Job description for CD

Just back of Zaandam sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. The trip was great - scenery magnificent and weather and seas were excellent!

Cabin problems abounded and front desk staff must be trained to just smile, nod, say..'we'll fix it'... and then just hope the problem will disappear. More frustrating than ever before. Aaghh!

Food is subjective and we had lowered our expectations as we are frequent Crystal travellers and had done this same Zaandam cruise to Antarctica last year. I can say for certain that the food and was well below the standard of the previous year and the menu descriptions need to be totally rewritten to at least give some clue as to what will be served on the plate. Rudi Sodamin would have been horrified on more than one occasion if he had been present in the Dining Room as many of the meals, not resembling anything like the menu, were left barely touched by those tables around us.

My main gripe however is with the poor entertainment planning and lack of visibility from elusive CD Bruce. What is the job description/responsibility of a cruise director on HAL?

Just back of Zaandam sailing from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. The trip was great - scenery magnificent and weather and seas were excellent!

 

Cabin problems abounded and front desk staff must be trained to just smile, nod, say..'we'll fix it'... and then just hope the problem will disappear. More frustrating than ever before. Aaghh!

 

Food is subjective and we had lowered our expectations as we are frequent Crystal travellers and had done this same Zaandam cruise to Antarctica last year. I can say for certain that the food and was well below the standard of the previous year and the menu descriptions need to be totally rewritten to at least give some clue as to what will be served on the plate. Rudi Sodamin would have been horrified on more than one occasion if he had been present in the Dining Room as many of the meals, not resembling anything like the menu, were left barely touched by those tables around us.

 

My main gripe however is with the poor entertainment planning and lack of visibility from elusive CD Bruce. What is the job description/responsibility of a cruise director on HAL?

Just did a search under "Cruise Director Jobs" on Google and found the following on Holland America Cruise Director:

Join our Cruise Director Talent Community

Tracking Code185-107

Job Description

Although we are not actively hiring for a Cruise Director position currently (and maybe you're not available) we are always interested in receiving resumes for great people! Please review the details below and if you feel you are a fit, submit your profile and you will be considered for a future opening. In addition to your resume, please attach or include a link to a brief 2-3 minute video explaining why you'd be perfect for the role......MORE on Link

https://hal-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=185&source=ONLINE&JobOwner=992276&company_id=17107&version=1&byBusinessUnit=NULL&bycountry=0&bystate=0&byRegion=NULL&bylocation=NULL&keywords=Cruise%20Director&byCat=NULL&proximityCountry=&postalCode=&radiusDistance=&isKilometers=&tosearch=yes&city=

Hope this answers you...

Joanie

Exceedingly interesting HAL link!

Thanks, Joanie

We have had a couple of CD's that we heard over the PA system but never saw until near the end of the cruise.

Just did a search under "Cruise Director Jobs" on Google and found the following on Holland America Cruise Director:

 

 

Join our Cruise Director Talent Community

 

Tracking Code185-107

 

Job Description

 

Although we are not actively hiring for a Cruise Director position currently (and maybe you're not available) we are always interested in receiving resumes for great people! Please review the details below and if you feel you are a fit, submit your profile and you will be considered for a future opening. In addition to your resume, please attach or include a link to a brief 2-3 minute video explaining why you'd be perfect for the role......MORE on Link

 

https://hal-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=185&source=ONLINE&JobOwner=992276&company_id=17107&version=1&byBusinessUnit=NULL&bycountry=0&bystate=0&byRegion=NULL&bylocation=NULL&keywords=Cruise%20Director&byCat=NULL&proximityCountry=&postalCode=&radiusDistance=&isKilometers=&tosearch=yes&city=

 

Hope this answers you...

 

Joanie

Thanks for the information Joanie.

I can't figure out how some were hired. HAL sure didn't follow their own guidelines when they hired a couple we had.

I don't want to sound too harsh, but on one of our recent sailings, the entertainment choices lacked. On three evenings, instead of a show, there was a movie. There was nothing but a movie the first evening. The evening prior to disembarkation there was only one show, at 9pm, with an guest entertainer (why not have had him on a movie night? He was on board then.). Cooking shows were sparse, and there were several Sea Days without any at all (the sea days that did have them were at very inconvenient times that conflicted with other major events). And there were no re-plays on in-cabin TVs.

It just seemed that the planning and time management was not as good as on other sailings. I believe that is the CD's responsibility.

I don't want to sound too harsh, but on one of our recent sailings, the entertainment choices lacked. On three evenings, instead of a show, there was a movie. There was nothing but a movie the first evening. The evening prior to disembarkation there was only one show, at 9pm, with an guest entertainer (why not have had him on a movie night? He was on board then.). Cooking shows were sparse, and there were several Sea Days without any at all (the sea days that did have them were at very inconvenient times that conflicted with other major events). And there were no re-plays on in-cabin TVs.

 

It just seemed that the planning and time management was not as good as on other sailings. I believe that is the CD's responsibility.

Could it have been weather and or sea conditions that made the entertainment a problem?

I ask the above because we've had reports from a couple of different CC Members on separate ships who've reported the weather and/or seas causing some changes such as you are reporting to us on yours.

Sorry to hear your experience were less than stellar, and sure hope next time they are much better.

Joanie

My best guess it that they main job is to be annoying. Or that is what it seems to be.

Followed by too much time on the PA, too many tired jokes, too many false smiles, and a love of themselves that appears to be their overriding interest.

My best guess it that they main job is to be annoying. Or that is what it seems to be.

 

Followed by too much time on the PA, too many tired jokes, too many false smiles, and a love of themselves that appears to be their overriding interest.

That's the most apt description of a Cruise Director job I've ever read.

The only CD I don't immediately despise is JT, who iirc is now on Nieuw Amsterdam.

That's the most apt description of a Cruise Director job I've ever read.

 

The only CD I don't immediately despise is JT, who iirc is now on Nieuw Amsterdam.

JT Watters (I think is how it's spelled)? I first met him on a RCI ship, then later on the Zuiderdam. Nice guy, I hope he's on the NA in May. One that drove me nuts said "woo hoo" at the end of every announcement and then managed to turn the onboard immigration clearance in San Diego into complete chaos.:eek:

JT Watters (I think is how it's spelled)? I first met him on a RCI ship, then later on the Zuiderdam. Nice guy, I hope he's on the NA in May. One that drove me nuts said "woo hoo" at the end of every announcement and then managed to turn the onboard immigration clearance in San Diego into complete chaos.:eek:

Thank you for reminding me of that one. Annoying does not does not adequately describe him.

From what I have experienced I think the job has been downgraded somewhat.

Used to be (the dreaded words of a long-time HAL cruiser!) the CDs were, shall we say, more mature people with experience gained by working up the ladder on a cruise ship over several years. They mostly understood what I call the "HAL style" (no, this isn't Carnival.......).

About 4-5 years ago, it seemed that all of a sudden some of the experienced CDs disappeared and were replaced by young (26 and up) ones who seemed to have worked up from the disc jockey level fast.

Example: we had one lady who would likely have been very good, but she had been thrown on to the ship with a week of "observing" and a huge binder of whatever HAL uses to train CDs.

We felt sorry for her when she had to repeat announcements with corrections. And when the GRM came to her get-together for the Collector's Cruise pax and had to feed her info and tell her what to do.

I am assuming that the pay has been cut and this is who is applying for the jobs, not completely but a fair number.

Could it have been weather and or sea conditions that made the entertainment a problem?

No, it wasn't any weather issue. It just appeared to be poor planning. Having said that, we had a fabulous time anyway, even though the entertainment was not as well planned as on other sailings.

My main gripe however is with the poor entertainment planning and lack of visibility from elusive CD Bruce. What is the job description/responsibility of a cruise director on HAL?

Was it the show times and entertainers that disappointed you or the onboard activities (trivia, cooking classes, bean bag toss, etc.)? I have never been on a cruise where the CD did not make at least one announcement per day and introduce the main show act. The last few CD's ran a good number of the trivia contests.

I think that Holland America cruise directors may have their hands tied by the front office. Many activities are apparently scheduled from Seattle. One cruise director mentioned that he was not allowed to sing any longer.

We were on the old Noordam in 2004 and the CD was named Bruce and he was the most entertaining one we have experienced. We have also enjoyed and respected the effort put in by Gene Young when he was on the Prinsendam and Amsterdam. I have a question: Does anyone know how much control or input the CD has on which entertainers and guest speakers are chosen to perform on a given cruise?

We were on the old Noordam in 2004 and the CD was named Bruce and he was the most entertaining one we have experienced. We have also enjoyed and respected the effort put in by Gene Young when he was on the Prinsendam and Amsterdam. I have a question: Does anyone know how much control or input the CD has on which entertainers and guest speakers are chosen to perform on a given cruise?

Zero, except perhaps a grand voyage. Seattle's entertainment department makes all decisions, does all daily programs as templates and sends them to the ships to print and make small changes if needed.

Zero, except perhaps a grand voyage. Seattle's entertainment department makes all decisions, does all daily programs as templates and sends them to the ships to print and make small changes if needed.

Then the Seattle entertainment department need to relook at the meaning of the word.

Courtesy of dictionary.com:

1. the act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement:

2. something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement, especially a performance of some kind.

3. hospitable provision for the needs and wants of guests.

This cruise certainly did not provide any of the above.

Thanks to all who have responded.

Sorry about your cabin issues. That can set things off badly.

But entertainment-wise, I'm really curious what was missing for you. We were on the same Antarctica cruise and felt quite the opposite. We found plenty to amuse ourselves: Evenings a live show, not always to our taste, but at least at a tolerable decibel level, unlike other cruise lines. Some acts were extremely good. And if the show didn't suit, there were 3 different styles of music going on in other venues. Including classical, which had quite a crowd at times. During the day it was almost nonstop, beginning with Bird Watching at 9AM and Antarctica lectures most all morning and into the afternoon. If that didn't suit, there was trivia, cooking demonstrations, computer classes and a daily movie. Couldn't do it all! Had to find time to just sit, relax and watch the sea. And wasn't the entire focus of the cruise the fantastic scenery, flora and fauna? Most of us were in "expedition" mode, outside much of the time, following the scenic descriptions.

The CD, Bruce, was there mornings seeing the tenders off and every evening introducing the shows, plus during the day MCing some of the lectures and panels. Announcements were kept to a minimum, happily for us. He really seemed to enjoy his job and particularly sharing this itinerary with all of us.

We also had a little cabin issue with a leaky sprinkler, but that was repaired in a couple of hours.

So sorry that the experience didn't meet your expectations, but others really, really enjoyed it. (Until we caught the "ship grippe" at the end. But that's nobody's fault!)