Director, Entertainment Operations

Carnival Corporation•Fort Lauderdale, FL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Entertainment Operations leads the Entertainment Operations vertical and is accountable for day-to-day delivery of the Princess Cruises entertainment program across the fleet. The role establishes fleet-wide programming standards, scheduling guidelines, and operational frameworks to ensure the quality, consistency, and integrity of the guest entertainment experience. It directly oversees a team of 14 across music programming, guest entertainers, enrichment, activities, family programming, and operations, and provides functional oversight of shipboard Cruise Directors through a fleet support structure. The Director develops and enforces programming and scheduling standards, supports Cruise Directors and shipboard teams, and provides strategic oversight of music, enrichment, guest entertainers, activities, and family programming. The role also leads entertainment communication and pre-cruise marketing initiatives, develops the department’s external brand presence, and works with cross-functional partners to integrate entertainment into the wider guest experience. New concepts are evaluated through pilots and performance data before potential fleet-wide rollout. This role has broad, visible influence on guest satisfaction, NPS, entertainment quality, and Princess Cruises’ competitive positioning. It leads direct and indirect reports across several programming functions, manages budgets within the Entertainment Operations vertical, and collaborates with senior and cross-functional leaders. Travel is estimated at 25–50%, with shipboard travel likely. The position is classified as in-office: employees work from a designated Princess office Monday through Thursday and may work from home on Fridays. Occasional work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Management, Hospitality, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Minimum 10 years of experience in entertainment operations, programming management, or entertainment production, with accountability for quality and consistency of a live entertainment product across multiple venues or vessels.
Proven experience managing a multi-functional team across programming, talent booking, and operational disciplines, and developing direct reports at Manager and Senior Manager levels.
Demonstrated experience developing programming standards, scheduling guidelines, or operational frameworks for a live entertainment environment and implementing them across a team or fleet.
Substantive experience in cruise line entertainment operations, including shipboard programming workflows, Cruise Director operations, and fleet-wide communication and oversight structures.
Demonstrated ability to conduct ongoing competitive analysis and strategic benchmarking across the entertainment and cruise industries and translate findings into programming decisions.
Experience engaging with and influencing marketing or communications functions to promote an entertainment product or experience, including digital and pre-cruise channels.
Deep knowledge of cruise ship entertainment programming across live music, guest entertainers, enrichment, activities, gameshows, and theatrical experiences, including how categories interact across a voyage arc.
Familiarity with shipboard operations, including scheduling systems, Patter, and the Princess app.
Ability to conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking across the cruise, entertainment, and hospitality industries.
Strong understanding of workplace policies and procedures and team collaboration tools and techniques.
Strong time management and organizational skills.
Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the ability to translate programming strategy into clear operational guidance for shipboard teams.
Strong analytical capability to review guest satisfaction data, NPS, and programming metrics and draw actionable conclusions.
Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and marketing initiatives across department lines.
Ability to maintain reliable and consistent attendance, be punctual, meet deadlines, collaborate effectively, and demonstrate professionalism.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or professional development in hospitality management, entertainment programming, or organizational leadership.
Experience with enrichment program development, destination programming, or travel guide-style content in a cruise or travel context.
Experience managing interactive entertainment formats, including gameshows, trivia, themed parties, or upcharge experiential events.
Working knowledge of the Princess Cruises fleet, itinerary portfolio, and guest demographics.

Responsibilities

Own the development, communication, and enforcement of fleet-wide entertainment programming guidelines and scheduling standards.
Establish and maintain onboard scheduling principles covering voyage structure, evening flow, venue and space assignments, off-limits guidelines, programming strategy, and family programming considerations.
Ensure programming standards are integrated into shipboard systems and consistently applied across the fleet.
Drive the quality and artistic integrity of non-theatrical programming, including live music, guest entertainers, enrichment, activities, gameshows, parties, and interactive events.
Shift entertainment scheduling from a volume-driven model to an intentional, guest-curated approach, optimizing event placement and flow and ensuring the Patter and app reflect the entertainment offer accurately.
Serve as the primary shoreside point of accountability for Cruise Director performance, programming execution, and operational standards.
Establish clear communication, training, and oversight between the shoreside organization and the fleet.
Develop and implement the fleet pod support structure, including four traveling Cruise Director support roles.
Provide Cruise Directors with programming guidance and direct support on scheduling, activity execution, guest entertainer management, and enrichment delivery.
Train Cruise Directors and shipboard entertainment teams on new programming principles, standards, and product launches.
Provide strategic oversight of music programming and its fleet-wide curation and marketing, aligned to the Voyager guest profile and top-performing genres.
Set strategic direction for the Princess signature Enrichment program, establishing its scope and standards and overseeing its development and fleet-wide execution.
Oversee guest entertainers and enrichment booking, holding the team accountable for the quality, consistency, and program management of acts and speakers, and escalating quality or availability issues.
Oversee activities and family programming teams and intervene to correct programming that falls short of departmental standards.
Elevate guest communication around entertainment, including Patter accuracy and usability, separation of entertainment and revenue content in the app, and onboard signage and marketing.
Lead pre-cruise entertainment marketing, including the Princess Entertainment website, pre-cruise communications, and external-facing messaging, in partnership with Commercial, Marketing, and Communications stakeholders.
Develop and maintain the department’s external brand presence and digital footprint to enhance brand perception and attract entertainment talent.
Ensure entertainment is promoted throughout the guest journey, from pre-booking through embarkation, the at-sea experience, and post-cruise engagement.
Lead creation of key department presentations and support major public appearances, industry events, and stakeholder meetings for the Entertainment Operations vertical.
Lead operational development and rollout of interactive entertainment concepts, including Spellbound refinement, upcharge interactive classes and tours, and F&B venue entertainment activations.
Collaborate with Hotel Operations, Food & Beverage, and Revenue teams to integrate entertainment into the guest experience and generate incremental value without compromising the core entertainment program.
Evaluate programming concepts using structured pilots and data before fleet-wide rollout, using guest feedback and measurable performance to inform decisions.
Manage budgets across programming, enrichment, activities, and operations functions within the Entertainment Operations vertical.
Conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking to inform strategic development and programming decisions.