Party coordinators?

[WhansaMi]

Summer before last we sailed on the Rotterdam. My husband enjoyed the bartending classes with the party coordinators. At that time the party coordinators mentioned that those positions might be phased out. Does anyone know if that is happening?

We are sailing on the Prinsendam next summer. Hubby was wondering if he'd still have someone around to teach him how to make drinks. :-)

[CowPrincess]

We had a party coordinator in May/09. If the bartending classes are revenue-generating, I'd expect that the classes will continue, whether or not there's a party coordinator. Someone will be doing them, if there's money to be made.

[JAMS1]

Party Planner Patty was on our 9/4 Zaandam cruise, so hopefully it will continue, she was very nice

[WhansaMi]

We had a party coordinator in May/09. If the bartending classes are revenue-generating, I'd expect that the classes will continue, whether or not there's a party coordinator. Someone will be doing them, if there's money to be made.

I think that the thing.... DH really enjoyed having the young ladies around and about. As he puts it "I can't believe they might get rid of the one 'youthful' thing they are doing around the ship... but you never know."

In other words, I don't think he'd have as much fun if Juan, the bartender, is doing the class. He really doesn't even drink very much! It was more about the commeraderie. The party coordinators would see the regular participants around the ship and get them to do other things, as well. He enjoyed the laughter and the silliness of it.

IOW, he isn't interested in the drinking part, as much as the atmosphere the party coordinators created.

That was the only aspect of our Rotterdam cruise that was, in my opinon, lacking. It felt like there was no venue at all for people under, say, 45. All of the shows (and I do mean all of them) catered to the Big Band era. One night we had a polka show! I was waiting for the bubbles to start floating through, and Lawrence Welk to start "And a one, and a two..."!

The lounges also played music from the the fifties back, or, if they played the sixties music or beyond, it was the "light jazz"/musack version. I hear that the DJ played some more contemporary music after midnight, but with a port-intensive European cruise, I couldn't stay up to hear it.

So, the question about the party coordinator has less to do with the bartending class, than the concept of if there is going to be someone aboard who may have activities or just space for people who want to be a little more upbeat and lively.

[CowPrincess]

So, the question about the party coordinator has less to do with the bartending class, than the concept of if there is going to be someone aboard who may have activities or just space for people who want to be a little more upbeat and lively.


Oh, okay, now I get it. If the party coordinator position is phased out (and if I recall correctly, it is a newish position created to reduce the CD's staff #s somehow) I can see where a bartender wouldn't be a great substitute :)

Party Planner Patty was on our 9/4 Zaandam cruise, so hopefully it will continue, she was very nice


I found the one on our May cruise to be so perky as to be nauseating. I spent about 1.5 hours around her, and just wanted to slap that phony perkiness right outta her :D

[WhansaMi]

I found the one on our May cruise to be so perky as to be nauseating. I spent about 1.5 hours around her, and just wanted to slap that phony perkiness right outta her :D

LOL. I didn't spend much time around ours. It was a quilting cruise, and so my at sea days were spent in classes. But, I was happy that DH found her, and that she found a group of guys to have fun with.

[Richard in Panama]

The name is Party Planner and they are part of the entertainment team onboard, along with the Cruise Director, DJ, Travel Guide, Techspert, and on some ships I understand a kind of book club coordinator . . . it's a new concept and I predict is here to stay. They host the culinary presentations, wine tastings, singles parties, etc., etc., etc. Lots of work and I've worked with some of the best! Neat gals . . . I guess they are all gals, but there could be guys as well.

Regards, Richard

[JAMS1]

I found the one on our May cruise to be so perky as to be nauseating. I spent about 1.5 hours around her, and just wanted to slap that phony perkiness right outta her :D

Party Planner Patty was not that way at all, very nice, Not Perky, gave lots of info and hosted all the cooking classes and many events, I would say Patty is 50ish, (sorry Patty) So she is not the type to have the "Perkiness slapped out of" Hope they keep her.

[CowPrincess]

Party Planner Patty sounds like a gem. And for the record, I did NOT slap the perkiness out of the one we had :)