Are Cruise Directors necessary ?

[lenquixote66]

46 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

I’m guessing that while you were working you didn’t care for people who had no idea what your job was telling you how you should do it. 

In the spirit of all the upcoming festive holidays now is the time to be merry and not dwell on negatives.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Viking has similar requirements, with our CD being a singer, pianist, drummer and also previously having owned his own production company. Same requirements for the ACD,who was a classically trained vocalist.

 

In addition to the regular Corporate shows, the CD produced numerous additional shows featuring his entire staff. This was a COVID curtailed World Cruise where we had over 30 continuous sea days, but the CD and his staff developed and performed some of the best shows. Overall, they produced and presented over a dozen different shows onboard.

We once had a cruise on which we had 2 extra days at the end due to a hurricane. The cruise director managed to put on a crew show on our last extra night. And during the show, one of the assistant cruise directors changed the name of the ship from the Enchantment to the Entrapment. 🤣

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Viking has similar requirements, with our CD being a singer, pianist, drummer and also previously having owned his own production company. Same requirements for the ACD,who was a classically trained vocalist.

 

In addition to the regular Corporate shows, the CD produced numerous additional shows featuring his entire staff. This was a COVID curtailed World Cruise where we had over 30 continuous sea days, but the CD and his staff developed and performed some of the best shows. Overall, they produced and presented over a dozen different shows onboard.

 

That is awesome and that CD staff sounds awesome.  

 

I have to say the idea of spending 30 days listening to some of the smarmy CD's I've encountered would make me want to jump overboard.  😀

[Heidi13]

37 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

That is awesome and that CD staff sounds awesome.  

 

I have to say the idea of spending 30 days listening to some of the smarmy CD's I've encountered would make me want to jump overboard.  😀

 

Fortunately, the CD, ACD and 4 singers were all talented.

[Swells1]

Virgin Voyages doesn't have cruise directors, and most people tend to rave about the entertainment on board. 

[whogo]

Without a cruise director, who would make a morning PA announcement telling you what is clearly printed in the daily schedule? Who would announce that there is a raffle at the Tanzanite sale? Who would tell you that the first five people to say 'ciao' to the Italian photographer would win a free photo of the ship? Who would take over the microphone after the captain's noon announcement to reiterate what is printed in the daily schedule.? How would people know to applaud the main stage performer without a cruise director to tell them to do so?

[Heidi13]

19 hours ago, Swells1 said:

Virgin Voyages doesn't have cruise directors, and most people tend to rave about the entertainment on board. 

 

They may not have a position on board identified as "Cruise Director", but they have 1 or more persons completing the tasks normally performed by a CD on other ships.

 

Somebody is accountable for developing the entertainment schedule and approving the information in the daily paper prior to publishing. The entertainment department also requires a management level position, with that being the CD, on all ships I worked on. That role is still required, Virgin simply give the position a different title.

[leaveitallbehind]

21 hours ago, Swells1 said:

Virgin Voyages doesn't have cruise directors, and most people tend to rave about the entertainment on board. 

To add to the very good information provided by @Heidi13, they may just not have someone who is "out front" in the typical role of CD as seen on other cruise lines.  But as was well pointed out, there certainly are people, perhaps just behind the scenes, who fill that roll with managing the entertainment on board.

Edited December 13, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

They may not have a position on board identified as "Cruise Director", but they have 1 or more persons completing the tasks normally performed by a CD on other ships.

 

Somebody is accountable for developing the entertainment schedule and approving the information in the daily paper prior to publishing. The entertainment department also requires a management level position, with that being the CD, on all ships I worked on. That role is still required, Virgin simply give the position a different title.

The old saying is "a rose by any other name is still a rose.". Someone has to do the work of the cruise director no matter what title the person has been given.

[jsn55]

21 hours ago, Swells1 said:

Virgin Voyages doesn't have cruise directors, and most people tend to rave about the entertainment on board. 

What does Virgin Voyages call their Cruise Director?  Someone is responsible for the raves for the entertainment.

[Swells1]

27 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

What does Virgin Voyages call their Cruise Director?  Someone is responsible for the raves for the entertainment.

They have a "Happenings Cast". My first voyage is next month, so I'll report back with more details.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, Swells1 said:

They have a "Happenings Cast". My first voyage is next month, so I'll report back with more details.

AKA "crew entertainers" - LOL