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What Makes a HAL Cruise Director Excellent?

sail7seas

By sail7seas,
in Holland America Line

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dockman

dockman

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Tam Hurly was our CD on the Volendam from Seattle to Sydney and all around Australia. Her husband looked after their little daughter and Tam showed us a photo of the small cabin where the three of them were housed. Her parents came on for a while at Sydney also.

Tam is full of energy and taught us a popular zumba class on several sea days. She is also very organized. She had the best plan I've ever seen for organizing tender tickets. These were available in both the Atrium and Explorer's Lounge the day before and you could pick a time you'd like to get off.

 

I was on same cruise and really enjoyed Tam as cruise director. She was everywhere and constantly on the go but always seemed to have time to say hello. High energy and professional that understands when on the P.A. system to say what she has to convey and then get off...unlike some I have had who seemed to be in love with their own voice being blared all around the ship ad infinitum.

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tuolumne couple

tuolumne couple

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A post in another thread got me wondering.......

 

What do you think makes an HAL CD more excellent, more to your liking, better at his/her work than another?

 

We just got off the Eurodam and our Cruise Director Sarah was wonderful. I actually noticed a difference this time...she was engaging, funny, and even sang at the Piano Bar. She was very lovely... she even recognized everyone it seemed and was always there for a hello or a joke, and even sat in the audience for the performances. I have never seen anything like this CD. It is not just a job for her, it is a lifestyle.

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Cinder Again

Cinder Again

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I think the CD matters more on the longer cruises, where there are more sea days and more time spent aboard interacting. I've had some great ones, and a few that were less than great, but adequate none the less. They don't make or break a trip, you do that for yourself.

The great ones are engaging, patient and actually act like they enjoy their job. One of the less engaged ones I had actually acted like he enjoyed his job when he was on stage, but it was like he turned a switch off when the lights and camera weren't on him. You could tell he wasn't happy, and interestingly, I actually noticed that the entire crew that trip was the same, so I think probably there was behind the scenes drama from the Captain on down on that ship. Happy Crew=Happy guests...

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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CD is a position with a lot of turnover so a lot of new ones rotate in usually promoted from the show host/DJ position, sometimes new hires and at times coming over from a different line. HAL has some CD's that have been around for a while/are very experienced: Bruce Allen Scudder, Jason Venner, Gene Young, Shane Michaels, J.T. Watters and Linda Minnikin all come to mind

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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CD is a position with a lot of turnover so a lot of new ones rotate in usually promoted from the show host/DJ position, sometimes new hires and at times coming over from a different line. HAL has some CD's that have been around for a while/are very experienced: Bruce Allen Scudder, Jason Venner, Gene Young, Shane Michaels, J.T. Watters and Linda Minnikin all come to mind

 

A longtime Crystal CD was very recently promoted to Hotel Director. Has HAL had any recent CD's who have moved up within the organization.

 

Roy

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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A longtime Crystal CD was very recently promoted to Hotel Director. Has HAL had any recent CD's who have moved up within the organization.

 

Roy

 

Have not heard of that happening at HAL. HAL's HD's are usually promoted from the COM position (they usually have a F&B, at times a financial - Controller/Purser - background) and/or are hired with hotel experience from other lines. Bruce Allen Scudder used to be music director on HAL before moving over to CD

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rafinmd "Live from...." Rare

rafinmd

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Thanks. That seemed very unusual to me as well. There must have some special circumstances.

 

BTW, is Glenn Coenen still with HAL? He was the "Dutch" cruise director on my 2011 Rotterdam Transatlantic. While his first language is Dutch his English was very fluent and natural. He and Gene Young have been my favorite HAL CD's.

 

Roy

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OlsSalt

OlsSalt

Posted
Posted (edited)
CD is a position with a lot of turnover so a lot of new ones rotate in usually promoted from the show host/DJ position, sometimes new hires and at times coming over from a different line. HAL has some CD's that have been around for a while/are very experienced: Bruce Allen Scudder, Jason Venner, Gene Young, Shane Michaels, J.T. Watters and Linda Minnikin all come to mind

 

Gene Young was just on the long Amsterdam Tales of the South Pacific and he is top rank - deft, intelligent, quick humor, always up-beat, he had the perfect touch. And he was part Samoan, so they acknowledged we had the perfect locations team for this extended cruise with Cainoa (Hawaiian), Gene (Samoan) and Paki (Tahitian) for this cruise.

 

What I dislike most about lesser cruise directors or staff program hosts is coming on stage and immediately saying "how's everyone doing" and expecting an audience response. Even when they get zero response they continue with automatic pilot chirpiness.

 

Gene could laugh at himself and gently tease others in the nicest way, which are charming qualities too.

 

The best cruise directors get to really show off their talents when they offer the Good Morning Program interviews with staff or entertainers. Another one who did a spectacular job on all counts was Glenn on the Rotterdam 52 day to Indonesia - bi-lingual Dutch/English and he was funny and quick in both languages.

Edited by OlsSalt
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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

Posted
Posted
Thanks. That seemed very unusual to me as well. There must have some special circumstances.

 

BTW, is Glenn Coenen still with HAL? He was the "Dutch" cruise director on my 2011 Rotterdam Transatlantic. While his first language is Dutch his English was very fluent and natural. He and Gene Young have been my favorite HAL CD's.

 

Roy

 

Don't believe Glenn is still working for HAL, Roy

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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Gene Young was just on the long Amsterdam Tales of the South Pacific and he is top rank - deft, intelligent, quick humor, always up-beat, he had the perfect touch. And he was part Samoan, so they acknowledged we had the perfect locations team for this extended cruise with Cainoa (Hawaiian), Gene (Samoan) and Paki (Tahitian) for this cruise.

 

What I dislike most about lesser cruise directors or staff program hosts is coming on stage and immediately saying "how's everyone doing" and expecting an audience response. Even when they get zero response they continue with automatic pilot chirpiness.

 

Gene could laugh at himself and gently tease others in the nicest way, which are charming qualities too.

 

The best cruise directors get to really show off their talents when they offer the Good Morning Program interviews with staff or entertainers. Another one who did a spectacular job on all counts was Glenn on the Rotterdam 52 day to Indonesia - bi-lingual Dutch/English and he was funny and quick in both languages.

 

 

Gene is no doubt very polished as well as very quick plus he wears a wig well as judge during the Neptune/crossing the equator ceremony ;)

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Cinder Again

Cinder Again

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Two I really enjoyed meeting and spending time with were Shane (already mentioned) and Mark Brignone who hasn't yet been mentioned. Last I heard he was in the Prinsendam, but he did a great job on the Statendam to Tahiti, and worked well with his staff. Clearly a happy crew= happy cruisers situation!

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RiotAct

RiotAct

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They have many. What's with the roll eyes icon?

 

I know, on CC especially, a lot of folks will use the eye-rolling emoticon inadvertently (meaning they're just trying to convey a smile, and NOT sarcasm). It throws me off sometimes too... lol.

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  • 1 year later...
kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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Rumor has it that Holland America let Gene Young go. What a mistake!! He was our favorite CD on 5 Grand Voyages.

I believe he has moved on - but he wasn't "let go". He was lured by a competing cruise line. Several CD's have been lured as I understand it.

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