There are shows &

I can’t help getting up early to watch the sun rise, and as we were on the starboard side of the ship, and we were heading north, photographing the above from our balcony was compulsory.

Each evening at 7.30pm was showtime, if you missed the 7.30 pm show it was repeated at 9.30 pm.

I believe that the theatre can seat 922 people, but we always tried to take a seat no later than 7.10 pm. The shows were popular and mostly very professional.

Sadly, we and many others have walked out of two shows – once on the Coral Princess and once on the Majestic Princess. At both times the act was a ‘comedian’ a female on the Coral Princess and male on the Majestic Princess.
The language was ‘clean’ but the delivery was atrocious. In both cases the comedians used notes as memory jogger and tried  to include the first couple of rows of the audience in to his/her act.
This procedure would work for a pub or small auditorium with a close relationship to the audience, but not in a large theatre where those on stage cannot see beyond the first few rows.
Life on a cruise ship is too short to be polite and tolerate a poor performance when there is plenty of alternative entertainment onboard.

Neither of the failed comics were seen again after the ship left the next port.

On the next night it was time for ‘American Juke Box’ Mikey Vatano

He is a saxophonist, a piano player & a singer. He was very popular.

When it was time for the most popular entertainment, which was Production Shows, one had to make sure you were in the best seat that you could find. People had books to help pass the time and of course most would not be seen dead without a phone in their hand.

  Production show time with the Princess dancers/ singers. Beautiful voices and great dancing, a very professional show. The above pic doesn’t do them justice.

The following night Grant Galea – a singer who was able to sing sounding like Frank Sinatra, Dean Marin, Sammy Davis, Bobby Darin and a few others that I have forgotten. His impression / singing as Dean Martin was good.
Grant Galea

Next night another production show Fiera packed in the audiences.

The following evening was time for a female singer. 

                                                               Katheryn Relf

This entertainer concentrated of Freddy Mercury’s music -she could belt them out but did not try and imitate Freddie.

A change of pace and style for the next evening.

Anna Stephens

A beautiful voice, she sang opera and pieces from various shows – click on her name and you will have a choice of songs that she sings.

We were getting close to our last night of the ten-day cruise and this evenings show was a mix of Grant Galea & Kathryn Relf. I think we were told that they are an ‘item’.

The last production show called Fantastic Journey – once again I couldn’t fault the dancers & singers – very professional, and enjoyable. 

and part of the show joined the passengers . . . can’t remember what the costumed dancers were supposed to be . . .  

On our final evening it was Stephen Fisher-King, I think he joined the ship in Brisbane, our last port of call before Sydney.

Stephen Fisher-King

The cruise was a ten-night cruise, but we always seem to take too many clothes, just in case – perhaps it is the Pom in us that we grew up with the idea of covering all weathers. Those who have experienced an English summer will know what I mean.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge can still be photographed at 6.00 am.

Afterall it is one of the best shows in town.