Help me out! Favourite Princess activities

[jimbo87]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have a last-minute job interview tomorrow with a recruiter for a Junior Assistant Cruise Director role with Princess! I've cruised before, but only with Royal Caribbean (don't blame me, I was with my family!). My background is in musical theatre, and I've done lots of event hosting.

 

I need some help! Please tell me about your favourite activities that involve the cruise director's staff! I'm looking for names and details of games, shows, and other activities, along with venue names and other Princess-specific details. Any help or tips you can provide would be appreciated! What do you love about Princess?

 

Happy Cruising!

Jim Proudfoot

[joeyancho]

Find some copies of the Patters. They list all the activities.

Good luck

[MountainPrincess]

I love Princess cruises!! I never post, but I wish you well. Just be yourself! I love all the events that princess puts on. What I like most is a cruise director who engages passengers. Takes an interest , talks to passengers. Gets input about what passengers enjoy. If you are excited about the event or activity, they will be. A smile, a hi how are you, goes a long way. Good luck ! I have many cruises coming up and hope to see your inviting, happy, excited face.

[MarkSeattle]

I don't think they're going to expect you to know the names of venues and shows.

 

They should be looking at your personality and that you can sing and dance since you've been in musical theater, how you well you work with other people and work a crowd, etc.

 

The CD staff does everything from hosting games in the pool, bingo, the newlywed game, karaoke, trivia, teaching a passenger group a line dance or a chorus song, etc.

[FirstCruiseBeth]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have a last-minute job interview tomorrow with a recruiter for a Junior Assistant Cruise Director role with Princess! I've cruised before, but only with Royal Caribbean (don't blame me, I was with my family!). My background is in musical theatre, and I've done lots of event hosting.

 

I need some help! Please tell me about your favourite activities that involve the cruise director's staff! I'm looking for names and details of games, shows, and other activities, along with venue names and other Princess-specific details. Any help or tips you can provide would be appreciated! What do you love about Princess?

 

Happy Cruising!

Jim Proudfoot

 

Hi Jim

We enjoyed the stargazing activity on our Panama canal cruise. It was around 10.30pm and the Asst CD and a couple of other staff took a group of about 30 of us on one of the upper outside decks (can't remember which) and all unessential lights in that area were turned off for a while. The Asst CD used an app on his tablet to point out various stars with a laser pointer and we all wore headsets so we could hear what he was saying. There was also a member of the navigation crew answering questions which was really interesting.

 

 

As non dancers we enjoyed the ballroom class held at lunch time on sea days in the Wheelhouse Bar on the same cruise. A different dance each day so it didn't matter if you had missed previous sessions. The CD staff (shame on me for not remembering their names) made it simple enough for us to feel we could make a decent attempt at the dance by the end of the class.

 

 

Good luck with the interview!

[easyboy]

Aside from the production shows, my wife likes the dancing lessons and bingo. Good luck!

[wishfulone]

Love Trivia. A good CD is happy, friendly, considerate and doesn't need to tell smutty jokes. Most importantly they treat all passengers as equally important regardless of appearance, nationality, colour, creed, participation in activities or ability to communicate. Be kind to all. Good luck with the interview.

[skynight]

Jr. Ass't's run activities like

Trivia - teams of 6, normally 20 general questions. Always come prepared with tie breaker questions. Tie breakers are best when they are a number. One simple example, the percentage of people in the world that are left handed. Over time you have to make up your own quizzes. You need lots of them because many passengers do b2b cruises and are frequent Princess cruisers. These passengers do not like repeat questions.

 

Theme parties - Country/Western, Disco, Rock & Roll

 

Silly games like the egg drop, closest to the pin putting.

 

Zumba - Princess will have to qualify you to lead this very popular activity. Are you fit?

 

And of course, karaoke. Learn a few karaoke songs for fill ins or warm ups.

 

Most of all it is personality. The best staff are the ones that can interact easily and comfortably with passengers even in difficult circumstances.

[lola2013]

MountainPrincess said it best...be yourself and show yourself! The best cruise directors are personable and spend time with the passengers. On my most recent cruise (sorry, it was another line), the cruise director was everywhere and seemingly tireless. She made a great impression...I think I want to be her when I grow up!!!

 

I'll be on the Caribbean Princess next March...good luck & hope to see you there!!!

[jasbo49]

I always sign up for the Princess Pop Choir. Your musical background would come in handy here. The participants (maybe 15-30 of them) meet on sea days to rehearse 5 or 6 songs, then perform in the atrium on the last sea day (usually). Sweet Caroline, Blue Bayou, stuff like that.

 

This is run by a member of the CD's staff, and that person's personality can make a big difference in how enjoyable it is.

 

Jim

[Micahs Grandad]

Yes/no game is a lot of fun

 

Trivia hosting

[jwattle]

We are looking forward to the immersion programs that Princess does for our Hawaii and Mexican Riviera cruises, things like hula and lei making classes.

[Northern Light]

Hi Jim, good luck with your interview. Love trivia especially and participate in pop choirs. Being on the cruise director's staff is a challenging one IMHO. For the most part, you will meet absolutely wonderful passengers but unfortunately, as in life in general, there are those who will not be that pleasant. You have to have the ability to let it all roll off your back. It is not easy being "up" all the time. Interaction with the passengers is a must. If you are enjoying yourself, the passengers will respond and everyone will have a great time. Agree that your interview will likely focus more on your personality and what you can bring to the Princess experience. You are wise to do your research as to what passengers enjoy and also the Princess brand. All the best.

 

Sandy :)

[Shelly97060]

You don't see it much anymore but I like horse racing.

 

Passengers place small wagers ($2) on plywood ponies numbered 1-6. The horses are moved by cruise staff using rolls of the dice. It can be a lot of fun.

 

I like it best when played in a venue like the Princess Theater so we all can get a little crazy... The last time It was done on one of my cruises it was in the atrium and it didn't seem to be as much fun.

[partybarbie]

I really enjoyed "cocktail karaoke" on the Pacific Princess. The asst. cruise staff would host a special pre-dinner karaoke for those on late seating. Sometimes they would do "karaoke roulette". The audience calls out four random numbers, whatever song came up on the karaoke machine, the asst. cruise staff would sing it. It was hilarious. One evening, since it was near Christmas, we did all Christmas carols.

 

The other game we like is "champagne hoopla". You throw rings around the necks of champagne bottles. The first three passengers to ring the bottles got to keep them.

 

My last favorites is "bar wars". It's a drink making competition that is held poolside. It's men vs. women, and the object of game is who makes a better cocktail. The participants get to keep the drink they make. The bar staff is on hand to help out and show how to make the cocktails. It's really fun.

[Potstech]

Also be aware of the age of your passengers. They will be all over the spectrum and will like different things. Activities for those who are mobility challenged would be good to come up with. Keep sea days active for all and plan items for at night when the ship is departing. Also make sure the rest of the CD staff is outgoing and personnable. Not really fun when the CD is outgoing and the staff seems to have no real interest in activities. Good Luck on the job interview.

[john watson]

The trivia quizzes were made a lot more interesting by one of the ENTs team when he would add additional "questions" like If you give a crab a lot of alcohol to drink - will it walk forwards? and then said if I do not give the question a number it's not really in the quiz. He had loads of stuff to infill.

 

I think you need to get some new games and stuff for smaller groups that sometimes happen on port days. We have all done Pictionary in teams etc. How about a hat debate - everybody writes a topic on a piece of paper and names go in the hat. Then you do a 3 to 5 minute speech on topic and have a 3 minute question and answer spot at the end. Hilarious when people have to invent the whole speech due to total lack of knowledge on the topic. There must be loads of parlour games you could suggest.

 

regards John

[MJC]

I realize it's past your interview, and I hope it went well! But here's my 2 cents.

 

My favorite activity is Zumba on sea days. If I do Zumba I can eat as much as I want to. :) We also like to go dancing after dinner, not ballroom but in the disco or if a band is playing. On one of our cruises there wasn't anyplace for our large age group (50-65yrs) to go dance to music we like. There were other activities scheduled in Club Fusion and Explorers, and the disco was always playing house music even though the younger crowd didn't usually arrive til after 11:30pm.

 

Scheduling is important. If things like pop choir or ballroom dancing are scheduled during MDR lunch we always miss them.

 

I realize the CD is largely responsible for this, but they are not always out and about so you will be the face most passengers will see and be most likely to get comments about activities. Like Potstech said, there will be lots of different interests, so being observant and cheerful will go a long way.

[Cruise Raider]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have a last-minute job interview tomorrow with a recruiter for a Junior Assistant Cruise Director role with Princess! I've cruised before, but only with Royal Caribbean (don't blame me, I was with my family!). My background is in musical theatre, and I've done lots of event hosting.

 

I need some help! Please tell me about your favourite activities that involve the cruise director's staff! I'm looking for names and details of games, shows, and other activities, along with venue names and other Princess-specific details. Any help or tips you can provide would be appreciated! What do you love about Princess?

 

Happy Cruising!

Jim Proudfoot

 

Oh my goodness ... you've asked the right questions ... you're hired!!

We've loved the following activities:

- trivia

- horse racing with an auction and final prize for the best dressed horse at the end of the cruise

- pop choir

- pool games

- ukulele lessons

- ring toss in the piazza

- line dancing / rumba

- raffles

- newlywed game

 

 

Best of luck with the job interview. Hope you get it!!

[wishfulone]

Wonder how the interview went? Come back and let us know how you felt about it, and did we help?

[jimbo87]

Hi everybody!

 

Thanks so much for the information! It's been really helpful!

 

For starters, it made a big difference to study the Patters to get a feel for the type of activities that happen on Princess. It was helpful to know what activities everyone likes best. I also really appreciated everyone's comments on what makes a good cruise staff member (demeanour, etc.).

 

My interview went well, and I am now in the process of creating a video for the next round to showcase my skills.

 

Jim

[Thrak]

A great personality is probably the most important thing. We have had staff who were "meh" and others who were fantastic. I think our favorite person in the type of position you are seeking was named Matt. Sadly we never got his last name but anybody who has ever sailed with Matt would remember him. :) He is incredibly outgoing and about the most fun and funny guy we have ever met in cruise staff. He was incredibly good at his job and also just really fun to be around. It also helps that he seemed to be quite smart which made him even better at interacting with the passengers.

 

Best of luck with your interview. :D