Cruise Director job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

7

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Travel Guides

O*NET-SOC 39-7012.00

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Data Government data groups this job as Travel Guides (O*NET-SOC 39-7012.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Cruise Director” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: the SOC Index and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation; BLS pay and projections are for the broader BLS occupation, labelled where shown. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Arrange for tour or expedition details such as accommodations, transportation, equipment, and the availability of medical personnel. importance 4.6 of 5
2. Plan tour itineraries, applying knowledge of travel routes and destination sites. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Resolve any problems with itineraries, service, or accommodations. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Attend to special needs of tour participants. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Evaluate services received on the tour, and report findings to tour organizers. importance 4.1 of 5
6. Give advice on sightseeing and shopping. importance 3.8 of 5
7. Administer first aid to injured group participants. importance 3.8 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information and Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Explain hunting and fishing laws to groups to ensure compliance.
• Lead individuals or groups to tour site locations and describe points of interest.
• Pilot airplanes or drive land and water vehicles to transport tourists to activity or tour sites.
• Sell or rent equipment, clothing, and supplies related to expeditions.
• Pay bills and record checks issued.
• Verify amounts and quality of equipment prior to expeditions or tours.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Sales and Marketing and Administrative.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Facebook, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among cruise directors surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (46%).

Job title: Cruise Director
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Cruise Director to plan, organize, and conduct long-distance travel, tours, and expeditions for individuals and groups.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Arrange for tour or expedition details such as accommodations, transportation, equipment, and the availability of medical personnel.
- Plan tour itineraries, applying knowledge of travel routes and destination sites.
- Resolve any problems with itineraries, service, or accommodations.
- Attend to special needs of tour participants.
- Evaluate services received on the tour, and report findings to tour organizers.
- Give advice on sightseeing and shopping.
- Administer first aid to injured group participants.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in service orientation, speaking and social perceptiveness
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Tour and travel guides to grow 6.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real cruise director posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Arrange for tour or expedition details such as accommodations…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only cruise director work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (service orientation and speaking): a real situation, what you did and what changed.