Director, Guest Services Operations

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our incredible team of employees at Royal Caribbean Group. We are proud to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

We are proud to be the vacation-industry leader with global brands — including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — the most innovative fleet and private destinations, and the best people. Together, we are dedicated to turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations for our guests.

Royal Caribbean Group’s Royal Caribbean International brand has an exciting career opportunity for a full-time Director, Guest Services Operations on the Hotel Operations Team reporting to the AVP, Royal Caribbean International Guest Experience.

This position will work onsite in Miami, Florida. This position will require international travel of up to 50% of the time.

Position Summary:

In this position, you would lead the Guest Services Division and would be accountable for strategy, performance optimization, personnel, compliance and training for multiple complex shipboard areas and a shoreside Royal Genie contact center. The shipboard areas include the Front Desk, Suite and Lounge operations (Concierge and Royal Genies), Print Shop, Groups Operations, Guest Departure, Guest Administration and vessel clearance, International Ambassador, and the Loyalty Ambassador program across the Royal Caribbean International fleet.  As the role touches upon so many areas of the Shipboard Guest Experience, the position spearheads initiatives and partners with other Hotel Operations leadership, Product Development, Analytics, Revenue Management, Guest Port Services, IT and Digital and Marketing. This role creates and implements strategies to enable all subdivisions of Guest Services to provide service that exceeds hospitality industry standards. You would drive growth and advocate for policies and practices that influence the Net Promoter Score, Ability to Resolve Issues score, Manager Impact score and savings in Hotel Expense financial targets. This role establishes and drives a positive and highly productive work environment and focuses on operational goals where training, leadership development and positive reinforcement are paramount. You would be the driving advocate for delivering outstanding Guest Service and possess a dynamic outgoing demeanor with a passion for leading teams in an empowering culture. This role is responsible for defining service recovery systems and strategies to ensure first contact problem resolution.  You would maintain overall accountability for meeting or exceeding all position relevant annual KPIs in Guest Satisfaction, Employee Satisfaction and Financial metrics.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops and relentlessly focuses on the key operational performance drivers related to NPS, ATRI, Guest Services Staff, Royal Way service delivery, Suite guest satisfaction, Loyalty guest satisfaction and Group guest satisfaction. Continually refines vision and strategy to evolve the Guest Services division and onboard Group Services and functions.

• Directs and oversees the activities, productivity and results of the traveling Fleet Guest Services Managers, Fleet Print Shop Operations Manager, Fleet Suite Experience Manager and shipboard Guest Services Managers in a manner that provides support, training and sharing of best practices. Always drives exceptional guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction results among the 1100+ active shipboard employees under 13 distinct position codes.

• Oversees a shoreside team of Manager Guest Services Operations, Sr. Analyst Guest Services Operations, Traveling Fleet Guest Services Managers, Lead for Group Services, Sr. Analyst Guest Services & Groups operations and a pre-cruise Royal Genie Services team in Manila to ensure our highest value guest segments have a flawless vacation experience.

• Creates and drives strategic initiatives through the team that will include but are not limited to the implementation of new programs to enhance and enrich the guest vacation experience; improved efficiencies in recruiting, onboarding and training; improving policy and procedures to enable rapid resolution.

• Ensures the Guest Services Division is in strict compliance with all Customs, Immigration and Coast Guard-related matters, specifically to ensure a seamless arrival and departure process of each ship in each port of call, enabling continuous performance that exceeds compliance requirements. Collaborates with the Guest Port Services team to ensure the Guest Services Division provides adequate and effective support on turnaround day to enhance the overall guest boarding and departure processes.

• Provides leadership, training and guidance to shipboard teams to ensure flawless execution of Information Technology initiatives such as Cash Payment Solution, Fidelio Upgrades, New Guest Log application and Continuous Digital improvements for Guest Experience.

• Oversees the Loyalty Ambassadors and execution of Crown and Anchor Society Loyalty Program and Royal Caribbean Visa credit card program onboard. Recommends strategic initiatives to ensure our products are continuously evolving to capture repeat, referral and new to cruise customers.

• Leads Guest Services Newbuild requirements from design phase through owner’s supply planning and procurement, selection of staffing, scheduling and training for flawless execution in service.

• Partners with other shoreside teams, such as Product Development, Newbuild Design, Sales and Marketing, Groups, IT and other Hotel Operations functional teams, to oversee all newbuild operations for Guest Services and to enhance operational service standards and delivery of products fleetwide.

• Communicates clearly with Shipboard Executive team and shoreside to ensure success and leads corporate initiatives by representing Hotel Operations for all Guest Services enhancements. This may involve spearheading project teams, working with internal and external agencies, and functional areas shipboard and shore-side. Delivers projects in a timely and cost-effective manner. 

• Ensures compliance with standards, SQM, USPH, Environmental Standards, Internal Audits, Safety policies & company financials for all Guest Services functions. 

• Oversees IT projects and strategies for improving processes and to drive efficiency in Guest Services Operations and to ensure system and reporting enhancements meet business needs and to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget.

• Oversees the shipboard Print Shop operations, vendor relationships and associated equipment within budget. Co-creates strategies with purchasing and supply chain for efficient procurement of supplies, collaborates with marketing to ensure quality of all onboard printed materials is of high standard and works closely with recruiting to ensure a pool of Printers are getting recruited and scheduled appropriately to meet the demands of a time sensitive operation.

• Remains informed and educated on all cruise industry, hospitality industry, technology, loyalty programs and general service trends, including research and analysis to create strategies to ensure that Royal Caribbean Guest Services remains a trend setter and continually exceeds hospitality industry standards.

• Responsible for driving and monitoring performance vs forecasted budget for Guest Services Annual Expenses.

• Oversees the shipboard Print Shop operations, vendor relationships and associated equipment and print costs. Creates strategies with purchasing and supply chain for efficient procurement of supplies.

• Creates strategies with onboard revenue team to drive incremental revenue through Guest Services including, maximizing revenue from Group Services, Royal Gifts sales and Shore Excursions sales at the front desk and credit card sign ups through Loyalty Ambassador and Concierge Positions.

• Develops and implements strategies to track and reduce number of escalations and to establish appropriate levels of compensation.  Compensation strategies include appropriate negotiating of refunds, special faring and issuance of future cruise credits, letters of credit, onboard credits, and amenities.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Hospitality or related field is required or a minimum of 10 years relevant progressive large-scale experience in Hospitality Management.

• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, presentation and listening skills, including the ability to adjust style to effectively interact with external customers as well as internal staff, Operations leadership, and brand Executive management.

• Strong internal drive, creativity, and entrepreneurial mentality - with a demonstrated ability to identify opportunities and provide insight/recommendations on how to maximize those opportunities to build the business.

• Ability to coach and develop a team of Shipboard and Shoreside operational resources in a non-threatening manner that makes them a more professional, cohesive and coordinated team.  Includes providing the appropriate level of direction, enabling others to succeed, and providing open and timely informal and formal feedback.  Must have proven track record of being able drive change. 

• Strong business and analytical acumen and ability to produce graphs and work with a variety of software products.

• Possesses the flexibility to lead, focus, direct and encourage a positive, dynamic, diverse Guest Services operation by navigating through a changing work environment.

• Excellent time management, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written.)

• Excellent time management, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) to interact with guest, ship personnel, internal departments and senior management. This position is required to develop comprehensive and impactful communication strategies, business plans, project plans, white papers and presentations.

• Proven ability to lead complex teams and projects as well as communicate ideas and strategies to senior leadership Ability to assemble and lead cross-functional teams to develop and implement new service strategies, training programs, products and positions and must be able to lead projects from initialization to completion and work independently and function under pressure in a deadline-oriented environment.

• Strong ability to present plans and ideas concisely to all levels of employees and management, influence with authority and navigate complex organizational dynamics.

• Proven track record of driving business results remotely in an international and multicultural corporation.

• Expertise in overseeing performance of remote employees according to ILO policies and union requirements.

• Proven skills in managing finances and newbuild procurement planning.

• Knowledge of Royal Caribbean International’s shipboard products, services, policies, and culture is an advantage.

• This position will require shipboard or other international travel of up to 50% of their time and occasionally extended periods (max 4 weeks) at one time.

We know there's a lot to consider. As you go through the application process, our recruiters will be glad to provide guidance, and more relevant details to answer any additional questions. Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group. We'll hope to see you onboard soon!

It is the policy of the Company to ensure equal employment and promotion opportunity to qualified candidates without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sexuality, gender identity or expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Royal Caribbean Group and each of its subsidiaries prohibit and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

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