Do cruise directors really make a difference?

[The4Cruisers]

Sure, they have a job to do just like every other person with a name tag on their uniform. Like other positions onboard, the CD's are all interchangeable and have the same responsibilities and goals as does any corporate, chain location manager.

 

Some do it with more flair and personality than the others and that causes the feedback and allegiance that you see from some passengers.

Edited November 8, 2015 by The4Cruisers

[Jay Sam]

To me a CD can make the cruise a bit nicer. I agree, that I remember the names of ones who really are great. Wee Jimmy comes to mind. He was my favorite of 12 cruises.

[Towel Critter]

I think it does make a difference, but I wouldn't go so far as to say the quality of the cruise director makes or breaks a cruise. I don't think I remember the full name of a single CD, but I did particularly enjoy a certain Hispanic CD on the Triumph a few years ago. ( I think his first name may have been George) He was hysterically funny. I also remember one somewhat negatively. He began every announcement by singing. It became tiresome after a few days. I don't remember his name.

[franknberry]

Many think that Heald fella is good. He does use old dated material on stage. Not funny at all. Jen Baxter is best.

[Frank12]

Not in my opinion. Never really understood what all the hype is about with cruise directors. 😎

 

Yup.

[75Vette]

We were on the Magic a couple of weeks ago and the cruise director was the best. He was very high energy and quite a jokester. He even made the muster drill fun and one to remember forever. We have been on 35 cruises and never had fun at a muster drill, much less still laughing about it.

 

On his morning show he called up a random cabin and ask the occupants if their bed was comfortable. They told him not really. He told them to take off the bedding and put it in the hall that they were sending someone to change the mattress. Wished them a great cruise and hung up. He called room service and was practically in tears when he was told they couldn't deliver him a hamburger patty. He really almost had them convinced they could deliver this hamburger patty.

 

He was one of the best and I hope to cruise with him again.

 

He did make a difference.

[bingo3]

Not to me, they certainly do not make or break my cruise. :)

[Ruby0704]

Just off our 9th cruise and I can't tell you the names of any of the CD's but I will never forget Dr. E on the Magic!! He is full of energy and OMG muster drill was hilarious!! I never book a cruise just for the CD but they can certainly add to your enjoyment!!

[Jenhem31]

I never cared about the cruise director until I sailed with Matt Mitcham

[sunshine002]

I have found some CD's are totally hands on and everywhere. Others I just hear there announcements and perhaps you see them at the show.

 

Some are lots of fun, and have made all the difference when doing a Quest or even something such as trivia. I loved watching woohoo Malchom doing name that song. Also really enjoyed sailing with Big Sexy Josh Waitzman.

 

For me a good CD just adds something to the cruise.

[tlw440]

Just got off the Breeze 3 weeks ago, Matt is in a league of his own. The best we have sailed with.

[sc4125]

I have been on numerous cruises & even worked onboard a few of CCL ships back in the olden days. A cruise director can defintely add to the overall experience. If you have a good cruise director, he/she is working hard to make sure that all the "activities" run smoothly and on-time. Everything just seems to flow if the cruise director is doing a good job.

 

A great cruise director goes above and beyond the good cruise director. You can't please everyone, but you will certainly remember the name of great cruise directors.

 

After sailing with Matt Michum, I can say that he certainly made a difference in how much I enjoyed the cruise. He's one of the hardest working cruise directors I have ever seen. It's really difficult to work that hard and still look like you're having fun. As someone who once worked onboard, I know how tiring that life can be - and believe it or not, some passengers are really hard to deal with (lol). So, to keep the energy up and act like you love being with passengers is to be appreciated!!

 

Would I book a cruise based solely on the cruise director? No - BUT I would certainly be more excited if I knew I would be onboard with one of the better CD's.

[quickrate]

I do not pick the cruise based on who the cruise director is but I can say some make the cruise more enjoyable. As many have mentioned here, there are stand outs such as Matt Mitcham. He throws one of the best sail away parties and sets the mood for the rest of the cruise.

Pat

[glassman352]

We have only been on 2 cruises and think the CD is just a part of the ship. Not a big thing to us. I do see how a really good one would make the shows/games more enjoyable but would never base a cruise on who the CD is. I think the bartender at the Alchemy bar is more important!:D

[N2Mischief]

We are very boring cruisers. We go on a cruise to kick back and relax, so we don't get involved in many of the planned activities. We do enjoy watching from the sidelines. I always thought because of that the CD didn't matter much. But I have come to discover that the whole energy of the cruise can depend on the CD. I have had boring CD's and some that love to hear themselves talk to where it actually gets very irritating. We recently had Matt Mitchem and he just made me laugh constantly. His announcements were hysterical. Made the cruise much more fun just to listen to him talk.

[Lace]

Hello all,

 

I have noticed many people ask about cruise directors on here. I have been cruising off and on, short and long for almost 20 years. I look at the little paper they leave in the room every day and decide if anything interests me.

Do cruise directors control what activities go in the caper? What exactly do they do that make or break a cruise The only time I really even see the cruise director is if I go to a game show or something like that. Am I missing something?

Thanks

 

They're only noticable when they are bad. And only for the shows. It's like having a difference of a Robin Williams or a David Frost, telling the same jokes you have all heard before.

[jacmo24]

We never thought CD's mattered until our cruise on the Freedom. The activities were so plentiful and a ton of fun. We've not found those same activities on any other cruise.

 

Then our Glory cruise with Mike Pack - he absolutely made our cruise better. He's hilarious. Very accessible, fun and funny. What a sport. His evening lobby trivia's are legendary. Every night, every single floor was packed watching him in the atrium. We would book a cruise just to sail with Mike again. I heard several platinum and even a diamond cruiser compliment him on being the best CD they'd ever had.

 

So yes, they can definitely make a difference.

[joeyancho]

Not a bit. The quieter they are, the better.

[sparks1093]

Hello all,

 

I have noticed many people ask about cruise directors on here. I have been cruising off and on, short and long for almost 20 years. I look at the little paper they leave in the room every day and decide if anything interests me.

Do cruise directors control what activities go in the caper? What exactly do they do that make or break a cruise The only time I really even see the cruise director is if I go to a game show or something like that. Am I missing something?

Thanks

 

I am replying without reading any of the replies so I may be repeating what others have said. A cruise director can add to the enjoyment of the cruise if he or she is engaging during shows and while out and about on the ship. An entertaining CD can make even the most boring announcements interesting and while introducing the shows can be a good warm up act. We had a great time on the Gem and the CD was only mediocre, so he didn't detract from the cruise. It is my understanding that the CD is responsible for the shipboard entertainment but I'm not sure that there is much latitude in that regard.

[Pyrate13]

We've been on 15 cruises with various lines including Carnival, Disney and HAL. Can't recall a single one of the CD's, bad or good. So for us, no, they don't make or break our cruise and we don't care who we have.

[NavarreCruiser]

In our opinion (DW and I) a lot depends on how and why you cruise. If you cruise occasionally and are there to relax and unwind, the CD and the activities he/she or the ED or the media manager or the ACD schedule don't matter much, as indicated by many of the posts above.

 

We cruise a lot (14 Carnival cruises this year and 78 total spread over 24 ships) and have cruised with many different CDs and know many of them personally. They all have 2 sides of their job, the management side and the public persona side dealing with the passengers. Some are really good at one job and not the other. The quality and experience of their Entertainment Staff (now called the "Fun Squad") also has a huge impact and the enjoyability of many activities.

 

We do choose a number of our cruises based on the CD because we like to see our friends, that's just our choice and doesn't apply to most cruisers. Lately Carnival has been moving them around so much that the best laid plans (of mice and men) doth often go astray. So we meet new CDs, some of which are good or really good and some we wonder how they got promoted.

[IPlayWithString]

I know they work hard and organize all the games and stuff, but I couldn't tell you the name of the last one we had. They are appreciated but I don't book a cruise based on who is the CD

 

We don't either but we do appreciate seeing the same CDs over and over again. :) Especially if they're good.

[Ykgorbie]

The only ones who made a difference to my cruise were Karl with a K and most recently, we were lucky enough to have both Jase (AWESOME) along with John Heald for a 14 day repo cruise. They were both out and about a lot; Jase was fantastic interacting with every age group - I think I will always remember him standing on the pier in the blazing sun, greeting and chatting with every passenger who re-boarded the ship after a day in port in St. Maarten. John Heald is passionate about his job and has the patience of a saint. The number of times I witnessed people going up to him with complaints or just to chat (in the buffet line, one when he was sitting at a table with another guy in business attire obviously having a meeting, in the atrium....) and he would always take the time to listen and take interest in what they were saying. He's a pretty well known name amongst the Carnival CD's and I was almost apalled at the amount of times I witnessed him being interrupted ! But other than those three guys as our CD's, nobody else realll left a lasting impression - of any kind.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Ykgorbie
spelling

[PAPERBKWRITER]

I don't think who the CD is will make or break the experience. Some are very visible, others are only seen on stage. I never schedule a cruise because a certain CD is on board.

[Bob NC]

After 7 cruises the only CD I remember was some woman with the most annoying screeeeechy voice.

 

Her announcements were like nails on a chalkboard.