Joe01

Anthem doesn't feel like much of a big ship. It is very different to the Voyager and Freedom Class.

Some do: Marc Walker, Tim Connor, Dan Whitney and Jeff Arpin are all fathers. Clo is a mother. There may be a few more but those are the ones that I can think of. Quite a few are married or in relationships but without children.

Nice to hear that. I thought Daniel (activities manager) would be due for his vacation soon. Unless someone else is now AM.

For me: 1) Harmony 2) Allure 3) Oasis 4) Independence 5) Explorer 6) Jewel 7) Anthem 8) Serenade 9) Enchantment What about you? As you can see, I am more of a big ship type of guy. With the exception of old Majesty and little Empress, I have done all classes of ship in the fleet so can provide a relatively balanced perspective.

The AM list took forever to edit. A lot of mistakes in it and I find it hard to read, hence why I adapted it to look like the CD list. As I run the CD List on CC, I would happily take over the AM List as well.

AM: Adventure OTS – Daniel Dornas until April. (no replacement known yet) Allure OTS – Grant Martin returned January 21 for 4 months. Anthem OTS – Caroline Peters started February 9 until April 7, then Tanya Yates Tongue (aka Tornado Tanya) takes over April 7 for 4 months, followed by Flavio Maeda in August for 2 months. Brilliance OTS – Enzo Matijaca started early April. Empress OTS – Mickey Martin started late February/early March. Enchantment OTS – Assata Young-Mayers returned in December for 4 months. Explorer OTS – Current AM unknown, as of last week. Aysy Sadrislamova will likely return in June. Freedom OTS – Alexander Schmidt started early December until mid April, then Margot Van Erck takes over mid April until June. Grandeur OTS – Cecy Del Razo started February 10 for 4 months. Harmony OTS – Jerry Kubli returned February 3rd until late-May. Independence OTS – Elizabeth Hackett started mid-January until May 20. Mark Rous returns May 20 for 2 months. Jewel OTS – Daniel Klophaus started in November for 4 months. He may be on vacation now, but replacement is currently unknown. Liberty OTS – Katrina Blair started January 14 for 4 months, then Alex Green takes over May 27 until July 22, followed by Katrina again July 22 for 4 months. Majesty OTS – Mosese (Moe) Vatuloka started in September, although Geoffrey Jones from the Cruise Director's Staff has stepped up to AM on a number of occasions since. Unsure of who is currently there. Mariner OTS – Renato Arana started early April for 4 months. Navigator OTS – Mark Rous returned March 1 until May 20, then Daniel Edward returns May 20. Oasis OTS – Tresha Robb started February 11 until mid-June, then Flavio Maeda for 2 months. Ovation OTS – Angelle Rutten Van Hemert started late-January for the rest of the Australian season. An Asian AM will likely take over soon. Quantum OTS – Bonnie Bai was onboard in December, although unknown if she is still there. Radiance OTS – Alex Green started mid-March for 2 months. Rhapsody OTS – Eric Lopez returned late-February for 4 months. Serenade OTS – Alison Hasler started January 26 for 4 months. Symphony OTS – Katy McCullagh joined March 31 for 4 months. Amy Tripp is also onboard, likely to assist while the ship is still in her first few sailings. Vision OTS – Currently unknown. Possibly Talita Leoni? Voyager OTS – Claire Booth started late-January, although is due for vacation soon.

I am providing a CD & AM update. The AM List on CC is never updated, and I already do the CD List there so can paste that into here. CD: Adventure OTS - Mercedes LaFuentes took over February 27 for 6 weeks. (then who?) Allure OTS - Jimmy Rhodes returns March 11 for 4 months, then Mitch Meruccireturns mid-July for 2 months. Anthem OTS - Clo O'Connor early March until May 13, then Dennis Charles returns May 13 for 4 months. Brilliance OTS - Abe Hughes started March 31 until early-July, then Clo O'Connor will be CD from July until September. (exact dates needed) Empress OTS - Hugo Arenas began November 10 for 4 months. (then who?) Enchantment OTS - Michelle Pimentinha Oliveira returned December 15 for 4 months, then Bobby Broughton returns late-April. (need handover date) Explorer OTS - Graham Seymour returned February 9 (until when?). Topi Ylönenreturns June 8 until July 27. Graham is wanted to be kept on Explorer by the HD, so may be regular CD again for the rest of 2018. Freedom OTS - Drew Devine starts March 17 until July 28, then Topi Ylönen returns July 28 until September 29, followed by Drew September 29 for 4 months. Grandeur OTS - Bob Leininger began November 30 until mid-April, then Mike Szwajkowski for 2 months, then Bob returns mid-June until October 6, then Mitch Merucci from October 6 until December 1, followed by Bob starting December 1 for another 4 month contract. Harmony OTS - Marc Walker begins February 3 until April 21, then Dru Pavlov returns April 21 until August 4, then Marc returns again from August 4 until October 6. Independence OTS - Tim Connor started March 15 until May 28, then Joff Eatonreturns May 28 for the Summer season for 4 months. Jewel OTS - Andrea Olivieri started February 25. (for 4 months?) Liberty OTS - John Blair took over January 14 until May 27, and returns July 22 for 4 months. Majesty OTS - Susan Adams took over February 26. (for 4 months?) Mariner OTS - Ricky Matthews is said to have taken over for the repositioning, dry dock and start of the Miami cruises. (Will Carlos Torres also be working on Mariner later this year, as initially reported?) Navigator OTS - Simona Ferraiuolo took over March 16 for 2 months. (then who?). Cuddy Cudworth returns in August after a contract on Radiance. Oasis OTS - Jeff Arpin returned early March for 2 months, followed by Dan Whitney early May for 4 months. (need dates) Ovation OTS - Mike Hunnerup returned March 23 (for 4 months?). Quantum OTS - Chris Brown returned mid November for 4 months, then Paul Rutterstarts in March for 2 months and again from September for 3 months. (need handover date) Radiance OTS - Mitch Merucci started March 18 until April 18. Cuddy Cudworth is joining Radiance for his next contract. (dates unknown) Rhapsody OTS - Elvis Pinto returned early February for 4 months. (then who?)Serenade OTS - Carly Boileau returns February 5 (until when? then who?)Symphony OTS - Michele Scarpato and Bobby Brown are the launch CD's, sharing duties. Current dates are unknown, but Michele will be CD in early-July, and Bobby for the TA. Marc Walker takes over November 9 in Miami until February 16. (He joins Oct 23 for a 17 day handover) Vision OTS - Ken Jones returned February 9 for 2 months, then Steve Davis returns April 6 until August 11. Voyager OTS - Carlos Torres began late-January until late-May.

Symphony of the Seas - July 1st 2018 Symphony of the Seas - July 8th 2018 Considering an October cruise. Was going to go back on Symphony for the Transatlantic but now considering other options.

Afraid that won't be an option for me as it is in April. If I am successful, I hope to get the Allure for my first contract as that will head to Europe in 2020. I am seeing footage of the Symphony as she has now came out, alongside footage of the Harmony TA and really wish that I could have gone. Symphony is basically another chance, but why on earth did Royal not think of someone else to do the Inaugural Transatlantic for their newest ship? The entertainment and activities product on that sailing will suffer. An AM can only do so much (many of them are duds as well), and the Staff can't affect the cruise that much either. I would be quite happy to work with and learn from a dynamic Cruise Director. Not sure where many of them will be in October. Trust me when I say that the job interests me and I want to give it my all.

Hello. Drew was on Liberty last. He seems to be a good CD, but the issue with Freedom is that she will be out of San Juan in October. Coming from the USA, flights are pricey, so add that to a Transatlantic flight from Scotland, we are looking at very expensive flights before the cruise. SJU just isn't very accessible for us. Good suggestion though. Have a nice cruise!

Playmaker's menu looks phenomenal. I'm not a sports bar type, but will make an exception for this.

Any Fall TA's to suggest? I wanted this cruise badly, but I think @Skid is right that I would be unhappy there given my situation.

I'm already scheduled for Symphony out of Barcelona in July, so I won't miss out on the new ship. Confirmed that BB won't be there then. Any good TA's to take on other ships? I'm not experienced with TA's. Would probably get bored on a small ship. An Oasis Class would have been the best option, so this is a slight Catch 22 situation.

Happy Easter to you as well!

Seeing the first pictures of Symphony makes me really want to do it. No better ship for a TA. Royal did tell me that the CD is subject to change, so maybe. It's just that I want to observe the best CD and Staff possible. I don't know who the AM will be, but a lot of them are useless as well. I've already learned a lot from cruising with Abe Hughes, so observing another great CD in action would be perfect. I initially heard that Marc Walker would be CD and I was excited to observe him, but he will be behind the scenes preparing for the US inaugurals.

The stateroom attendant will likely transfer your bags to the other room. Your new attendant will try and get the room ready as early as possible. Don't put the bags in the hallway. The Loyalty Ambassador deals with the turnaround process. There is a consecutive cruisers on the last day of Leg 1, and you will then meet (on HM, it was at the Schooner Bar), as the last guests are leaving. The LA will then take you out to be cleared by customs and then provide you with new SeaPasses before you return to an empty ship. They collect the old SeaPasses but give them back as a souvenir when you head home. The team on Harmony handled it seamlessly. I don't know what ship you will be on, but hopefully they will be the same.

To work or for leisure?

I won't appeal to everyone, but that's life. I was mostly referring to your point about what I have learned not to do from watching BB.

He's been in the job since 1998. I think the novelty has worn off for him, but surely getting the newest ships should have given him a new lease of life? I just think that it is time for him to call it a day. He is not what Royal needs on their new ships. BTW - that was his first cruise of his contract.

I wonder what his staff thought of him. If they are going to keep him on, they need a flamboyant AM to counter his lack of energy. We went up to the Sailaway Party on the first day, and he was standing there with his arms folded watching the CD Staff with a fairly sulky look on his face. They were at least trying - he didn't participate.

Precisely. He just didn't care. I considered walking out but stayed to see if he would change. In fact, the staff didn't even get the total right and the wrong couple won. I'm not sounding arrogant, but if I was a CD in the future, I would not deliver a L&M of such a low standard. Sorry, but if he is running the show, then that TA will be very very boring.

If you are wondering what I have already learned what NOT to do from watching Bobby, here is the L&M show from our cruise with him. 1) 3 couples not 4. The show can work with 3 couples if a CD has competent comedic ability. I dislike that the men have to stand, and then how would a gay couple work on that format? I would personally ask my AM to truly consider getting a gay couple on stage if possible. 2) Scrap the question about cooking ability. We are in 2018, gender roles are a thing of the past - no reason to ask about how good a woman's cooking is. Not all women cook, some men do instead. 3) Get rid of the name tags. He could just ask the contestants their name. A waste of the CD Staff's time. 4) Bonus Q - "What is your husband's favorite condiment?". Really? If a couple are together, chances are that they have been with each other for multiple meals and that one would know whether their spouse prefers ketchup, mustard or salad cream. Lame question. 5) Show a bit of excitement and engage with the audience outside of the "brutally honest" line. That's the lazy way out. A good CD engages with the audience and with the contestants. He just seemed a bit blank the whole time and any humor was canned and not spontaneous. That's from just 1 show. Shall we mention the things in the Compass that never existed?

Royal told me this via a DM on Twitter: "Thanks again for waiting. I've received info that the current Cruise Director planned for the sailing is Bobby Brown, but could be subject to change." I have already observed BB on Harmony and I already know not to run things the way that he does. No need to observe him again. I spent a great deal of time on Harmony last summer observing Abe on the First Leg and BB on the 2nd. I will be doing the same on SY this summer with Michele Scarpato, but the TA would be the main opportunity to really get immersed in the activities or at least watch some of them from a distance.

Back to the question - would you say that this is a good idea to take this cruise or not given my intentions?

I'll get to work for the Millennium Street Party! Thanks for your suggestions of artists.