Why does Cruise Director matter?

[beach baby]

Now that's funny!........and true!

 

[Orukal]

I didn't think you were trolling, it seems like a valid question to me. I do enjoy when Brent is our CD. Specifically, because he seems much more hands on and chill than the others CD's we've experienced.

Please understand that it's with a smile on my face that I respond because these are the kind of responses that I'm reading. You said that you enjoy Brent as your Cruise Director because he's more hands on and chill. This is where I get stuck with other responses. More hands on and chill with what? Do you mean that he's more hands on and chill wandering around the boat saying hi or is there something else that he actually does that I'm missing?

 

[MickeyEarrings]

I think some people want to know who their cruise director will be because they had a great time on that cruise when fill-in-the-blank was the CD, and if we have him again on this cruise, it will be a great cruise too.

 

[Sytrace]

We have only done 6 cruises and I honestly have no clue who our cruise directors have been on any of them. I do recall a nice CD (I recognized his voice more than anything else) in April. Not sure what his name was though. Maybe Darren? I didn't really pay attention though on the September cruise.

I DO remember our servers, host/hostesess, of course, and really enjoy running into them on other cruises from time to time. Most of them remember us (which is very sweet) and a couple of times we have made it a point to seek out certain staff and say hi.

An example of Disney magic on the Fantasy is as follows: On our last cruise in September, we were sitting at breakfast one morning when a CM we met in April who was working the job of ice cream station, walked up to our table to say hi. He had become an assistant server between April and September and so he was working in Cabana's that morning.
The awesome thing about this wonderful CM was that he not only remembered our faces (how many people he must talk to and see everyday) but remembered things we had spoken about in April. He remembered we had a business, that I homeschooled the kids, and also, the ages of the kids. WOW! That made me feel so warm and appreciated.
I think that is what gives Disney a magic touch when some (definitely not all) of the cast members put forth that warmth and caring and go the extra mile to remember you.

 

[Plaid Princess]

Please understand that it's with a smile on my face that I respond because these are the kind of responses that I'm reading. You said that you enjoy Brent as your Cruise Director because he's more hands on and chill. This is where I get stuck with other responses. More hands on and chill with what? Do you mean that he's more hands on and chill wandering around the boat saying hi or is there something else that he actually does that I'm missing?

I don't think you're missing anything... to me it's not anything more than liking his relaxed personality. His whole general demeanor seems more relaxed to me. He always makes a point of introducing himself early on, and remembering names throughout the cruise... or even cruise to cruise. (I mean one on one, when he's walking around the ship.) I've seen him helping load towels at Castaway Cay, and helping set up games on deck... he just seems to chip in a lot wherever it's needed.

Other CD's that I've experienced don't seem to do anything other than make announcements (obviously they do a lot more, but they just don't appear to).

But honestly, it's nothing really specific. He didn't save my firstborn or anything.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Eventually, there was. Full story: It was a 5 night double-dip on the Dream back in Aug 2012. The original Pirate Night was a bad weather day (a tropical storm was close enough to give us a lot of rain/wind). So they rescheduled for the next night. That's not the issue, of course. Totally understandable. The next night however, everyone packed the decks for the Jack sparrow show and, presumably, fireworks, as usual. The show goes on and at the end when Jack points to the sky and the fireworks are supposed to start.....nothing (in the sky). However, immediately, the DJ started up, the dancers came out on the stage and on funnel vision was the skull & crossbones guy saying "how did you like the boomity boom boom fireworks" or whatever he says and goes into the "Club Pirate" intro. It was immediately. So they knew in advance there wasn't going to be fireworks - otherwise the DJ & dancers would not have been at the ready and the skull guy wouldn't have been on the screen yet. They went on with the music & stuff as everyone stood around wondering what was going on. It was at least a half hour before Clayton showed and explained that the there were "technical difficulties" and that there would obviously be no fireworks. Technical difficulties happen. Everyone understands that. However, as I said, they must have known about the problem beforehand, that's why the DJ & dancers were at the ready. If they were expecting 15 minutes or so of fireworks, they would not have been. So they should have announced earlier there would be no fireworks, but they were still having the show and dance party and let people decide if they wanted to stay out there. However, my opinion is they wanted to keep everyone out there - spending money on the specialty pirate drinks, pirate merchandise, etc. It was bad form. And, I put the blame for that on the CD. Ultimately, it was likely his decision. Plus, he should have been out much sooner to announce that they were having the technical difficulties. Now to be fair, the one good thing they did, was that he said they would try to have the fireworks the next night, if the technical issue could be solved. However, the next night was the last night of the cruise. So, in order to let everyone enjoy the fireworks - at a time when you normally are supposed to be putting your luggage out in the hallways - they said you didn't have to worry about getting the luggage out by the usual 10pm. They said you can pretty much put it out as late as you want, and you didn't have to worry, so you can see the fireworks and/or enjoy whatever else you wanted to. Luckily, they were able to do the fireworks that last night.


So that whole ordeal left a bad impression of Clayton on me. I did however, really like Ray Smale (sp?).

Not to discount the fireworks fiasco but something to consider from someone who runs live entertainment nightly at a restaurant. There have been times when everything isn't working 100% correctly going into a show but the show must go on. So while one part of the show is going on, others are feverishly working to fix the later part but you must have plan B in your back pocket. The last thing you want to do is announce at the beginning of the show something might not happen if there's a good chance it can be repaired.

I think you're right they knew the fireworks might not go off as planned but I'm sure they were working hard during the other 30 minutes of the pirate show to hopefully get the glitch fixed. Knowing that ahead of time, they absolutely had to have the dancers ready to go. You always have to be prepared with live entertainment.

 

[bumbershoot]

Please understand that it's with a smile on my face that I respond because these are the kind of responses that I'm reading.

You have, however, gotten at least 3 more detailed replies about why people like a certain CD. Perhaps those can help?

 

[CamColt]

I don't think I've ever specifically asked, as I certainly wouldn't change a cruise due to any Cast Member not being on board, but I will admit sometimes I'm curious and would like to know. Clayton was a lot of fun when we had him, which I will say adds a little something to the experience, but it's not that important to me.
With that said I think the Club Host affects the experience more and I would be more likely to ask about that. We have sailed with Tisa 4 times and really enjoyed the nighttime entertainment on those cruises. She has a great personality and is a lot of fun. On our last cruise this summer we had the pleasure of meeting Jamezy. Now he is a character in himself! Hoping he is still on the Dream in January.

 

[Orukal]

You have, however, gotten at least 3 more detailed replies about why people like a certain CD. Perhaps those can help?

I would say, yes. It seems that there's no real reason as to why some get so excited about certain cruise directors aside from how personable they are around the boat and some of the things they do during their stage time. As I said, I was just curious if I was missing something because I've read the comments of some as to how hopeful and thrilled they were with certain Cruise Directors.

 

[twopeasonepod]

We have done 8 cruises, four of them were 10-15 nights, and a B2B in Europe this summer which meant 12 nights with the same CD. The rest were 7-nighters. I think the longer cruises definitely add a different layer of importance in vibing with your CD. Jimmy was great on the WBPC. I loved his Wii battle with Capt. Fabian. Hilarious! They just have this "rivalry" that they really play up. We've had Natalie and Brent, too. They were fine but I don't remember anything special. We just had Clayton on the Wonder for the Hawaii cruise. That was some good times! The pool party was so fun! I think 32(?) officers ended up in the pool. And Clayton was Whip/Nae Nae-ing with a guest before he jumped in. Awesome!

I agree that the Club Host is more important to me. I spend way more time in the adult areas or doing trivia than watching the same shows over and over in the theater. And how they interact with the guests is what makes them special to me. David is my all-time fave, but I really enjoyed Anthony this time, too. I liked David because he was *right* at the edge of Disney appropriate haha. Some are super nice but just don't have enough flair for me.

 

[yogamom]

I prefer Brent. I just love hearing his voice! We enjoyed Clayton the first time he was our CD, but we just sailed with him in August and he seemed really subdued and not into it. We wouldn't plan a cruise around who the CD is, but they definitely set the tone for the cruise.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

On my 5 DCL cruises, I couldn't tell you who our CDs were.

However, on other lines I do think they make more of a difference. On one of our Royal cruises, we had Richard Spacey who is fantastic - he was all over the ship all the time, very funny, taking pictures, incredibly friendly. His daily show (recorded and shown on tv) was hilarious. His announcements were funny and engaging, before shows he was sometimes as good as the performer, and he talked to everyone.

I've also sailed with several Carnival CD's who were really great. They packed the schedule with events (and Carnival does give them more leeway on daily events then Disney does), and had great personalities that added to events they hosted. I've sailed with Butch, Malcolm "whoo hoo" Burns and even John Heald. All were very present, very personable, and you could tell when they were hosting an event.

 

[Orukal]

On my 5 DCL cruises, I couldn't tell you who our CDs were.

However, on other lines I do think they make more of a difference. On one of our Royal cruises, we had Richard Spacey who is fantastic - he was all over the ship all the time, very funny, taking pictures, incredibly friendly. His daily show (recorded and shown on tv) was hilarious. His announcements were funny and engaging, before shows he was sometimes as good as the performer, and he talked to everyone.

I've also sailed with several Carnival CD's who were really great. They packed the schedule with events (and Carnival does give them more leeway on daily events then Disney does), and had great personalities that added to events they hosted. I've sailed with Butch, Malcolm "whoo hoo" Burns and even John Heald. All were very present, very personable, and you could tell when they were hosting an event.

I guess that's what I was looking for. RCCL and Carnival, but the point still comes across.

 

[Rockstar1126]

Because Clayton. And the I'm-On-Vacation dance.

WHO'S ON VACATIOOOOOOOOOOON?!?!?!?!


(To the OP, sometimes the CD sets a tone. Never noticed as much as on the WBPC.)

Oh, I agree- Clayton was just something special! Love him!

 

[Belle1997]

Guys, please understand that I'm not calling you out or picking on your or anything. If my quoting you offends you somehow, I apologize because that's not my intention at all.





Most responses are like this. Praise for a Cruise Director, but no explanation why. What do Cruise Directors do other than make announcements from the stage that makes people so excited about them?" Again, just curious.

Responding but really not sure why you quoted me because I thought my explanation was enough. The cruise director also plans activities for what happens on the ship. If you miss a port of call they are in charge of putting out a new navigator with new activities happening around the ship. They set the tone of the cruise in how they respond to the people sailing. Some have a great sense of humour. This helps to bring smiles to your face. Some are really friendly and they some how make you feel special. Yes they give talks before the show and make announcements but how they do it is just as important. They get the crowd excited and involved. Each Cruise director has different personalities that some will like more than others. So people have their favorites. Everyone does an excellent job.

 

[Orukal]

Responding but really not sure why you quoted me because I thought my explanation was enough.

My quoting your was nothing at all personal, Belle. I have been honestly trying to figure out if there were things that the Cruise Directors did that I either didn't "get" or I was just never around when they were doing them. I had a hard time asking for details because it seemed, to me, that whenever anyone stated why they loved a particular CD there was never really a reason other than things like, "They are my favorite" "They trust them to make the right calls" "He/she was a lot of fun" "He was wonderful and super friendly" and I didn't want to seem like some type of trolling butthead by continuing to ask, "Why?" when I never really got a reason to go with it. The reason I had quoted you was because your explanation was because "Some are better all around than others." but it didn't really explain why. You did also mention that one cruise director was liked because he is wonderful with kids but tended not to associate well with adults traveling without kids, but it still didn't seem to answer what I was looking for. I apologize if you took my comments negatively as it was not my intent at all. Like I said, I hated commenting over and over because it made me feel like a troll when I was trying really hard not to be.

I'll stop asking, "Why?"

 

[GoofyNewfie]

I suspect you're not getting a lot of "why"s, because it's hard for people to explain why they like some people and some people less so. It's so much a personal preference. And I certainly wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of any CMs. I think most of 'em are trying pretty hard to please a very diverse group of people.

For what they do, they do an awful lot. I've done 4 cruises. 2 short, 2 long. The CDs stand out on the longer cruises, IMHO, because you've got more idle time and bump into them more as they add themselves to the entertainment. The last 14 night WBPC was enlightening to me because of the cruise director's morning show each morning. During that show, they explain tidbits of this and that but did explain how so many people report to the cruise director. They certainly can set the tone for a cruise. ie "Who's that baby?", jumping in the pool, cook off's etc. Their employees certainly feed off that. I encountered Clayton in many many situations. I probably have more pictures of him than any other CM this cruise.

No, I wouldn't not book a cruise because of who was on it, but knowing who's on it can be something else to look forward to. Same as I would look forward to seeing some of my favourite servers again.

 

[stitchlovestink]

Clayton is best cruise director Disney has. Some other ones are good but Clayton is the best. Will I cancel or book a cruise because of Clayton. No but I hope he's my cruise director.

I wouldn't cancel, but I must say there is a CD I absolutely cannot stand!!! And I would LOVE to be able to avoid cruising with them. And frankly, I would book a cruise Clayton was CD on. We haven't cruised with him in forever!! Miss him!!

To me some are better all round than others. There is one cruise director a lot of families love because he is wonderful with kids however tends not to associate well with those adults who are travelling without kids. Some seem funnier than others, so seem a little too stiff ( lacking humour) etc. No cruise director is going to be liked by everyone. Why? Because we all have different tastes, sense of humour and opinions I look forward to seeing some cruise directors over others, however it does not really effect my cruise in the long run.

And which one might that be that ignores adults traveling without kids???

I didn't think you were trolling, it seems like a valid question to me. I do enjoy when Brent is our CD. Specifically, because he seems much more hands on and chill than the others CD's we've experienced. He also seems to make an honest attempt to get to know and remember guests on each cruise. Some of the CD's that other people have raved about (Clayton in particular) we have found to be waaayyyyy too over the top and fake.

But again, I wouldn't book or not book a cruise just for the CD.

Never sailed with Brent but "we" have found Clayton to be very genuine and sincere!!! He specifically came to our dinner table to wish DD a happy birthday on her Sweet Sixteen and spent about 15 minutes with us when we were cruising. He sent us an anniversary card another cruise. I think he is very kind hearted. He loves his job and it shows but I guess I am looking at him from the perspective of a person who has had a daughter that was a CM at WDW and another that currently is a CM at WDW and I see how demanding that job can be. So I can ONLY IMAGINE how much tougher it is being a CM on DCL!

I don't think I've ever specifically asked, as I certainly wouldn't change a cruise due to any Cast Member not being on board, but I will admit sometimes I'm curious and would like to know. Clayton was a lot of fun when we had him, which I will say adds a little something to the experience, but it's not that important to me.
With that said I think the Club Host affects the experience more and I would be more likely to ask about that. We have sailed with Tisa 4 times and really enjoyed the nighttime entertainment on those cruises. She has a great personality and is a lot of fun. On our last cruise this summer we had the pleasure of meeting Jamezy. Now he is a character in himself! Hoping he is still on the Dream in January.

OMGOSH!!! We have had a few club hosts that were fun. Last year's was okay...I don't remember his name, he was not that great. Until we met Jamezy last month, Frankie from Scotland was our Favorite.
But Jamezy, He was a BLAST!!! ONE of our best cruises ever for fun in the clubs!!!
Hashtag Pink Elephant!!! Hashtag Yes! I am from England!!! LOL
We will never forget Jamezy!!! And he was so sweet!!! He sent a goody bag of treats along with a thank you note to us in our stateroom!!

 

[CamColt]

OMGOSH!!! We have had a few club hosts that were fun. Last year's was okay...I don't remember his name, he was not that great. Until we met Jamezy last month, Frankie from Scotland was our Favorite.
But Jamezy, He was a BLAST!!! ONE of our best cruises ever for fun in the clubs!!!
Hashtag Pink Elephant!!! Hashtag Yes! I am from England!!! LOL
We will never forget Jamezy!!! And he was so sweet!!! He sent a goody bag of treats along with a thank you note to us in our stateroom!!

ROFL! #Missyou #Loveyou #Callme #Toodlesy'all. For about a month after our cruise everything my family said started with #. It really became a habit.

 

[tvguy]

. The cruise director also plans activities for what happens on the ship. If you miss a port of call they are in charge of putting out a new navigator with new activities happening around the ship. They set the tone of the cruise in how they respond to the people sailing. Some have a great sense of humour. This helps to bring smiles to your face. Some are really friendly and they some how make you feel special. Yes they give talks before the show and make announcements but how they do it is just as important. They get the crowd excited and involved. Each Cruise director has different personalities that some will like more than others. So people have their favorites. Everyone does an excellent job.

The Cruise Director is your host, and your source of information.
I'm not sure they have much say in activities. I don't have any inside information but I suspect there is a game plan for each possible situation, and a pre-Planned Navigator to go with it. All planned on land, and similar on each ship so that crew members who work more than one ship will know what their duties will be that day. A change in plans doesn't just impact passengers, it impacts what hundreds of on board staff can, and cannot be doing. Housekeeping, upkeep, food prepration and service and entertainment will all change.

I suspect for example, there are set plans for Castaway Cay......something like:
Plan A for a normal day on Castaway Cay.
Plan B for a day the ship can dock but the weather is less than perfect and guests will be spending less time on the island and more time on the ship.
Plan C for a Day when the ship cannot dock at Castaway Cay but the weather is good enough to allow on deck activities on the ship.
Plan D for a day when the ship cannot dock and the weather is too bad to be on deck.

And I suspect there is a rough sea plan for every day, with staff assigned to cleanup after seasick passengers, deliver bland food to their stateroom, and calm nervous passengers.

We had Rachel, and she was just fine. Friendly, although she did seem to be shouting every announcement, and had consumed about 14 too many cups of coffee.