Rare YoPhilly Posted December 1, 2022 #1 Share Posted December 1, 2022 I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship. In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director. Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? 😃 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD64 Posted December 1, 2022 #2 Share Posted December 1, 2022 I agree - you are not missing anything at all. Not sure what the fascination is with the CD. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted December 1, 2022 #3 Share Posted December 1, 2022 There are enthusiastic and adamant Trivia players on these boards. Some CD’s are better at running Trivia than others. We’re with those that could care less who any of the officers are. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepherd really Posted December 1, 2022 #4 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Good, it's not just me that doesn't care. 😄 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GeezerCouple Posted December 1, 2022 #5 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Just now, shepherd really said: Good, it's not just me that doesn't care. 😄 You absolutely are not! 😉 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lj77346 Posted December 1, 2022 #6 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Same here - as long as "Captain Speaking" can get us safely from port to port, we're happy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orator Posted December 1, 2022 #7 Share Posted December 1, 2022 My experience is mainly with Celebrity.The CD is in charge of all the entertainment.Some CDs can influence who the cruise invites to be on their ship. CDs may influence how you feel about the cruise experience. I don’t know the experience on Oceania, but excited to see for myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pinotlover Posted December 1, 2022 #8 Share Posted December 1, 2022 27 minutes ago, Orator said: My experience is mainly with Celebrity.The CD is in charge of all the entertainment.Some CDs can influence who the cruise invites to be on their ship. CDs may influence how you feel about the cruise experience. I don’t know the experience on Oceania, but excited to see for myself. Since Oceania is a relatively small line with smaller ships, as compared to the overall industry, you will find that most things are tightly ran out of Miami. The individual ships, and their officers, have minimal control on how things are ran aboard ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted December 1, 2022 #9 Share Posted December 1, 2022 1 minute ago, pinotlover said: Since Oceania is a relatively small line with smaller ships, as compared to the overall industry, you will find that most things are tightly ran out of Miami. The individual ships, and their officers, have minimal control on how things are ran aboard ship. Your observation about Oceania may be true, but not for the reason you suggest. Celebrity is a larger line with larger ships, but it is tightly controlled out of Miami. Azamara used to part of the same group and fits your description of a 'relatively small line with smaller ships' – and it was never tightly controlled by Miami. It makes more sense that NCL, because of its larger ships, would need to be tightly controlled to have a uniform experience among the vast number of employees. Oceania and Regent should each have their own culture (very different from NCL), and at their price point part of that culture should be giving the shipboard officers more latitude to cater to passengers' wishes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 1, 2022 #10 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Some CD's are better than others some talk too much on the public system & we would like to avoid those ones But we go for the itinerary so have to take the good with the bad 🙂 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted December 1, 2022 #11 Share Posted December 1, 2022 29 minutes ago, LHT28 said: Some CD's are better than others some talk too much on the public system & we would like to avoid those ones But we go for the itinerary so have to take the good with the bad 🙂 I agree on both counts. Some CDs are actually good performers in their own right, and different CDs have different ideas about how much reminding passengers need. But itinerary trumps all... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ToxM Posted December 1, 2022 #12 Share Posted December 1, 2022 It’s nice to find out beforehand but it makes little difference to us apart from knowing a little while in advance (usually well after full payment date - so we can so dnothing about it lol) whether we are going to get storytime and reading and comprehension lessons at 5pm every day. 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhD-iva Posted December 1, 2022 #13 Share Posted December 1, 2022 I have thought of one area where the cruise Director can have a meaningful impact on my enjoyment of a cruise. I was talking to one of the guest lecturers who was on the Regent Mariner itinerary last month. I mentioned that I was not able to attend his lectures because most of them interfered with the bridge lessons in the morning or with the afternoon duplicate play. He mentioned that his schedule was set by the cruise Director and sometimes he didn’t know until the day before when his next lecture would be scheduled. yes, it was very difficult to decide among the many activities on offer as to where to go/what to do! 🤪 Usually bridge trumped all others! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEFIowa Posted December 1, 2022 #14 Share Posted December 1, 2022 13 hours ago, YoPhilly said: I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship. In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director. Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? Each one is a bit unique. In what they do and how they do it. On Riviera 12/21 the CD Paul hosted a Veterans' get together early in the cruise. Made a big impression on me as I met about 34 veterans there and would know a bit about them on the cruise as I ran into them on the ship. On Sirena 11/22 when I asked her about one, CD Dottie did NOT plan on hosting any such Veterans' gathering. BUT she did help me self-host one. We had about 23 or so show up. Dottie also conducted the inter-denominational Christian prayer services on our 2 Sundays and Thanksgiving. So my impressions of both are quite positive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davencl Posted December 1, 2022 #15 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Generally I don't care but my comment applies to not only CD but bartender, butler, concierge etc. You get that one special engaging person and it's a delight to be in their company. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_coach Posted December 1, 2022 #16 Share Posted December 1, 2022 (edited) 21 hours ago, YoPhilly said: I'm always intrigued when posters ask who is the current cruise director on a ship. In all my cruises, I rarely pay attention to the cruise director. Am I missing something by not buddying up to a CD? 😃 As well as asking who the Captain and other crew members are. No one ever asks who the Captain of the aircraft they are flying on is LOL In other threads where folks are asking about crew members, it seems the people posting like to be recognized by a crew member, even down to cabin attendants and bar tenders. Even if a crew member feigns recognition, it would surprise me if they actually knew (unless they are exceptional tippers LOL). They get 1200 or so new folks every week for the duration of their contract. I am with you, peoples obsession with crew members is odd. Edited December 1, 2022 by pete_coach 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEFIowa Posted December 2, 2022 #17 Share Posted December 2, 2022 14 hours ago, pete_coach said: ... In other threads where folks are asking about crew members, it seems the people posting like to be recognized by a crew member, even down to cabin attendants and bar tenders. Even if a crew member feigns recognition, it would surprise me if they actually knew (unless they are exceptional tippers LOL). They get 1200 or so new folks every week for the duration of their contract.... Memory is a strange thing! While on Sirena earlier last month (11/18-28/22) I was walking along deck 4 starboard by the cabins with my wife when coming toward me was someone I immediately thought I recognized. When we met I said, "Stephen!" And he said, "Michael." I couldn't believe we both remembered each other from Riviera 12/22. He was our steward, along with Anna P. He is from India. So I mentioned our current steward, Salvio from Goa, whom he knew. Stephen was going back home at the end of the cruise. Salvio going back too, but the cruise after. (His co-worker, Mary from the Philippines.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_coach Posted December 2, 2022 #18 Share Posted December 2, 2022 36 minutes ago, MEFIowa said: Memory is a strange thing! While on Sirena earlier last month (11/18-28/22) I was walking along deck 4 starboard by the cabins with my wife when coming toward me was someone I immediately thought I recognized. When we met I said, "Stephen!" And he said, "Michael." I couldn't believe we both remembered each other from Riviera 12/22. He was our steward, along with Anna P. He is from India. So I mentioned our current steward, Salvio from Goa, whom he knew. Stephen was going back home at the end of the cruise. Salvio going back too, but the cruise after. (His co-worker, Mary from the Philippines.) Dates are a bit off. Nice but, you are aware that passenger lists with names are given to all crew that interact with passengers. Anyway, good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffjb Posted December 2, 2022 #19 Share Posted December 2, 2022 For me, more important than CD are the GM and executive chef on board. Those individuals can influence the experience on a particular ship. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEFIowa Posted December 2, 2022 #20 Share Posted December 2, 2022 18 minutes ago, pete_coach said: Dates are a bit off. ... Mea culpa typing this Friday AM with coffee yet and progressive trifocals... - Riviera was 12/13-23/21 - Sirena was 11/18-28/22 We did tip both Stephen and Anna in a Thank You card to each & a personal note but not huge amount. And we treated them both with respect and dignity during the cruise, engaging them politely every time we interacted with them, sincere gratitude for what they did for us daily. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ORV Posted December 2, 2022 #21 Share Posted December 2, 2022 28 minutes ago, pete_coach said: Dates are a bit off. Nice but, you are aware that passenger lists with names are given to all crew that interact with passengers. Anyway, good for you. Actually on Oceania it’s a bit different than larger cruise lines. There are only a few ships. A very large percentage of the passengers are repeaters. I’ve got almost 30 in and every cruise I meet those that easily have double or more than me. Prior to Covid the crew and officers are/were long term employees. Many of them 15 or more years. Many of them are still around. When you put this all together it creates an environment where the crew actually does remember you without cheat sheets. Maybe not your name at first, but they do remember your face. In September we cruised with 2 bartenders we first met in 2013. They definitely both remembered us. But I’m a memorable guy. 😝 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 2, 2022 #22 Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 minute ago, ORV said: Actually on Oceania it’s a bit different than larger cruise lines. There are only a few ships. A very large percentage of the passengers are repeaters. I agree We sailed 2004 then 4 yrs later one of the waitstaff kept looking at us at tea time then made his way over to our table he remembered us from the cruise 4 yrs previous Plus people do become friendly with some of the crew & it was nice on the small ships as you got to chat with some when they were not busy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orator Posted December 2, 2022 #23 Share Posted December 2, 2022 (edited) My guess is that the importance of officers and crew is based on special relationships you've forged over the years. On Oceania I'm a new cruiser and really don't know anyone. I'm most certain that I will not be treated differently than any other passenger and that's fine. I've cruised more than 110 times over 20 years with another line and I've known many who have risen thought the ranks to their current positions as Captains, HD, RM, and CD. These relationships are important to us and we are treated more than special when we meet them. I've actually taken some cruises just to see special people. We communicated to them during Covid and they were concerned about us. Edited December 2, 2022 by Orator 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffElizabeth Posted December 2, 2022 #24 Share Posted December 2, 2022 On 12/1/2022 at 8:08 AM, davencl said: Generally I don't care but my comment applies to not only CD but bartender, butler, concierge etc. You get that one special engaging person and it's a delight to be in their company. Before our last Oceania Cruise, I never cared about cruise directors, but Peter was awesome on our trip from Miami to Trieste. Really made the cruise because high winds canceled more than a few planned port stops. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhD-iva Posted December 3, 2022 #25 Share Posted December 3, 2022 12 hours ago, MEFIowa said: - Riviera was 12/13-23/21 - Sirena was 11/18-28/22 please help me to understand……. I think I struggle with these dates. Is the cruise on the Riviera eight years long? 2013 to 2021? I don’t get it - is the first digit the month and the second digit the year, or what is going on? I have lived in Europe and I understand “day month year” versus American “month day year”. I appreciate your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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