How much impact does the Cruise Director have on enjoyment of a cruise?

[05mak05]

I used to think they had no impact but one cruise that I went on the CD was HILARIOUS!!! It was on the Freedom of the Seas in Jan 2008. I don't remember the guy's name, but he should have been a stand up comedian. And the whole team (his assistants) were all funny and looked like they were having a great time. And that made our vacation more enjoyable too.

 

Before every act he would talk about the days happening on the ship and add in little funny sayings. The marriage show was one of the funniest I've ever seen with all his joke antics, I almost peed in my pants from laughing sooo hard!:D

 

Normally I don't remember the CD but this guy was truely funny and made the whole trip really enjoyable.

You have perfectly described how we felt on the Rhapsody with Peter Benfield. It was one good belly laugh after another. We actually considered HIM the entertainment.

[sillysailor 1955]

On the NCL Dawn several years back the Cruise Director "Jimmy" was really fun and engaged the passengers in all the activities - but I have been on cruises where I don't even remember seeing the CD - in other words when they are good they are great when they're not you don't even notice:p

[travlnblueberries]

I'm not going to name ships, but the one cruise (before I was married) the CD came over to my friend and I as we were dancing, he start dancing with us, then bought us drinks, then our waiters from the MDR bought us drinks and start dancing with us. We were dancing till there were no people left in the room. We had a blast that night. *lol right now thinking of that cruise*

[bigmohes]

We have not had a whole lot of experience but my impressions so far are that a good cruise director will enhance the cruise experience. A mediocre cruise director or worse a non existent one will not hurt anything but your cruise will not be all it could be.

My favorite so far is Abe Hughes we were on his first cruise as a director and he was everywhere and everything ran smooth as silk. Always friendly and smiling.

[DanJ]

I always find the cruise staff are the ones that make or break it if you do choose to get involved in the games and such. The CD doesn't do these things, and as far as the work going in to scheduling this stuff, look at the daily schedules from week to week to month to month. How much difference is there? Some guy at a desk in head office can set this stuff up.

 

Our first cruise, on the old Westerdam, had a CD and an asst CD. Those guys did a lot of interaction at the various events. I would think smaller ships with fewer staff is where the quality of a CD can be obvious.

[orianagal]

from my experiences we have had alot of great CDs and some invisible ones who it seems dont ever come out yet you could say they were probably busy in their office organizing the cruise staff.

 

On one cruise there was a woman CD who was so full of their own identity it seemed that the whole cruise evolved around them. People were even saying is there a cruise director onboard !!??:p

 

Yet on Carnival they are so hard working all of the cruise entertainment staff just excellent, and even though the cruise was packed with alot of varied passengers, no one could doubt their abilities to entertain passengers.

Also RCCL Rhapsody Gosh they were fantastic. Excellent .

Cheers !!

[cruznjan]

Cruise directors don't affect a cruise, but I like them better when they take time to intermingle with the guests.

[grandmato4]

Doesn't make a great deal of difference to us who the cruise director is but its true that a good one that you enjoy hearing over the loud speaker and introducing entertainment and maybe speaking personally to because you do see them out and about the ship does give a good feeling to your cruise and maybe more importantly doesn't give one anything to complain about;) Having one that you find irritating to listen too has a tendency to mean that when you do have to hear their annoucements or they are introducing entertainment you are attending you do start complaining even if it is just to your DH.:(

 

The cruise director sets the tone for the entertainment staff. A director who is well respected and liked by his staff will always have a happier staff and a happy staff is always a good thing for pasengers. We wouldn't not sail on a ship because of a cruise director and don't pick a cruise just because of a cruise director but on the other hand if we were having a really hard time trying to decide between two different cruises and I knew a cruise director that I found really irritating (and there have been a few of them!) was on that sailing I'd choice to book the other one!:)

[Harry and Lucille]

The cruise director is the director of the parts of the circus that we want to participle in. No more, no less. Keep cruisers happy in the venues that are presented. The ring master. Tough job. Look at the elephants, look at the clown, etc. Up sell at any chance. Drinks, tours, specialty restaurants, auction, bingo, casino, and the list goes on. Other than the Captain??? I would not want that job.. Enjoy what they do. It is for us. Take it as it goes. Relax and do what you want to do. A cruise director will lead us to our best experience for our time. That is why they are there. Harry :cool:

[pinkie1]

OMG if anybody ever had the good fortune to have cruised on a ship with Richard Spacey as a cruise director on any of the RCCL ships you would know what an impact a good cruise director was. He is amazing and very very entertaining also very visible. I can't say enough he certainly made a lot of people remember him as their cruise director. I think you might be able to view a little of his talent on you tube if you search under his name. It is an event we enjoyed on our ship that he was on. Made everybody join in in the events on the ship. A real Treasure.

 

OMG!!! I just saw the Evolution of dance clip on You Tube and he is soooo funny! I hope I have the luck of sailing on one of his ships some day!

[trish1c]

The cruise director is usually involved in the stuff going on that we would pay good money to avoid. The only time the CD has had an impact was when s/he tried too hard to get us to do stuff we didn't want. We try very hard to avoid them when they are organizing group activities but we'll of course be gracious if introduced at the cc meet & greet. :)

[NCMtnBoys]

The CD for us does not really have that much of an impact our our cruise experience. We just returned today from sailing on Enchantment of the Seas. Other than hosting the nightly shows and a few game and all I didn't see him that much.

[luvmysox1]

I most definitely think they make a difference. They set the tone but you won't in enjoy their services unless you particapate in the activities. I have short experience in cruising but am hooked now. I loved my 1st cruise on Holiday with Steve as our CD. He was very funny. On Victory last may, we had "Wee Jimmy" he was good but his assistant where better. We enjoy the Fun Crew on all the Carnival Ships we have been on.

[BruceMuzz]

The Cruise Director has far more impact on your cruise than you would ever guess.

 

A month or so before your cruise begins, he is in touch with his counterparts at the coroprate office, arranging/deciding which entertainment acts will be onboard for your cruise. The discusssions center on the itinerary, the planned demographics, anticipated weather, past cruises in that area, and many other factors. If the cruise director is really good, he can predict the types of entertainment that will be appreciated by the majority of the cruisers sailing with you that week.

 

A week or so before your cruise begins, he sits down with the Hotel Manager and F&B Director to plan out the activities for your cruise. They decide dining times, based on many factors listed above, and then plan activities around those dining times. This is critical; a good CD works out the activities so that nearly everyone gets to seee them. A poor CD has you rusing through meals and still missing half the things you wanted to do.

 

Just before your cruise begins, the CD meets with his staff and plans day by day activities. He sets the tone for those activities and gets his staff pumped up (or not) for your cruise.

 

Every day he meets with the Hotel Manager and F&B Director to go over the success of yesterday's activities and to make fine adjustments for today's activities.

 

Some CDs are very visible/ others are not so much. Their personal style has just about everything to do with how smoothly and successfully the day to day operations of the ship impact your enjoyment of your cruise.

[Garyorient]

I could care less who CD was,, I rarely know or care . Seems you would be the type of person who attends lots of the "games" and activities he/she would run to make any difference. I get off the ship at ports, I go where my OWN research tells me( port talks on ships are totall wastes of time, just plugs for stores, tacky ) , on board, I hang by pool, read, watch movies, or see shows. Who the entertainers are matter to me,, not the host. who cares? I never buddy up to crew like some people like to either.

 

Word for word my thoughts.

I do maintain polite and friendly relations with the crew who are relevent to me, but no more than that.

[bplazo]

None, I do not do any activities on board. I have been to one or two shows but that is about it.

[ILoveScotland]

The cruise director makes no difference unless he/she is so "out there" with all that fake cheeriness as to be obnoxious. Then I'm annoyed but no more.

 

Don't play the games. Don't go to the shows. Don't do silly. Not opposed to others who do it, but not me.

 

I cruise to be on the sea and to relax.

[PROCRUISE]

The best cruise directors are those who stay OFF the PA system!!!!

[Leafpeeper]

We've been on many cruises and have only had 2 CD's that we didn't like.

One was a woman with an annoying voice. We tried to get to the production shows late every night so we wouldn't have to listen to her speak.

 

The other CD we didn't appreciate was on Explorer of the Seas a couple years ago when the Giants won the Superbowl on the first day of the cruise. Unfortunately, we were Patriots fans and had to endure the CD mentioning the Superbowl every night of the cruise--probably because our ship sailed from NJ. I finally told the CD that it is difficult to enjoy your cruise when the CD keeps reminding you that your team just lost the biggest game they will ever play.