Cruise director turnover

[pretzellover]

Looking through the current schedule, it seems there are a lot of new names. Very few experienced pre-Covid names. The Excel class ships seem to have popular names. Anybody know if there was a shake up or just burn out. 

[mz-s]

I think it was just normal turnover, accelerated by the COVID shutdown. Not many people can handle being laid off for something like 19 months and be willing to go back to that job. I wouldn't.

[Elaine5715]

Several top popular CDs have moved stateside into promotions and the new ships get the next set of popular CDS, moving lesser known folks to move up

[Honolulu Blue]

13 hours ago, pretzellover said:

Looking through the current schedule, it seems there are a lot of new names. Very few experienced pre-Covid names. The Excel class ships seem to have popular names. Anybody know if there was a shake up or just burn out. 

I know what you mean.  I've sailed with over a dozen different cruise directors through the years and only four are currently active as CDs.  That includes the one I sailed with in November.  I think it's a combination of factors - burnout, the pandemic, rising stars - that are specific to each departure.

[luv2kroooz]

They are a dime a dozen now. Rotating, revolving doors. Back in the day, each cruise director had a special talent ...singing, juggling, bird show, etc. Now, as long as you can yell into a microphone, dance, and wear the latest, trendiest clothes, you could qualify to be a CD on Carnival.

[jsglow]

It's a job with a high burnout and turnover rate.  And as others have said, some have recently left the company while some others were recently promoted to Fleet CD positions back in Miami.

[Honolulu Blue]

21 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

Back in the day, each cruise director had a special talent ...singing, juggling, bird show, etc. Now, as long as you can yell into a microphone, dance, and wear the latest, trendiest clothes, you could qualify to be a CD on Carnival.

My opinion is that I don't need a CD to sing, juggle, and/or do bird shows because that's what the entertainers - both crew and walk-on - are for. And I consider yelling into a microphone, dancing, and/or wearing trendy clothes (and looking good while doing so) a set of underrated skills.

[mz-s]

To me the most important things a cruise director does is bingo and come up with stupid sign-offs for the PA system.

 

I don't want actual talented cruise directors, and I don't want to pay for them. I want someone who barely knows their ass from a hole in the ground but sells bingo like their life depends on it (because it literally does).

[Saint Greg]

It's more turnover than they had pre-covid for sure. Some didn't come back from covid. Some wanted to come back after covid but weren't brought back. A couple have been fired in the past year or so. A few have been promoted to fleet cruise director. And they're bringing in new ships. Every time they add a ship to the fleet that's 1-2 more CDs. I expect new names to continue to pop up because they have a lot of gaps to fill and Firenze isn't on the schedule yet. I do suspect they've already accounted for that by removing that CD from the current schedule.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Saint Greg

[bmraar]

I sailed with a cruise director named Lee a couple of years ago (not Lee Mason, a different Lee) but he seems to have disappeared.  Does anyone know what happened to him?

 

Last month we sailed with Lee Mason on the Celebration, but it was pretty clear he was training Marcela from the Fun Squad to be a new cruise director.  She ran many of the events that you would expect the CD to run (white party, deal or no deal, etc) and now she is on the Panorama for a week (but only a week?  unclear what is happening there).

[Saint Greg]

3 minutes ago, bmraar said:

Last month we sailed with Lee Mason on the Celebration, but it was pretty clear he was training Marcela from the Fun Squad to be a new cruise director.  She ran many of the events that you would expect the CD to run (white party, deal or no deal, etc) and now she is on the Panorama for a week (but only a week?  unclear what is happening there).

 

Just a one week fill-in until Deon gets there on Saturday. Originally Gerry was supposed to be the CD until 1/7 but when Panorama went into the unplanned dry dock they moved him to Glory and just kept him there. I assume Marcela will be one of the next CDs but this week is likely a tryout for that.

[reeinaz]

Does anyone have any feedback on Jake Miller?

He will be the CD on my Magic Cruise next month. I think.

This is the week he starts and overlaps with the leaving CD, Michael D’Aria.

I don't know how that works, if they will share duties for that week?

 

[mz-s]

11 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

Does anyone have any feedback on Jake Miller?

He will be the CD on my Magic Cruise next month. I think.

This is the week he starts and overlaps with the leaving CD, Michael D’Aria.

I don't know how that works, if they will share duties for that week?

 

 

Had Jake last year on Sunshine - he's a good one. He's actually more old school than his age would suggest. Best ever, nope - but probably top 5.

[luv2kroooz]

4 hours ago, mz-s said:

To me the most important things a cruise director does is bingo and come up with stupid sign-offs for the PA system.

 

I don't want actual talented cruise directors, and I don't want to pay for them. I want someone who barely knows their ass from a hole in the ground but sells bingo like their life depends on it (because it literally does).

You will love the carnival CD's.

[Butterbean1000]

I've been on cruises where I didn't know who the CD was.  I have cruised with a couple of big names, Matt Mitchell and Dr. E a couple of times.  CDs really don't make or break a cruise for me.

 

[Drew B 58]

7 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

They are a dime a dozen now. Rotating, revolving doors. Back in the day, each cruise director had a special talent ...singing, juggling, bird show, etc. Now, as long as you can yell into a microphone, dance, and wear the latest, trendiest clothes, you could qualify to be a CD on Carnival.

“Trendiest clothes”?  Or most garish costumes?

[Trueblueky]

Where do you get the list of CD for future cruises?

[mz-s]

5 minutes ago, Trueblueky said:

Where do you get the list of CD for future cruises?

 

https://airtable.com/appin6uTVeCF8mthS/shrxzucqLGHbpDmm8/tblZJCAW6us7UhDmZ

[pajazz28]

22 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

https://airtable.com/appin6uTVeCF8mthS/shrxzucqLGHbpDmm8/tblZJCAW6us7UhDmZ

We sail 1/21 Lee is leaving, so disappointed. We get Leon Smith. Anyone ever crusied with him?

[Roscoe13]

Revolving door of cruise directors...Another Carnival Cutback!!

[alias47]

8 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

It's more turnover than they had pre-covid for sure. Some didn't come back from covid. Some wanted to come back after covid but weren't brought back. A couple have been fired in the past year or so. A few have been promoted to fleet cruise director. And they're bringing in new ships. Every time they add a ship to the fleet that's 1-2 more CDs. I expect new names to continue to pop up because they have a lot of gaps to fill and Firenze isn't on the schedule yet. I do suspect they've already accounted for that by removing that CD from the current schedule.

 

 

Is being fired a common thing as far as the did not return/got fired in last year bucket?  I've not heard that before but interesting if they are shortstaffed/in need.

[Saint Greg]

2 minutes ago, alias47 said:

Is being fired a common thing as far as the did not return/got fired in last year bucket?  I've not heard that before but interesting if they are shortstaffed/in need.

These weren’t even “did not return” situations. They were replaced during their contracts because of their conduct on the ship. I don’t know if I’d say it’s common…but there were at least two in the past year. Veteran CDs who were about to move up to newer/better ships.

 

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

These weren’t even “did not return” situations. They were replaced during their contracts because of their conduct on the ship. I don’t know if I’d say it’s common…but there were at least two in the past year. Veteran CDs who were about to move up to newer/better ships.

 

 

That's interesting. None of my business but one of those things I want to know more about 🤣

[AilishsMom]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

https://airtable.com/appin6uTVeCF8mthS/shrxzucqLGHbpDmm8/tblZJCAW6us7UhDmZ

Wondering why there would be a 2 month gap between CD's. I thought it might be a typo?
I'm looking at the Valor for April 29, 2024.

[broadwaybaby123]

I'm an Activity Director for seniors, I watch these lists all the time to find out who's the Activity Staff on my sailing, as I will be watching them like a hawk!