Current Cruise Directors

[kcashner]

They each have their own personalities and obviously their fans, and we certainly have our favorites. However, each does the job to DCL's standards. It is sort of like caring who the captain is--again, we have our favorites, but each is fully able to steer the ship and manage the operation safely.

How much interaction you have with the CD is in part luck and in part up to you. Luck is the "are you around when they are around" or do you happen to run into them in the hall kind of thing. The "up to you" is whether you choose to speak to them at the officer evenings, etc.

Christiaan's back flips are amazing. Peter has the personality of a wet noodle, but he honestly has improved in the last year or so. He's more into being himself and less into trying to imitate Christiaan (which he can't pull off!)

Christiaan was on the Fantasy? We have missed him since he's been "Wondering" on the west coast.

[stitchlovestink]

Originally Posted by kcashner

They each have their own personalities and obviously their fans, and we certainly have our favorites. However, each does the job to DCL's standards. It is sort of like caring who the captain is--again, we have our favorites, but each is fully able to steer the ship and manage the operation safely.

How much interaction you have with the CD is in part luck and in part up to you. Luck is the "are you around when they are around" or do you happen to run into them in the hall kind of thing. The "up to you" is whether you choose to speak to them at the officer evenings, etc.

Christiaan's back flips are amazing. Peter has the personality of a wet noodle, but he honestly has improved in the last year or so. He's more into being himself and less into trying to imitate Christiaan (which he can't pull off!)

Christiaan was on the Fantasy? We have missed him since he's been "Wondering" on the west coast.

Interesting! He did one handed cartwheels on our cruise but no backflips. I clearly would have remembered that! They made a big deal of the cartwheels which had they been backflips, well then they would have deserved the bragging of the person introducing him....well imo it would have.....
Well we felt like it was an imposition of his personal time to try to get Christiaan to pose for a picture and this was during the day!! At that point it was like we got the impression he really didnt care about the guest interaction side of his job. Needless to say, it is about the only time I have written a negative comment about a specific CM on the survey card. Honestly, I really thought he was rude. If he had something he needed to take care of, all he had to do was say so. But he had a crappy attitude and it didn't seem to be any better the other times we saw him around the ship that cruise. Maybe it's better now, but IMO it stunk on that cruise. Oh, and we never did get a pic! lol



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[kcashner]

We were on the ship the night that DCL authorized the CMs to announce the first Alaska bookings. Christiaan got up on the stage and made the announcement, then launched into a series of backflips....reclaimed the microphone and said "that was just in case any of you were wondering what the crew thinks of the Alaska cruises." He wasn't even winded.

I can't explain the attitude you experienced. As you said, if he was busy, a simple "I can't right now, but catch me in the lobby tonight" would have handled the situation. We've seen him in port and exchanged a 10 second comment in passing. Sure, he kept walking, but he was appropriate. He's always seemed like one of the friendlier of the CDs.

It could just be me, but in the last few years the CDs seem to be turning into more of "business execs" and less of the friendly, public face of the cruise line. Both are aspects of the job, but it makes me wonder if the business part of it is taking over.

Ah well.....we still miss Jacqui.

[tvguy]

Did Rachel Quinn move on? She was like the Senior Cruise Director.

[kcashner]

Originally Posted by tvguy

Did Rachel Quinn move on? She was like the Senior Cruise Director.

Rachel was the "Executive Cruise Director" on the Dream. This is the same position held by Christiaan on the Wonder and Brent on the Fantasy. She left DCL to accept a position in entertainment at Animal Kingdom.

[woody73]

Originally Posted by sue

Just got off the Fantasy yesterday and Ray was the director on that cruise.

We sail on the Fantasy next week. Any thoughts on cruise director Ray?

Woody

[kcashner]

Originally Posted by woody73

We sail on the Fantasy next week. Any thoughts on cruise director Ray?

Woody

Ray is a good guy. We had him with Natalie as the ACD. Natalie is a bit more "Miss Personality," but as a team they were great.

We've also noticed an expanded role for the ACD on the bigger ships; events that were handled by the CD are often turned over to the ACD....or maybe she was just out and about more than we'd seen on the Magic.

[Cruisin Castaway]

We sail on the Fantasy on 12/15. Any ideas if Ray will still be the cruise director or if it will be Brent?

[mkmommy]

Originally Posted by kcashner

It could just be me, but in the last few years the CDs seem to be turning into more of "business execs" and less of the friendly, public face of the cruise line. Both are aspects of the job, but it makes me wonder if the business part of it is taking over.

Ah well.....we still miss Jacqui.

I think you are correct. There used to always be a thread about the cruise directors, and how everyone loved a certain one, but you just don't seem those threads much anymore.

I guess like any company the bigger you get the more procedures and paperwork take over.

[woody73]

Originally Posted by kcashner

Ray is a good guy. We had him with Natalie as the ACD. Natalie is a bit more "Miss Personality," but as a team they were great.

Thanks. Hopefully we'll have "team Ray and Natalie."

Woody

[meajuly5]

Anyone who knows who will be on the wonder this summer?

[PrincessShmoo]

Originally Posted by meajuly5

Anyone who knows who will be on the wonder this summer?

Most likely, Christaan. He's the CD on the Wonder currently.

A note here about Christaan. Our first 3 cruises we had Brent, and we really loved him and his personality. I had read several comments on various threads about Christaan, and I wasn't sure it was going to be as good an experience with him.

Yes, Christiaan's style is different than Brent's, but it's totally in keeping with DCL standards. I don't remember any backflips on the 2 cruises we had with him, but in the public contact area, I was quite impressed. On our Dec cruise, we were hoping to snag a CM to take our picture in front of the Christmas tree late one night (after the late show). There was absolutly noone around. Then a couple of officers appeared on their way to somewhere. I (without really looking) just grabbed the closest one and said will you take our picture. As he said yes, I realized it was Christaan. Not only did he take the time to take the picture, he took two, because he thought the first one didn't come out so well.

Christaan also has another skill. He can play "Six degrees of separation" on the spot. You give him 2 random people and he can connect them within 6 pairings.

[disney1990]

Originally Posted by stitchlovestink

Interesting! He did one handed cartwheels on our cruise but no backflips. I clearly would have remembered that! They made a big deal of the cartwheels which had they been backflips, well then they would have deserved the bragging of the person introducing him....well imo it would have.....
Well we felt like it was an imposition of his personal time to try to get Christiaan to pose for a picture and this was during the day!! At that point it was like we got the impression he really didnt care about the guest interaction side of his job. Needless to say, it is about the only time I have written a negative comment about a specific CM on the survey card. Honestly, I really thought he was rude. If he had something he needed to take care of, all he had to do was say so. But he had a crappy attitude and it didn't seem to be any better the other times we saw him around the ship that cruise. Maybe it's better now, but IMO it stunk on that cruise. Oh, and we never did get a pic! lol



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I certainly cannot explain what was going on with Christiaan when you sailed, but he has always been wonderful when we have sailed with him. He has taken the time for photos or just to chat. All I can say, is something must have been distracting him.

When did you sail with him?

[meajuly5]

Does anyone know who was on wonder in jan 1998 and on magic in July 1999?

[disprincess4ever]

We were on the Fantasy in June and had Ray. As far as I know there was no assistant cruise director for our sailing. We loved Ray! I'm pretty sure my mother had a crush on him lol She said he had the perfect "cruisey director" voice. He really was very friendly though. He stopped to chat in the hallway with my family one day and was gracious enough to take pictures with us and ask us what activities we were enjoying best. Overall he made a great impression.