Cruise Directors - Just exactly what are they responsible for?

[Ken the cruiser]

We are in our early 60s and have sailed on over 13 cruises in the past 4 years on various cruise lines to include 6 on HAL. In the beginning HAL cruiser directors would have Q & A sessions and every once in awhile give lectures on the area we were sailing. They would also participate in game shows and be very much involved with what's happening on the ship. They were like a player-coach in a matter of speaking, but each CD would put their individual touch on each of their cruises, with the good ones being quite comical.

 

We also were under the assumption, of which we are probably wrong, they were responsible for the entire entertainment program on the ship, from booking the theater shows to scheduling various activities throughout the cruise.

 

However, after cruising on the Veendam, Koningsdam and Amsterdam this year, we're starting to wonder if this is really the case. Yes, they have all kinds of trivia games and the traditional scavenger hunt, but it's pretty much the same on every ship. So much the same, we're starting to wonder if corporate decides what passengers are going to play, watch and listen to with the CD just responsible for making sure it happens.

 

So we don't continue to blame boring sea days on the CD, would someone please explain, if they know, just exactly what the job of the HAL CD is?

 

As a comparison, we've been on Princess, Celebrity and Disney cruises and they have all had quite the variety of things to do on sea days. Oceania, RCI and as of late HAL not so much. For example we stopped going to the Microsoft classes 4 cruises ago as they teach the same subject matter on every cruise.

 

Is it just us or are other veteran HAL cruisers seeing the same trends we are?

[unclerich]

This is from Holland America's recruiting blurb for cruise director:

 

Required Skills

As a Cruise Director for Holland America, your Job duties will include:

Plans, schedules, produces and manages a variety of programming to ensure the entertainment of all guests.

Maximizes all revenue opportunities through programming, cross promotion, and guest communication including, but not limited to, public address, showtimes, events, parties, activities.

Manages, motivates and provides feedback to all department personnel regarding shows, events and operations. Evaluates and recommends changes and improvements. Monitors the details to achieve desired production values.

Achieves guest satisfaction goals for all department operations.

Develops and recommends innovative programming concepts.

Emcees and announces shows and events.

Special projects as assigned by the Hotel Manager and/or Seattle Entertainment department.

Provides industry leading customer service and guest interaction as a host on board.

Complies with all company operational procedures.

Successfully completes all required training programs.

Performs ship’s safety functions as required.

 

 

 

Required Experience

2 years management experience

Previous stage experience

[cabinluvn]

We do not find sea days boring. As a matter of fact, after a few days at sea, we usually have to re evaluate our days and slow down, relax and bring out our books.

 

 

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[Scrapnana]

I am under the impression that the Microsoft classes are put together by Microsoft not by HAL. Does anyone know for sure?

 

I agree with cabinluvn about sea days. Although I love trivia, lectures, and other activities, I would be perfectly happy with some sea days without anything planned.

[PoppyandNana]

I am under the impression that the Microsoft classes are put together by Microsoft not by HAL. Does anyone know for sure?

 

I agree with cabinluvn about sea days. Although I love trivia, lectures, and other activities, I would be perfectly happy with some sea days without anything planned.

 

As far as I know they are produced by HAL. A couple of years ago I interviewed with some folks in Seattle about a position conducting classes on various PC topics. Unbeknownst to the interviewer their IT Department was working on a self teach model. Would have been nice. I cruised for free. My wife at half price.

Edited December 24, 2016 by PoppyandNana

[Ken the cruiser]

Maybe we've been doing too much cruising on R class ships like the Ryndam, Maasdam, Veendam and most recently the Amsterdam. I don't know, when we spend $600+ per day to go on a HAL cruise, maybe we're just starting to expect a little more rather than a little less when it comes to being wowed. For those who find plenty of fun things to do during the day on sea days, what are some of those events, especially the new ones, you find so exiting? Maybe we're missing something.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Ken the cruiser

[wander]

OP - interesting question. I do believe there have been changes in the day to day responsibilities of the CD. I think your memory is correct at some time in the past, but each year when we cruise (long cruises) I learn of some evolutionary changes in the position.

 

This pasty summer on the Voyage of the Vikings cruise this past summer, we were told by the CD that some seemingly drastic changes in the position were happening soon after the VoV finished. Someone who has cruised more recently might know more about this. As I understood what the CD told us, the role of the CD will be quite different and another staff person will be taking over many of the "public" responsibilities - such as hosting the evening shows. Time will tell if I understood things correctly.

 

I do not believe that the CD normally chooses the evening entertainment artists - I think this is all coordinated in Seattle. So often entertainers go from one ship to another - would have to be coordinated in a centralized place. That said, from comments made by the CDs on the World Cruise and other Grand Voyages, on those cruises they do have the opportunity to make some guest entertainer requests but there is no guarantee they will be met.

 

In terms of sea day activities, in my opinion there are not as many "recreational" activities available each day. But in recent years the numbers participating seemed to be drastically dwindling except for the "golf" activities. And the board games (like Pictionary) were down to less than 10 folks. While I did attend many of such activities at times, I really do not miss them as I can fill my sea time just looking at the sea, reading, etc. And, I really enjoy most of the lecturers on the longer cruises. I keep busy and love each day in its own way.

[take us away]

I am under the impression that the Microsoft classes are put together by Microsoft not by HAL. Does anyone know for sure?

 

These classes, per a lecturer on my last cruise, are a combination of Microsoft for subject matter and HAL for presentation style. Way back when these 1st started, many people left as the classes were way too technical so HAL stepped in and made them more user-friendly with Microsoft.

[take us away]

Have the pleasure of being friends with one of the senior CD's and bottom line, the CD is responsible for ANYTHING for the passengers' entertainment. He also chooses the entertainment that are on the roster for HAL, the games, and oversees a staff. He has an entertainment budget and can select from the HAL list as long as he stayed within his budget. Times do evolve and as stated, there is to be a show host who will ease the work load for the CD.

[RocketMan275]

We've never understood the fascination displayed about the CD. Couldn't care less who he is or even if there is one. But, then, we managed our own entertainment.

[cabinluvn]

Maybe we've been doing too much cruising on R class ships like the Ryndam, Maasdam, Veendam and most recently the Amsterdam. I don't know, when we spend $600+ per day to go on a HAL cruise, maybe we're just starting to expect a little more rather than a little less when it comes to being wowed. For those who find plenty of fun things to do during the day on sea days, what are some of those events, especially the new ones, you find so exiting? Maybe we're missing something.

 

 

 

We like sitting around the Lido pool and people watch and read. We also love the port talks, cooking demonstrations and even try our hand at trivia. Although we NEVER buy any of the art, the art talks are sometimes interesting if there is an artist we might be familiar with. DH sometimes gets the spa pass and spends the afternoon in the hydro pool. Walking the promenade deck and doing a workout in the gym area are always on the "to do" list. When we are initially on sea days, we check what we want to do in the daily, but find that a lot of the activities overlap. After a few days, we decide we like the lido pool option the best and then we really relax!

 

 

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[Ken the cruiser]

OP - interesting question. I do believe there have been changes in the day to day responsibilities of the CD. I think your memory is correct at some time in the past, but each year when we cruise (long cruises) I learn of some evolutionary changes in the position.

 

This past summer on the Voyage of the Vikings cruise, we were told by the CD that some seemingly drastic changes in the position were happening soon after the VoV finished. Someone who has cruised more recently might know more about this. As I understood what the CD told us, the role of the CD will be quite different and another staff person will be taking over many of the "public" responsibilities - such as hosting the evening shows. Time will tell if I understood things correctly.

 

I do not believe that the CD normally chooses the evening entertainment artists - I think this is all coordinated in Seattle. So often entertainers go from one ship to another - would have to be coordinated in a centralized place. That said, from comments made by the CDs on the World Cruise and other Grand Voyages, on those cruises they do have the opportunity to make some guest entertainer requests but there is no guarantee they will be met.

 

In terms of sea day activities, in my opinion there are not as many "recreational" activities available each day. But in recent years the numbers participating seemed to be drastically dwindling except for the "golf" activities. And the board games (like Pictionary) were down to less than 10 folks. While I did attend many of such activities at times, I really do not miss them as I can fill my sea time just looking at the sea, reading, etc. And, I really enjoy most of the lecturers on the longer cruises. I keep busy and love each day in its own way.

 

Thanks Wander for your insight. What you said makes a lot of sense, especially after recently going on the 17 day roundtrip to Hawaii on the Amsterdam. We too participated in Pictionary with about 20 other passengers and we had a blast!

 

But as they say variety is the spice of life, so maybe it's good we continue trying different cruise lines. We still like HAL as they have some great itineraries, like Voyage of the Vikings and their Antarctica cruises, but it would be nice to hear music on a regular basis from the 70's on rather than once in awhile. Although I must say, the HAL singers and dancers threw in a couple of Queen songs during their show on our recent cruise that perked us up a bit.

 

As for what we like to do during the day on sea days. We like to go to lectures, walk a couple of miles around the promenade and go to "non trivia" group participating game shows. For example we went on a Princess cruise one time where folks were trying to bounce ping pong balls into cups. I know it sounds stupid, but we had a blast. Pictionary and games like that are fun too! We also like to do outdoor sports activities like paddle ball, croquet and putt-putt golf.

[sppunk]

Have the pleasure of being friends with one of the senior CD's and bottom line, the CD is responsible for ANYTHING for the passengers' entertainment. He also chooses the entertainment that are on the roster for HAL, the games, and oversees a staff. He has an entertainment budget and can select from the HAL list as long as he stayed within his budget. Times do evolve and as stated, there is to be a show host who will ease the work load for the CD.

 

This hasn't been true for a while: Seattle books all entertainment and creates the daily schedule. The CD can alter things but Seattle makes it.

 

I haven't seen a show host that wasn't the Culinary Arts person in a while.

[Scrapnana]

 

I haven't seen a show host that wasn't the Culinary Arts person in a while.

 

The show host and the Culinary Arts host were different people on both the HAL cruises I took this year.

[iancal]

From our perspective they are responsible for bad jokes, too many announcements, opening shows with too much self aggrandizement, and far too much false familiarity.

[Sir PMP]

From our perspective they are responsible for bad jokes, too many announcements, opening shows with too much self aggrandizement, and far too much false familiarity.

 

They are the most annoying people on the ship..

[sppunk]

The show host and the Culinary Arts host were different people on both the HAL cruises I took this year.

 

Did you have a dedicated assistant CD, too?

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Some are great and some need to find a new job

 

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[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Yes, she was my first CD. ;-)

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Tewes#/media/File:Lauren_Tewes.jpg

[Krazy Kruizers]

What "traditional" scavenger hunt?

We haven't had one in years on all the various ships we have been -- and most were 14 and 21 day cruises.

CD's never in charge of what entertainers would be on a ship. Seattle decides what groups will be on stage, what groups will play in the Ocean bar, etc.

On our spring cruise 2015 we had very little in the way of activities. Trivia was 3 times a day -- during happy hour and our dinner time. So now we have given up that activity.

[Ken the cruiser]

What "traditional" scavenger hunt?

We haven't had one in years on all the various ships we have been -- and most were 14 and 21 day cruises.

CD's never in charge of what entertainers would be on a ship. Seattle decides what groups will be on stage, what groups will play in the Ocean bar, etc.

On our spring cruise 2015 we had very little in the way of activities. Trivia was 3 times a day -- during happy hour and our dinner time. So now we have given up that activity.

 

I believe it when you say Seattle controls it all and it shows. But, believe it or not, there was actually a Scavenger Hunt on the 17 day Hawaiian cruise on the way back and it was one of our few sea day highlights I can remember along with playing Pictionary. As a side note, I think every young person, all 12 or so of them, along with a few of us older ones on the ship participated in those two events. You are also right on the trivia games. We eat around Noon and then dine early for health reasons and go to the early show, so that pretty much nixes the trivia games as well.

[kazu]

Did you have a dedicated assistant CD, too?

 

I was on one of Scrapnana's cruises and yes, we had a dedicated assistant as well.

[jenp123]

Things may be changing even more with the role of the CD. I was on the koninsdam and they added a new entertainment position...I can't remember the exact title but she was an officer and was in charge of entertainment and the CD's boss. I asked her if she was in charge and she said she takes care of the logistics and CD goes up onstage and acts cute. (Obviously somewhat joking) I believe the koninsdam and one other ship have the new position

[Ken the cruiser]

Things may be changing even more with the role of the CD. I was on the koninsdam and they added a new entertainment position...I can't remember the exact title but she was an officer and was in charge of entertainment and the CD's boss. I asked her if she was in charge and she said she takes care of the logistics and CD goes up onstage and acts cute. (Obviously somewhat joking) I believe the koninsdam and one other ship have the new position

 

So, could you tell a difference? How was the entertainment? Was there a bunch of new things to do on sea days or did they just add another layer of management? Did you have a great time? We sail again on the K'dam in February.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Ken the cruiser

[iflyrc5]

What "traditional" scavenger hunt?

We haven't had one in years on all the various ships we have been -- and most were 14 and 21 day cruises.

 

They had the scavenger hunt on 2 of the 3 legs of our recent Australian/New Zealand adventure on the Maasdam and we had 2 different CDs.