A Cruise Director oversees all onboard entertainment, including creating, coordinating, and implementing all daily activities, and acting as a master of ceremonies (emcee) at social activities and evening shows. These activities include bingo games, scavenger hunts, beach volleyball, mock Olympics games, cocktail parties, passenger briefings, and onboard and offshore excursions. The Cruise Director is social butterfly, accountant, politician, and entertainer, always working to ensure that passengers have a good time.
Briefing passengers about possible offshore activities and coordinating these activities is a major function of the Cruise Director, not only because the entertainment is there for passengers to enjoy, but because the ship derives a part of its income from selling shore excursions. The Cruise Director must be a walking, talking guidebook to the various port stops and answer any questions about the stop that passengers may have, whether about currency, operating hours, special exhibitions, dining suggestions, or shopping options (what and where the best bargains are). The Cruise Director also informs passengers about the ship’s departure time and the last launch time back to the ship when the passengers have to use a launch between the ship and the port activities.
He or she prepares a list of possible activities for every port the ship will visit, using brochures, photographs, maps, and descriptions of the tours. This may include a sightseeing tour, SCUBA diving or snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, a helicopter flight, or some time at a secluded beach. He or she must remember that some passengers will have physical limitations, so provisions should be made to accommodate them.
The Cruise Director will be required to contact individual vendors in the various parts, letting them know when the ship will arrive and depart and confirming the number of passengers booked for the excursion and the time and place for meeting the passengers. Following the excursion, the Cruise Director pays the vendors and resolves any complaints.
The Cruise Director should know how to sing and dance and be willing to be a clown. Although larger ships have staff photographers, the Cruise Director will almost certainly be asked to take pictures of the passengers or be in them. At the end of the cruise, the Cruise Director gives a disembarkation talk about customs and immigration requirements and suggestions for the amount of money passengers should tip the various shipboard staffmembers (although some ships have a no-tipping policy).
A Cruise Director usually starts working on a cruise ship (or in a resort) as a social host or hostess, introducing the captain to passengers at such functions as the Captain’s welcoming reception or cocktail party, acting as an emcee, and performing other social functions as directed by the Cruise Director. From there, the social hostess or host may be promoted to an Assistant Cruise Director, taking on additional responsibilities, including the planning and creation of the daily programs.
A Cruise Director on a small ship, with few or no assistants, must be visible and accessible to the passengers from breakfast through the evening entertainment, both on shore and at the beach. The hours can be long and include weekend work. He or she may be responsible for maintaining such activities gear as snorkeling and diving equipment and teaching passengers how to use them.
On a larger ship, the Cruise Director will have assistants, thus easing the demands on his or her time. A Cruise Director is usually hired for a season or longer, working on the ship for several months at a time and enjoying vacations that are a month or more long. One of the best benefits of being a Cruise Director— besides enjoying what you do—is meeting people and making friends from around the world.
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