When did Love & Marriage become so unpopular?

[xps15z]

Sailing after Covid I noticed the Love and Marriage is a hardly attended event now, when pre-Covid, at least on my summer sailings it used to be nearly a full house. Anyone else experience the same?

The host for Wonder of the Seas in June 2023 also did a horrendous job hosting. There was just a lack of entertainment on their behalf and lack of encouragement to the participants. My wife has encouraged us to do it but the only reason I do not participate is because my answers and behavior would be so boring, and I wouldn't want to poop the party for those watching.

I know it's a bit cruise nitpicking but this is a discussion forum after all. It's my favorite show on the ship. I'm guessing Royal Caribbean had a lot of new sailors since Covid or people just lost interest in the game.

[smokeybandit]

It's always been well attended on my cruises.

[Va4fam]

Interesting question.   Traditionally L & M was featured in the main theater at night during the latter part of cruise.   Seems like last 2 cruises I've been on  they scheduled it for 2:30 pm in the theater.   We usually attend but did not because.......2:30 pm is prime pool, solarium, or nap time.  At least for us. 

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

For me…once you’ve been to a few of them…you feel as though you’ve seen them all!  Almost always same or very similar questions.  Just not entertaining enough to sit through.

[xps15z]

2 minutes ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

For me…once you’ve been to a few of them…you feel as though you’ve seen them all!  Almost always same or very similar questions.  Just not entertaining enough to sit through.

Yeah, I think you’re right. I sort of felt like that the last time but was thinking maybe it was due to less energy with the audience being so small.

I do think in general for shows and small events they could be marketed more through the app. 

For this specific show they should have different questions pretty often. I mean there’s at least an hundred different questions you can ask any married couple. There’s so many newlywed board games they can borrow from.

Some of the entertainment is based on the participants, and if the host isn’t pulling information out of them to get a story the show can become very dull.

 

 

 

 

[ScottishRobbie]

Another reason I feel it's becoming unpopular is because quite often they will now keep both couples on stage sitting back to back, whereas they used to take one set off the stage while the questions were being asked

[ChessE4]

7 hours ago, xps15z said:

Yeah, I think you’re right. I sort of felt like that the last time but was thinking maybe it was due to less energy with the audience being so small.

I do think in general for shows and small events they could be marketed more through the app. 

For this specific show they should have different questions pretty often. I mean there’s at least an hundred different questions you can ask any married couple. There’s so many newlywed board games they can borrow from.

Some of the entertainment is based on the participants, and if the host isn’t pulling information out of them to get a story the show can become very dull.

 

 

 

 

Last cruise our Cruise Director wasn't very good and seemed to lack entertainment talent. That was a surprise to us.

[barjpoe]

8 hours ago, Va4fam said:

Interesting question.   Traditionally L & M was featured in the main theater at night during the latter part of cruise.   Seems like last 2 cruises I've been on  they scheduled it for 2:30 pm in the theater.   We usually attend but did not because.......2:30 pm is prime pool, solarium, or nap time.  At least for us. 

I think you're right.

[OCSC Mike]

As mentioned above, the combo of having seen it enough times and the 2:30pm start time is why we haven't been going.

[smokeybandit]

It's been in its traditional late spot my last few cruises.  And still taking one side of the couple off stage.

[OCSC Mike]

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

It's been in its traditional late spot my last few cruises.  And still taking one side of the couple off stage.

Older ships?

[WAAAYTOOO]

We have been on 80+ cruises with Royal Caribbean and we have never ever gone to a L&M game OR a Quest.  Just not something we enjoy.

[dustfsu]

I do feel like it is a odd time for the show but I get why they do it.  Its between lunch and dinner so people don't have to rush in the morning or feel like they have to rush to the early dinner.  Also the ones I have seen the CD sometimes is really good at it and gets into it and some others are ok at it and maybe because they do it so much they kind of get over it. I usually try to catch it when I go on the ship.

[smokeybandit]

We were on a post-restart cruise when they did it at 2:30, and thought that was odd. But since then it has been back to its normal late slot.

[Lovetocruise2002]

For us, it depends who the cruise director is. That is how we decide if we are going to attend or not. If it's a high energy, funny, CD, we try our best to go.  Much like The Quest, IMO, the CD makes or breaks that show.

However, our last two sailings, we have skipped (even one with Ricky Matthews who we love), because of the times that others have mentioned above. They keep doing the show at 2:30pm now and that does not work as well for us.

[WAYNO]

We have also never seen this show/game.  I've never planned ahead enough ahead to attend, and when we've tried at show time, they've been over full.

[Reigert2008]

On 4/19/2024 at 11:24 PM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

For me…once you’ve been to a few of them…you feel as though you’ve seen them all!  Almost always same or very similar questions.  Just not entertaining enough to sit through.

We agree and think they try too hard to be dirty without really being dirty and then the couples try to push the limits further to win.  We totally get that it’s an “adult show”, but you can still, have adult themes without being dirty.  Most times it’s just not funny or enjoyable to us.
 

we also get annoyed that the comedians in the comedy club are adult only and cuss like a sailor,, but then do a family show in the main theater.  Why can’t they just always be family friendly.  We’re big comedy fans and you can be funny without all that.

 

[teddy]

We liked it at first, but the questions rarely change and the whole thing can be boring if the cruise director isn’t good.

Any couple who’s sat through a couple shows should be able to do well if they were up on stage. 

 

[OCSC Mike]

8 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

we also get annoyed that the comedians in the comedy club are adult only and cuss like a sailor,, but then do a family show in the main theater.  Why can’t they just always be family friendly.

Because some people prefer adult comedy. You can't please everyone. I have no interest in Broadway shows but lots of people like them. I don't get annoyed that they offer them, I just don't go.

FWIW, there is no family friendly version of the comedy on some ships (like Wonder). They do another adult show around 10pm in the main theater on the last night. In the past, when I've seen the family friendly show after seeing the adult version first, I've mostly found them not funny at all b/c the comics always seemed forced to do a type of act that isn't really their preferred type of comedy.

We all like what we like.

[GatorCruiser]

On 4/20/2024 at 9:08 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

We have been on 80+ cruises with Royal Caribbean and we have never ever gone to a L&M game OR a Quest.  Just not something we enjoy.

80+ cruises ! Mercy, how does one go about such numbers ? Please mentor me!

[OCSC Mike]

6 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

80+ cruises ! Mercy, how does one go about such numbers ? Please mentor me!

I think retirement helps. Been trying to speed it up but Powerball doesn't want to cooperate.

[WAAAYTOOO]

@OCSC Mikehas it right.  Retirement is the key.  Of course, our cruising style has taken a bit of a downgrade since retirement, but where the quality went down, the quantity went up !  Nothing truer than the old adage, “When you’re working you have the money but no time and when you’re retired you have the time but no money”.

[JasonOasis]

I think it also depends on the cruise director. 

Prior to covid Royal had excellent cruise directors who really love the job.  Post covid there have been cruises where I've had to ask myself how did this person become the cruise director they are horrible at this job.  Cruise director in my opinion is one of the most important jobs on the ship and I get the job can become monotonous week in and week out but excellent cruise directors first and foremost really love their job and know how to keep it fresh every cruise.  While cruise directors who are just biding time waiting for the next opportunity to move up the corporate ladder can at time allow things to run stale and it comes across in activities, their morning show even just seeing the cruise director around the ship you can tell the ones who absolutely love their job vs the ones who are just there waiting for their next opportunity.  

In my opinion its not just the love and marriage game show its also shows like The Quest which is now the Crazy Quest.  I know early on in the cruise whether or not I'm going to The Quest and it all depends on the vibe I get from the cruise director on day 1, day 2 of the cruise.  

[Jamesszy94]

9 hours ago, JasonOasis said:

I think it also depends on the cruise director. 

Prior to covid Royal had excellent cruise directors who really love the job.  Post covid there have been cruises where I've had to ask myself how did this person become the cruise director they are horrible at this job.  Cruise director in my opinion is one of the most important jobs on the ship and I get the job can become monotonous week in and week out but excellent cruise directors first and foremost really love their job and know how to keep it fresh every cruise.  While cruise directors who are just biding time waiting for the next opportunity to move up the corporate ladder can at time allow things to run stale and it comes across in activities, their morning show even just seeing the cruise director around the ship you can tell the ones who absolutely love their job vs the ones who are just there waiting for their next opportunity.  

In my opinion its not just the love and marriage game show its also shows like The Quest which is now the Crazy Quest.  I know early on in the cruise whether or not I'm going to The Quest and it all depends on the vibe I get from the cruise director on day 1, day 2 of the cruise.  

I agree. On my recent cruise, while the cruise director was good, he wasn't nearly as good as Steve from Canada. I remember going to Crazy Quest last year on Ovation and it was way more raunchy. It seemed pretty stale this year. Like there was still adults only stuff, but not nearly as much. 

[SpeedNoodles]

Every one that I've attended since the restart (7 sailings) has been packed.  And we never miss one.  

[OCSC Mike]

We hardly even notice the CD these days. I really do think we're in our own little bubble with our boring/relaxing routine (which we obviously enjoy).

I will say it was pretty hard not to notice Ricky Matthews on Wonder last month though. That guy has some energy!

[WannaCruise]

I agree with other posters.  This is a show that I do try and attend, but find the issue:

1. The last 3 cruises we've been on, it's been at 2:30pm as others have mentioned.  It's not an ideal time and has less of a vibe.  (Kids attend as well)
2. The last 3 cruises we've been on, its been the exact same questions.  So once you've seen one, you've seen them all.
3. The recent L&M shows, they don't take the other spouse off the stage. More predictable/easier to cheat when both on the stage.

Funny enough, we've had the same cruise director the last 3 cruises even though it's been 3 different ships (who is amazing...Ricky Mathews), but wasn't sure if the above points were his style or since he was running it, or if fleet side.

[BigKarl]

I realize that this topic is about the Game Show but I just can not resist saying:

"When did Love & Marriage become so unpopular?"

For some it was right after they said "I do"  

[ScottD]

23 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

We hardly even notice the CD these days. I really do think we're in our own little bubble with our boring/relaxing routine (which we obviously enjoy).

I will say it was pretty hard not to notice Ricky Matthews on Wonder last month though. That guy has some energy!

We had him last January on Oasis..he was awesome. I swore he had a twin, he was EVERYWHERE. I'd see him up on the pool deck doing a contest then an hour later he was in the promenade just talking to people, then up on the platform for 70's night...hosted every show we went to. The man is definitely one you notice!  We had Elvis the 2nd time, he was pretty funny at the two shows we did (Love and Marriage and Quest)  but he wasn't around quite as much as Ricky, he seemed to have an "activities director" who did a lot of the smaller things like pool side games and trivias

[FOB]

On 4/21/2024 at 4:23 PM, OCSC Mike said:

I think retirement helps. 

A bit - but you need to live near a port that does short cruises as well.

Hubby retires at end of June (officially mid August when the Scottish schools go back) - we have 5 cruises between start July and end October.

But that has a B2B2B to minimise flights and we have long cruises there.

Currently on 82 nights - so just made Diamond. By beginning of May next year we will be 7 nights off Diamond plus (JS on a TA of 14 nights helps  )

we would love to do more cruising but living in Central Scotland means that we need to fly to the US to be able to cruise between October and April so that adds rather a lot to the cost of the trip

[Ditchdoc]

Never gone to one. Some times watched a bit that replayed on room TV.

Questions were somewhat risque but in our politically correct world, that has probably been tamed down. The main draw is most likely a laugh or two. To capitalize on the laugh, it requires a good host and good questions, otherwise it probably falls flat.

There are a number of 'events' that to me were interesting the first time just to see what it was about but afterwards ... didn't really car that much about. Love and Marriage, Scavenger Hunt , Belly Flop, Best Legs (usually men), Derby Horse Race and others I am sure are fun if you have had a few drinks.

 

 

[PhantomWolf]

Because the same questions were asked the summer of 2022 as were asked in 1997 when I was on the newish Majesty of the Seas.  No real reason to return after that.

[Sharla]

On 4/20/2024 at 9:08 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

We have been on 80+ cruises with Royal Caribbean and we have never ever gone to a L&M game OR a Quest.  Just not something we enjoy.

They are fun once. After that it's the same thing every time. 

[Fuzzywuzzy]

You can always watch it on the cabin TV after the fact.

[monctonguy]

I agree that that show has changed., I couldn't believe it was an afternoon show on our last cruise on Freedom. I want to say it wasn't even on our Liberty cruise, but that was a short 3 day cruise. And on our cruise before that, it was not very well attended or that well done at all.

 

We brought 2 new couples to cruising  on  Freedom and had talked about how much fun and crazy the Love and Marriage show can be. Was disappointed to miss it, as afternoon on a cruise in the south during wintertime, is NOT when i want to be in the theater for a show.

That being said, the CD makes a  big difference when it comes to that type of thing for sure. After having Marc "Bing Bong" CD for my first 4 or 5 cruises, i was spoiled as he is everywhere, all the time with lots going on and energy.