Not happy with Paul Baya-CD on Jewel.

[MidtheNight]

Some of us under 50 cruisers wanted some livelier games instead of napkin folding and flower making. One of us met with Mr. Baya and he suggested that we get a bunch of the "under 50 crowd" togther and come up with some ideas and that he would be there to help lead the discussion and let us know what was already planned.

 

A bunch of us showed up and MR. PAUL BAYA DID NOT and neither did any of his junior staff! Needless to say that this has left a bad, bad taste with the younger crowd...I'm talk people in their late thirties and forties not teenagers or twenty something year olds either. Even if we didn't come up with anything it would have gone a long way if he had showed up to say to us that our business is just as important to NCL as the older crowd.

 

We intend to phone Mr. Baya later to find out exactly what his problem was however at first glance there are a number of us who are right now very disappointed with NCL and Mr. Paul Baya.

[sjbdtz]

Some of us under 50 cruisers wanted some livelier games instead of napkin folding and flower making. One of us met with Mr. Baya and he suggested that we get a bunch of the "under 50 crowd" togther and come up with some ideas and that he would be there to help lead the discussion and let us know what was already planned.

 

A bunch of us showed up and MR. PAUL BAYA DID NOT and neither did any of his junior staff! Needless to say that this has left a bad, bad taste with the younger crowd...I'm talk people in their late thirties and forties not teenagers or twenty something year olds either. Even if we didn't come up with anything it would have gone a long way if he had showed up to say to us that our business is just as important to NCL as the older crowd.

 

We intend to phone Mr. Baya later to find out exactly what his problem was however at first glance there are a number of us who are right now very disappointed with NCL and Mr. Paul Baya.

 

 

Wow. I'm impressed. You've never forgotten about an appointment you've made?

 

Stuff happens. Was there a formal time & place confirmed with him? In writing....or did you flag him down in the hallway? He would have probably forgotten about it by the time he got to his next task....

 

as would MOST cds, on any cruiseline.

[Host CMLA]

We intend to phone Mr. Baya later to find out exactly what his problem was however at first glance there are a number of us who are right now very disappointed with NCL and Mr. Paul Baya.

Why are you upset with NCL if the CD is the one that upset you?

[tinkerbelldee]

I am a thirty almost forty something and we found plenty to do onboard the Jewel.

There were Martini and Margarita clinics that we enjoyed, The Weakest Link game show was a riot, although I was the weakest link and afternoon trivia was fun too.

I organized a Cruise Critic get together and hung out by the pool with other people we had met on board.

 

I did not think that the activities were geared toward any age group, I though that there was a wide range of activities for all age groups.

 

I had the opportunity to talk to Paul for a while at the Captains cocktail party and found him to be wonderful and felt that he truly listened to what I had to say. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding.

On a busy ship with a very tight schedule, I wonder if he just misunderstand the arrangement. I am sure that he does not have many open spots on his schedule.

[CruisinMatt]

Why are you upset with NCL if the CD is the one that upset you?

 

 

Aren't the employee's of a company representatives of said company?? :confused:

[claudie]

What happened to people deserve another chance? Maybe Paul had something more pressing that needed taking care of. Did he have your name and cabin number where you could be reached if something came up?

 

We're in the under 50 crowd and found plenty of things to do on the Jewel. We thought he did a great job on the Jewel as well as the Dawn. Out of curiousity what were some of your suggestions?

[Host CMLA]

Aren't the employee's of a company representatives of said company??

Sure...if the CD had assaulted the passenger or berated the passenger or done something else equally offensive. In this situation, it looks like the CD forgot to meet with some passengers. I don't see that being something to hold NCL accountable for. NCL doesn't have a black mark on them because of this. I think you're taking it a little too literal. Should I be mad at your employer if you forget to return a call to me? :confused:

[jp2001]

I looked at the only Freestyle daily for the Jewel that I could find online (if you have other ones, please let me know at jplamondon2001@hotmail.com). It was for a day in port (always less activities planned than on sea days)

Here are the activities that don't seem geared for the older crowded:

- 2 fitness class in the morning (yoga 7am, bums&tums 8am)

- Spa Treatment (anytime)

- Deck Trivia (13:30 pm)

- Deck Games (14:15)

- Ping Pong Tournament (15:15)

- Human Chess Play (15:45)

- Golf putting (16:15)

- Fitness class (pilates, 18:00)

- Freestyle Meet & Greet (18:00)

- Team Trivia (19:30)

- Evening game play (19:30)

- Casino (after departing the island)

- Production Show (19:30 or 21:30)

- Karaoke (20:00-22:00)

- Disco (22:30 +)

- Late night party zone (Midnight - close)

 

Even without going ashore, there seems to be quite a bit of activities to choose from (and I didn't list Arts & Craft, Guided Ship tour, Bridge play, Shuffleboard, Line Dancing class, Art Auction, Scrabble or the like).

 

Never been on the Jewel but wasn't bored a single minute on the Dawn (and I was 23 at the time), I have to admit that the nightlife was not great on my cruise though, just OK but I was so tired from getting up early, doing MANY activities or visiting ports that I just wanted to go to bed.

 

If I remember well from my 1st sea day on the Dawn, my schedule was:

- Getting up at 6

- Gym 6:30 - 7:30

- Shower + getting ready 7:30-8:00

- Breakfast in dinning room 8:15-9:00

- Back to my room to wake up the friend I was travelling with

- Stop at the Garden Café for breakfast for my friend at 9:30

- CC meeting 10:00-1045 (including a visit from Food and Beverage Director + others)

- Explore the ship (since we didn't have time the night before and sea was rough, meaning I didn't feel well)

- BBQ lunch on Deck (was a little cold and too windy but still, BBQ is fun)

- Wine tasting around 1:30 to 2:30

- Ice carving demo

- Beer in the pub

- Going back to room early since have to get ready for formal night

- Dinner in dinning room (6:45 to 7:300)

- Production show (7:30 - ??8:15??)

- Spinnaker Lounge for a drink or two and people watching

At 10:30 (being up for 16 hr and having a long day ashore the following day), it was time for me to go to bed.

[MidtheNight]

#1 - We had a set date and time with him.

#2 - It was printed in the Daily Freestyle to get more of the under 50 crowd involved.

#3 - There were other people under 50 there for the meeting.

#3 - He called and said that he had simply forgotten about it.

 

Sorry no excuses when all this was done. The CD is the PRIMARY Client/Public Relations person on board with the guests. If you arrange it, it's printed in the daily, and they don't show it does send a message loud and clear whether NCL means it or not. We knew that this would be more of an elderly age group being a transatlantic which we have no problem with. However, giving seminars on arthritis, making paper flowers and folding napkins is just a little too sedate. The martini clinic and margarita clinic were both cancelled today due to "lack of participation" by the guests....did it matter to us...no it didn't we still had martinis and enjoyed talking with the staff and some of the other guests. We've been on about 20 cruises with various lines and I can tell you...this is not enough to "ruin a vacation" as there was only one of those where my son was scalded with hot food and all the employees scattered and wouldn't help him at until we reached the door and the matre'd asked what was wrong and where he was then rushed down to the clinic for emergency services, however, I am just stating a fact that some 1st time cruisers to NCL as well as verteran NCL cruises were not too happy with his representation of NCL as a whole.

[sclauss]

Sorry but I sailed with Paul Baya twice and thought he was the best cruise director I've ever seen. He was attentive, funny and always seemed to be around and available to the guests. Each time I board, I hope to see Paul as CD and I hope to sail with him again soon on a future NCL trip. I'm sure others sailing with Paul will totally agree with my assessment.

 

Sharon

[jeannep]

I am a Paul Baya fan. We really enjoyed his antics.

 

I am sorry the clinics were cancelled but I guess a transatlantic cruise is very different from a carribean cruise.

 

Jeanne

[djmike]

Hello,

 

Being Paul's assistant for nearly 3 years I can tell you that we both worked very hard to offer the best program possible for our guests. You cannot please everybody, although most times we try to.

 

If Paul missed the meeting I am sure there was a valid reason. Paul has a good heart and would never do that on purpose. He truely cares about the NCL product and the image of NCL and would never do anything on purpose to bring this image into a negative light.

 

What would you have suggested? What kind of activities would you have found acceptable for the 30-40 year old crowd? I know when I relieved Paul as CD on the JEWEL, I thought the program offered was pretty diverse.

 

Again, Paul is a great individual who truely puts 100 per cent effort into the NCL product, and I am sorry you came away with a sour taste.

 

Regards,

 

Mike Szwajkowski

[annie m]

I have also sailed with Paul Baya as CD and Mike as his Assit. They were great. Had lots of energy and there was always things to do. My kids even loved them!!

[sclauss]

Paul and Mike together were really something!!! What a team!!! Thank you to both Mike and Paul for making both of my Dawn cruises really special. I'll be leaving on the Dawn for the overnight tomorrow morning and would love to see either one of them onboard! I've sailed the Spirit twice and it just wasn't the same without either of them.

 

Thanks Paul and Mike!!! You are both terrific!!!!!!! (and appreciated!!!!!)

 

Sharon

[jeannep]

Hi Mike!!

 

We would love to sail with you and/or Paul again. I must admit, the two of you were the best CD's we have ever been with.

 

Regards,

Jeanne

[hotspur]

#1 - We had a set date and time with him.

#2 - It was printed in the Daily Freestyle to get more of the under 50 crowd involved.

#3 - There were other people under 50 there for the meeting.

#3 - He called and said that he had simply forgotten about it.

Shocking!! Was this reported to the red-hots at Fox News? Will Mike Douglas do a 60 Minutes segment? Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

[cruiser12]

What A nice young man. Paul was at our meet and greet on our cruise on the Dawn last year. (The cruise after the big wave.) Handed out his ncl business card and said if there was anything he could do for us all we had to do was call. Sorry to hear you were disappointed. It was too bad you did not get to hear him sing what a fantastic voice he has. " A great entertainer". This year April 6 cruise (Dawn) we were with Ricky Matthews another great C.D. NCL (22 cruises) has yet to disappoint us.

[Dolphins]

We have sailed with Paul Baya a few times and have found him to be not only an excellent CD but a talented entertainer.

[bmwman]

Sorry but I can not speak too highly of this man.

 

We had a problem on the Dawn and his attentive helpful and sympathetic help was fantastic. He gave up a lot to help us. I think you must remember that we ALL forget from time to time we are hummans not robots

 

Oh and by the way ... we have sailed with him twice and he IS just the best CD. :D

[snorklinbarb]

We've sailed with Paul a couple of times on the Dawn and on the Jewel. From his 1st night "memory stunt" to his fantastic singing to his debarkation talk, Paul is a first class CD.

 

He brings special talents even to time-old events. Anyone under 50 or over 50 will laugh at Paul as Regis.

 

Even some "staid" activities can turn out to be lots of fun. I've only attended napkin folding once and origami (both on the Dawn, difft cd) and they drew crowds of over 100. They were hilarious and really had little to do with the subject at hand.:D

 

I think Paul goes out of his way to organize activities for different age groups and so does Mike. On our recent Jewel trip with Mike as CD, he was entertaining little kids in the Stardust Theater one minute and organizing a veterans social the next.;)

 

But on top of being a great entertainer, Paul is a truly caring person. I'll never forget seeing him one busy port day in Barbados. We were coming back from an excursion and there was Paul, curbside, helping guests onto the special shuttle that ran back to the ship. He could have been back at the ship catching a little rest for himself before all the evening activities. Instead he was there chatting with passengers about their day, helping them onto the shuttle and generally just being a heck of a nice guy.:)

 

So MidtheNight, I hope your "group" eases up a bit and gives Paul another chance. After all you still have the rest of your trip to enjoy, so why not see what transpires? Maybe something good will happen from your experience.

[7SeasLover]

OP, it's too bad you were forgotten. It's never a pleasant feeling to be forgotten. At best, the CD should have made it up with another meeting. I don't think you'll get much support from this board, but if you want your complaint to have more meaning, file it with NCL. NCL isn't to blame for the CD's forgetfullness, but they can sure talk to him about it.

 

Keep in mind, the CD is human. Being that you're not in the napkin-folding or flower-making age group (I am) I'm sure you've never forgotten anything. I guess your post came off sounding far more harsh than the deed.

 

Again, it's too bad - a shame, in fact, that you were forgotten.

[7SeasLover]

Another thought...

 

when you were all gathered in the predtermined meeting place, did anyone think to ask a crew memeber to summon the CD? That's what I would have done. NCL would never intentionally let their guests be ignored. They'd have sent someone to your meeting I'm sure.

[DroopySails]

This group is in the Azores today, so maybe a port stop will cheer them up after all those sea days in a row.

[can'twaittogoagain]

Paul was the CD on our first cruise..he's a tough act to follow, in my humble opinion. He is the Gold Standard for us...we have enjoyed other CD's, but they just haven't even come close to him in terms of talent, energy, or the ability to engage/connect with a group. We remain faithful to the Sun but we certainly have missed him. Mike, too, for that matter. He was also outstanding. When we sent in our opinion cards we certainly let NCL know we were very impressed with both of them and that largely because of them we would be repeat customers. I wish we could cruise with Paul and Mike again, but it seems that if we booked a cruise on the ship they are on now they could be off on break or on a different ship by the time our cruise rolled around....oh well...

[snorklinbarb]

I hope MidtheNight comes back on to let us know if they ever did meet with Paul or whether he just forgot about them as they feared. I'd bet that Paul contacted them somehow to hear their concerns and suggestions.:D