Who's your favorite Holland America cruise director?

[Copper10-8]

Copper:

 

You seem to be in the know about who is the CD on various cruises. Do you know who might be on the Maasdam on the Oct. 23rd cruise? I hope it is not Susannah if that tells you something about my least favorite.

 

Our favorite of all time was Doug Dunnell (Maasdam 2006), an opera trained musician who had the best show staff of all of our 7 cruises (so far and more to come). Russ Bralley (Zaandam 2007 15 day) was also very good but I think that cruise was his last with HAL. They gave him a very meager staff and he was great about showing up at everything often alone. I was surprised to see we have had some of those mentioned by others including Drew and Jason.......neither were memorable compared to others in our past.

 

Nope, sorry, not yet. HAL CD's, unless on world or long cruises like that, don't seem to stay on three month schedules like captains and hotel managers. Their (the CD's) schedules are much shorter. There also seems to be a pretty good turnover rate if you compare today's VD's with a year ago. Maasdam's current CD is Susan Wood but, unless her contract gets extended, she's due off towards the end of September. Her replacement isn't listed yet. Maybe, ask SailSevenSeas here on CC who's on Maasdam as we speak. Or get me again in about a month

Edited August 31, 2009 by Copper10-8

[messymarie]

Does anyone know what country susan woods is from and how long she has been a cd? We had a real good cd on the statendam about 7 years ago and i was wondering if this was her.

[Copper10-8]

Does anyone know what country susan woods is from and how long she has been a cd? We had a real good cd on the statendam about 7 years ago and i was wondering if this was her.

 

She's originally from the UK - Been a CD with HAL since the nineties

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Does anyone else remember Brian Price? British, very funny, very personable. Statendam, 1993. We then saw him on a tv special on Cunard in the 90's and figured out he jumped lines.

[RuthC]

She's originally from the UK - Been a CD with HAL since the nineties

There was an interruption while she made a foray over to Brand X. She may have been with them seven years ago. I don't recall if she returned to HAL in '03 or '04. She was the CD on the Voyage of the Vikings in '04 and had not been back at HAL for long.

[ctsally]

Susan Wood was indeed the CD on the Maasdam when the Voyage of the Vikings left Boston on July 25th. Shortly before we reached Rotterdam she left the ship due to a family emergency. She was replaced by Moyra Miller, the former Events Manager.

[Copper10-8]

There was an interruption while she made a foray over to Brand X. She may have been with them seven years ago. I don't recall if she returned to HAL in '03 or '04. She was the CD on the Voyage of the Vikings in '04 and had not been back at HAL for long.

 

Check it out (from a daily program a few yrs ago) - You're right, she left HAL and came back. Also no longer lives in her haunted castle and got married. She was the CD on Rotterdam which did the Black Sea & Egypt two years ago.

 

Susan Wood's great, great grandfather was a captain who was lost at sea in 1821. She's the second member of her family to work aboard ships and has been much more fortunate in keeping her head above water. A student of dance since the age of five, she eventually earned a spot on the British Dance Team representing her country worldwide. Spotted by a cruise ship director, she was swept off the floor and onto the seas as a dance instructor. After being seasick for two weeks, she vowed never to board a ship again. However, a short time later, she gained her sea-legs and was hooked. Leaving her dance studio in England, she spent the next four years teaching dance with Sitmar Cruises, before she became tapped to become an Assistant Cruise Director.

 

Susan was quickly promoted to Cruise Director and was the first woman to hold such a position within Holland America Line's fleet, where she has spent sixteen years literally sailing around the world. Although she has entered the world of management, she has never lost her zest for entertainment and is highly visible to guests both on and off-stage.

 

Susan was raised in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, 80 miles from the Scottish border. Her accent is a delightful blend of English and Scottish with a pinch of Norwegian, the remnants of a much earlier Viking time in Northeast England. When not at sea, she spends time renovating her haunted castle located amidst the rolling hills of England.

[Copper10-8]

Susan Wood was indeed the CD on the Maasdam when the Voyage of the Vikings left Boston on July 25th. Shortly before we reached Rotterdam she left the ship due to a family emergency. She was replaced by Moyra Miller, the former Events Manager.

 

Thanks for the heads up; hope everything's OK

[RuthC]

Check it out (from a daily program a few yrs ago) - You're right, she left HAL and came back. Also no longer lives in her haunted castle and got married.

Last I heard, she lived outside Houston. That was a while ago, though.

[tkwbear]

I really liked Johnny Quinn on the Eurodam. I know he was on the Veendam for a while, but left as I got on for 14 days in Alaska. We had 2 different cruise directors while I was on board, neither of which I could name.

 

I was on the Maasdam when Susan Wood left, she seemed like a nice lady, but I did get really tired of "toodeloo".

[cle1]

Thom on the Prinsendam - very personable, spoke to everyone and ran a great program and was always available by phone or in his office.

 

Tom has my vote too!

[G&G]

I have found all the CD's on HAL to be very good (25 cruises on HAL). The best I have seen was on the "old" Noordam, sail date 11/26/88, Michael Thomas. Besides the normal CD duties, he was an excellent singer and performed as part of the show. I heard he left HAL 20 years ago to try Boardway. Does anyone know what happened to him ?

[fann1sh]

I've met some of the cruise directors mentioned above, and they were very good at their jobs. However, they reminded me of all the actors I know. When they were "on", it was obvious they were giving a performance.

 

So, I agree with trvlcrzy, Debbie&Chaz, and luvtwotrvl: Matt Allen. He's very good at the aspects of his job which require performing in public, but I believe his training derives from being a former school teacher, rather than a stage performer.

 

Wonderful people skills. It wouldn't surprise me if he wound up in HAL corporate in Seattle.

Edited August 31, 2009 by fann1sh

[2bout2c]

Does anyone else remember Brian Price? British, very funny, very personable. Statendam, 1993. We then saw him on a tv special on Cunard in the 90's and figured out he jumped lines.

I've sailed with Brian Price on Holland America, Cunard and on Princess World Cruise in 2001. I felt he was just trying all the lines, like I was at that time.

[Colakid]

We have sailed with Brian Price. He was just a CD the first time and next he was in charge of the whole department of CD's and Promo. If you will note all the lines mentioned are intertwined by common ownership. Have not heard of him recently - is he still on the high seas or in an office or just plain old retired? Colakid.

[iflyrc5]

#1 Susan Woods

#2 JT Waters - he is only in his mid-20s but excellent - was our CD on our Prinsendam Amazon Float - did an excellent job with the older crowd on that cruise:D

[Willem Ruys]

1. MIKEY CONACHAN

2. MIKEY CONACHAN

3. MIKEY CONACHAN

 

and tied with MIKEY are the incredibly beautiful and sweet Michelle Worthley and the witty and wonderful Johnny Quinn, Jr. and a few others like Michael Headla and JT Waters..., Savannah Rye and Moyra Miller. There are some very popular CDs we wish would go to another line and STAY there this time.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I've met some of the cruise directors mentioned above, and they were very good at their jobs. However, they reminded me of all the actors I know. When they were "on", it was obvious they were giving a performance.

 

So, I agree with trvlcrzy, Debbie&Chaz, and luvtwotrvl: Matt Allen. He's very good at the aspects of his job which require performing in public, but I believe his training derives from being a former school teacher, rather than a stage performer.

 

Wonderful people skills. It wouldn't surprise me if he wound up in HAL corporate in Seattle.

 

I agree with everything you said above, especially the part I bolded. You can add me to the "Matt Allen" fan list. My recent Ryndam Alaska cruise was the best I've taken on HAL so far, and Matt was instrumental in making it the wonderful experience it was.

[musicismylife]

We were on the Eurodam this July and J.T. was the cruise director. We really enjoyed him, he was quite sincere and very funny during some of the shows.

We did an Alaskan cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2006 and the CD then was soooo annoying: a lot of "up talk" and hokey jokes.

[MarylandBob]

Shane Michaels without a doubt. Sailed with him three times and a nicer guy you will not meet.

[ekerr19]

A quiet one. :cool:

 

Just kidding! We had some great ones over the years. Personally, I liked Jason Venner and we like Savannah Rye.

[vps]

Been on Prinsendam 4 times with Thom Faulkner and he was great. He really added to our time on the boat and as the Prinsendam has longer cruises, he worked hard, was very personable, and was as good at the end of 50 days as he was at the beginning.

[irishjim]

Got to be THOM on the Prinsendam by 100%.:D:D:D

[YXU AC*SE]

Perhaps I am too cynical? I really could care less? A CD, good, bad, or indifferent, doesn't enter into my vacation enjoyment equation. Ever.

 

No offense, but I have always found it odd when ppl post to make enquiry as to the name of their CD (or master, or hotel manager) for their upcoming cruise. Do these same ppl need to know the name of their taxi driver prior to getting into the cab to head to the pier? Or their airline pilot? Just sayin'. :D

 

Scott.

[LindaM]

On a larger ship, I don't think it matters as much. On Prinsendam, Thom's warmth and friendliness (and the entire crew's) really contributed to the tone and feeling of the ship. You would understand if you sailed with him.