I'd say Yes, a good CD can impact positively on a cruise. On our first ever cruise, 14 years ago, on the brand new Indy, we had Ken Rush. I know he's loved and hated equally on CC but we loved everything he did.
We've had a few good 'uns since - Marc Walker, Joff Eaton, who have helped make our cruises memorable, and of course we've had a few instantly forgettable CDs.