Beven has accepted an offer to be the Cruise Director on the beautiful Viking Sun. To be honest, it has all happened quite quickly, from us leaving Melbourne to moving to Malaysia whilst he continued to be a Guest Entertainer, to being approached for this role which has turned out to be an offer too good to refuse! Permanent work on a stunning vessel which will have us travelling around the world – wow! So, for those of you who aren’t cruisers or really know what this role entails, I thought I’d write this post to fill you in a little more – Cruise Director Job Description.
Who Are Viking Cruises?
Viking Cruises was founded in 1997 with the purchase of 4 ships in Russia and further building their fleet and itineraries throughout Europe. In 2000, they built headquarters in the US and continued to grow into the world’s leading river cruise company, taking their fleet to 60 and being recognised globally with prestigious awards such as Conde Naste and Travel + Leisure each year.
In 2015 they added ocean cruising to their portfolio, building 5 ships to date, all identical, all veranda cabins and accommodating 930 guests.
Viking Star (2015), Viking Sea (2016), Viking Sky (2017), Viking Sun (2017), Viking Orion will join the fleet this month (June 2018) and Viking Jupiter is being launched early 2019. There are 10 ships slated for the fleet, so more to come over the next few years.
Viking offers destination-focused itineraries for experienced travellers who have a keen interest in culture, geography and history. The smaller size allows them to get into prime docking locations and one shore excursion is complimentary for each guest in each port.
They are a more inclusive cruise line, meaning alcoholic beverages are included with your meals on board, and all activities and entertainment are complimentary. Their key tagline is ‘no casinos, no kids, no umbrella drinks’.
Job Overview
The Cruise Director is in charge of all the entertainment on board. This covers all activities, the dance classes, quizzes, destination/port lectures, sporting activities, single traveller get-togethers as well as the big production shows, variety shows, all live music around the ship and managing the guest entertainer program. They will also perform shows themselves. 
On top of this, the Cruise Director is the face of the ship, he is the person that guests see more of than anyone else and are the ‘go-to’ for guests regardless of the issue.
A Cruise Director is experienced within the Entertainment Industry and has strong administration and social skills with colleagues and guests. He has to be aware of the operational needs of the ship and be a strong leader for the full production team.
Required Skills
Good administration and organisation / Professional PA announcements / Strong character for on and off-stage presentations and television performances / previous ship experience / well-organised, efficient and positive / a leader / commitment to safety and security programs / sociable and confident / well-groomed / pro-active problem solving / understand guest needs / time management / teamwork and good communication / reliable and pressure resistant / proactive in upholding Viking standards of excellence / enthusiastic crew member / good knowledge of Microsoft Office programs / ability to schedule, think ahead, plan and keep the guests as number one.
Training
Viking doesn’t generally recruit people who haven’t already worked on ships full-time. Most Cruise Directors will have worked their way up through the Entertainment/Production team and are an Assistant Cruise Director first. Beven obviously breaks this ‘norm’ so he has a lot of training courses to complete before he can start the role. This started with flying to Bangkok to get a Norwegian Maritime approved Medical Certificate (with only 8hrs allowed for this, he arrives to discover that the Doctor has allowed their license to expire, can he come back in 2 days…bring on sudden panic and calls to other Doctors to come in and do the Cert for him…2 buildings, 4 levels, 10 specialists later, he finally gets it completed!), then flying on to Phuket to complete his STWC 5 day 
training. This covers CPR, Fire Safety and Fire Fighting, Water Survival/Safety, Emergency Procedures etc. On top of this, when he gets back from the full day course, he has to complete 3 online modules in Crowd Management and Control – each 2-3hrs long and very repetitive…!
We return to Penang for him to pack for the 4 months on board, and then he heads to Oslo (via Doha) 3 days later. When on board, there will be more training, specific to Viking and their individual ship procedures (crew drills, musters etc) and he will shadow the current Cruise Director for 10 days to learn the ropes before taking over himself.
Where Will We Be Going?
Beven will be joining Viking Sun in Oslo, Norway. The itineraries for his first contract include Russia, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, 
England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and France. When he returns for the second contract (if kept on the same ship), he will be in Mexico, Bermuda, Miami and then starts a 128-day world cruise from Miami to London.
I will join in Copenhagen after his first month and continue with him from there onward.
Let’s Wrap This Up
So, needless to say, we’re both very excited. It’s a fantastic new challenge for Beven, bringing all his strengths to the one role and also allowing us to see the world together. I’ll be continuing to blog from the ship bringing you information on the ship, Beven’s activities and tips on each of the ports we visit.
I hope you found this to be helpful. Please feel free to leave feedback or comments below – especially if you’ve cruised on Viking before or are interested in doing so. Thanks!
You can find more information on cruise lines here.
Thanks Wendy for sharing all that information on Beven’s new job. Wow I didn’t realise how much training was involved. Good Luck with it all Beven.
Thanks for taking the time to read the post Vicki, Beven is reading all comments too 🙂
Just an amazing opportunity for Beven and yourself. He has done the hard yards over the years and how rewarding to get this job. Well done and enjoy life on the seas.
He sure has Kerryn, he absolutely deserves this opportunity! Thank you, please check back for updates on our journey! 🙂
What an awesome opportunity for you both Wendy and Beven. Great job description too. I have only been on 1 cruise so far with P & O cruise liners but the ship sounds amazing and what a journey – you couldn’t ask for better.
Enjoy every moment. That’s the kind of fairytale we all dream of. Have fun
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Thank you so much Hazel, it really is a dream come true! Appreciate your comments 🙂
Such a fantastic experience. A massive Congratulations to Beven. I’m a cruiser myself and know how important a cruise director is. All the best and I hope to one day meet you both on the high seas x
Thank you Tracie! Beven is reading all comments. We’d love to see you on the ship one day, let us know if that could ever happen! 🙂
Well done Beven. What an incredible achievement; you must be so proud of yourself. Wendy what a man to be travelling the world with – you certainly have all your beautiful eggs in one basket. Much love and joy to you both. Denise and Terry
I’m a lucky girl indeed, and very proud of Beven! Maybe we’ll see you onboard…otherwise, catch you when we’re back in Penang. Enjoy your travels, lots of love xx
John and I are so proud of you. You (both) are obviously so chuffed and no better person than yourself, your whole life experiences to share with for this position is well deserved. Congratulations, Bevan
Thanks so much Sabine, both grateful for your comments 🙂
Amazing opportunity for you both! It’s taken a lot of blood sweat and tears but all worked out in the end for your both which is just amazing to see, love you xx
Thank you beautiful, love you too. xx
Lordy Bevan! What a massive job! Thank you Wendy for the update, lets face it, Bevan won’t have time for updates! Enjoy your new life journey. Xox Jenny and Marcel
Thank you so much! Yep, not expecting to actually see Beven much on the ship, but I’ll do my best to keep everyone posted with our adventures! W&B x
Great BLOG, Wendy. Thanks fore sharing such an interesting and in depth analogy of Bevan’s (New) Job Description. CONGRATULATIONS Bevan! ….. Looking forward to following your Adventure in Future Blogs. Have a Great Time, both of you. If I hear of anybody planning to take a Cruise on VIKING SUN, I’ll be sure to tell them to look you up and make themself/selves known. .. .. .. .. Neville (FB). ….. ps .. I bet the Kids wish they were going too.
Thanks so much Neville, appreciate your comments!
I was a Floor Fire Warden & First Aid Officer for 8 years at my last job & I’ve done a Swim Safety & Rescue Course through my local swimming pool. That in itself is a lot of work & practice. I think it’s an awesome experience what Beven is undertaking & I’m sure he’ll do a wonderful job. Just the life skills that come with the job is amazing. I’m so glad he gets to take you along with him to share this experience. I’m so happy for the both of you & I look forward to reading all about your adventures. Thanks Wendy. Take care.
Thanks so much Susie, I certainly feel in very safe hands should I ever need CPR or a fire putting out! Thanks for following our adventures 🙂
That’s awesome guys, Bevan you will smash it mate and these guys have acquired a very talented and committed member of the team..
Congrats and stay safe..
Thanks so much Kevin!
Congratulationa and all the very best for the future.maybe we will dp a viking cruise one day,was hard enought trying to keep up with your other ships! The workd is a very small place these days!
Thanks Zilla, let us know if you make it onboard, we’d love to see you!
Congratulations Beven you are the perfect person for this position your talents and skills are outstanding and your life so far has been preparing you for such a time as this. May you and Wendy enjoy the wonderful life that has been put together for you both .
Sometimes life leads us though amazing doors that just seem so unexpected and we just need walk through them and be so thankful, as this what life is all about. Lots of love Karen xx ( David’s Mum )
Thank you so much for your kind words Karen, Beven says thanks and sends his love. I hope to meet you myself one day too – forever grateful to your fabulous son for our beautiful (surprise) Engagement photos! xx
Wow, what a massive undertaking, but who better for the job than Beven!
Thank you for the comprehensive job description Wendy, looking forward to future blogs.
Enjoy every magical moment of your new adventure. Xxx
Thanks for reading and commenting Mem, it is very exciting for us both and I’m so proud of Beven for getting the role. Thanks for following us, love to you both xxx
Loved reading about what you and Beven will be doing Wendy.
Beven will excel at his new job just as he always has in the past.
So excited and happy for you both as you embark on your new adventures.
I cam onagine how proud and happy my Auntie Cheryl is of her wonderful son and my only regret is that my dear Uncle Ray is only able to watch over Bevan from heaven rather than enjoy the great days physically with him.
Take care lovelies……stay safe and enjoy every day in front of you both. Love always Gayle xxxx
Thank you so much for the kind words Gayle, Beven has read your note and sends his love. xx
Enjoy Beven
You have all you need to succeed in the role
Job description fits you to a T
Thanks so much Stephen!