Director, Guest Services

One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess is the world’s leading international premium cruise line and tour company, carrying millions of guests each year to hundreds of destinations around the globe.  We give our guests the Medallion Class experience others simply can’t. The Love Boat promises something for everyone. 

We are looking to hire a Director of Guest Services.  The Director of Guest Services is responsible for the operational leadership and strategic oversight of the shipboard and shoreside Guest Services organization. This role serves as the day-to-day operating leader for Guest Services, overseeing front-of-house guest interactions as well as back-of-house administrative and financial functions that support the department. The Director leads a multi-disciplinary team responsible for Sanctuary Collection and Sanctuary Collection Club, concierge services, groups, in-port functions, celebrations and wedding coordination, including financial processes and case management operations. This role ensures that guest inquiries, service recovery, and special requests are managed with efficiency, professionalism, and alignment with The Princess Purpose. In partnership with cross-functional stakeholders across commercial, shipboard hotel operations, and contact center teams, the Director drives operational rigor, service consistency, and continuous improvement in guest support processes. The role is accountable for day-to-day performance management, service level delivery, escalation handling, and operational execution, while supporting the AVP in advancing strategic initiatives that enhance the overall guest experience.

Here’s a summary of what Princess is looking for in a Director of Guest Services.  Is this you? 

 Responsibilities: 

• Leads the operational strategy and performance of the Shipboard and Shoreside Guest Services organization, establishing service delivery standards, operational frameworks, and performance metrics that ensure a consistent and high-quality guest experience across all shipboard guest interactions. Drives accountability for service levels, resolution ability, and service recovery while ensuring alignment with The Princess Purpose.

• Provides fleetwide functional leadership for Shipboard Guest Services Directors, ensuring alignment between shipboard and shoreside service standards, policies, and procedures. Establishes operational guidance and oversight for key shipboard Guest Services functions including Guest Services, ADA coordination and compliance, immigration documentation processes, and embarkation/disembarkation administrative management.

• Oversees the strategic delivery of Sanctuary Collection Concierge and Suite Experience Managers and programs, including groups, celebrations, weddings, and other bespoke guest experiences. Ensures operational readiness, service excellence, and cross-functional coordination to deliver seamless guest experiences that supports both the guest experience and commercial objectives.

• Governance of Guest Services administrative and financial operations, including guest compensation frameworks, case and financial management systems, reporting structures, and policy adherence. Ensures operational integrity, fiscal accountability, and compliance with corporate standards while identifying opportunities to streamline processes and enhance service efficiency.

• Builds and leads a high-performing Guest Services leadership team, providing direction, coaching, and performance management to ensure strong operational execution across shoreside and shipboard teams. Champions a culture of service excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement while strengthening alignment between shipboard operations and corporate Guest Services strategy.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Scope: The Director, Guest Services provides operational leadership and functional oversight for Guest Services operations supporting the Princess fleet. The role leads the shipboard and shoreside Guest Services organization responsible for guest resolutions abilities, concierge services, groups and celebrations, finance and administrative operations.  The Director also provides functional alignment and operational guidance to Shipboard Guest Services Directors, ensuring consistency in service standards, policies, and guest resolution practices across the fleet. This includes coordination of key operational responsibilities onboard such as Guest Experience management, ADA compliance coordination, immigration documentation processes, and embarkation/disembarkation administrative functions.  The role operates within a highly cross-functional environment, partnering with Commercial, Hotel Operations, Marine, Port Operations, Contact Centers, Finance, and Guest Experience teams to ensure seamless execution of the end-to-end guest journey. The Director is responsible for translating corporate service strategy into operational execution, ensuring that service delivery frameworks, processes, and performance metrics support exceptional guest experiences across the fleet.

• Problem solving: The Director is responsible for addressing complex operational challenges related to guest service delivery, service recovery, and cross-functional coordination impacting the guest experience. This role requires strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities to assess operational performance, evaluate service trends, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction. This includes resolving escalated guest service issues, developing solutions for operational gaps impacting guest services operations, and balancing guest expectations with operational feasibility and company policy. The Director must regularly interpret data from guest feedback, service recovery cases, and operational metrics to identify root causes and implement corrective actions that improve service delivery across both shoreside and shipboard environments.  The position also requires anticipating operational risks related to guest service delivery and proactively implementing improvements to processes, communication, and coordination across departments to ensure a seamless guest experience.

• Impact: The Director has a direct impact on the overall guest experience and service delivery standards across the Princess fleet. The role influences guest satisfaction outcomes by ensuring that guest services operations consistently deliver timely, professional, and effective support for guest inquiries, requests, and service recovery needs.  Through leadership of shoreside Guest Services teams and alignment with shipboard Guest Services Directors, the role ensures that service standards, policies, and operational procedures are executed consistently across the fleet. The Director’s decisions impact operational efficiency, service recovery effectiveness, guest loyalty, and the company’s reputation for delivering exceptional guest experiences.  Additionally, the role contributes to continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen service delivery frameworks, optimize operational processes, and enhance collaboration across departments supporting the guest journey.

• Leadership: The Director provides leadership and direction for the shoreside Guest Services organization and serves as the primary operational leader for Guest Services functions supporting the fleet. The role is responsible for building and developing a high-performing team through clear performance expectations, coaching, and talent development while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and service excellence.  The Director also provides functional leadership and operational guidance to Shipboard Guest Services Directors, ensuring alignment of service standards, procedures, and guest care practices across shipboard and shoreside teams.

For all roles:

• Knowledge: Understanding of workplace policies and procedures / Familiarity with team collaboration tools and techniques.

• Skills: Strong time management and organizational skills

• Abilities: Ability to maintain reliable and consistent attendance / Capacity to be punctual and meet deadlines / Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and work as part of a team / Demonstrated professionalism in all interactions and tasks.

Requirements: 

• Master’s Degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or Tourism Management. Minimum of 10–12 years of progressive leadership experience in hospitality, cruise, or travel operations, including at least 5 years at a senior management or multi-site leadership level. Proven success leading large, guest-facing teams and managing operational performance across geographically dispersed environments.

• Strong understanding of guest service operations, port logistics, and large-scale hospitality management.

• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional teams across shipboard and shoreside environments.

• Demonstrated skill in budgeting, forecasting, and resource optimization at an enterprise scale.

• Data-driven decision-maker with the ability to interpret guest satisfaction, performance, and operational metrics to inform strategy.

• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with a focus on process efficiency and service consistency.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills with internal and external stakeholders

Travel:   More than 50% with shipboard travel likely

Work Conditions: Work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required occasionally to support business needs, projects, or operations.

Physical Demands: Work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required occasionally to support business needs, projects, or operations.

This position is classified as “in-office.”  As an in-office role, it requires employees to work from a designated Princess office Monday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Fridays.  Candidates must be located in (or willing to relocate to) the area.

Princess provides comprehensive and innovative benefits to meet your needs, including:

What You Can Expect  

• Cruise and Travel Privileges for You and Your Family 
• Health Benefits 
• 401(k)  
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan  
• Training & Professional Development 
• Tuition & Professional Certification Reimbursement 
• Rewards & Incentives  

Our Culture… Stronger Together 

Our highest responsibility and top priority is compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees.  Please visit our site to learn more about our Culture Essentials, Corporate Vision Statement and our Core Values at: princess.com/en-us/company-information 

Princess is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

Princess will provide reasonable accommodations with the application process, upon your request, as required to comply with applicable laws.  If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact careers@carnival.com. 

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