There are countless activities to try on a cruise ship, from ice-skating to surfing simulators, but perhaps no activity is as controversial as the onboard art auction.
Most mass-market cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line, offer art auctions on any given sailing. These auctions are held by Park West Gallery, a commercial art gallery claiming to be the world’s largest art dealer. The gallery partners with cruise lines, working with over 90 ships around the world.
These auctions are popular among art collectors onboard, but also with non-collectors, too. Some attendees don’t plan to purchase artwork, but flock to the auction for complimentary glasses of champagne provided to all participants.
Despite the free champagne, art auctions on cruise ships aren’t without controversy. Many cruisers find the auctions deceptive, with predatory sales tactics and questionable art values. Others, of course, love purchasing art to add to their collection.
I wanted to see for myself what a cruise ship art auction is really like, so I attended the art auction on my recent Royal Caribbean cruise. As expected, the auction had somewhat of a scammy atmosphere, but I also enjoyed learning more about the world of art.
Park West Gallery has a lackluster reputation, and the company is no stranger to lawsuits
For better or worse, Park West Gallery is most known for selling art on cruise ships. Even though the gallery has several land-based locations in cities like Las Vegas and New York, it’s most notable for its presence on cruise ships.
Yet in the 30 years since the gallery began selling art on cruises, it has gained a subpar reputation amongst cruisers and the general public.
Park West has faced a number of lawsuits over the years, with dissatisfied buyers claiming the gallery heavily inflates the value of artwork, and that the gallery sells mass productions of works while marketing the pieces as one-of-a-kind.
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Additionally, even the art studio of Peter Max, one of the gallery’s signature artists, filed a lawsuit against them. The studio, ALP Inc., claimed Park West engaged in an unauthorized transaction of 23,000 of Max’s high-valued pieces.
Clearly, the gallery’s reputation is less than stellar.
I was skeptical of attending the art auction, but I wanted to keep an open mind
After learning about Park West’s reputation, I was, frankly, intrigued. How could a company with such a poor reputation be present on so many cruise ships? I wanted to see for myself what the art auction was really like.
Although skeptical, I wanted to keep an open mind. During my cruise, I walked past the art gallery several times, and a few pieces caught my eye. The gallery may not have a great reputation, but that doesn’t mean the artwork isn’t made by talented artists.
Arriving at the auction, I was faced with sales pressure almost immediately
The day of the auction soon arrived, and I headed to the event, which was held in the ship’s comedy club.
Immediately after arriving, I was asked to register. Registering is free, and by doing so I received a bid card and earned entries into raffles for free giveaways during the auction.
While waiting for the doors to open, Park West employees began introducing themselves to attendees, hoping to learn more about their art style and purchasing potential. Since I didn’t plan to purchase artwork, I hid in the corner to avoid this unwanted sales pressure.
Once inside, the sales pressure was intense
The doors opened 30 minutes after registration began, and I sat in the middle of the room. Around 40 other passengers were in attendance. Considering there were over 5,500 passengers onboard my ship, this number seemed quite small.
The auctioneer began with an overview of how the auction worked, and he showed urgency whenever possible. “This is your time for maximum savings,” he exclaimed.
We were also briefed about the Park West Collectors Credit Card, which allows buyers to finance artwork. I found this slightly concerning and somewhat predatory to passengers who may not be able to afford expensive artwork in the first place.
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For 20 minutes, passengers were instructed to walk around the room and place sticky notes on artwork they wanted to see brought to the stage. While browsing, I noticed that many pieces appeared to be replicas of artwork I’ve seen on other cruise ships, but there was no mention of this by the Park West employees.
I was surprised to see passengers bidding thousands of dollars on artwork—one piece was set at $140,000
When the auction officially began, I was surprised that so many of my fellow passengers were bidding substantial amounts of money on artwork. While the most expensive work, priced at a whopping $140,000, didn’t sell, passengers spent thousands of dollars left and right.
The sales tactics used were shockingly impressive… and not in a good way.
Because the auction's pace was so rapid, there was no time to properly research such a large purchase before bidding. Given that previous buyers have complained to Park West about exaggerated artwork values, I wouldn't blindly trust their valuations of the works.
I was taken aback by the high sales pressure, with Park West employees sitting near passengers and hoping to help them bid. I regretted sitting in the middle of the room and wished I had picked a more nonchalant location.
Nonetheless, I did enjoy learning more about the world of art. Before bidding began on each piece, the auctioneer gave an explanation of the artists’ work, and it was fascinating to learn about various art techniques and styles.
If you came just for free champagne, you had to wait an hour
Some cruisers attend onboard art auctions for the sole purpose of receiving a complimentary glass of champagne. I assumed the champagne would be handed out near the start of the auction, but to my surprise, it happened an hour after the event began.
Crowds diminished shortly after the champagne was handed out. Soon after, the raffle began, and passengers won prizes like discounts at the spa and “free” pieces of art. Although advertised as free, the prized artwork requires guests to pay shipping costs, and the artwork arrives unframed.
At this point, everything felt like a scam, and I couldn’t wait for the auction to be over.
There’s nothing wrong with buying an art piece you like, but you shouldn’t view it as an investment
At the end of the day, there’s nothing inherently wrong with purchasing art on cruise ships. Some artwork is undeniably beautiful, and not every piece is priced outrageously high.
If I saw a piece I really loved, I would consider purchasing it at the right price, but I would definitely research the work beforehand to make sure I knew what I was buying.
What I find problematic, however, is the idea that artwork from Park West Gallery is viewed as an investment. Many of the works are reproductions, and there’s no easy way to fact-check the value of artwork during the bidding process.
If a passenger is simply looking for a quality piece of artwork for their home, there’s nothing wrong with attending the art auction. Those hoping to use the art as an investment, on the other hand, should probably think twice before bidding.
Jenna DeLaurentis
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while in port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
