How to become a Cruise Director
If you want to become a Cruise Director you generally have to start at the bottom and work your way up. No matter how charming or talented you are, cruise lines tend to promote to this position from within and that means paying your dues. The first step is to get hired as cruise staff, the activity hosts that make up the Cruise Director's team. This is usually accomplished through a hiring partner. A quick internet search of "cruise ship jobs" or "cruise ship hiring partners" will point you in the right direction. Then pick the line you wish to work for and dive in with your application.Cruise staff run the activities onboard. From bingo and trivia contests to hosting theme nights and game shows they are busy from morning 'til night. If you are not an extrovert and a "people person" don't even consider this job. Days can begin very early working crowd control at the gangway in port and last long into the night teaching the macarena on the pool deck. You are the most visible member of a large crew and on the frontlines at all times. Good English skills are essential as are a positive attitude and a thick skin.You will have to work at least one full six month contract and usually more before you can take the next step towards your goal. That next step is to become Activities Manager or Assistant Cruise Director. The job is the same, the title varies from company to company. As the name implies the AM or ACD is the Cruise Directors' right hand and in charge of the rest of the cruise staff. You will need to display a bit of maturity and reliability as well as a flair for organization & scheduling in order to be considered for the position. You will also have to demonstrate a certain amount of stage presence and the ability to be the face of the organization. Cruise Directors make evaluations of their staff and recommend likely candidates to the home office. Supervisors back in the shoreside office will generally want to see a video made onboard in which the prospective AM "takes on" and "takes off" a simulated show and demonstrates their personality. Nowadays most cruise lines will not promote you to AM unless they see you as a potential future CD.Now you're the Activities Manager, but it still can be a hard road to the big cabin. Some AMs never rise beyond the position. They eventually become bitter and leave the company to pursue opportunities on land, or move to another cruise line where they believe the grass will be greener and the path smoother. Others become rising stars and through a combination of strong personality, networking skills, hard work and good fortune, get their big break and achieve their goals. Good looks don't hurt either. The Cruise Director is part game show host, part talk show host and part TV personality. Always the life of the party, many are former performers and even take their turn onstage, singing a few numbers at the Farewell Show. Additional language skills are also a plus. Fluency in Spanish is a stong point in your favor and with more and more cruise ships plying the international market, Portuguese, Italian and Mandarin can give you a leg up.It can be a great life at sea. Cruise Directors can make a nice salary, earn healthy bonuses and have some pretty nice onboard perks. But don't think you will fall asleep tonight and wake up with the job. It will take many months and probably years before you reach that level. It is a rung by rung climb with few shortcuts. The rewards can be considerable and if this is the life for you, it can be quite a ride on your way to the top.
If you want to become a Cruise Director you generally have to start at the bottom and work your way up. No matter how charming or talented you are, cruise lines tend to promote to this position from within and that means paying your dues. The first step is to get hired as cruise staff, the activity hosts that make up the Cruise Director's team. This is usually accomplished through a hiring partner. A quick internet search of "cruise ship jobs" or "cruise ship hiring partners" will point you in the right direction. Then pick the line you wish to work for and dive in with your application.
Cruise staff run the activities onboard. From bingo and trivia contests to hosting theme nights and game shows they are busy from morning 'til night. If you are not an extrovert and a "people person" don't even consider this job. Days can begin very early working crowd control at the gangway in port and last long into the night teaching the macarena on the pool deck. You are the most visible member of a large crew and on the frontlines at all times. Good English skills are essential as are a positive attitude and a thick skin.
You will have to work at least one full six month contract and usually more before you can take the next step towards your goal. That next step is to become Activities Manager or Assistant Cruise Director. The job is the same, the title varies from company to company. As the name implies the AM or ACD is the Cruise Directors' right hand and in charge of the rest of the cruise staff. You will need to display a bit of maturity and reliability as well as a flair for organization & scheduling in order to be considered for the position. You will also have to demonstrate a certain amount of stage presence and the ability to be the face of the organization. Cruise Directors make evaluations of their staff and recommend likely candidates to the home office. Supervisors back in the shoreside office will generally want to see a video made onboard in which the prospective AM "takes on" and "takes off" a simulated show and demonstrates their personality. Nowadays most cruise lines will not promote you to AM unless they see you as a potential future CD.
Now you're the Activities Manager, but it still can be a hard road to the big cabin. Some AMs never rise beyond the position. They eventually become bitter and leave the company to pursue opportunities on land, or move to another cruise line where they believe the grass will be greener and the path smoother. Others become rising stars and through a combination of strong personality, networking skills, hard work and good fortune, get their big break and achieve their goals. Good looks don't hurt either. The Cruise Director is part game show host, part talk show host and part TV personality. Always the life of the party, many are former performers and even take their turn onstage, singing a few numbers at the Farewell Show. Additional language skills are also a plus. Fluency in Spanish is a stong point in your favor and with more and more cruise ships plying the international market, Portuguese, Italian and Mandarin can give you a leg up.
It can be a great life at sea. Cruise Directors can make a nice salary, earn healthy bonuses and have some pretty nice onboard perks. But don't think you will fall asleep tonight and wake up with the job. It will take many months and probably years before you reach that level. It is a rung by rung climb with few shortcuts. The rewards can be considerable and if this is the life for you, it can be quite a ride on your way to the top.
