Curious why the interest in cruise director

[YoPhilly]

I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship.  In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director.  Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? 😃

[RD64]

I agree - you are not missing anything at all. Not sure what the fascination is with the CD.

[pinotlover]

There are enthusiastic and adamant Trivia players on these boards. Some CD’s are better at running Trivia than others. We’re with those that could care less who any of the officers are. 

[shepherd really]

Good, it's not just me that doesn't care.  😄

[GeezerCouple]

Just now, shepherd really said:

Good, it's not just me that doesn't care.  😄

 

You absolutely are not!

😉 

 

[lj77346]

Same here - as long as "Captain Speaking" can get us safely from port to port, we're happy.

[Orator]

My experience is mainly with Celebrity.The CD is in charge of all the entertainment.Some CDs can influence who the cruise invites to be on their ship. CDs may influence how you feel about the cruise experience. I don’t know the experience on Oceania, but excited to see for myself.

[pinotlover]

27 minutes ago, Orator said:

My experience is mainly with Celebrity.The CD is in charge of all the entertainment.Some CDs can influence who the cruise invites to be on their ship. CDs may influence how you feel about the cruise experience. I don’t know the experience on Oceania, but excited to see for myself.

Since Oceania is a relatively small line with smaller ships, as compared to the overall industry, you will find that most things are tightly ran out of Miami. The individual ships, and their officers, have minimal control on how things are ran aboard ship.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, pinotlover said:

Since Oceania is a relatively small line with smaller ships, as compared to the overall industry, you will find that most things are tightly ran out of Miami. The individual ships, and their officers, have minimal control on how things are ran aboard ship.

Your observation about Oceania may be true, but not for the reason you suggest.  

 

Celebrity is a larger line with larger ships, but it is tightly controlled out of Miami.  Azamara used to part of the same group and fits your description of a 'relatively small line with smaller ships' – and it was never tightly controlled by Miami.  

 

It makes more sense that NCL, because of its larger ships, would need to be tightly controlled to have a uniform experience among the vast number of employees.  Oceania and Regent should each have their own culture (very different from NCL), and at their price point part of that culture should be giving the shipboard officers more latitude to cater to passengers' wishes.

[LHT28]

Some CD's  are better  than others 

some talk too much on the public system & we would like to avoid those  ones

But  we  go for the  itinerary so have to take the good with the bad 🙂

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

29 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Some CD's  are better  than others 

some talk too much on the public system & we would like to avoid those  ones

But  we  go for the  itinerary so have to take the good with the bad 🙂

 

I agree on both counts.  Some CDs are actually good performers in their own right, and different CDs have different ideas about how much reminding passengers need.  But itinerary trumps all...

[ToxM]

It’s nice to find out beforehand but it makes little difference to us apart from knowing a little while in advance (usually well after full payment date - so we can so dnothing about it lol) whether we are going to get storytime and reading and comprehension lessons at 5pm every day.

[PhD-iva]

I have thought of one area where the cruise Director can have a meaningful impact on my enjoyment of a cruise. I was talking to one of the guest lecturers who was on the Regent Mariner itinerary last month. I mentioned that I was not able to attend his lectures because most of them interfered with the bridge lessons in the morning or with the afternoon duplicate play. He mentioned that his schedule was set by the cruise Director and sometimes he didn’t know until the day before when his next lecture would be scheduled. 
yes, it was very difficult to decide among the many activities on offer as to where to go/what to do! 🤪 Usually bridge trumped all others!

[MEFIowa]

13 hours ago, YoPhilly said:

I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship.  In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director.  Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD?

Each one is a bit unique. In what they do and how they do it.

 

On Riviera 12/21 the CD Paul hosted a Veterans' get together early in the cruise. Made a big impression on me as I met about 34 veterans there and would know a bit about them on the cruise as I ran into them on the ship. On Sirena 11/22 when I asked her about one, CD Dottie did NOT plan on hosting any such Veterans' gathering. BUT she did help me self-host one. We had about 23 or so show up. Dottie also conducted the inter-denominational Christian prayer services on our 2 Sundays and Thanksgiving.

 

So my impressions of both are quite positive.

[davencl]

Generally I don't care but my comment applies to not only CD but bartender, butler, concierge etc.   You get that one special engaging person and it's a delight to be in their company.   

[pete_coach]

21 hours ago, YoPhilly said:

I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship.  In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director.  Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? 😃

As well as asking who the Captain and other crew members are. No one ever asks who the Captain of the aircraft they are flying on is LOL

In other threads where folks are asking about crew members, it seems the people posting like to be recognized by a crew member, even down to cabin attendants and bar tenders. Even if a crew member feigns recognition, it would surprise me if they actually knew (unless they are exceptional tippers LOL). They get 1200 or so new folks every week for the duration of their contract.

I am with you, peoples obsession with crew members is odd.

Edited December 1, 2022 by pete_coach

[MEFIowa]

14 hours ago, pete_coach said:

... In other threads where folks are asking about crew members, it seems the people posting like to be recognized by a crew member, even down to cabin attendants and bar tenders. Even if a crew member feigns recognition, it would surprise me if they actually knew (unless they are exceptional tippers LOL). They get 1200 or so new folks every week for the duration of their contract....

Memory is a strange thing!

 

While on Sirena earlier last month (11/18-28/22) I was walking along deck 4 starboard by the cabins with my wife when coming toward me was someone I immediately thought I recognized. When we met I said, "Stephen!" And he said, "Michael." I couldn't believe we both remembered each other from Riviera 12/22. He was our steward, along with Anna P. He is from India. So I mentioned our current steward, Salvio from Goa, whom he knew. Stephen was going back home at the end of the cruise. Salvio going back too, but the cruise after. (His co-worker, Mary from the Philippines.)

[pete_coach]

36 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

Memory is a strange thing!

 

While on Sirena earlier last month (11/18-28/22) I was walking along deck 4 starboard by the cabins with my wife when coming toward me was someone I immediately thought I recognized. When we met I said, "Stephen!" And he said, "Michael." I couldn't believe we both remembered each other from Riviera 12/22. He was our steward, along with Anna P. He is from India. So I mentioned our current steward, Salvio from Goa, whom he knew. Stephen was going back home at the end of the cruise. Salvio going back too, but the cruise after. (His co-worker, Mary from the Philippines.)

Dates are a bit off.

Nice but, you are aware that passenger lists with names are given to all crew that interact with passengers.

Anyway, good for you.

[jjeffjb]

For me, more important than CD are the GM and executive chef on board.  Those individuals can influence the experience on a particular ship.

[MEFIowa]

18 minutes ago, pete_coach said:

Dates are a bit off. ...

Mea culpa typing this Friday AM with coffee yet and progressive trifocals...

 

- Riviera was 12/13-23/21

- Sirena was 11/18-28/22

 

We did tip both Stephen and Anna in a Thank You card to each & a personal note but not huge amount. And we treated them both with respect and dignity during the cruise, engaging them politely every time we interacted with them, sincere gratitude for what they did for us daily. 

[ORV]

28 minutes ago, pete_coach said:

Dates are a bit off.

Nice but, you are aware that passenger lists with names are given to all crew that interact with passengers.

Anyway, good for you.

Actually on Oceania it’s a bit different than larger cruise lines. There are only a few ships. A very large percentage of the passengers are repeaters. I’ve got almost 30 in and every cruise I meet those that easily have double or more than me. Prior to Covid the crew and officers are/were long term employees. Many of them 15 or more years. Many of them are still around. When you put this all together it creates an environment where the crew actually does remember you without cheat sheets. Maybe not your name at first, but they do remember your face. In September we cruised with 2 bartenders we first met in 2013. They definitely both remembered us. But I’m a memorable guy. 😝

[LHT28]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

Actually on Oceania it’s a bit different than larger cruise lines. There are only a few ships. A very large percentage of the passengers are repeaters.

I agree

 We sailed 2004   then 4 yrs  later one of the waitstaff  kept looking at us at tea time  then made his way over to our table

he remembered us  from the cruise 4 yrs previous

Plus people do become friendly with some of the crew  & it was nice on the small ships as you got to chat with some  when they were not busy

 

 

[Orator]

My guess is that the importance of officers and crew is based on special relationships you've forged over the years. On Oceania I'm a new cruiser and really don't know anyone. I'm most certain that I will not be treated differently than any other passenger and that's fine.  I've cruised more than 110 times over 20 years with another line and I've known many who have risen thought the ranks to their current positions as Captains, HD, RM, and CD. These relationships are important to us and we are treated more than special when we meet them. I've actually taken some cruises just to see special people. We communicated to them during Covid and they were concerned about us.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Orator

[JeffElizabeth]

On 12/1/2022 at 8:08 AM, davencl said:

Generally I don't care but my comment applies to not only CD but bartender, butler, concierge etc.   You get that one special engaging person and it's a delight to be in their company.   

Before our last Oceania Cruise, I never cared about cruise directors,  but Peter was awesome on our trip from Miami to Trieste. Really made the cruise because high winds canceled more than a few planned port stops. 

[PhD-iva]

12 hours ago, MEFIowa said:

 

- Riviera was 12/13-23/21

- Sirena was 11/18-28/22

please help me to understand…….
I think I struggle with these dates. Is the cruise on the Riviera eight years long? 2013 to 2021? I don’t get it - is the first digit the month and the second digit the year, or what is going on?
I have lived in Europe and I understand “day month year” versus American “month day year”. 
I appreciate your help