was a game changer. While I still do not go out of my way for a juggler show, this all around performer was so entertaining if he was close by here in Florida I would go see his show again. Only juggler I have ever enjoyed. 

[steverk]

I've really enjoyed the following:

• Wilde & James
• El Gaucho
• What a Night Tribute Band
• The Long Run

I also saw an incredible magician on a Carnival ship, but don't remember his name.

[Taznremmy]

Darla Fox, singer guitarist, is not only an excellent performer.....she is a true entertainer.  She incorporates her audience into her performances, and once people have observed her, they return faithfully every evening.   IMO, she is by far the best Pub performer RCCL has had in years!  I look forward to cruising with you again.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Taznremmy
typo

[AshleyDillo]

On 1/12/2023 at 11:34 PM, Taznremmy said:

Darla Fox, singer guitarist, is not only an excellent performer.....she is a true entertainer.  She incorporates her audience into her performances, and once people have observed her, they return faithfully every evening.   IMO, she is by far the best Pub performer RCCL has had in years!  I look forward to cruising with you again.

Agree! We love Darla! 

[BrianB]

Wow! Lots of choices…. On the Anthem, it’s been Matt Yee in the Schooner Bar. Singer and comedian. Always standing room only every night. Gets the audience involved, very funny and his shows become loud, raucous and attract even more people who come to see what all the noise is about…”Gimme an Oy!”

The Royal Swedes were a regular in Boleros and the Music Hall. Excellent group! I haven’t seen them on the Anthem since the restart.

Joyce Koi played classical guitar in Schooners and was part of the band in the show We Will Rock You. Very, very good guitarist. Did both rock and classical.

Also, some of the Beatles groups were phenomenal! Really got it perfect! And the Journey cover band was also a great show! I’m sure I’m leaving a lot of my favorite performers and groups out…there’s just so many. Then there’s the headliners like Frankie and the Dreamers…the Royal comedians, magicians, even the comedy jugglers. Excellent all around performers and entertainers.

[Rakaia]

We *really* enjoyed Nate Franco in the Schooner on Oasis in October. He had a great way of not just putting on a show but really interacting with everyone. Made the atmosphere feel like a big party with friends (especially when everyone is belting out "Alice" ). 

Phoenix also is fantastic!! Saw them on Oasis in May and again in October.  

[Jaybird33081]

Symphony of the Seas -- The band in Jazz on 4 ( Jazz music with the Ruben Andreu Jazz Quartet) were amazing. The female singer ( I don't know her name) was amazing and had a perfect voice and attitude for jazz singing. The piano player and the drummer had great solos when the piece called for it and the bass player kept the rhythm going well. I spend 4 of my nights there until they closed.

[dustfsu]

On 4/18/2022 at 9:41 PM, ChrisK2793 said:

Kevin Phillip in the British Pub on Wonder of the Seas.  We first met him when he was performing in the British Pub on Symphony.  He’s EXCELLENT!!

 

Same, saw him on the Symphony and he is really good.  He knows a ton of songs and takes request.

[dustfsu]

Last year on Allure of the Seas I saw Jimmy Hopper.  He was a very good signer and put on a good show of a variety of songs.

[ranchlady403]

Does anybody know what the entertainment will be on the Radiance of the Seas next week? 

I have called the RCI help desk but they either didn't know or didn't want to disclose the entertainment. 

Are there still production shows?   

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Becky L]

We love The Cool Band from Cancun. We’ve seen then on Liberty and most recently Adventure where they played in Imperial and Bolero. They play all genres. Please check them out!

[FSUFAN]

Maybe a dumb question but is there any way to find out ahead of time what group or groups will be playing on a future cruise?  We are going on the Quantum OTS in June to Alaska. On the RCL website, the entertainment tab for our cruise is in "come back later" mode.

Also, I assume that once the entertainment tab is populated, we need to make reservations for the specific shows.

[Matt]

19 hours ago, FSUFAN said:

Maybe a dumb question but is there any way to find out ahead of time what group or groups will be playing on a future cruise?

There's no definitive way

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2014/01/14/how-find-which-groups-are-your-royal-caribbean-cruise

[ScottishRobbie]

On 2/16/2023 at 5:06 AM, FSUFAN said:

Maybe a dumb question but is there any way to find out ahead of time what group or groups will be playing on a future cruise?  We are going on the Quantum OTS in June to Alaska. On the RCL website, the entertainment tab for our cruise is in "come back later" mode.

Also, I assume that once the entertainment tab is populated, we need to make reservations for the specific shows.

Obviously it may well change before June but, at the moment, the amazing Switched on Band are on Quantum in the Music Hall. They only got onboard a month ago and, when I was chatting to them in November on Ovation, they said they usually do 8-9 month contracts so may well still be there when you get on board

[ScottD]

We had a one off tribute band on Oasis in February... it was a Journey tribute band called "Journey USA" and they were literally just on a ship for the one week. They were really fun, saw them a few late nights at music hall

[FloatyBoaty]

On 2/15/2023 at 12:36 PM, FSUFAN said:

Maybe a dumb question but is there any way to find out ahead of time what group or groups will be playing on a future cruise?  We are going on the Quantum OTS in June to Alaska. On the RCL website, the entertainment tab for our cruise is in "come back later" mode.

Also, I assume that once the entertainment tab is populated, we need to make reservations for the specific shows.

On Quantum the only thing you will likely be able to reserve in advance is Starwater, the show in 270. There will be many other shows happening, but that is all that has opened up for me for advance reservations for mid-March and also the only venue that opened for advance reservations when I sailed on Anthem (another Quantum class ship) in January. They didn't even do reservations for any other show - you just went. I would offer to share my entertainment sheet with you after I board, but it would not really be useful as I would expect the lineup to change once they get to Alaska and start running 7-day cruises for the summer (I will be on a 13-day out of Brisbane).

Also, when I tried to pre-schedule everything in my mind for my last Anthem trip by looking in the app before I boarded, it all changed up anyway. The "Aeromyth" tribute band (which would have been a blast) was replaced by a Beatles band (also fun) by the time I got onboard. So I'm trying every cruise just to go with it a little bit more. Kind of plan, but with flexibility in mind. 

[CDej]

On 2/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, Jaybird33081 said:

Symphony of the Seas -- The band in Jazz on 4 ( Jazz music with the Ruben Andreu Jazz Quartet) were amazing. The female singer ( I don't know her name) was amazing and had a perfect voice and attitude for jazz singing. The piano player and the drummer had great solos when the piece called for it and the bass player kept the rhythm going well. I spend 4 of my nights there until they closed.

Completely agree. I went twice and was captivated by their music. Combined with an excellent Martini, it made for a perfect late night! 

[CDej]

On 2/5/2023 at 5:52 PM, Jaybird33081 said:

Symphony of the Seas -- The band in Jazz on 4 ( Jazz music with the Ruben Andreu Jazz Quartet) were amazing. The female singer ( I don't know her name) was amazing and had a perfect voice and attitude for jazz singing. The piano player and the drummer had great solos when the piece called for it and the bass player kept the rhythm going well. I spend 4 of my nights there until they closed.

Her name is Carmen Lancho

[Ontariocruisers99]

Sophie on the Piano was so good on Liberty in Feb. We are back on Liberty in June out of NJ but sadly her contract is up.

[dustfsu]

On 3/13/2022 at 8:22 PM, Va4fam said:

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.   

The guy on the Symphony his name is Kevin Phillip. I saw him on there and he was really good, but that was Sept 2021

[Va4fam]

6 hours ago, dustfsu said:

The guy on the Symphony his name is Kevin Phillip. I saw him on there and he was really good, but that was Sept 2021

Thanks!   We also saw him at the end of September 2021. 

[Cruiseduck512]

Recently sailed on Adventure of the Seas from Galveston.  There was a headliner band called Coyotes 80's Mixtape.  This is by far the best entertainment we have EVER seen on any ship.  Yes, it's an 80's cover band and they are awesome.  The lead singer is Laura (I can't remember her last name) is incredible.  So fun.  I can't wait to see them again!

[JDawg]

Kevin Philip is without a doubt the best Pub guitarist and singer I have seen.  We are on the Wonder this week with him and have had the pleasure of him being on 3 other cruises.  He makes my nights so enjoyable and he is a great guy as well.  Have gotten to know him and enjoy sitting around and having a drink after he performs.

[dustfsu]

4 hours ago, JDawg said:

Kevin Philip is without a doubt the best Pub guitarist and singer I have seen.  We are on the Wonder this week with him and have had the pleasure of him being on 3 other cruises.  He makes my nights so enjoyable and he is a great guy as well.  Have gotten to know him and enjoy sitting around and having a drink after he performs.

I hope he is still on when I get on the Wonder at the end of April.  I would like to see him again

[AshleyDillo]

7 hours ago, JDawg said:

Kevin Philip is without a doubt the best Pub guitarist and singer I have seen.  We are on the Wonder this week with him and have had the pleasure of him being on 3 other cruises.  He makes my nights so enjoyable and he is a great guy as well.  Have gotten to know him and enjoy sitting around and having a drink after he performs.

Agreed. He has been quite entertaining on this cruise!

[dustfsu]

13 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

Agreed. He has been quite entertaining on this cruise!

If you can, can you ask him how long he is on for.  Thanks so much

[stevendom57]

A few weeks ago we were on Allure OTS. The Schooner Bar had a young guy, Louis Couch, on the piano. He was a great entertainer and a really nice guy.