No more event staff - what next?!?

So I've heard that HAL is phasing out event staff (AKA cruise staff/cruise activities staff/assistant cruise directors). Another in the long line of entertainment cutbacks... from memory some positions that have gone recently which have resulted in more work for the remainder include:

Crows Nest band (Hello HALCats *boo hiss* / showband!)

Explorations Cafe Manager (Hello Event staff!)

Snr Assistant cruise director (hello Event Manager and DJ!)

Youth Program Director (Hello Event Manager!)

Music Director (hello Event Manager!)

and now Event staff (Hello Cruise Director!)

... and of course the pay doesn't go up for all the extra work they ask(tell) us to do.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what they might be doing instead? Will you miss the event staff? What will be the next to go?

How many cruise directors will leave because of this?

Is this another Bill Prince genius idea?

Just some thoughts and vents from a far-too-recent employee :D

I am sorry but not surprised to hear this. It seems they started phasing out so many things starting with the old "Rockin' Rolldies"/ "Great Pretenders" shows. They cut the staff and no longer had the time to work with the pax.

Then we lost the ACD sometime last year, I think, and has some event planner in a "sailor suit" who didn't know diddly about anything. Then, they did away with the daily games with prizes, like Scattergories, Pictionary etc.

Now you tell us that more cutbacks have been made? I leave in 3 weeks on a 32 day cruise and I will be very upset if there is nothing to do during the day due to these changes you are talking about.

not sure how quickly they will be phased out...

I assume the cruise director and DJ will be made to do all the activities...

if they don't all quit first!

We think it is a bad idea to cut the event staff.

Sheesh

What is going to happen to bingo?

On a port-intensive cruise I don't think I would miss the events staff as much, and we tend to choose port-intensive cruises.

If the event staff were to go, then who would do all of the fun events on the ship, like Bingo, DAM dollar events, trivia, etc.... The event staff are the HAL people we usually get to know best as my wife and I attend most of these events. I know we would be very upset if they were to go. They are usually college age adults, how much could their dismissal save?

HAL are you listening? Don't do it.......

If the event staff go and they had no one to run the events, we will be forced to switch to another line.:mad:

On Eurodam, the Cruise Activities Staff consisted of one Cruise Director, one DJ, one "Party Planner" and one person who gave Computer and other "High-Tech" classes (not the Internet Center Manager). Plus there was an Event Manager behind the scenes. A far cry from the five-six-seven person Cruise Staff we used to have

Who ran the Bingo, Dam Dollar, and trivia events?

On Eurodam, the Cruise Activities Staff consisted of one Cruise Director, one DJ, one "Party Planner" and one person who gave Computer and other "High-Tech" classes (not the Internet Center Manager). Plus there was an Event Manager behind the scenes. A far cry from the five-six-seven person Cruise Staff we used to have

If the event staff were to go, then who would do all of the fun events on the ship, like Bingo, DAM dollar events, trivia, etc.... The event staff are the HAL people we usually get to know best as my wife and I attend most of these events. I know we would be very upset if they were to go. They are usually college age adults, how much could their dismissal save?

 

HAL are you listening? Don't do it.......

 

If the event staff go and they had no one to run the events, we will be forced to switch to another line.:mad:

Rumor has it (you heard it here first) that they will be soliciting volunteers (part of the socialization process) and paying them in dam dollars for their efforts. :p There's an update to the registration in process (watch this space) so cruisers can volunteer their services. Test runs have shown that bingo is a top pick since it requires little movement for HAL's aged cruising population. :D

Sheesh

 

 

What is going to happen to bingo?

I doubt anything will happen to bingo. It's a big money maker for the cruise lines.

Regards,

Arlene

 

If the event staff go and they had no one to run the events, we will be forced to switch to another line.:mad:

The OP is a potentially disgruntled former employee as many former employees are, in every business. The report is based on hearsay.

Everything, everywhere is sold for as much as the market will bear. If consumers will not pay prices necessary for a business to maintain, let alone improve service levels/quality, the business either has to close its doors or cut costs. Look what consumers have done to domestic airlines.

The majority of people who cruise choose a cruise based upon price and intinerary. This sends a consistent message to mass marketed cruise lines about passenger values.

Consumers will usually pay more and/or sail with substantially more passengers on 7 day cruises offered by other cruise lines. It's all about trade-offs. Only you can decide what's best for you.

Who ran the Bingo, Dam Dollar, and trivia events?

The DJ ran Bingo and trivia - The CD ran some other events himself. The "Party Planner" ran a lot of the events such as napkin folding, gettogethers, etc. The "High Tech" person ran a lot of classes in one of the meeting rooms. I would have to look at my programs to see who ran basketball, golf chipping, ping pong, etc.

Sheesh

 

 

What is going to happen to bingo?

Oh, don't worry. The cruise director will do bingo if necessary ... and bring in people from other departments to assist will selling cards, etc. Bingo is revenue-generating. That won't go. No way.

I just hope for the longer cruises that they still have cruise staff. It would suck to be on a long cruise with a lot of sea days and no activities going on. I hope HAL has the sense to know where they can cut and where they can't. True, on your typical seven-day port-intensive cruise, you could probably get away with cutting down some of the onboard events. After all, people are busy in port all day. They won't miss not having an afternoon trivia game.

But when you have the longer, more exotic cruises with lots of sea days, you'd better have things going on, or the passengers are gonna get bored. I'm leaving in about four weeks for a 35-day Hawaii/South Pacific cruise and I know I will be quite upset if there is little to nothing going on over the course of something like 18 sea days.

The last time I took this cruise back in 2006, I think the cruise director had a staff of four ... plus the DJ.

Blue skies ...

--rita

The OP is a potentially disgruntled former employee as many former employees are, in every business. The report is based on hearsay.

I would tend to agree with you ... HOWEVER, I do know that at least some of what he says is true, because we were told the same thing several years ago on one of my cruises. The cruise director said she only had a staff of one assistant CD because HAL was cutting back on her staff. But, that was only a 13 day Panama Canal cruise, with a lot of ports. I think in that case she was able to get by with one person. Think whether HAL is justified or not in cutting these people back really depends on the itinerary and length of the cruise more than anything else.

Blue skies ...

--rita

Last Nov. on Veendam, the team trivia was conducted by the DJ.

I would volunteer to run Pictionary, Scattergories, Pictionary, etc. for Dam Dollars, etc. After teaching 6th graders for 30 years I could handle it!! And after 49 cruises, I've participated enough in those games to know how they do it!!;)

I would hate to see those activities dropped. Bad enough that they have dropped as many as they so far. For me (I know it is sad) I would be looking to another Cruise Line for my fun activities! Different strokes for different folks, but they are a very major part of my cruising experience!

First the changing of the nightly shows:p and now maybe the lose of the daily games. Come on HAL!!

OKay....ranting and raving now done! I'll move on...... Deb C.

On our 14 day trans-Panama in Apr/May all of the trivia games were done by the CD.

To come up with their own events on sea days, pre-cruise, in roll call posts. Thing is, what kind of events would they come up with?

On our Veendam cruises (21 days) this past March -- we had -- wish I knew I could remember who was in charge -- I am outside right now and not handy to my daily programs. But he used a computer to get his triva questions -- answers -- and recorded the winners -- no indiviual winners each day -- only one group won at the end of the cruise -- he was very sarcastic -- making comments about Princess and the cheaters and etc. I hope that his name is listed on the daily schedule when I look it up later.

Westerdam -- Our CD - Jason Venner did the trivia games -- which were also of the tournament type -- one bug winner at the end.

In a 19 day cruise we had only ONE scatecargories game -- there were only a few gold tournaments -- gold chiipping, etc.

It does appear that changes are in the wind.

Sheesh

 

 

What is going to happen to bingo?

KK:

Was the Veendam guy rather short with dark hair? Hyper at times? Sounds like our sarcastic trivia leader. He also did 14 day accumulative trivia but did give daily prizes to winners.

Never heard of gold chipping...but would be interested in trying it.:eek: DebC.

This is such bad news - we sailed to Hawaii with 5 sea days each way and there was only the CD and one helper - it was so disappointing compared to our other cruises. I like to read but not all day every day.

We have a Grand Cruise booked for next year with quite a few sea days - this would make a big difference. Our Grand Cruise last fall had lots of activities - hope they make it the same for the next one.

If this is what is going to happen we will be looking at another cruise line that does have things to do during sea days.

Hope HAL is paying attention!

On those long cruises, like the Grand voyages, where they still have gentlemen dance hosts, they are assigned to help out. And, of course, the Guest ministers are "asked" (ordered) to help too. On the shorter cruises, were there are no gentlemen dance hosts and where there's only a Catholic Chaplain, I don't know what they do.

Since I'm pretty much a self-entertainer (I don't need events to keep me going), this isn't a huge problem. Still, I understand that it is for many.

Part of this is more than just cut-backs in cruise staff in an attempt to save money. It's actually cut-backs in cruise staff in order to free up crew cabin/bed space for more dining stewards, etc., for other departments. HAL keeps sub-dividing it's operations, and to run those divisions (like Caneletto, Pinnacle, Tamarind, etc) they need to have beds for the crew. This either takes away bed-space for Indonesians and Filipinos for the other existing departments, or it means they have to come up with extra staff cabin space from someplace else. Guess where.

On our 14 day trans-Panama in Apr/May all of the trivia games were done by the CD.

It was the CD doing trivia on the E-dam, too.

I guess it's time to give up hope for the Rosario Strings returning.