Are Cruise Directors necessary ?

[lenquixote66]

46 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Well you started one, and a conversation goes both ways. Do you literally sit in a chair for a week and stare?

No,I am in bed 21 hours a day and I look out my terrace window .That is my life .

[lenquixote66]

20 minutes ago, mom says said:

Well  if the OP thinks that there is no better entertainment possible on a ship than Rodney Dangerfield... perhaps he deserves to sit in a chair and stare at the water for a week.

 

OTOH, if he never bothers to go to any of the entertainment offerings, how could he possibly know whether  they were good or not? Inquiring minds want to know.

I have not been able to go anywhere since Feb.2020.I have two illnesses for which there is no cure.I am sorry that my posts nearly always seem to bother you.

[ldubs]

20 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

When we were shanghaied into performing at the Can Can or Swan Lake during the crew show, s/he was the one doling out the costumes and providing the post show refreshments.

 

Oh man, I'm sorry I missed that!  😀😀😀

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, mom says said:

Well  if the OP thinks that there is no better entertainment possible on a ship than Rodney Dangerfield... perhaps he deserves to sit in a chair and stare at the water for a week.

 

OTOH, if he never bothers to go to any of the entertainment offerings, how could he possibly know whether  they were good or not? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I think you miss the point that entertainment used to include headliners.  As enjoyable as they have been, I would rank Rodney Dangerfield above just about every comedian I've seen on a cruise ship. Silly to think I deserve to sit in a chair and stare at water.  

[mom says]

57 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I think you miss the point that entertainment used to include headliners.  As enjoyable as they have been, I would rank Rodney Dangerfield above just about every comedian I've seen on a cruise ship. Silly to think I deserve to sit in a chair and stare at water.  

And now we drift into what kind of entertainment one enjoys, which is as individual as food preferences. (I wouldn't rank Dangerfield anywhere near many of his contemporaries of the 70s). Sorry I didn't add the /s emoji to my previous comment. But that wasn't what the original question was.

 

Personally, I don't think yout need an A list entertainer in order to provide very good entertainment that appeals to the majority of the passengers. And I doubt that many cruise lines could afford an A lister, or even find one who would commit to a full season doing cruises. Times have changed.  On the mass market lines, I think they benefit from a mix of entertainment that isn't as dependant on language proficiency by the pax  as comedians are.

 

But a point to the OP- the actual contracting of guest entertainers for the evening shows (as opposed to the onboard entertainment crew) is probably done by HQ, and the CD has little say in those matters. All he does is schedule their shows.

Edited November 12, 2023 by mom says

[GTO-Girl]

5 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have not been able to go anywhere since Feb.2020.I have two illnesses for which there is no cure.I am sorry that my posts nearly always seem to bother you.

I just wanted to say that I am very sorry you are so ill.  I have read many of your posts over the years and enjoy your input immensely.

 

I hope those who have been so rude to you will take a step back and think about how the world would be a better place if we were all a little kinder to each other.

 

Please take care of yourself and please keep posting…..

Edited November 12, 2023 by GTO-Girl

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

And now we drift into what kind of entertainment one enjoys, which is as individual as food preferences. (I wouldn't rank Dangerfield anywhere near many of his contemporaries of the 70s). Sorry I didn't add the /s emoji to my previous comment. But that wasn't what the original question was.

 

Personally, I don't think yout need an A list entertainer in order to provide very good entertainment that appeals to the majority of the passengers. And I doubt that many cruise lines could afford an A lister, or even find one who would commit to a full season doing cruises. Times have changed.  On the mass market lines, I think they benefit from a mix of entertainment that isn't as dependant on language proficiency by the pax  as comedians are.

 

But a point to the OP- the actual contracting of guest entertainers for the evening shows (as opposed to the onboard entertainment crew) is probably done by HQ, and the CD has little say in those matters. All he does is schedule their shows.

 

We already "drifted" with your comment.  Admitting it is an individual preference, then perhaps you should have given some thought to your previous comment.   Sharing preferences as well as experiences from the way things used to be is pretty common on these forums.      

[sparks1093]

Prehaps the question is incomplete. Maybe it would be better to ask "is the cruise director necessary for you to enjoy your cruise?". That too is subjective and many would say no, he or she isn't necessary. I would be in that category with the clarification that a good CD has made the cruise a bit better by being engaging and entertaining. The not so good ones I just tune out.

[Honolulu Blue]

16 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

We saw Rodney Dangerfeld .Todays cruise lines do not offer anyone comparable.

In your opinion. Others may prefer someone who happens to be working on the ships today that might be the Rodney Dangerfield of tomorrow.

 

In my experience and opinion, cruise ships offer a wide range of entertainers that do many different things quite well. They don't offer A list entertainers (except, perhaps, some charters) because it would cost too much and not be appreciated by enough cruisers to make a meaningful difference.

 

To answer your original question, I think most modern cruises could use a cruise director and have them in some form. In fact, Carnival splits the main role in half - their cruise directors act as the main face the ship to the passengers as they host events, make announcements, etc. They also have entertainment directors that do much of the entertainment stuff that's behind the scenes.

 

And I should mention that CDs have certainly been around since the 70s, at least on some cruise lines. Just ask Julie McCoy. 😀

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, mom says said:

Well  if the OP thinks that there is no better entertainment possible on a ship than Rodney Dangerfield... perhaps he deserves to sit in a chair and stare at the water for a week.

 

OTOH, if he never bothers to go to any of the entertainment offerings, how could he possibly know whether  they were good or not? Inquiring minds want to know.

You're giving the OP "no respect". Or maybe you're giving Rodney Dangerfield no respect. 🤣

[jsn55]

17 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have not been able to go anywhere since Feb.2020.I have two illnesses for which there is no cure.I am sorry that my posts nearly always seem to bother you.

I'll never understand people on CC who feel the need to pick apart the posts of others.  Really, guys, this is a forum for expression on the subject of cruising.  It exists because we learn from each other and we ENJOY IT.  In all its wonderful parts.  There is no need to critique the posts of others. We don't need you to do that.  If a post doesn't resonate with you, move on.  

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, GTO-Girl said:

I just wanted to say that I am very sorry you are so ill.  I have read many of your posts over the years and enjoy your input immensely.

 

I hope those who have been so rude to you will take a step back and think about how the world would be a better place if we were all a little kinder to each other.

 

Please take care of yourself and please keep posting…..

Thank you so very much .You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, jsn55 said:

I'll never understand people on CC who feel the need to pick apart the posts of others.  Really, guys, this is a forum for expression on the subject of cruising.  It exists because we learn from each other and we ENJOY IT.  In all its wonderful parts.  There is no need to critique the posts of others. We don't need you to do that.  If a post doesn't resonate with you, move on.  

Thank you so very much.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You're giving the OP "no respect". Or maybe you're giving Rodney Dangerfield no respect. 🤣

Rodney Dangerfield was a one of a kind comedian.He was an Accountant in his early life .

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

In your opinion. Others may prefer someone who happens to be working on the ships today that might be the Rodney Dangerfield of tomorrow.

 

In my experience and opinion, cruise ships offer a wide range of entertainers that do many different things quite well. They don't offer A list entertainers (except, perhaps, some charters) because it would cost too much and not be appreciated by enough cruisers to make a meaningful difference.

 

To answer your original question, I think most modern cruises could use a cruise director and have them in some form. In fact, Carnival splits the main role in half - their cruise directors act as the main face the ship to the passengers as they host events, make announcements, etc. They also have entertainment directors that do much of the entertainment stuff that's behind the scenes.

 

And I should mention that CDs have certainly been around since the 70s, at least on some cruise lines. Just ask Julie McCoy. 😀

Love boat was not a show that I would choose to reflect on .To state why would cause the post to be removed .

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:40 AM, lenquixote66 said:

The entertainmeners were Class A .We saw Rodney Dangerfeld .Todays cruise lines do not offer anyone comparable.

 

OK, but that didn't answer either of my questions.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

Rodney Dangerfield was a one of a kind comedian.He was an Accountant in his early life .

 

I completely agree with you there.  His appearances on the Tonight Show are legendary, IMO.

[lenquixote66]

5 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

OK, but that didn't answer either of my questions.

I could not say what occurred on other lines at the time.I went on a cruise in 1973 to celebrate a special year birthday.My next cruise was in 1994 also to celebrate a birthday.By the time I began cruising on a regular basis it was 2008 and things were totally different.

[XBGuy]

From 1956 to 1960 there was a TV sitcom, “The Gale Storm Show,” in which the star, Gale Storm, portrayed Susanna Pomeroy, the “Social Director” on a ship traveling around the world.  The slight discrepancy in nomenclature notwithstanding, the concept of a cruise director clearly pre-dates the OP’s 1971 initial experience.  
 

Our first cruise in 1976 had a cruise director, and, as a young person with absolutely no idea what cruising was all about, I really appreciated him.  I attended every one of his presentations on what was happening on the ship and what to expect in the next day, or so.

 

As the years progressed and we became more experienced with cruising, our dependence on and interest in the cruise director has diminished.  We pretty much have our own “agenda” on a cruise and are perfectly able to “entertain ourselves.”  
 

However, while I may feel that the effect that a cruise director has on my cruise experience has diminished, it has not gone to zero.  Clearly, the cruise director, along with numerous other personnel, do much to made my cruise experience so pleasant.

[Markanddonna]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but people at the corporate office make most of the entertainment decisions. They contract the entertainers and orchestrate their movement between ships. The CD is given the entertainers (and likely has little input) and then fits them into the appropriate venues onboard the ship. This is more noticeable on longer cruises like TAs, where an entertainer or group that is well-received is asked to perform at a matinee or special evening performance. A good CD enhances a cruise. Unfortunately, I have mostly seen blah, mediocre ones. 

[ldubs]

A lot of the CD's seem to be more entertaining hosts than managers of the on board entertainment.  Maybe they wear both hats, IDK.   

[sanger727]

Yes, the cruise director position is necessary. I've been on tiny ships (10-40 cabins) - and even they have a person designated as the cruise director. The Captain is in charge of the ship. The Cruise Director is in charge of the passengers. Our CD's made sure everyone had the proper documentation for the cruise, knew what time activities and meals were, and were in general, the main contact point for passengers on the ship. On larger cruise ships, obviously the CD has a much larger area of responsibility so has staff and customer service as the go between. But whether or not you have someone MC'ing shows and making announcements, you have a cruise director. 

[Toofarfromthesea]

21 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I could not say what occurred on other lines at the time.I went on a cruise in 1973 to celebrate a special year birthday.My next cruise was in 1994 also to celebrate a birthday.By the time I began cruising on a regular basis it was 2008 and things were totally different.

 

Fair enough.

[lenquixote66]

21 hours ago, XBGuy said:

From 1956 to 1960 there was a TV sitcom, “The Gale Storm Show,” in which the star, Gale Storm, portrayed Susanna Pomeroy, the “Social Director” on a ship traveling around the world.  The slight discrepancy in nomenclature notwithstanding, the concept of a cruise director clearly pre-dates the OP’s 1971 initial experience.  
 

Our first cruise in 1976 had a cruise director, and, as a young person with absolutely no idea what cruising was all about, I really appreciated him.  I attended every one of his presentations on what was happening on the ship and what to expect in the next day, or so.

 

As the years progressed and we became more experienced with cruising, our dependence on and interest in the cruise director has diminished.  We pretty much have our own “agenda” on a cruise and are perfectly able to “entertain ourselves.”  
 

However, while I may feel that the effect that a cruise director has on my cruise experience has diminished, it has not gone to zero.  Clearly, the cruise director, along with numerous other personnel, do much to made my cruise experience so pleasant.

If I cruised at a young age I likely would have appreciated a CD in lieu of my parents to direct my activities but I was an adult at the first time I cruised,1973 not 1971.My wife and I were on a cruise that did not offer shore excursions and we had a wonderful in port experience.On the ship the only activities were skeet shooting ,shuffleboard and a pool .

[lenquixote66]

31 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

Yes, the cruise director position is necessary. I've been on tiny ships (10-40 cabins) - and even they have a person designated as the cruise director. The Captain is in charge of the ship. The Cruise Director is in charge of the passengers. Our CD's made sure everyone had the proper documentation for the cruise, knew what time activities and meals were, and were in general, the main contact point for passengers on the ship. On larger cruise ships, obviously the CD has a much larger area of responsibility so has staff and customer service as the go between. But whether or not you have someone MC'ing shows and making announcements, you have a cruise director. 

An intelligent person should have the ability to figure things out for herself or himself.