Cruise Director Amy Ficker?

[welshrich]

I agree with you. She was an assistant to Richard Spacey on our cruise last summer. I found her very nice, and not so much of a "show-off" as Richard Spacey. We had heard many good things about him, but found him to be too over the top and as my daughter says "a bit full of himself." I think that it is hard for any cruise director to be everything to everyone, and that different people like different personalities. This was our first cruise, but I would say that whoever the cruise director is, it wouldn't make or break a cruise for me.

 

Wow, someone else who is not keen on Richard Spacey, we too did not care for his 'contrived act', we had him on Freedom 5 years ago and his act is still the same, so much so that we found ourselves leaving at the end of the shows as we didnt want to listen to him and we avoided the love and marriage show, before I get totally flamed, yes, I do accept he is very popular with a LOT of other cruisers, just my opinion.

[jmorgania]

Some of the cruise directors can be searched on Google with video highlights. Whatever you do don't search for Amy Ficker though, apparently her name is synonymous with porn searches.

[Dave85]

Some of the cruise directors can be searched on Google with video highlights. Whatever you do don't search for Amy Ficker though, apparently her name is synonymous with porn searches.

 

LOL, I guess if you do serach then, make sure you spell her last name correctly then with the T -- Fickert.

[jmorgania]

LOL, I guess if you do serach then, make sure you spell her last name correctly then with the T -- Fickert.

 

Too funny. I don't know her so I spelled it the way the post was written. Adding the "T" certainly makes a difference. I was able to find no video's of her, however the search results were much more appropriate this way.

[vacruiser]

My wife and I have been on numerouse cruises and don't remember the name of a single CD. We are just of the Oasis and thought Amy did a great job. She was the first CD that made any kind of impression on both of us.

[seadrifters]

We will be sailing on Oasis in 2 weeks and are very disappointed to hear that Richard Spacey is no longer the CD! We sailed Oasis last February, which was also our first cruise ever, and he totally spoiled us! He was fabulous! Now it sounds like this girl is going to be just irritating. Such a shame.

 

But wait...we'll be on a cruise on OASIS! Who cares about the CD! If that's the worst part of it I'm still very excited to be cruising!! Can't wait!

 

I'll just remember my ear plugs :rolleyes:.

[Dave85]

We will be sailing on Oasis in 2 weeks and are very disappointed to hear that Richard Spacey is no longer the CD! We sailed Oasis last February, which was also our first cruise ever, and he totally spoiled us! He was fabulous! Now it sounds like this girl is going to be just irritating. Such a shame.

 

But wait...we'll be on a cruise on OASIS! Who cares about the CD! If that's the worst part of it I'm still very excited to be cruising!! Can't wait!

 

I'll just remember my ear plugs :rolleyes:.

 

I think she might actually be gone by then... the Current Cruise Director's thread (and numerous reports) indicate that Ricky Matthews -- who seems better regarded -- will be taking over soon. Amy has already been on Big O for 4 months and should be about to go on vacation.

[Michthebeech]

I will be taking a cruise on the oasis and i was told Amy Ficker will be my cruise director,i will like to know how good she is as a cruise director

 

 

I just came back and I did not like her. I thought she was rude and her jokes at passenger's expense were not funny but humiliating. There is a way to be funny without being rude. On RCCL's most glamorous ship, they could do better than Amy as cruise director!!!

[cello56]

I just came back and I did not like her. I thought she was rude and her jokes at passenger's expense were not funny but humiliating. There is a way to be funny without being rude. On RCCL's most glamorous ship, they could do better than Amy as cruise director!!!

 

If you found her rude, then I hope that you put that in your cruise satisfaction review for management to see. There is never, ever, a reason to make a passenger feel uncomfortable just to score a joke for yourself. Head office needs to know how their staff are performing.

[peacefrogdog]

I just came back and I did not like her. I thought she was rude and her jokes at passenger's expense were not funny but humiliating. There is a way to be funny without being rude. On RCCL's most glamorous ship, they could do better than Amy as cruise director!!!

 

I just got off the Aug 25th and I actually thought she could have been a bit more 'adventurous' so to speak with respect to humor at passenger's expense. I'm not talking being rude, but some more gentle ribbing at passengers who you can easily tell will be able to take it.

 

Best word I can describe her was "cautious" with respect to her humor, but definitely not too rah-rah or cheerleader'ish.

[mkmom514]

I also was on the Aug. 25 sailing and I didn't find her annoying at all. However, I only saw her at the shows and events. I did see her a couple of times around the ship talking to people and she seemed very nice and genuine. Never heard her being rude to or about passengers. And, by the way, she's been with the Oasis since the beginning. She joined the ship in Finland before it came to Port Everglades for the first time. She was on 2 or 3 other RCI ships before that, but I'm not sure what her jobs were. I'll join with the others and say that the CD has to impact on my vacation at all!

[teajak]

I hope she's not reading this thread!

I see no reason why. I agree with the posts above.Annoying is the operative word.:eek:

[DonnaK]

I think she might actually be gone by then... the Current Cruise Director's thread (and numerous reports) indicate that Ricky Matthews -- who seems better regarded -- will be taking over soon. Amy has already been on Big O for 4 months and should be about to go on vacation.

 

 

Amy is scheduled to begin her break on Oct 6. Then, Ricky Matthews is scheduled to be the CD on Oasis from Oct 6 until Dec 1.

 

Here is the link to a recent Washington Post story about Ricky: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/meet-ricky-your-cruise-director/2012/06/28/gJQAvucgBW_story.html

[Classynfun1]

Amy is scheduled to begin her break on Oct 6. Then, Ricky Matthews is scheduled to be the CD on Oasis from Oct 6 until Dec 1.

 

Here is the link to a recent Washington Post story about Ricky: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/meet-ricky-your-cruise-director/2012/06/28/gJQAvucgBW_story.html

 

You just made my day, Donna! Really dislike Amy and will be on the Oasis Nov 24-Dec 1. Just made the cut off! :eek:

[DonnaK]

You just made my day, Donna! Really dislike Amy and will be on the Oasis Nov 24-Dec 1. Just made the cut off! :eek:

 

 

Just hope that they stick to this schedule! (it sometimes changes)

[CrabbyQ]

I thought she was entertaining, but definitely "cheerleaderesque". The really annoying thing: every time she entered the room, they played the Katy Perry song "Firework" and it would then be stuck in my head ALL DAY LONG!

[w3333nr]

We just had her last week on our cruise and I was truly prepared to cringe every time we heard her because of the reviews I read on this forum. In reality, she wasn't that bad. She was energetic and witty. I liked her, but perhaps it's because she's improved the last few months. I only ever heard her say the "I'm Amy and you're awesome!" line twice at the closing of two separate shows.

 

But I agree with some of the other posts that her Activities Manager, Patricio, was much better. He was at most of the events, as we saw him for almost every event. Simeon, who is in charge of the comedy shows and morning show was fantastic as well. He opens the comedy show for the other two acts and had us in stitches. I definitely recommend watching him in the midnight show for the full effect.

[A&L_Ont]

We just had her last week on our cruise and I was truly prepared to cringe every time we heard her because of the reviews I read on this forum. In reality, she wasn't that bad. She was energetic and witty. I liked her, but perhaps it's because she's improved the last few months. I only ever heard her say the "I'm Amy and you're awesome!" line twice at the closing of two separate shows.

 

But I agree with some of the other posts that her Activities Manager, Patricio, was much better. He was at most of the events, as we saw him for almost every event. Simeon, who is in charge of the comedy shows and morning show was fantastic as well. He opens the comedy show for the other two acts and had us in stitches. I definitely recommend watching him in the midnight show for the full effect.

 

Simeon is great. If you every get the chance on the last night he hosts a "who's line is it anyway" type of show in Studio 54. It is blue humor, and funny. They warned the audience, and some people did leave through the show. We had a great time.

[NYCrews]

I was on a cruise with Amy a couple of weeks ago, and I thought she did a great job. She has incredible energy and enthusiasm, and I appreciated that she didn't do everything exactly like all the other cruise directors. She had different questions for Love and Marriage, different activities at the Quest, etc. Also, I found her to be the most accessible cruise director that I've seen - whenever I saw her around the ship, she was talking with guests and taking pictures with them.

 

You guys had me nervous before we sailed, but it worked out great.

[How'sBartCruisin'?]

We just had her last week on our cruise and I was truly prepared to cringe every time we heard her because of the reviews I read on this forum. In reality, she wasn't that bad. She was energetic and witty. I liked her, but perhaps it's because she's improved the last few months. I only ever heard her say the "I'm Amy and you're awesome!" line twice at the closing of two separate shows.

 

But I agree with some of the other posts that her Activities Manager, Patricio, was much better. He was at most of the events, as we saw him for almost every event. Simeon, who is in charge of the comedy shows and morning show was fantastic as well. He opens the comedy show for the other two acts and had us in stitches. I definitely recommend watching him in the midnight show for the full effect.

 

PATRICIO!!! If this is the Patricio I am thinking of, Explorer of the Seas entertainment staff from last year, he is the man!!! Funny, entertaining and just an all around good dude!!! He and I talked a few times last year on my wife and my honeymoon 9-Day Bermuda and Caribbean cruise. He was my team leader during the Quest and was very helpful. He is a very personable person and I am glad he has been promoted. Congratulations to him!!! He earned it!!!

[spabsie]

We had Amy in December and it was the only low point of the cruise to speak of. EVERY opportunity she had, she used the "I'm Amy and you're Awesome" and it was really grating. We wanted to avoid her but felt like we saw her everywhere. We were going to book another trip on Oasis but went with Allure specifically to avoid her.

 

My vote for replacing her? Mitch Merucci. He was the CD on Enchantment last November and I LOVED him. He had a great energy, nothing super annoying like we experienced on Oasis. I wrote to Royal about how great he was on the ship. Hope he is still doing well with Royal

[AndreaXray]

We felt that she was not as polished or professional in her attitude as other CDs have been. Her "booty" shaking got old and repetative.We were near her on 2 occassions when she was being asked questions by passengers and she seemed a little annoyed to be delayed in making her exit from the event. There was something almost phony feeling about her. Her hosting of the Love and Marriage show was horrible .The incident that really made us not respect her as CD was when we were at the Quest and were seated in a section with 30 or 40 people who were excited to be having a fun evening. One of the quests was to show a form of birthcontrol--one woman went up to Amy along with the team captain and said that she was a lesbian and that was a form of birthcontrol. Amy replied to the woman "for that I'll take 100 points away from your team".She didn't say it into the microphone nor did she deduct points(which we have never seen done on any ship except at this quest) but when the guest and the team captain came back into the group section and relayed what was said, people were appalled at the negative and disparaging comment made to a passenger. It definitely influenced our opinion of Amy and made us wonder how someone in her capacity could be so insensitive or demeaning to any guest.

We had a group of 21 adults and children that sailed on the Oasis on July 21, 2012.

[tehbubba]

We had her on a March 17 sailing of the Oasis and my wife liked her energy but I thought it came across as a little insincere. I heard from some of the staff that the Oasis is where many of the inexperienced staff get placed because nobody wants to be on the Oasis due to the higher work load without a significant, if any, difference in pay. I'd believe it too, she seemed like she was in multiple places at once. I could see why the more skilled CD's would try and land on smaller ships if the pay was the same. Also, Ricky Matthews was on the cruise with us and was sitting front row in many of the shows. One of the comedians pointed him out as a new cruise director who would be taking over on the Oasis soon. But this was in mid-March. I wonder if his start date got pushed back?

[Nekochan]

I just returned from the Oasis of the seas. Yes, amy fickert is definitely 'perky', and I never felt really impressed with her - but I don't know how any CD can handle a ship the size of the Oasis and do a good job. Patricio was very funny and adorable.

 

What was interesting was that I was on deck 3, which leads to the crew quarters, and quite frequently I heard some pretty happy noises coming from there - so the crew seems to be a bunch of young people who are energetic and enthusiastic. I'm pretty sure that area of the crew quarters was for the CD and the entertainers.