Our Cruise Director was in hiding most of the trip

[conversationist]

On a recent Princess Cruise, we noticed that our Cruise Director was no where to be seen. Yes, he did appear on stage during the evening shows, but there was no opportunity to meet him at all during the day. I did see him walking through the ship one time but he was with a variety of assistants and seemed like a Politician with Secret Service Agents. He was aloof and unapproachable.

 

I think the Cruise Director should have office hours where he will stand in a public area on a scheduled basis and visit with the passengers. I talked to many people who would have enjoyed talking to the Cruise Director and exchanged ideas on social activities and programs.

 

How accessible was the Cruise Director in your last sailing? Would you have any feedback for him/her?

[isujim]

Only on one or two cruises was a cruise director actually accessible..........didn't matter to me.........have never cruised in 12 cruises with 4 more booked because of a cruise director............

[serene56]

Didnt your cruise director do some games, etc?

 

I dont care one way or another to speak or have interaction with the cruise director..as long as my day is planned and I am not bored-- he is doing his job.

 

I feel the same way about cabin stewards too-- as longas the job is done I dont care to have a new best friend for the week.

 

others though will feel put out if they never met the cabin steward.

 

to the OP-- how accessible was past cruise directors for you?

[JillinCalgary]

I could care less about the Cruise social staff. In fact to be honest, I don't 'get' what it is they do. They prance around in their white outfits with a smile so big their faces could crack at any moment. They make idle chit chat with whomever expresses interest and make tacky jokes while hosting events. Nope, not at all my cup of tea.

 

But I guess that's what makes everyone's cruising experience so unique!

 

I'm sorry you weren't looking for the relationship you were after...

[Spikesgirl]

Conversationalist - we have had both. We've had young and old, male and female. We had one that we never saw except at the Captain's cocktail party. The most personable one we had was Sammi on the Pacific Princess (also Tahitian). She had an uncanny ability to remember people. We had chatted with her a couple of times on the TP and then saw her again on the PP and she asked a question about Stockton, saying that she had driven through there. She not only did she remember our names, but also where we lived three years later??!! man, I can't remember what I had for dinner three days ago. Needless to say, she was out and about, never too busy to stop and chat, always ready with an answer. We really enjoyed her.

 

charlie

[chris2597]

Our first Princess CD, Neal Chandler, on The Grand was wonderful, very entertaining, and approachable. We saw him at what seemed to be every event and involved in some capacity. He was so funny, talented and appeared to really care about the pax's. His staff was outgoing and followed his lead, giving their all to everything. On our second Princess cruise, same ship, different CD, Neal Roberts was never around. We only saw him at a couple of shows, giving a few brief announcements and his G'day, G'day, G'day routine, which got boring by the end of the week. He was not approachable and seemed very distant from his staff and pax's alike. I guess their is no industry or cruiseline standard for what to expect from the CD.

[Jim Gallup]

In recent years the role of Cruise Director has changed dramatically. So have the qualifications and experience required to be a Cruise Director. And so have the demands and requirements of the job.

 

Not too long ago Cruise Directors were often quite talented performers in their own rights. They usually had rather enormous egos to go along with that talent and exprience. Heaven help the performer who got better reviews than the Cruise Director.

Cruise Directors were in charge of shopping programs, which gave them enormous leverage with (and incredible payoffs from) the local merchants.

 

Cruise Directors were in charge of Bingo, which gave them incredible payoffs from the cut that was skimmed off the top.

 

Cruise Directors were often involved in Shore Excursions, giving them a further cut and payoff.

 

In short, Cruise Directors were the highest paid employees on the ship.

 

Then the onboard revenue people came along. They quickly realized the massive amount of money that was being funneled to the CDs from seemingly every direction. The company wanted that money. So gradually they took away those payments - and many perks - a bit at a time. Today a Cruise Director rarely has a talent - except administrative. Quite a few of them are good with people. The average Cruise Director today gets paid a small fraction of what he would have made 10 or 20 years ago.

At the same time, the Cruise Director went from getting to know a few hundred passengers every week, to trying to get to know a few thousand passengers every week. It just cannot be done.

So what happened to those great CDs we got to know only a few years ago? Many retired quite wealthy. Many of those who are still young enough to work didn't put up with the huge pay cuts they were forced to take. They took other positions that paid better.

So what are we left with?? Usually the CD on a Mass Market ship is just the guy in the Cruise Department who has been there the longest. The longest might be just a few months or years. Turnover in the Cruise Department of most Cruise Lines is frighteningly high. These are all salaried people. Passenger tips are not used to pay their salaries. Their department doesn't directly generate much revenue for the company, so the corporate people do not give it much attention or importance.

Today's Cruise Director is required to attend so many safety meetings, revenue meetings, training meetings, security meetings, sanitation meetings and inspections, etc, etc, as well as filling out endless reports for safety, security, Human Resources, daily reports, weekly reports, voyage reports, staff evaluations, overtime reports; he/she is required to administer all of the performers, musicians, technicians, broadcast department, stage department, childrens' programs - and all of this with just a fraction of the salary paid for this position on a small ship just a few years ago.

Why don't you see the Cruise Director around much anymore??? Now you know.

[Spikesgirl]

Jim, that actually makes sense to me. Sammi was 'retiring' after our cruise. She was a gifted singer and comedian and could work with just about any situation.

 

wonder what the CD on the Grand will be like. I'll go ask SpongeRob.

 

Charlie