A cruise director is a high ranking officer of a cruise ship

Cruise ship

A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...

, usually reporting to the Executive Purser

Purser

The purser joined the warrant officer ranks of the Royal Navy in the early fourteenth century and existed as a Naval rank until 1852. The development of the warrant officer system began in 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain...

. The cruise director has responsibility for all onboard hospitality, entertainment and social events and usually has a deputy or assistant cruise director, supported by a team of entertainment officers. After the captain, the cruise director is the most high profile member of staff aboard a cruise ship, acting as the public face of the company.

Responsibilities

• Scheduling of entertainment, activities and social events
• Officer in charge of entertainment staff
• Public announcements

Television

As a highly visible member of staff on a cruise ship, there have been many television characters portraying the role of a cruise director. A notable example is Julie McCoy played by Lauren Tewes

Lauren Tewes

Cynthia Lauren Tewes ,known simply as Lauren Tewes,is an American actress best known for playing Cruise Director Julie McCoy on the sitcom The Love Boat beating out over 100 other actresses for the role...

 in The Love Boat

The Love Boat

The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...

, a television series bases on the novel The Love Boats by real life cruise Director Jeraldine Saunders.