Graham Seymore

[cruiserw/kids]

OK, who can be the first to post pictures of these famous Cruise Directors, so we all can these guys that you are talking up like they are GODS or something! Will they rename islands after Graham (Isla de Cmore Graham) or St. Frankie (the newest of the US V-Islands)? Are there any female Cruise Directors, come on guys who is your favorite female Cruise personality? (Please don't say Julie from Love Boat!)

 

Westfield Friends - July 4th Golden Princess

 

[jody]

Graham was the fabulous cruise director on my first ever cruise on Carnival. He has since moved to Princess and can be very entertaining. My second experience with him was last summer on the Golden Princess on an early summer Med cruise and he was barely funny and almost non-existent on the ship. It was quite a let down from my first experience with him as the CD and after all the rave reviews he'd been given at Princess. He was one cruise away from vacation, so that may be why he wasn't so enthusiastic. On our 12 day trip, there were only a few mildly funny morning shows and the other days they showed re-runs of ship tour footage from the Caribbean. Frankie the Deputy (the highest ranking Assistant) CD provided a lot more energy on that cruise.

 

The only female CD I have exprienced was Janet who had Frankie as a sidekick. They were great together. I believe Janet has her own business in California and just works as a fill in CD when other CDs are off on vacation and there is a need.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

NEXT UP: Tahitian Princess October 2004 (Tahiti)

Golden Princess May 2003 (Mediterranean)

Golden Princess January 2002 (Eastern Caribbean)

Sea Princess March 2001 (Western Caribbean)

Carnival Inspiration March 1997 (Southern Caribbean)

[GloriaF]

It seems to that all CD are cut from the same mold --- maybe cookie cutter molds of Graham. I think Princess trains them to be the same: all are funny, personable, do a morning show with the cocktail of the day, host events, etc.

 

While I agree that there are some inherent qualities that make some better than others, they all try to give the pax a memorable cruise experience. Don't go onboard dissappointed with the CD before you even lay eyes on him/her just because their name isn't Graham Seymore.

 

I guess I've just set myself up to be flamed....

 

Gloria

 

Grand Princess, Eastern, April 2001

Grand Princess, Western,April 2002

Regal to Hawaii, April 5-20, 2004

[cruzfiend]

No, GloriaF, I agree w/you. We don't pick our cruises for the CD, but some are better than others - that's for sure!!! I heard on another post that the Golden's new CD is a man named Gavin and he also is suppose to be very personable & funny. Any cruise is better than no cruise at all

 

Aweigh we go

[learning to fly]

I must say that I was completely blown away by Graham as my CD. This was my second Princess Cruise and my favorite by far.

 

His personality was engaging and his sense of humor was right on par with mine, so I had nothing to complain about!

 

But what really struck me the most about Graham was his accessibility. He was at just about every event on my ship (Golden- 4/10-4/17) and was friendly as can be with everyone on board. What really made my trip was the fact that he called my room and set up a meeting with me when he heard through the grapevine that I was interested in becoming a cruise director. Now, if that doesn't scream caring and interested, I don't know what does!

 

What I do know is that having Graham as my CD made my trip, and I wouldn't hesitate to take another one of his cruises!

 

As for Gavin..he was the Deputy CD on our cruise, and he's delightful as well. His sense of humor is very similar to Graham's- irreverent as can be! He's very enjoyable and is extremely outgoing as well! I'd cruise with him again in a heartbeat!

 

-Meagan

[cruzfiend]

So Meagan, are you going to be a CD?

 

Aweigh we go

[Princess311]

MEAGAN!!!!!!!!

I'm so glad you joined this board!

 

Graham was amazing, thats for sure and Gavin will be just as good on the Golden as CD!

 

*Alicia*

 

Golden Princess 4/10/04

*best vacation ever!*

[learning to fly]

Cruzfiend- you bet I am! It's just the kind of thing that I like to do- meet new people, travel...and the kinds of things that the CDs do "in public" are the roles that I've played before....Graham and I had a great little chat about it...and he seems to think that I have a great personality for it, so it doesn't get much better than that, does it?!

 

It's definitely a dream of mine, and I'm looking forward to it, and I'll make sure to let you all know when it happens!

 

Alicia- THANKS! And I completely agree. The pair were hysterical, but each on their own was just as enjoyable!

 

-Meagan

[aquatic]

Gavin was the assistant CD when we were on the Golden this past March. He is adorable, funny, and a younger version of Graham. I sure would like to see his Pub night show! He's as funny as Graham. Can't wait till our next cruise.

[learning to fly]

I can't wait to hear reviews from people when theyu get off the CP with Graham as CD

 

I just have to laugh, because our first night, Graham was making fun of the CP and how it's the "neeeeeeeeeeeew ship" and how it's supposed to be "so much better than the Golden"....looks like he'll have to get a new routine!

 

either way, it should be fun!

 

-Meagan

[wka_orlando]

For those of you who are Franky fans like my wife and I, here is a bit of cruise line politics to help understand how someone as good as he is has never become a full time CD. and he is not alone in what I am saying below. I have met several very talented, good natured people that are in the same situation...

 

1) On Princess you must be from the Commonwealth countries to be in onboard entertainment management (in most cases). Americans like Franky are rarely included in that club. Head waiters must come from another country list as well as captins and hotel senior staff. For all the love of American passengers, we are not very welcome in Princess management esp on the ships. I have yet to find more than a few anyplace... Some of this has been changing since Carnival takeover and the rush of new ships but not very quickly. This, imho, is why they have such a lousy rep in the customer relations area in term of hotel and dinning management. When dealing with them, it is very obvious.... This is a very entrenched culture... I travel internationally a lot and find that British hotel management/cust relations people are, as a group, real ****s and do not like Americans. Have been screwed by them on Princess several times.

 

2) Because of these 'floating small town soap operas', there is also a major political system that rewards people that know how to play the system like drinking and fooling around in the right circles... Reality TV can't begin to scratch what goes on below decks on these ships... This is true in every line I have ever come near. Remember, these people are often locked up together 24/7 for 9 months at a time. How would you expect your office env to be if you could only leave the building for say 8 hours per week at most and put in 12 hour working days EVERY DAY... I can't even begin to tell you how nasty and petty it can get 'below decks'... There is very much a caste system and even the 'educated' senior staff often behave like spoiled high school kids with cliches etc etc when there are not passengers around.

 

Now this is not all specific to Franky by any means, it is a cruise industry culture problem that crosses many lines. But if you are a lower key, kind person that does not fit the right mold and is not adept at playing nasty games or climbing over peoples backs, then there is only so far you can go in this kind of job. Sort of like Hollywood, occationaly a real star pops through the garbage realatively clean but most of the people at the top have the taint and wounds to show for it.

 

I personnaly think Frankie makes an excellant CD person from the passengers perspective, but given what goes on behind the curtains, you have to wonder if some of these CDs are what they seem or are they on the job when you see them... even in the halls?

 

Food for thought. I will always love cruising and have found that there are always signs of hope. Took a Mariner of the Seas ride this year and was very supprised by the up-beat pleasant staff and lack of bs going on. In this case, I credit the captin who was Scandinavian and a really nice guy along with a hotel staff that was truely international at the top.

[West Coast]

Ok, so I know this is far off topic, but just so you know...

 

One of the reasons there are so few Americans working on board is beacuse their salary is taxed and subject to US withholding at source. This is not the case for any other foreign national.

 

So for someone in a purser/cruise staff position (and I'm guessing their salary is not that high), assuming a 25% tax bracket, on a salary of $25,000 per year an American would only take home $18,750 whereas everyone else gets to take home the whole amount. That's one 'angle' of making a lower salary look attractive (plus the room and board and travel to far away and exotic locations!).