Have You Bought Art on a Cruise Ship?
 

Hello,

I'm wondering if any of you have purchased art at one of the auctions aboard a cruise ship.

I'm writing an article for Cruise Critic and would love to talk with travelers who have actually bought a piece of art.

If you'd be willing to answer a few questions, please send me a private message.

Thanks!

Andrea

More to the point, I would never cruise on a ship with art/jewelry for sale.

Jane,

Have you cruised on a ship recently that didn't have an art auction? I'm only finding a few lines that don't offer this diversion and would love to talk with a few cruise execs about why they don't support art auctions at sea. Thanks!

Andrea

Currently I sail on Seabourn and they certainly do not have art sales. From anything I have ever read, the art is over-valued and who would cruise to buy art on a ship? But I also find the Seabourn gift shops over-valued, although well-appointed.

Are you talking about real auctions such as the ones I normally either go to at established houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, &c. or something designed for passengers that won't exactly be covered in the New York Times report on the auction season. :confused:

Thanks, Jane!

Jspira, the auctions aboard some cruise lines are run by Park West Gallery (although Princess runs its own auction house for its ships). I haven't come across any cruise line working with auctioneers like Christie's, Sotheby's, or Bonhams.

The type of art being showcased and sold runs the gamut from Peter Max to Thomas Kincaide to animation cells, etc.

Thanks, Andrea. The company seems rather mass market and, based on its Web site, it doesn't really seem to sell anything (how can I put this gently) "important" - much more mass market to a mass audience, it would appear.

But to return to your original query, I do seem to recall that a friend of mine purchased something on a ship, it might have been at an auction, so I will ask and if it was and he is willing to talk about it, I will be happy to let you know. Good luck with the piece.

I also cruise on Seabourn and it is very clear why they don't do this. My bet is they would lose a lot of their customers (including me) if they started such a low end over priced time wasting activity. These overpriced "auctions" don't quite have the appeal to people who attend onboard lectures by former US ambassadors, etc.
I wonder how u are writing an article if u are surprised that there are lines that don't use these company's (not meant as a personal attack).

Every cruise I have been on has featured an "Art Auction". The "art" is mostly prints or production line bad paintings typically seen over motel room beds. I haven't attended a full auction, but have often walked through the auction area and paused for a few minutes to observe.

Never have I seen a piece sold. What I have observed is the "auctioneer" introducing a piece with a long, fluffy speech and a ridiculous price (like, say $1500 for a Thomas Kincaid print), gradually lower the price to maybe $500 and then, when no one "bids", retire the piece as "unsold". Typically, there are 20-30 older people sitting listlessly about sipping the free (dirt cheap) "champagne" that was used to entice them to attend.

I have often wondered why the cruise line continue since little, if anything seems to sell. Most pax that i have chatted with find the "art" tacky and unappealling and the "auctions" a rip off.

I have never seen a piece onboard that I would be interested in owning. But, if I did, I would assume that I could get the same print or painting copy much more cheaply by shopping around at home.

With a little googling, you can find many stories from unhappy purchasers who arrived home to find the "art" they purchased is worthless. I am amazed that they ever thought otherwise, but apparently some pax fall for the "auctioneer's" representations that the pieces have sky high "appraised" values.

Seems to be a lot of negativity on this subject....

My wife and I have purchased art aboard a couple of Princess cruises and it's not just prints and posters and the finger paintings of second graders. Princess has had original works by the most famous of artists.

We hadn't intended to buy art on a cruise ship but checked it out, slopped down a couple of gallons of that dirt cheap champagne, liked some of what we saw, and ultimately bought limited edition Michael Godards, a Viktor Shvaiko, and a couple of Sharie Hatchett Bohlmanns.

At the end of the day, if it's something that you like and that you want, buy it. It hangs in our house primarily for our enjoyment and others need not be burdened by having to gaze upon it.

As to pricing, it was certainly more than competitive with what one could have bought them for on "land".

Andrea, I will respond to your PM hopefully later today.

It's good to hear a positive report. You are right, the art is for your enjoyment, not mine.
I should think Andrea would get a better response over on the CC Forums.

I just googled up websites selling pieces by artists mentioned above--Yes, those prints looked quite similar to the sort of things being being auctioned on Holland America and Celebrity cruises.
The only other art I have seen as these auctions is a huge number of prints of famous works.
Apparently, there is a market for them.

This is very entertaining article on cruise ship art auctions: http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2006...art-of-piracy/

More disturbing, here is a list of articles detailing lawsuits against cruise ship art auctions:
http://www.fineartregistry.com/artic...estigation.php

and another:
http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/p...ctions/96251/1

Celebrity is no longer associated with Park West Galleries. Must be they had one too many complaints and/or legal situations:eek:

On one of our early cruises we did buy a couple of lower-priced pieces (signed and numbered prints), simply because we enjoyed them (Benfields). They were relatively inexpensive and we have not regretted the purchases. But, I am sure that would not have been any cheaper on eBay. (I've looked.)

One of the problems mentioned in the articles I linked is that many of the "signed and numbered" prints have turned out to be fakes-- that is run off on good quality copy machines with forged signatures. In one case, an artist is sueing Princess because that cruise line was selling thousands of faked prints "signed" by this artist (sold to the cruise line by a woman on parole for other frauds).

I would never buy from a cruise ship - if I want a simple print, I'll go to a local store, if I want art, I try to find the artist's gallery so I know what I am getting.