CURRENT CRUISE DIRECTORS

[jen2020]

Does anybody know who the current cruise directors are on p&o at the moment? Thinking of a winter break on one of the ships but the entertainment wasn't the best last time...

[Cristaltips]

Don’t think the quality is very good recently whoever the cruise director is. I’m fed up of the same old acts and repeats of Headliners shows. Wish they’d shake up the entertainment a bit.

[jen2020]

I know it needs a shake up, but the cruise director definitely makes a difference.  We went on the Britannia and that seemed better than the other ships.  Just wondering who cruise director is on the Ventura, Oceana and Oriana at the moment as they are the ships we are looking at?

[tartanexile81]

Lots of the Headliner shows have changed this year so that has made a difference cristaltips

[jeanlyon]

I don't think the Cruise Director makes a scrap of difference.  Just wish they wouldn't do the Butlins "is everybody happy?".  Wave your arms.  YUK

[FangedRose]

The Entertainment Manager (hasn't been Cruise Director for many years, they got fed up of being blamed for any little thing to do with the cruise) does make a difference. Especially if you partake in the daytime activities. They decide how events are run and by whom. A good manager keeps an active eye on how their staff are running the deck games and quizzes etc. In my experience things are better run, by a 'good' Entertainment Manager. 

As an example in Battle of the Sexes the game was being run by a pair who more interested in organising their own social lives than getting answers from the teams, and allowed 'banter' between the teams to turn nasty. This meant that the game dragged on and numbers partaking dropped rapidly after the first day or two. One day the Entertainment Manager passed through the venue and obviously observed what was happening. The next day the whole atmosphere had changed, and the manager made a point of 'passing through' at every session. 

This would not have happened with a more laissez faire approach that some of the managers take. 

[daiB]

Sorry but the entertainment on any ship has little to do with the Cruise Director. As all the shows and acts are arranged by Southampton. He CD simply has to work with what he is given.

 

As we cruise very regularly and on all the ships it is clear that the same acts appear on most of the ships. However Azura and Ventura tend to get more as they have more venues. Both of these ships tend to get more tribute acts.

 

Britannia has the advantage of the Limelight Club.

 

Arcadia on the other hand has only one suitable venue. The Globe being not fit as a show lounge.

[Cristaltips]

We once had an appalling act called “The Totties” and the theatre practically emptied as they were so bad. When passengers complained and asked the Ents Manager who on earth vetted these acts, we were told that nobody from P & O did and they were just put forward by their agents. Have never seen them on a subsequent cruise! 

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, Cristaltips said:

We once had an appalling act called “The Totties” and the theatre practically emptied as they were so bad. When passengers complained and asked the Ents Manager who on earth vetted these acts, we were told that nobody from P & O did and they were just put forward by their agents. Have never seen them on a subsequent cruise! 

They might be put forward by their agents but they would not be booked "blindly" without being checked by somebody at head office in Southampton if its the first time they have appeared on P&O.

[Cristaltips]

Well, that’s what we were told by John Bertram!! 

[terrierjohn]

We had  Giovanni, a new Italian Entertainment manager as our table host at the Caribbean luncheon on Azura recently, and he certainly indicated that he was heavily involved in the choice of the acts on board and whether they got repeat bookings. I definitely got the impression that he could veto an act if he felt they were not up to scratch.

[daiB]

50 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

We had  Giovanni, a new Italian Entertainment manager as our table host at the Caribbean luncheon on Azura recently, and he certainly indicated that he was heavily involved in the choice of the acts on board and whether they got repeat bookings. I definitely got the impression that he could veto an act if he felt they were not up to scratch.

 

Correct and I have seen this happen a few times but they have little input in the original booking.

[Cristaltips]

25 minutes ago, daiB said:

 

Correct and I have seen this happen a few times but they have little input in the original booking.

Which would bear out what we were told about them being booked via their agents. Doubt Totties ever performed for P &O again! 

[majortom10]

3 hours ago, Cristaltips said:

Well, that’s what we were told by John Bertram!! 

You may well have been told that by John Bartram but think he might have meant that the Entertainment Managers have no control who is booked on cruises. It is all done and arranged by P&O at head office and I can assure you they would not book anyone without having them vetted before. 

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

We had  Giovanni, a new Italian Entertainment manager as our table host at the Caribbean luncheon on Azura recently, and he certainly indicated that he was heavily involved in the choice of the acts on board and whether they got repeat bookings. I definitely got the impression that he could veto an act if he felt they were not up to scratch.

Yes that is the Entertainment Managers job to report back to Head Office which acts were good or those that were not well received and depending on his report is whether Head Office book them again.

[majortom10]

P&O use a number of agencies and some of the agencies have a number of acts that are used by P&O. Some have been appearing for many years with P&O and other Carnival cruise ships leaving Southampton. We have seen many acts on P&O that we have also seen on Princess and Cunard.

[Eglesbrech]

3 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

P&O use a number of agencies and some of the agencies have a number of acts that are used by P&O. Some have been appearing for many years with P&O and other Carnival cruise ships leaving Southampton. We have seen many acts on P&O that we have also seen on Princess and Cunard.

 

Yes the same acts tend to do the rounds across the fleets, it can get a bit boring.

 

There used to be bigger names on the cruise ships in years gone by but then the cost of a cruise is much cheaper now so there will not be the money available for higher quality/ more expensive acts and bands. The Limelight on Britannia has some of the type of “names” that used to be on as standard in the main entertainment venues.

 

I do think that a good entertainment manager can make a real difference to how well the daily schedules run and the general professionalism of the team even if they don’t personally select the acts.

[kalos]

I was looking for P&O cruise video's on You Tube and came across an ex- P&O assistant cruise director

who claims it's turning into Butlins. Sour grapes or axe to grind ? I don't know of him so how much is accurate I would not know.

What I do know is that I hope he is wrong when he says P&O will continue going down hill when it comes to entertainment.

What he has to say will have no effect on my cruise enjoyment.

Not sure if it would be fair putting a link on this site so will leave you guys to seek it out, not that hard to find as its very recent, Should you wish to view it.

Edited December 9, 2018 by kalos

[chrisg1uk]

My knowledge is from the other side.  The professionalism of the Ents Manager makes the world of difference to those booked to work on the ship.   A good one is there for you when you need their help,  will feed back on how things are going and generally  make the acts time on ship as good as it can be.  They work on the basis that the acts will do better if they are happy.   As with most jobs there are also some that are are less effective.           

[Balernocalling]

On ‎12‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 4:41 PM, jen2020 said:

I know it needs a shake up, but the cruise director definitely makes a difference.  We went on the Britannia and that seemed better than the other ships.  Just wondering who cruise director is on the Ventura, Oceana and Oriana at the moment as they are the ships we are looking at?

According to the Moments  magazine  Oriana has Elaine Hussey 9Dec-10 Feb  , Hugh Taylor 10Feb - 11 May.  Ventura has Alexander Percival 7Nov - 4 Jan , Natalie Milverton 4Jan - 5 May. Oceana has Christopher Reynolds 4 Oct - 10 Jan  and Leon De St Croix from  10 Jan - 4 Apr.

None of this is written in stone because changes can happen  from when the magazine was published. Hope this helps.

[J.E.C]

1 hour ago, Balernocalling said:

According to the Moments  magazine  Oriana has Elaine Hussey 9Dec-10 Feb  , Hugh Taylor 10Feb - 11 May.  Ventura has Alexander Percival 7Nov - 4 Jan , Natalie Milverton 4Jan - 5 May. Oceana has Christopher Reynolds 4 Oct - 10 Jan  and Leon De St Croix from  10 Jan - 4 Apr.

None of this is written in stone because changes can happen  from when the magazine was published. Hope this helps.

Hope it is Elaine on Oriana - might get Zumba!

[jen2020]

23 hours ago, Balernocalling said:

helps

Thanks for this. I haven't got the Moments magazine.  Who does it say the cruise director is on the Ventura after May and also on the Azura at the monent and then rest of year please?

[tartanexile81]

The entertainment is a big part of our cruise and the Ents manager is important i. Natalie Milverton was our Ents manager on Ventura last Winter and she was really high profile around the ship so the other Ents Officers followed her lead. She ran the choir and Zumba and she was eve a backing dancer for one of the guest singers. Never too busy to speak to you and was a big help organising our social media meet-up. 

[jen2020]

On 12/10/2018 at 11:56 AM, Balernocalling said:

According to the Moments  magazine  Oriana has Elaine Hussey 9Dec-10 Feb  , Hugh Taylor 10Feb - 11 May.  Ventura has Alexander Percival 7Nov - 4 Jan , Natalie Milverton 4Jan - 5 May. Oceana has Christopher Reynolds 4 Oct - 10 Jan  and Leon De St Croix from  10 Jan - 4 Apr.

None of this is written in stone because changes can happen  from when the magazine was published. Hope this helps.

Thanks for this. I haven't got the Moments magazine.  Who does it say the cruise director is on the Ventura after May and also on the Azura at the monent and then rest of year please?

 

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[Balernocalling]

2 hours ago, jen2020 said:

Thanks for this. I haven't got the Moments magazine.  Who does it say the cruise director is on the Ventura after May and also on the Azura at the monent and then rest of year please?

There is no information for after 5 May on Ventura.

James Charter is on Azura from26 Nov -11 Jan

Giovanni Charps is on Azura  from 11 Jan - 26 Mar.

No further information available after those dates.

 

Hope this helps.

Cheers.