Carnival Cruise Line cruise directors work with various department leaders to set the entertainment schedules on the ships.
Scheduling can be tricky as some choices force others. A parade that goes through the central areas of the ship, for example, might interfere with music or trivia being held in venues along the cruise path.
Or in some cases a musical act might not be scheduled during a party or other event because it would be challenging for passengers to get to the venue.
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In addition, when making a schedule, cruise directors have to think about filling the entire day. How late that is varies by cruise line.
Celebrity Cruises seems to finish most of its live music by midnight, if not earlier. Royal Caribbean has its Schooner Bar piano player and its pub guitarist play until 1 or 2 a.m., depending upon the night.
Usually, the solo guitarist at the British pub will begin at 8 or 9 p.m. and play until late night. The artist will take 15-minute breaks most hours, but on many nights the breaks for a dance party or musical performance on the Promenade will be longer.
Musicians are not magicians. They have to warm up and, generally, it's easier for them to have a performance block with no extended breaks.
Contractually, they can be scheduled for only so many hours, so that leaves the cruise director, who works with the music director, with some choices to make.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently responded to a question about his cruise line's piano bars and a potential change in their operating hours.
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Image source: Royal Caribbean
Carnival asked about piano bar hours
Heald received inquiries from multiple passengers him about changes to the hours for the piano bars on Carnival ships.
"Please address the piano bar opening time change with the powers that be," posted Jennifer Smith Lipscomb. "We do NOT want to have to wait up until 10 p.m.
"Not only that, but most of the crowd already leaves early, especially on days we’re in port early the next morning and on the last night. I also don’t want the really out-of-control drunks rolling in after 1 a.m. We like controlled drunks."
Debi Metcalfe seems even angrier about the change.
"What are The Beards thinking, or are they thinking?" she asked. "I have been made aware of a time change in the piano bars. Please tell me this isn't so. The piano bars are a significant part of my cruise experience, and if this is true, what a terrible idea.
"Are the Carnival Piano Bars going to have a new schedule that will go into effect tomorrow, changing the hours from 9 pm-1 pm to 10 pm-2 am, which is incredibly inconvenient for guests."
"The Beards" is Heald's term for Carnival's leadership. They do not generally set the times for entertainment on the ship.
"The crowds at the [piano bars] tend to skew older people who aren't exactly known for their late-night partying," Metcalfe added. "I go on cruises because of the piano bars and am often there when the last song is played.
"However, I will not make it until 2 am on nights before I get up early the next day for excursions, or possibly any night. I am sure there will be many others who feel this way."
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Carnival explains how piano bar hours are set
Heald made clear that he did not believe this was a companywide change.
"I don’t know where you’re hearing this. Thank you so much for letting me know, but I’ve not been told anything so I wouldn’t believe it to be correct at this time, " he wrote. "And certainly, it’s not something that we would do across the board. That means not on every ship."
Heald did explain, however, why some ships may adopt later piano bar hours.
"When I was working as a cruise director, I would always open the piano at 10 until 2 as that late-night crowd needed somewhere to go," he added. "Anyway, I will check in if this is correct I will come back and let you know."
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He also pointed out the challenge of having to serve thousands of people.
"There are a lot of people saying lots of different things about what time is good for them and as always, you’ll never never going to have the perfect time for everyone," Heald wrote. "But let me speak with my colleagues today in Miami and see what their thoughts are and then I’ll write something a little bit later today."
Heald later posted an update.
"I’m getting lots of questions and comments about piano bar opening times. I don’t know anything at this time so please don’t ask me because I obviously have a big time difference between here and Miami so I need to find out the opening times and if they have been changed," he said.
Heald is based in England.
Dan's note: I tend to close the pub or the Schooner Bar on Royal Caribbean ships (and often have a drink with the performer after). I generally prefer a 1 a.m. end, but an intense fear of missing out (FOMO) usually keeps me up until the final song. On Celebrity, because the music ends earlier, I'm more likely to close my night in the casino, which is not always a good idea.
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