Cruise & Excursions Director

American Cruise Lines, the largest USA flagged cruise line in the United States, is looking to add Cruise & Excursions Directors to our shipboard team for our 2026 season. American Cruise Lines only operates within the United States and has no more than 200 passenger vessels that create a one‑of‑a‑kind small ship experience. With newly constructed vessels being added to our fleet, it is a great opportunity to join our shipboard management team.

The Cruise & Excursions Director is a hybrid role that engages guests both on board and ashore. On board, the director is the most visible advocate for guests and is responsible for creating a fun atmosphere while always engaging guests through a series of activities, shows, events, presentations, communications and socializing throughout the cruise. Ashore, the director engages guests in each destination through a series of shoreside excursions, explorations and adventures while managing all shore excursions and transfer operations, external vendor/operator communications, premium excursion upselling and inventory management.

At American Cruise Lines, we are driven by our values—
Optimism, Commitment, Patriotism, and Merit
. These values shape our culture, our service, and our people, guiding us as we work together to Share America’s Story on the Finest American Ships
.

• Schedule and execute engaging entertainment, enrichment and activity programs that enhance and elevate the guest experience.
• Create the Ship to Shore.
• Effectively communicate to guests via the shipboard daily program, stage, public address system and one‑on‑one interaction and socialization.
• Be extraordinarily well‑versed in the cruising region, ports of call and excursions offered.
• Confirm and adjust, as necessary, all shore excursions, explorations, adventures and transfers.
• Greet guests as they depart for and return from shore excursions.
• Accompany guests on daily excursions as a company representative and brand ambassador.
• Coordinate, communicate and confirm all logistics with vendors, coach companies, guides, ground operators and entertainers to ensure timely and smooth service.
• Accommodate guest requests, including highly personalized ones such as kayaking, golf tee times, and private transportation arrangements.
• Socialize with guests at every opportunity including, but not limited to, mealtimes and cocktail hour.
• Make daily midday announcement/update; make every effort to make all PA announcements as the “voice” of the cruise.
• Present a detailed Officer’s Introduction and Excursions Briefing to guests at the beginning of every cruise.
• Assist in the delivery of the Safety Briefing with the Captain.
• Ensure lounges are prepared for activities, events, presentations and shows (lounge configuration, stage set‑up, background music, A/V requirements, etc.).
• Meet and greet step‑on entertainers when they join the ship; conduct sound check and inspect stage set‑up.
• Oversee excursion inventory and invoicing system; be fully responsible and accountable for system hardware.
• Manage launch boat operations with the Mate.
• Purchase morning newspapers in port each day.
• Oversee, manage inventory and display port information collateral for guests; coordinate with local CVBs to obtain and refresh maps, brochures and other port‑/region‑specific materials of interest to guests.
• Ensure that approved background music is playing in lounges before and after each activity, presentation and show.
• Create and update bulletin board daily.
• Coordinate weekly office inventory.
• Prepare folders and materials for turnaround day.
• Inform crew members of daily excursion offerings.
• Monitor and evaluate performance of vendors, coach companies, guides, ground operators, motor coaches, entertainers and guest speakers, providing immediate course corrections when necessary.
• Oversee company representation at pre‑cruise hotels on turnaround day (when applicable).
• Meet with Guest Speakers, Guest Instructors and Resident Entertainers at the start of every cruise to review scheduling.
• Promote on board sales and brand loyalty program.
• Communicate and report regularly to the Home Office as to the status of the cruise, excursion counts, guest…