Donkey promoted or is this old news?

[Illbcruzn4life]

I just saw a youtube video that said Chris "Donkey" Salazar has been promoted to Fleet cruise director.

 

 

[Elaine5715]

13 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I just saw a youtube video that said Chris "Donkey" Salazar has been promoted to Fleet cruise director.

 

 

New news!  I will miss him as a CD

[Guest BasicSailor]

What are the duties of a Fleet cruise director?

[cruises42]

What is a Fleet Cruise Director?

[Illbcruzn4life]

beats the heck out of me.

[Illbcruzn4life]

ok I found this description of the job on a story from January 2022 that announced Mike Pack was being promoted to Fleet Cruise director.

 

Heald posted on his popular Facebook page, “So I would like to add my congratulations to Mike Pack who along with one other Cruise Director has been promoted to Fleet Cruise Director. He will be responsible for working with and assisting all the current group of wonderful Cruise Directors and will help train new CD’s. I am very proud of him.”

[teknoge3k]

It's new, it was just announced early last week. 

[ryanpatricksmom]

We spoke on our last Mardi Gras cruise in September.  He said that he was getting ready to give up being a CD because of the toll that it takes, and that he had reached an age where it was too much.  I'm happy that he found a new position within Carnival.

[mz-s]

Donkey will probably be the one that records those videos you see playing on the in-cabin TVs. A lot of them need an update. Maybe he will take over JH's page too... lots of upside for him...

[havanadaydreaming]

I havent been sailing for all that long, a decade or so, but Donkey is probably the most memorable CD i've sailed with.  My wife thinks the same, too.  

 

i'm sure he will do very well in all future endeavors.  

[Cruisesfun65]

What happens to Mike Peck, then?

[bguppies]

53 minutes ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

What happens to Mike Peck, then?

Heald posted on his popular Facebook page, “So I would like to add my congratulations to Mike Pack who along with one other Cruise Director has been promoted to Fleet Cruise Director. "

 

Sounds like it is going to take two people to do Heald's job.

Edited March 20, 2023 by bguppies

[starstruck05]

3 minutes ago, bguppies said:

Heald posted on his popular Facebook page, “So I would like to add my congratulations to Mike Pack who along with one other Cruise Director has been promoted to Fleet Cruise Director. "

 

Sounds like it is going to take two people to do Heald's job.

Not taking over John's job at all. He is the Brand Ambassador. Completely different position.  They are basically responsible for all of the Cruise Directors and their Training. 

[EngIceDave]

But didn't Heald used to be a CD then became King CD, then Brand Ambassador?

[kingston13]

3 hours ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

What happens to Mike Peck, then?

With so many ships it likely takes 2

[mz-s]

Sounds like a good way to retain talented crew who are tired of shipboard life.

[EngIceDave]

9 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Sounds like a good way to retain talented crew who are tired of shipboard life.

Exactly.

How I thought they dealt with Heald without losing him entirely.

[keywest1]

Donkey announced this at Q & A on Mardi Gras Feb 18 cruise.  He is our all time favorite CD.  So glad he is being promoted.  Mike Pack is our second favorite.  None of the others on our cruises have really stood out unless they annoyed us.  

[TomCruise48]

2 hours ago, keywest1 said:

Donkey announced this at Q & A on Mardi Gras Feb 18 cruise.  He is our all time favorite CD.  So glad he is being promoted.  Mike Pack is our second favorite.  None of the others on our cruises have really stood out unless they annoyed us.  

We were also at this Q&A.  Donkey will be doing the same job as Mike Pack, just in charge of different ships.  On the Celebration TA, Mike told us that the "other" Fleet CD will be responsible for Jubilee, so I assume that will be Donkey.  There have been two persons sharing the Fleet CD job since the days of Kevin Noonan and Butch Begovich.

[Elaine5715]

8 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

But didn't Heald used to be a CD then became King CD, then Brand Ambassador?

No.  They just started creating positions about CDs a few years ago when they added Entertainment Directors.  Chris (he hates being called Donkey) will be a Beard, JH has never been a Beard.  

[BlerkOne]

9 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

But didn't Heald used to be a CD then became King CD, then Brand Ambassador?

Senior CD and there were a number of those. Like Senior MDs. Being a CD is a younger person's job and they get burned out fast.

 

[Honolulu Blue]

9 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

They just started creating positions about CDs a few years ago when they added Entertainment Directors.  Chris (he hates being called Donkey) will be a Beard, JH has never been a Beard.  

Do Carnival ships still have entertainment directors (EDs) and are they still listed in whatever passes for the Fun Times these days?  I remember part of the reason that EDs were split from CDs is that the ships were getting bigger with more to do, and so there was a need for more scheduling and other items behind the scenes.  This was another place to stash CDs who were burning out from being Carnival's face of FUN on their ships.

 

As for executive status, I've always thought of Mr. Heald in his current status as a "beard" - even though he doesn't think he is.  He meets with other beards all the time (in person and virtually), including the queen bearded lady.  He occasionally visits ships under construction, a very beard-y thing to do.  He gets inside information (sometimes) from the PR department and the other beards.  When he visits ships to do his thing, he stays in guest accommodations and not crew quarters.  And I bet he gets paid more than any CD in the fleet, and very likely more than Chris & Mike.  If not, then he's underpaid, IMHO.

[Elaine5715]

5 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Do Carnival ships still have entertainment directors (EDs) and are they still listed in whatever passes for the Fun Times these days?  I remember part of the reason that EDs were split from CDs is that the ships were getting bigger with more to do, and so there was a need for more scheduling and other items behind the scenes.  This was another place to stash CDs who were burning out from being Carnival's face of FUN on their ships.

 

As for executive status, I've always thought of Mr. Heald in his current status as a "beard" - even though he doesn't think he is.  He meets with other beards all the time (in person and virtually), including the queen bearded lady.  He occasionally visits ships under construction, a very beard-y thing to do.  He gets inside information (sometimes) from the PR department and the other beards.  When he visits ships to do his thing, he stays in guest accommodations and not crew quarters.  And I bet he gets paid more than any CD in the fleet, and very likely more than Chris & Mike.  If not, then he's underpaid, IMHO.

Yes, all ships have EDs some more visible than others.  The ED on Spirit in Feb was very present.  

No, John is not a Beard.  He gets the information they want him to have. Of course he stays in guest quarters.  All visiting Carnival (and all officers) land lubbers stay in guest quarters.  They aren't crew.   

[Saint Greg]

6 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Do Carnival ships still have entertainment directors (EDs) and are they still listed in whatever passes for the Fun Times these days? 

 

They have brought back the old style Fun Times. I posted several of them on my website over the weekend. They only list Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Director, and Cruise director.

[Honolulu Blue]

26 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

They have brought back the old style Fun Times. I posted several of them on my website over the weekend. They only list Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Director, and Cruise director.

Thanks.  I'm happy they're improved from the one-page newsletters from the recent past.  I remember these from just before the pandemic.