I got the following email from Barry this morning. Many of you who have sailed on the Mariner will know Barry who is (now was) Regent's senior Cruise Director.
Jim

Dear friends,
It's official, after an absence of 14 years I am returning to Seabourn Cruise Line.
I'm thrilled and honored to have been chosen to be the Cruise Director for their new ship "The Seabourn Odyssey" which goes into service in June of next year. Prior to the Odyssey I'm going to be doing a three month stint aboard the Seabourn Spirit in November of this year. My decision to leave Regent wasn't an easy one as I've had twelve glorious years with the company and made friends with so many wonderful people.
The Seabourn Odyssey will effectively become my new home for most of next year, I'm also going to be the Cruise Director for her 2010 world cruise which is going to be amazing!
I'm so happy that I can share this exciting news with you and I hope so much that we will have the opportunity to sail together in the future...
Warmest regards,
Barry...

Barry Hopkins


8 Dunedin Drive
Caterham
Surrey CR3 6BA
United Kingdom
Telephone: 44+(0)1883347790
email: barryhopkins@mac.com


Check out my web site for further details: www.barryhopkins.com

Barry is a terrific cruise director and a very fine man, top notch. He is also a rather good singer. He will be sorely missed by Regent Mariner guests, as well as by Regent itself, which seems to be loosing all too many of their very top people: Christian Sauleau, Andreas Nordhimer [sp?], now Barry. I wonder just what is going on?

Barry is the best cruise director we've encountered. He's in a class by himself. What a loss to Regent. Seabourn is starting at the top!

Definitely a sad event. I concur with Pat that Barry is the best Cruise Director we have had.

This is certainly a coup for Barry, getting CD position straight off on the newest SS ship, being from another line. In my opinion, a trickle-down from the departure of Christian and the other guy?

Personally, I am not one of those passengers with a priority of "bonding" with the CD, I guess because any of them are fine with me in my experience with Regent (Can't say I really felt that way on the Explorer II) I would rather have a great group of compatible people aboard with me than the most popular CD. These things are so personal to each passenger and their preferences.

Editing to say, CountFlorida, this "shifting" you speak of reminds me of what happens in my town when hairdressers in a salon get mad at their boss, or another business offers them an enticement to leave. They move en masse to another salon, only to get upset at some point with the next owner, and move on as a pack to another. Of course, Christian and Andre are recruiting "known" assets, so these moves do not surprise me, since between the two of them, they obviously have lots of discretion and contacts. Oh, not a good thing for the household that houses both Regent and Silversea execs (please, this is a lighthearted joke not meant to solicit comments!)

I honestly have to make an effort to remember that I need to know a CD's name. John Barron stands out immensely because he's just so much fun. I know a lot of you are wild about Jamie, but on our British Isles cruise, I was far more enamored of his wife, Dana. She seemed to always be there, friendly, interested in my opinion of what I had seen and done. Jamie was always with Captain Dag, and they seemed to have their own adventures.

Right ON!

We have enjoyed all staff and to be honest I get CD mixed up with hotel director etc not into titles - having said that....John Baron is A plus - he is kind to all does not fawn over the "I have so many nights on Regent" types - we have a few nights and I don't think any of the top staff knows us - works for us -

Barry Hopkins was CD on LAMB last December. We thought he did an excellent job and wish him well in his new position.

We always enjoyed having Barry as the CD -- he got around a lot and spent time talking to us regular folks. We'll miss having him on Regent and wish him well.

Ditto to all the above posters who will miss Barry. However, his move to the Seabourn Odyssey certainly makes that ship an even more positive draw. A real loss to Regent!! MAXINE