celebrity cruise line job

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security.

• Follow Cruise Jobs on Facebook
• Follow Cruise Jobs on Instagram

Free emails with tips and advice on how to get a job on-board a cruise ship.

Celebrity Cruises

• 13 November 2019

Celebrity Cruises is an award-winning cruise line marked by the iconic ‘X’. It was founded in 1989 with the objective of providing a high-quality, premium cruise experience at an intelligent price for the discerning cruiser.

In 1997, Celebrity Cruises merged with Royal Caribbean International , bringing together two extraordinary cruise brands within one corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd (RCL).

Celebrity Cruises has created a distinctive expression of superior quality - offering grand style, attentive service, enriching and inspiring onboard programmes, spacious accommodations, and exceptional dining.  They define the whole experience as ‘modern luxury’.

It has an impressive fleet of premium cruise ships which travel to many exciting destinations including Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, the Galapagos, Hawaii, Pacific Coastal, Panama Canal and South America.

They pride themselves on offering an exceptional personalised service and have a strong team on board to anticipate guests’ needs and take note of the little details, whether it’s greeting them by name or having chilled towels ready for those returning from a busy shore excursion.

Working for Celebrity Cruises means visiting more than 70 countries in seven continents, interacting with a crew of more than 100 different nationalities, getting competitive pay and extensive holiday time, and having rapid promotion opportunities for ‘star’ performers.

Life on a ship as a member of the Celebrity team is fast-paced and challenging. It is also very rewarding personally and professionally. Crew members get to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world while making friends with co-workers and guests of different nationalities.

Jobs at Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises are looking for people to join their team who have a passion to serve and the ability to exceed expectations. Job opportunities on board can be found in the food and beverage, shore excursions, marine, guest services, housekeeping, facilities, entertainment and cruise activities departments.

The company looks for high standards of performance, quality and dedication in prospective employees.

Contact Details

Celebrity Cruises HR Department 1080 Caribbean Way Miami, FL 33132

Email: [email protected]

Related Links

• Current jobs - Celebrity Cruises
• Celebrity Cruises official Careers website

We use cookies to offer you the best possible website experience. Your cookie preferences will be stored in your browser’s local storage. This includes cookies necessary for the website's operation. Additionally, you can freely decide and change any time whether you accept cookies or choose to opt out of cookies to improve website's performance, as well as cookies used to display content tailored to your interests. Your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer may be impacted if you do not accept all cookies.

• Careers Home
• Shipboard Opportunities
• Join Talent Community

Regional Sales Manager - Celebrity Cruises

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

About the Company

Celebrity Cruises is one of five brands owned by the global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity offers a Relaxed Luxury ℠ resort at sea experience, where guests can sail on the world's best places to the world's best places. We invite travellers to Journey WonderFULL ℠ , to explore multiple countries one sailing, dine in a new restaurant at every meal, rest in luxurious spaces designed to the last detail for comfort, find their wellbeing miles away at sea, all with the world at their service.  

At Royal Caribbean Group we never rest on our laurels; we constantly strive to improve our work and be at the forefront of the industry. The work that we do is exciting, challenging, and innovative. You get to work both independently and as part of a collaborative and dynamic international team. We are passionate, we are innovative, and we are unstoppable.

About the Role :

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position is a full-time field-based role responsible for managing the South East region. The typical working hours are Monday to Friday, with occasional weekend work required to meet business demands. We are seeking a candidate who is adaptable and willing to work weekends as needed. The primary purpose of the Regional Sales Managers role is to achieve the KPIs across the retail distribution & homeworking channels including the multiples, miniples, independents and consortia and achieve sales across all the existing distribution channels in the UK & Ireland. The role is responsible for achieving guest, APD & revenue targets plus building the brand Celebrity Cruises in a geographical region. Maximise performance of the area through identifying potential & high revenue stores & intensifying activity in the areas set by the business in order to meet & exceed the sales targets for the region set by the business.   

Role overview:  

• To achieve the guest, APD & Revenue targets for your geographical sales area as set by the business.
• Develop key relationships within your account portfolio with key decision makers and influencers.  
• To ensure you achieve % On Board Sales & % Automation targets for your stores/regions in your geographical area.
• To have a robust training plan and to ensure all staff members complete Celebrity Cruises training in your geographical area & evidence this is being achieved.
• Drive sales and engagement within own accounts & area via use of technology including (but not limited to) social media, virtual meetings, and telephone calls.  

Essential duties and responsibilities:   

The duties below are the main duties & responsibilities however this job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their line manager or management.  

Sales planning:

• Sales manage multiples, miniples, independents and consortia on the high street with deeper targeting on revenue to grow the APD’s.   
• Prepare and roll-out an agreed sales and marketing plan for own managed accounts with regular face to face and virtual reviews.  
• In line with Celebrity brand intensification “hot spot” strategy, targeting stores that sell to affluent guests and develop a targeted call cycle that focuses on high revenue and high potential stores.  
• Develop detailed call plans with face-to-face contact, and/or follow up phone contact with targeted stores/regions.
• Record all visits and trade partner meaningful conversations in Salesforce in a timely manner and follow up consistently on the SMART actions agreed.  
• Plan and attend sales meetings with Regional Sales Managers/HQs/Key Decision Makers to plan targeted activity in your region to maximise sales.
• Monitor and report on all other holiday & cruise company trading feedback, competitor activity, pricing, marketing, and sales incentives.  
• Work collaboratively with the cross functional teams to achieve the trade and direct numbers by seeking new opportunities and driving lead generation.

Trade engagement & commitment:  

• Implement a structured training programme covering both product and booking tools.
• On board Sales, automation targets set by Celebrity Cruises are achieved in your geographical region.
• Ensure the teams in your geographical area are all active in the Celebrity Rewards programme.
• Prepare and host successful client educational trips i.e., Seminars at Sea, Ship Launches, Ship Visits, Conferences etc. with targeted sales performance post the event to ensure return on the investment.
• Implement & host successful consumer and trade cruise events in addition and demonstrate a return on investment of time and costs.
• Leverage social media as a way to engage with agents.
• Ensure agreed sales and marketing activity is implemented and the success of all activity is tracked and monitored to assess ROI.
• Represents Celebrity Cruises at travel industry exhibitions or any other events as required.
• Responsible for forecasting and management of co-operative sales and marketing budget  
• To structure your calendar effectively to ensure maximum time with the customer and all administration and supportive activities are completed effectively and on time.
• Takes accountability for self-development, completing all required training, as well as those identified to support own needs and opportunities for personal growth.

EXPERIENCE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Experience / knowledge & skills:

• Enthusiastic – Demonstrates passion and enthusiasm and is wager and excited towards own goals.
• Analytical – logically analyses facts, data, and situations .
• Takes initiative – understands what needs to be accomplished and proceeds within the accountabilities of the job .
• Organised – Can place and maintain order in an environment and situation.
• Selling – has a skill to convince and influence others to purchase a product or service .
• Persistent – is tenacious despite encountering setbacks and obstacles.
• Optimistic – believe the future will be positive and demonstrates a positive attitude in all situations .
• Written/Language - clear and concise communication detailing the level of interest in formulating words that convey the meaning.
• Negotiation Skills - Has the ability to use advanced negotiation techniques to achieve joint financial goals in complex negotiations.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 18 months sales experience (Travel industry preferred but not essential)   
• Large matrix organisation experience preferable.
• Clean current driving license.

What we offer : At Royal Caribbean Group, we are client-centric but put people first. We have a culture where everyone is trusted and valued in equal measure, whatever your role in the company. We are propelled by people. Our employees and crew are the driving force behind our success. Our aim is to recruit, develop and retain world class people, who come to Royal Caribbean to do the best work of their careers.

We are committed to employee development, and you will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced people in the business. We regularly reward and promote success, encouraging staff to take on new challenges and responsibilities to aid progression.

Our remuneration package includes our competitive pension, private healthcare, life assurance cover to name a few. In addition, every permanent member of staff that works at Royal Caribbean is eligible for our cruise request program and friends & family cruise discounts.

Come join the team - Journey with us, succeed with us, grow with us.

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.

• View All Jobs
• Royal Caribbean Corporate Site
• Applicants with Disabilities

Copyright © 2021 Royal Caribbean Group. All rights reserved.

Cookie Consent Manager

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Required Cookies

These cookies are required to use this website and can't be turned off.

Advertising Cookies

These cookies serve ads that are relevant to your interests. You may freely choose to accept or decline these cookies at any time. Note that certain functionality that these third parties make available may be impacted if you do not accept these cookies.

• Connect with Us
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter

Jobs with Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1989 and the business caters to a market that appreciates classic elegant cruising. The company merged with Royal Caribbean International in 1997; the new company was dubbed Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

View Celebrity Cruises' Company Profile Don't miss out on the job you want! Join CruiseJobFinder

Celebrity Cruise Ships

The cruise line has some of the finest sailing vessels in the world in its fleet, which includes the following:

• Celebrity Century
• Celebrity Reflection
• Celebrity Constellation
• Celebrity Infinity
• Celebrity Millennium
• Celebrity Summit
• Celebrity Xpedition
• Celebrity Eclipse
• Celebrity Equinox
• Celebrity Silhouette
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Edge

Check out this Celebrity Cruises Recruitment Video:

Celebrity Destinations

Guests on Celebrity ships can choose from destinations in the following locations:

• Canada/New England
• Pacific Coast
• Panama Canal
• South America

Celebrity Cruise Activities

While on board, guests can enjoy a number of activities, such as:

• Art auctions
• Bars/clubs/lounges
• Celebrity challenges

Onboard Service

Celebrity Cruises is known for providing exemplary customer service. Its ships have one staff member for every two guests, and every detail to make the cruise an unforgettable experience is looked after. A personal concierge is available to help guests with special requests to enhance their cruise.

A butler service is offered to guests staying in suites. The staff are available to help with unpacking and packing, as well as meal service in the suite. Afternoon tea and a selection of hors d'oeuvres is provided in the evening. Espresso and cappuccino are provided for guests, along with complementary shoe shine service.

Luggage valets are available at certain destinations to take the hassle out of managing luggage when guests are preparing to return home. Boarding passes, luggage tags and luggage claim checks are provided to guests on the last night of the trip. Guests are asked to place their bags outside the door to their cabin and the staff takes care of getting them to the airport in time for the guest's flight.

Working for Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises hires employees from locations around the world to fill various positions with the company. The jobs include those on board Celebrity Cruises vessels, as well as land-based corporate positions. Here are some examples of the jobs for which Celebrity Cruises recruits regularly:

Land-based Employment

• Account Manager, Direct Marketing and Email
• Analyst, Revenue Management
• Business Development Manager
• Commodity Manager
• Corporate Executive Chef
• Cruise Representative
• Data Entry Clerk
• Lead, Air/Sea Contracts
• Manager - Entertainment Cruise Program
• Marketing Research Manager
• User Interface Designer
• Web Designer

Shipboard Jobs

• 2nd Engineer
• 3rd Electrician
• Activities Staff
• Beverage Manager
• Chief Housekeeper
• Cruise Director
• Food and Beverage Manager
• Guest Relations Manager
• Head Bartender
• Housekeeping Supervisor
• Human Resources Manager
• Interactive TV Specialist
• Onboard Marketing Manager
• Pastry Chef
• Payroll Purser
• Personal Concierge
• Shore Excursion Manager

Find out much more about Celebrity Cruises and their open jobs as a CruiseJobFinder member.

Join Now to Find Jobs with Celebrity Cruises!

• Search Thousands of Jobs
• Cruise Industry Career Tips and Proven Strategies to Get Hired!
• Create a Personal Profile
• Use our Advanced Job Search
• Accounting - Finance (233)
• Activities - Fitness (51)
• Administration - Clerical (54)
• Administration - Management (8)
• Advertising - Marketing - PR (121)
• Casino (13)
• Cruise Line - General (651)
• Culinary - Chef - Cook (1,118)
• Deck & Engine (8)
• Engineering (397)
• Entertainment (22)
• Food & Beverage - Restaurant (536)
• Front Desk - Concierge (1)
• Guest Services (147)
• Housekeeping (29)
• HR - Payroll - Training (115)
• IT - Internet (20)
• Landscaping - Grounds (6)
• Mechanic - Maintenance (341)
• Other (243)
• Procurement - Purchasing (28)
• Resort - General (274)
• Retail - Merchandising (24)
• Sales - Reservations (34)
• Salon - Spa (257)
• Security - Surveillance (81)
• Shore Excursion (2)
• Travel - Tourism (23)

Cruise Ship Jobs - Celebrity Cruises

Back to All Cruise Lines Profiles

Register for Cruise Ship Jobs Now!

The main concept of Celebrity Cruises is to offer almost deluxe cruises at more affordable prices (something impossible at first sight), but the company has turned this concept into winning formula throughout the past seven-eight years. The cruise line introduced a new generation of cruise ships, representing classic cruising, updated for contemporary life style. Royal Caribbean International acquired Celebrity Cruises in 1997, but Celebrity Cruises continues to operate as a separate brand. The cruise line introduced a new generation of cruise ships, representing classic cruising, updated for contemporary life style. Celebrity Cruises was the brainchild of John Chandris of the renowned Greek shipping family, who created the cruise line in 1989, promising he would "exceed expectations." He accomplished his goal by offering much higher standards of food and service than cruisers were accustomed to in a mid-price cruise experience. In addition to the smaller Horizon and Zenith ships, Chandris ordered three new stunning cruise ships in the mid 1990's, Celebrity Century, Celebrity Galaxy and Celebrity Mercury. They were the first mid-price cruise ships to boast suites with butlers, the largest spas at sea, an extensive collection of private art, large staterooms in all categories and sophisticated touches such as a piano lounge, champagne and martini bars.

Acquired by Royal Caribbean International in 1997, Celebrity Cruises has retained its own identity, with food and service maintained at high levels. Celebrity Cruises has launched Celebrity Constellation, along with her sister-ships Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Infinity, followed by a larger quintet, the Solstice class - Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette and Celebrity Reflection. The latter entered service in 2019. The goal is ambitious: the company is introducing a series of enhancements that it hopes will position Celebrity Cruises as a legitimate Crystal Cruises competitor, albeit with a younger passenger demographic.

Celebrity Cruises, with the launch in 2004 of its Xpedition sub-brand, is also moving into an intriguing new direction. Aiming to offer its upmarket, active passenger base a new option, the cruise line is featuring more unusual cruise experiences. At this point, the major thrust focuses on the Galapagos, where Celebrity has become the only big ship cruise line to offer year-round sailings. But wait: you won't find Millennium or Galaxy (or even Horizon or Zenith) trawling these small ship waters. Instead, the company has acquired the former Sun Bay I, a 2,329-ton 98-passenger cruise ship, and transformed it into Celebrity Xpedition. The aim? To combine the line's big stylishness with more adventure-oriented destinations. The company is planning to expand the concept to include cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic and Alaska via a former Soviet icebreaker it will charter from Quark Expeditions, an adventure cruise specialist.

In 2016 Celebrity Cruises acquired the Galapagos Islands tour operator Ocean Adventures and its two ships, the 48-guest M/V Eclipse and the 16-guest catamaran M/C Athala II. The move expands Celebrity's guest capacity in the Galapagos by 65 percent. In 2019 Celebrity Cruises introduced the most luxurius ship ever to sail in the Galapagos - the amazing mega yacht Celebrity Flora, built in the shipyard De Hoop BV (Lobith, Holland).

In 2014, Celebrity Cruises signed of a letter of intent with STX shipyard in France for a new class of vessels - the Edge Class. The first ship Celebrity Edge was christened on December 04, 2018 by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The second Edge class vessel - Celebrity Apex debuted in 2020

One of the good cruise lines to work for, it offers competitive salaries and fairness to it's employees.

Cruise Ships and itineraries:

• Need help? 1-888-751-7804 1-888-751-7804
• Let Us Call You CALL ME
• Drink Packages
• Flights by Celebrity℠
• Hotels by Celebrity
• Manage Reservation

Shore Excursions

• Upgrade with MoveUp

• My Tier and Points
• Join Captain's Club

Already booked? Sign in or create an account

• South Korea
• New Zealand
• Grand Cayman
• St. Maarten
• U.S Virgin Islands
• New England & Canada
• Pacific Coast
• Antarctic Ocean
• Panama Canal
• Transatlantic
• Transpacific
• Cruise Ports (+300)

Mediterranean

• Perfect Day at CocoCay
• All Inclusive

Bucket List Cruises

• Cruise & Land Package
• Groups & Events
• New Cruises
• Popular Cruises
• Specialty Cruises
• Destination Highlights
• Group Excursions
• Private Journeys
• Shore Excursions Overview
• Small Group Discoveries

• 360° Virtual Tours
• Celebrity Apex
• Celebrity Ascent NEW
• Celebrity Beyond
• Celebrity Constellation
• Celebrity Edge
• Celebrity Eclipse
• Celebrity Equinox
• Celebrity Infinity
• Celebrity Millennium
• Celebrity Reflection
• Celebrity Silhouette
• Celebrity Solstice
• Celebrity Summit
• Celebrity Xcel COMING SOON
• Explore Edge Series

Galapagos Expedition Series

• Celebrity Flora
• Celebrity Xpedition
• Celebrity Xploration
• The Retreat
• Suite Life. Elevated.
• Iconic Suite
• Penthouse Suite
• Reflection Suite
• Royal Suite
• Signature Suite
• Celebrity Suite
• Aqua Sky Suite
• Horizon Suite
• Sunset Suite
• View All Suites
• Concierge Class
• Galapagos Accommodations
• Eat & Drink
• Entertainment
• Spa & Wellness

Cruising 101

• Cruise Fare Options
• Cruise Tips
• First Time on a Cruise
• What is Included on a Cruise
• Future Cruise Vacations
• Accessible Cruising
• Captain's Club Rewards
• Cruise Insurance
• Flights by Celebrity
• Healthy at Sea
• Manage Cruise
• The Celebrity Store
• Travel Documents
• Royal Caribbean International
• Celebrity Cruises

• 75% Off 2nd Guest + Bonus Savings
• Galapagos 20% Savings + Free Flights
• Resident Rates
• Exciting Deals
• View All Offers
• All Included
• Cruise & Land Packages
• Dining Packages
• Photo Packages
• Wi-Fi Packages
• View All Packages
• Captain's Club Overview
• Join the Club
• Loyalty Exclusive Offers
• Tiers & Benefits
• Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature® Card

Enjoy 75% off your second guest’s cruise fare and get bonus savings of up to $200 on the stateroom you want.

Your Courtesy Hold

{courtesy-nights} Night {courtesy-name}

Departing {courtesy-departure-date} | Onboard {courtesy-ship}

Featured Cruises

Perfect day at cococay cruises, starting from  $270, caribbean cruises, starting from  $240, europe cruises, starting from $606.

Cruises from Florida

Starting from  $231, mediterranean cruises, alaska cruises, starting from $249, the world has never looked better.

Northern Europe

Australia & South Pacific

View All Destinations

It's how you get there that counts.

QUICK CARIBBEAN ESCAPES

Enjoy the best the islands have to offer in a weekend-sized vacation.

PERFECT DAY AT COCOCAY

Now sailing to the Caribbean's award-winning private island.

Explore More

What's Included

EAT & DRINK

THE RETREAT

Why Celebrity

Cruise Deals

You’ll never want to vacation any other way.

Celebrity Cruises delivers an elevated premium vacation experience across our fleet of ships traveling to nearly 300 destinations across more than 70 countries spanning all seven continents. Uniquely offering the intimate feel and thoughtful service of small ships, with the variety and excitement of bigger ones—you can explore the world or get away from it for a little while. With every detail elevated beyond expectations, you will never want to vacation any other way. An industry pioneer for 35 years, each Celebrity vacation offers experiences you won’t find anywhere else aboard ships which continue to shatter industry expectations with the highly anticipated Celebrity Xcel arriving Fall 2025.

Previewing: Promo Dashboard Campaigns

About Hiring Partners

URL copied to the clipboard!

Royal Caribbean Group has a network of hiring partners to assist in meeting recruitment goals around the world. Hiring partners are third party service providers; they are not employees of our company.

Only those listed on this site are authorized to recruit for our company. If you received a solicitation from a company that is not listed on our site, please report it to [email protected] .

The hiring partner’s responsibilities are to source, pre-screen, and present qualified applicants for final approval by a recruiter from our team. The hiring partner does not have the authority to hire applicants or decide on an assignment for approved applicants. They are acting on instruction from our recruitment or scheduling teams.

Once a new hire receives a ship assignment, he/she will receive a Letter of Employment from Royal Caribbean. The hiring partner will assist new hires with their visa applications, and provide guidance for medical and travel arrangements. The new hire also receives access to company orientation and information about shipboard life.

After the new hires join their assigned ship, they become employees of our company and will work directly with the Human Resource office on the ship and their scheduler for future assignments.

Royal Caribbean Group pays hiring partners for their services and does not allow the collection of administrative fees, agency fees, or processing fees from job applicants. Once approved by a recruiter, there are costs involved with joining the ship (passport, seaman’s books, national identification documents, medicals, airlines tickets, certifications and license as required for the position) but there is no fee associated with obtaining an interview, position or ship assignment with the company. If you successfully complete all of the requirements and are able to join your assigned ship, the cost of travel visa(s) will be reimbursed once you join the ship, services charges or associated fees for obtaining the visa are not eligible for reimbursement.

If you are asked to pay money for an interview, position or ship assignment, or suspect other unethical activities, we encourage you to contact our AWARE Compliance and Ethics Hotline at rclaware.ethicspoint.com.

If you are interested in a job with our company that is not listed on this website, we invite you to contact one of our hiring partners. Please only contact the hiring partner closest to your permanent address. Submitting applications to more than one hiring partner could result in your disqualification as a candidate.

Thank you again for your interest in Royal Caribbean Group.

Find your local Authorized Partner

Please select your country of residence from the list below to find the nearest authorized Hiring Partner or Referral Agent. If your country of residence is not listed, we apologize for the inconvenience, but we currently do not have a partnership developed in your country. You may apply online if a position you are qualified for is available, please check our job opportunities page for current postings.

Only the Partners listed here are authorized to provide recruitment and placement services for any of the brands operated by Royal Caribbean Group. They have been certified to meet company and MLC 2006 guidelines.

You will note that some are listed as “Certified Hiring Partner”, these agencies are regularly audited, and are certified and authorized to provide Recruitment and Processing services for the company.

Those listed as “Authorized Referral Sources” are partners that are authorized to refer interested applicants or resumes to the company. The services they provide are limited and therefore are not considered a full-service hiring partner.

I left Michelin-starred restaurants to work as a cruise chef. We can feed 10,000 people a day and I'll never leave this job.

• Gary Thomas had never seen a cruise ship before he went to work as a chef on Oasis of the Seas.
• Thomas plans to work for Royal Caribbean until he retires and hates to think of leaving cruising.
• He oversees the meals across all 26 ships and shares why they'll never take prime rib off the menu.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gary Thomas, the senior traveling corporate executive chef for Royal Caribbean. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I never thought I'd work in the cruise industry. I'd never even seen a cruise ship in person before I rolled up to Oasis of the Seas. It was the first cruise ship I worked on and the biggest ship on the planet when it was being built.

That moment will live with me forever. 

I've been the senior corporate traveling executive chef for 11 years and worked at Royal Caribbean for nearly 15. I oversee the culinary operations and 6,000 chefs across all 26 ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. From menus and inventory to the day-to-day running of the kitchens in all our ships, I oversee it all. 

I head a corporate team of eight administrators who manage the 52 executive chefs on board the ships. Our team is responsible for making sure each ship can serve as many as 75,000 meals a day, seven days a week.

How I got into the cruise industry

I was always curious about cruises and whether the cooking standards were similar to kitchens on land.

Having spent 15 years working in specialty restaurants — like the luxury hotel restaurants at Claridge's and the London Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gavroche — I decided it was time to satisfy my curiosity.

In the early 2010s, I applied for a four-month contract as an executive chef for Royal Caribbean.

I was coming on board into a high position with no prior cruise experience. I was so nervous, I didn't think I'd last a week. Over a decade later, I'm still with Royal Caribbean. Taking this job was the best choice I ever made. 

What my day is like as an executive chef on board 

Ninety percent of my time is spent on board different vessels in our fleet. I'm usually on the same boat for two to three weeks, and occasionally I work from the Miami or UK offices. I'm based in Liverpool, where my family lives. 

I spend most of my day on calls and answering emails. I average between 1,000 and 2,000 emails a week. 

When I'm on a ship, I do some inspections with my executive chefs, culinary managers, and hotel leaders and offer ad hoc support. In the evenings, I walk around the ship with the executive chef and offer observational feedback.

Life as a chef on a cruise ship versus on land

People always judge the cooking on a ship. 

Our goal is to make sure that everyone's fed and watered — and leaves the ship 10 pounds heavier.

Related stories

We are responsible for feeding guests and crew alike. If our staff have full tummies and are satisfied, that translates positively into the guests' experience. 

As a chef on land, you only focus on your restaurant. But on board the largest ship on the planet, the 1,188-foot-long Wonder of the Seas , we have to feed nearly 10,000 people a day. 

This is the largest ship in our fleet. There are 33 kitchens on board, ranging from high-end specialty restaurants and steak houses to buffet areas, pizzerias, and sandwich shops. We also have a main dining room that seats up to 3,000 people. 

On land, your menus don't change much. Here, they change every day across the fleet. Our only fixed menus are the à la carte specialty-dining menus.

When you finish work at a restaurant or hotel at home, you can go home and switch off. As an executive cruise chef, I manage fleet operations seven days a week, 365 days a year.

I get normal annual leave, but it can be hard to switch off even on land. I'm still observing from afar. I don't mind it, though, because there's a good family spirit on board. 

We'd never mess with Royal Caribbean's signature dishes 

We have a product-development team that works with me and my team to develop menus across the fleet. They look at food trends and consumer insights on our dishes, and I do the culinary development with my team based on that. 

Some dishes might be introduced, some might be archived, and some might be tweaked. I listen to the guests more than I listen to anybody else.

There are a few signature dishes in the main dining rooms across the whole fleet that you just don't touch, like the garlic tiger shrimp, the escargot, and the prime rib, because they're so beloved by passengers. 

We'd be hanged, drawn, and quartered if we changed the prime rib.

How a kitchen on a cruise operates 

Everything we serve guests is produced on board. We butcher our own meat and fish, bake all our bread, and make all our desserts. 

For an Oasis-class ship, which carries up to 7,000 passengers, we load nearly $1 million worth of inventory onto the ship every seven days.

The fridges are a sight to behold. We operate a first-in, first-out system. Our target every seven days is for the fresh-produce fridges to be empty, ready to take on the new loading. 

I'll do this job until I retire

The people I've met while working as a cruise chef have inspired me, given me opportunities, and believed in me. You miss home, but there is a real family spirit on board cruise ships. It's one of the reasons I've stayed for so long.

I've been exposed to many cultures all over the world during my 15-year tenure. I estimate I've circumnavigated the globe over 100 times. These experiences are priceless to me.

I will 1 million percent do this job until I retire. I love my job and can't imagine leaving. 

Thinking about walking off the ship for the last time and knowing that I'm going home for good is scary, but I've got some good years left in me yet.

Watch: Why it costs $1 million a day to run one of the world's biggest cruise ships

• Main content