Cruise Director mention

Found item below in Cruise Critic message from May 2014 for Regent.

"Paul Reynolds moving on

I've learned that veteran Regent Cruise Director Paul Reynolds has tendered his resignation and will be joining Viking Ocean Cruises. From what I understand, Paul will start as Cruise Director for each new Viking Ocean roll-out, starting with the Star next year, and then will likely become Viking's director of entertainment, in charge of cruise director hiring among other duties.

We never had the pleasure of sailing with Paul, but know how highly many of you regard him. His departure is obviously a blow to Regent, while being a great "get" for Viking."

Paul Reynold's Twitter account confirms he is a team member for the launch.

Thanks for this info. We've never cruised Regent (just Oceania) so I don't know a thing about Paul. However, it sounds like he will be a great addition to the Star!

I've cruised with Paul and found him to be personable and extremely competent. He will be an asset to the Viking line.

I've cruised with Paul and found him to be personable and extremely competent. He will be an asset to the Viking line.

I've also cruised with Paul Reynolds several times on Regent and he is a very good cruise director (as compared with the others I've seen on 50+ cruises). It's amazing that Viking was able to hire him when it seems like they are behind the 8-ball on everything else with this maiden voyage. I'm sure that everyone else is like us in that we gave our money in December, 2013 and literally have heard NOTHING from them other then getting a single "coin" in the U.S. mail when the keel was cast (or something like that). Otherwise, NOTHING. No U.S. mail, no emails, NOTHING. I'm hoping that there will be a ship in Istanbul when we get there in April...

Well, I once cruised with Viking, and got to Budapest to find that there literally was NO ship there! The cab driver did his best to find one, but it was just not there. Nor were ANY river ships (boats?) there, due to a freaky combination of high water and broken river locks. This was before smartphones and before I had a cell phone, so I had to ask the driver to call Viking. Viking put all of us up in a hotel that night.

However, the Star will be cruising on oceans, not rivers, so I fully expect her to be there when I get to Venice. The pictures someone posted obviously showed an almost complete ship, so I think we'll be OK. The excursion prices and times showed up on the website yesterday, too, so the information is starting to flow as well - and I give Viking big kudos for offering affordable excursions. I checked a few against my favorite cruise line and Viking's prices were literally half of the other line's prices!

Anyway, it's good to know that we'll have a great cruise director.

Maybe the cruise director could post a nice hello to us all on CC to let us know that at least someone from Viking Oceans knows how to communicate with the 900 + maiden Star cruisers!

A lesson Viking should take from Azamara ....have a chief blogging officer on the Viking Oceans message board forum!

Kathy

So true about Viking needing some good communication from a cheif officer about now!

Seems a little late in the game for someone new to come on but better late than never.

To tell the truth....I hope he understands that cruise critic is a strong review forum and can make or break a questionable line!

Another star player that Viking has been able to secure is Karl Eckle who has been working for Seabourn for many years.

I have known Karl since he was a waiter,he left Seabourn as a Hotel Director and to my mind he is the best.

He has so much energy and is a perfectionist.

A sad loss for Seabourn.

More staff from Seaboun have been offered jobs with Viking.

Hopefully Mr Eckle can get the existing mess with the upcoming cruises straightened out ASAP!

Another star player that Viking has been able to secure is Karl Eckle who has been working for Seabourn for many years.

 

I have known Karl since he was a waiter,he left Seabourn as a Hotel Director and to my mind he is the best.

 

He has so much energy and is a perfectionist.

 

A sad loss for Seabourn.

 

More staff from Seaboun have been offered jobs with Viking.

Do you know what position Mr. Eckle has been offered, or at least what type (hotel director?)

Do you know what position Mr. Eckle has been offered, or at least what type (hotel director?)

I understand that Karl is the Hotel Director that will oversee all of the ships.

He is the best in the business.

I will be trying Viking but at the moment I think for me as a seasoned cruiser with many days on all of the luxury lines especially Seabourn,I will give Viking six months to sort themselves out and then decide once the dust has settled.

Well, we would hold off if we were to do it over again too. But know that their ships sell out 18 months in advance and more on popular itineraries!

Well, we would hold off if we were to do it over again too. But know that their ships sell out 18 months in advance and more on popular itineraries!

I can only find Mediterranean itineraries for the this year and next.

I wish them good luck filling a ship in January and February in the Med.

Let's hope more far flung places start to appear in future itineraries.

I would love nothing better than to report back in after this cruise that it was all that we hoped it to be....time will tell. If VIking gets their act together, then having three ships could potentially put them into different markets.....their future is really in their hands right now. And our wallets.....