Current Cruise Director for Fantasy

[emilyann415]

Been on 7 cruises and have had Christian for 6 of them. LOVE him but would like to try someone new....just curious and wondered if whoever is currently CD will they likely still be the director for the NYE cruise?

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Don't know where he is or even if he's still with DCL, but Brent was always by favorite. Love that accent!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Don't know where he is or even if he's still with DCL, but Brent was always by favorite. Love that accent!

Brent has transferred to Disney's California Adventure park to head entertainment there.

 

[phinz]

I've always wondered why the Cruise Director matters. I've never been directly impacted, as far as I can tell, by the CD. I couldn't even tell you who our CD has been on our cruises. I'm not being snarky. I just want to know why it matters.

 

[emilyann415]

I've always wondered why the Cruise Director matters. I've never been directly impacted, as far as I can tell, by the CD. I couldn't even tell you who our CD has been on our cruises. I'm not being snarky. I just want to know why it matters.

We always seem to end up chatting with the cruise director at some point in the trip. But really, it's just that Christian says the same things, same jokes, cruise after cruise and it would be nice to have a change is all. Don't get me wrong, we really like him and wouldn't be disappointed at all if it was him.....

 

[southerngirl528]

I'm with Emilyann415. We usually end up meeting the CD a few times as well and find them varying degrees of delightful. I will miss Brent too, as he was one of my very favorites but it's nice that he is still with Disney.

 

[Racer X]

Does seem rather "elitist". Perhaps when you grow weary of the same old cruise director it's time to try another vacation....

Just say'n

 

[southerngirl528]

Does seem rather "elitist".

??? WHAT seems "rather 'elitist'"?

 

[tinkerone]

three weeks ago it was ray and he didn't say anything about having a leave coming up. having said that, NYE is a while away so it could change by then.
I to loved christiaan but its been awhile since we have seen him. I had thought he was on the dream now but its hard to keep up.

 

[Flossbolna]

I've always wondered why the Cruise Director matters. I've never been directly impacted, as far as I can tell, by the CD. I couldn't even tell you who our CD has been on our cruises. I'm not being snarky. I just want to know why it matters.

May I suggest to read through this thread: Why does Cruise Director matter?

Many people replied explaining why it matters to them.

 

[phinz]

May I suggest to read through this thread: Why does Cruise Director matter?

Many people replied explaining why it matters to them.

There really aren't many explanations except, "I like their voice", "They were so nice" and "They were fun." I can say the same thing about a lot of other CMs as well. Julian and Sam are great bartenders. Rui is a fantastic Head Server. Krasemir is a great server who is finally being recognized for his hard work by being promoted to Head Server. PJ is a really, really good Concierge Host. But I can also quantify what makes these CMs great. The CD thread doesn't really give that in the vast majority of the responses.

One person in that thread even acknowledges that everything is probably pretty much set by the corporate offices, so the CD just makes sure a plan is followed. I still don't fully understand why one CD matters over another. Perhaps it's just hard to put into words, as one of the posts in the other thread says.

 

[Flossbolna]

There really aren't many explanations except, "I like their voice", "They were so nice" and "They were fun." I can say the same thing about a lot of other CMs as well. Julian and Sam are great bartenders. Rui is a fantastic Head Server. Krasemir is a great server who is finally being recognized for his hard work by being promoted to Head Server. PJ is a really, really good Concierge Host. But I can also quantify what makes these CMs great. The CD thread doesn't really give that in the vast majority of the responses.

One person in that thread even acknowledges that everything is probably pretty much set by the corporate offices, so the CD just makes sure a plan is followed. I still don't fully understand why one CD matters over another. Perhaps it's just hard to put into words, as one of the posts in the other thread says.

I think it really depends how much you take part in activities where you experience the cruise director.

But I think your comment about the same can be said about other CMs is certainly true and there are regular people asking of their favourite server, cruise stuff CM etc. is still on this or that ship. So, people are looking forward to meeting those CMs again that made their cruise special. I think the Cruise Director just is more in the public light during a cruise and therefore more people like one specific CD. In a way a CD is kind of a performer and some people just enjoy the way one interprets the role more than another. And then their number is limited, only one per ship. So, it makes it easier to ask and expect to be able to get an answer here on the boards. I think a lot of the posts asking "who will be the Cruise Director?" are actually asking: "Will Clayton/Ray/Peter/Brent(I know he is no longer with DCL)/Jimmy/Natalie/whoever I have forgotten be my CD again?" Just like the posts asking "Is Head Server Rui still on the Fantasy?"

Does that make sense?

 

[phinz]

Does that make sense?

I think that makes perfect sense. I've just never seen where any particular CD has much of an impact on the daily life of a guest, as opposed to the direct interaction one would have with bartenders, hosts or servers. I'll put it this way: If I go to a restaurant and I have a crap experience due to bad service, it's the server that bears the brunt of that bad experience because they are the ones I deal with every day. I might chalk it up to poor management (Cruise Director = GM in this case), but ultimately it's the person I directly interacted with who mattered. I'm not saying it's fair, but it is what it is.

The CD just doesn't matter to me. Disney runs such a tight ship, service-wise, that I can't see a CD making a significant difference overall, but then again, that relative invisibility of the CD means that they are doing their job of management very well because the people who work for them are doing their jobs well and the CD isn't having to step in to fix problems. For me, the individual experiences (servers, etc.) are the ones that really make the trip worthwhile.

All that said, it would be strange for me to get on the Fantasy and not hear Ray's voice blaring from my TV about the ship horns, etc. as soon as I turned on the lights.

I found this and thought it was a pretty cool little spot.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=152082264974585

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Brent has transferred to Disney's California Adventure park to head entertainment there.

Well, I may miss him from my cruise, but I'm glad that he's still with Disney, and it seems doing well! Thanks for the info!

 

[jlemieu1]

We had Ray as CD this last week on the Fantasy. Sorry I still this the best CD is Clayton.

 

[phinz]

 

[southerngirl528]

Hilarious, Phinz!

 

[preciouspups]

We just got off the Fantasy and it was Ray. He used a lot of "jazz hands" and it cracked me up.

 

[scootch]

Any chance Martin was one of the head activity directors?

 

[emilyann415]

Does seem rather "elitist". Perhaps when you grow weary of the same old cruise director it's time to try another vacation....

Just say'n

Uuum I believe I said that I LOVE Christian....never ANYWHERE in my post did it say I'd grown weary of him or that it would affect my trip in any way. I would be happy to have him again....would just be nice to meet someone new. I don't know if that makes one elitist but I know what your post makes you sound like.......just sayin.......