cruise director matt mitcham

Matt Mitcham Makes His Return to Cruising

One of cruising’s most popular cruise directors is back on board a cruise ship, but this time he’s overseeing a very special kind of cruise! Former Carnival Cruise Director Matt Mitcham made waves when he announced he’d be leaving his position back in 2020 after 14 years working for the cruise line, but now he’s back with one of Carnival’s sister lines to make his primetime television debut on CBS’s new reality dating show The Real Love Boat. 

Hosted by model and actress Rebecca Romijn and her actor husband Jerry O’Connell, The Real Love Boat takes place on board Regal Princess  and premiers Wednesday, October 5 on CBS and Paramount+. 

Matt will assume his role as Cruise Director alongside Captain Paolo Arrigo and bartender Ezra Freeman, who all, and according to CBS, “play pivotal roles in the matchmaking and navigation of the romantic yet sometimes turbulent waters, just like the beloved original scripted series.” 

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The series takes contestants and viewers to some of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful cities, including Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Santorini, Athens and more with plenty of dates and challenges included like when when new singles come aboard, those who don’t find a match will “Shove Off” and be left behind at port. 

No word yet if Matt will continue his role as cruise director once the show stops filming, but we sure hope so! 

Did you ever cruise with Matt Mitcham when he was a cruise director for Carnival? Let us know in the comments! 

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Meet the Hunky Cruise Director of Carnival's Hottest New Ship

"The biggest thing is guests want to know where I am, so when they book their next cruise, they want to make sure I'll be there," he tells PEOPLE

When Matt Mitcham was 21 years old, he followed his heart onto a cruise ship — and never got off.

"I was chasing a girl," the veteran Carnival cruise director tells PEOPLE of why he hopped a flight from his native U.K. to Texas and boarded that fateful boat. "We met in Turkey. I said 'I love you,' and I thought she said 'I love you too.' She said, 'elephant juice,' I think." He'd already landed a job alongside her on a Carnival ship, when things went south. "She broke up with me," says the 33-year-old. "She didn't break up with me in England before the flight. She broke up with me when we got off the flight."

His love interest quit her job after a week, but Mitcham, who was just named as head of Carnival's hottest new ship, Mardi Gras , stuck it out. "I stayed, and that was 12 years ago," he says.

Now, he's become a celebrity onboard and online (he has 40,000 Instagram followers), known for his consummate hosting skills and his six-pack abs.

His Instagram page , which is full of videos of his travels and shirtless selfies, started as a way to keep in touch with the guests who he says became his "family" on board. But the attention he received skyrocketed in a way he wasn't expecting.

"The biggest thing is guests want to know where I am, so when they book their next cruise, they want to make sure I'll be there," he tells PEOPLE. "But also, when people get home, they can still be on vacation [through me]. I post a lot of stuff that's happening on board. So when they're back home on a Wednesday night doing nothing, they can relive the party again."

"At first, I was like, 'people don't want to see this' and now I think they really do," he says. "How cool is it that now you can kind of know your crew in a new way. People are curious and want to know what my house looks like and where I go on vacation and things like that. I'm always super big on giving out my social media links [to guests] but I do it in a subtle way."

Despite his new place in the spotlight at the helm of Mardi Gras, he maintains he's a cruise director first and a pretty face second.

"My job is to be the face and voice of the ship," says Mitcham, who also runs all of the on-board events including a Family Feud live show. "From the moment guests walk on to the moment they walk off, I am part of the family with them, making sure they know where to go, what to see, and what not to miss out on."

In October 2020, he'll set sail on Mardi Gras, which departs from Port Canaveral, Florida on seven-day Caribbean cruises. The completely revamped ship will feature the world's first roller coaster at sea, along with Shaquille O'Neal's Big Chicken restaurant and Guy Fieri's Guy's Burger Joint.

Along with photos and videos from his sailings, Mitcham also shares many steamy pictures of himself showing off the abs he manages to maintain while on board the ship by eating healthy and working out every day.

"Eating clean makes me feel nice," he says. "I feel better eating greens and meat and I don't really eat too many carbs as a personal choice. It's not a sacrifice. Of course, we have Guys Burgers and pizza and chocolate cake on board, but we also have salad bars and good proteins and barbecue joints where I can get good food."

Mitcham supplements his diet with "lots of cardio" and ab workouts. "There is no excuse not to go to a gym on a cruise ship," he says. "As a guest, I get you're on vacation, but it's literally maybe three decks above where you live. Even if it's just for some morning cardio. I'm not a gym freak where I go like three hours everyday, but it's part of my daily routine and it keeps me focused."

Of course, just because he finds time to work out each day doesn't mean Mitcham isn't busy on board. During each of his six months stints on board (he spends the other six months of the year on vacation), he essentially acts as the cruise's "hype man," hosting everything from white parties to military appreciation events to Cat in the Hat book readings for children.

"I mean, they pay me to travel the world. And it sounds cheesy, but my favorite part of the job is making a difference in someone's vacation," he says. "You build this relationship with these guests over seven days, and you're like a part of someone's family by the end. That is my motivator — to make people smile."

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Popular Carnival Cruise Director Announces His Retirement

Matt Mitcham has been one of Carnival’s most popular cruise directors over the past decade. He has over 100,000 followers on Facebook and 57,000 followers on Instagram.  He was named Best Cruise Director in the 2019 Porthole Cruise Readers’ Choice Awards.

He’s been cruise director on several Carnival Funships including Carnival Breeze and Carnival Vista. Mitcham was scheduled to hold the same position when Carnival Cruise Line’s largest cruise ship debuts next year, Mardi Gras.

He said that he made the difficult decision to retire as a cruise director for Carnival Cruise Line. He said that its time for to move on to his next adventure but will be back to work with the cruise line the future.

You can watch his short announcement below. Mitcham said that even though he is retiring from being a cruise director with Carnival, he will still be posting daily about the cruise line on his social media accounts.

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Ask the cruise director: What are the biggest myths about cruising?

One of the most popular cruise directors of the past decade, Matt Mitcham, is offering his insights to cruise fans in a series of pieces for The Points Guy. Presented in a question-and-answer-type format, these pieces originally appear exclusively in The Points Guy's cruise newsletter ( sign up here ). Mitcham retired from Carnival Cruise Line in August.

Today's question for Matt: What are the biggest myths about cruising?

There are three big ones that I often hear: Cruising is just for old people; if you're left behind in a port, you will be stuck there until the ship returns; and you'll always get seasick.

Here, some thoughts on all three topics:

Cruising is for old people

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard this…

I'll admit, in the early years, this was pretty much the case, but cruising has evolved so much. Nowadays, you'll see lots of young people on board, from families to bachelorette parties.

Don't get me wrong, the older generations still cruise. But don't be so quick to turn and run. If you think that millennials made up the "twerk," you are most certainly mistaken, my friend. The older generation includes some of the funniest people on board the ship, simply because they don't care what people think, and they're just there to have a good time. You have not lived until you've witnessed an 84-year-old grandma drop it like it's hot.

Think of a cruise ship like a floating hotel that allows you to travel to numerous destinations without the hassles of airports and expensive train trips between each destination. The best part is that you'll have so much fun traveling between those destinations. Who doesn't like the thought of sipping cocktails by the pool during the day and then dressing up and dancing the night away in the nightclub.

On a typical big ship, there are so many bars and restaurants on board that you'll be spoiled for choice. The cruise director and their team will put on some incredible entertainment, from high-energy dance shows to live music, not to mention the various themed evenings. There is literally something for everyone on a cruise.

What if the cruise ship leaves me?

One of the best things about going on a cruise is waking up in a new exotic port each morning. One thing that people don't plan on doing is being left behind. You'll notice that everyone stands on their balcony when it's time to depart from a port. Now, you may be naive enough to think that they're there to watch a beautiful sail-away. In reality, they stand there to watch the famous "pier runners." Every cruise will have a few people that will either lose track of time or just have way too many margaritas on shore.

It sounds a little cruel, but watching people run down the pier, in order to not miss the ship, will be one of the most entertaining things you'll see on your cruise. If you think watching a live NFL game is loud, just wait until you hear two cruise ships-worth of passengers cheering on two drunk people running down the pier. A man will literally leave his wife to get back to the ship on time.

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Thankfully, most people make it back, but for the odd few that don't, they have to wait on the pier until next week when the cruise ship returns. I'm kidding -- Every cruise line has port agents, who will take care of the guests. The best thing to do is always know local time versus ship time, and use a wristwatch instead of a cellphone, as they have a tendency to change to local time.

I'll get motion sickness

Many people worry that they may get seasick on a cruise. In reality, most people don't get seasick while cruising – at least not anymore. The cruise ships of today are so big and have such state-of-the-art stabilization technology, that you'll barely feel the motion in most cases.

Don't get me wrong, I've been through my fair share of rocky seas, from crossing the transatlantic to an unforgettable Hurricane Sandy cruise (which led to six days at sea). But, one thing was for sure, the captain and his team kept us very safe the entire time.

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You see, the good thing about being on a ship is that unlike a house, you can move the ship out of the pathway of oncoming turbulence. The cruise line wants you to have a great cruise, which includes not being seasick, so they will avoid rough sea conditions whenever possible. For those that still don't believe me, there's an old sailors' myth that ginger ale and green apples help settle the tummy. Although lately, I've been hearing about a new remedy called alcohol. When the ship starts a rockin', only the drunk people are walking straight.

Mitcham served as cruise director on several Carnival ships including Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze. Known for his six-pack abs, shirtless selfies and effervescent personality, he was recently profiled in People magazine as the "hunky cruise director." He was named the cruise world's best cruise director in 2019 by the cruise industry's leading magazine, Porthole. You can find him on Instagram at @mattcruisedirector.

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Meet the 12 singles hoping to find love on The Real Love Boat

Thirty-six years after The Love Boat finale, the ship will once again set sail — but this time, real passengers are searching for romance.

The Love Boat will soon be making another run.

CBS has revealed the cast and crew for their new reality series, The Real Love Boat , premiering Oct. 5, which combines elements of a dating show with the luxury of a romantic cruise. Twelve singles will board the ship, complete with its own captain, bartender, and cruise director (a nod to classic characters from the original series).

Hosted by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell , the cruise will set sail throughout the Mediterranean, making ports of call in Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, Santorini, Athens, and more. The singles will search for true love, all while tasked with competing in challenges to test their compatibility with other players.

However, much like Love Island , new contestants will be joining the game throughout the cruise, so players will need to couple up... or walk the plank (metaphorically).

So, who are the first batch of seafaring singles boarding The Real Love Boat ? See the list below for the ship's crew and initial group of passengers looking for love on the high seas.

Hosts Jerry O'Connell and Rebecca Romijn

Fun fact: Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are married in real life — they tied the knot in 2007.

Captain Paolo Arrigo

Home : Italy

Fun fact: A highly accomplished mariner whose career spans more than a quarter-century at sea, Captain Paolo Arrigo joined Princess Cruises as a deck cadet in 1996 after serving for a year in the Italian Coast Guard.

Bartender Ezra Freeman

Home : U.S.A.

Fun fact : For Ezra, matchmaking is a passion, and romance is her weakness. She believes there is no better place to have an intense romantic experience than aboard a cruise ship surrounded by beautiful views and beautiful people. Ezra has been with Princess Cruises since 2019.

Cruise director Matt Mitcham

Home : Canada

Fun fact: For 14 years, Matt lived the real-life version of The Love Boat making vacation dreams come true as a cruise director. He even met the girl of his dreams onboard in 2016, and they are now happily married. Matt is a total romantic who jumped at the opportunity to help people find what he has.

Michael Gonzalez

Home : New York, N.Y. /Los Angeles, Calif.

Daniel Cooper

Home : Atlanta, Ga.

Brett De Laura

Home : Dana Point, Calif.

Emily Stone

Home : Colgate, Wisc.

Brooke White

Home : Los Angeles, Calif.

Marty Hassett

Home : Charlotte, N.C.

Jordan Malabanan

Home : Windsor, Ontario

Shea-Lynn Noyes

Home : Toronto, Ontario

Forrest Jones

Home : Houston, Texas

Nicole Wong

Home : Vancouver, British Columbia

Nathan Kroger

Home : Cincinnati, Ohio

Home : San Diego, Calif.

The Real Love Boat premieres Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

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Matt Mitcham Named Carnival Mardi Gras Cruise Director

Richard Simms

• June 18, 2019
• 11.7K shares

Fans of popular Carnival Cruise Line cruise director Matt Mitcham, you might want to book a trip on the Mardi Gras. During a special event held in midtown Manhattan Tuesday night, it was announced that when the game-changing ship sets sail in the fall of 2020, it will do so with Mitcham — as well as entertainment director Hugo Hidalgo — keeping guests pumped!

Get To Know Matt & Hugo

Truth be told, Mitcham didn’t actually set out to be a cruise director. Instead, he joined Carnival after falling in love with a young woman who’d been hired by the company. The relationship soon withered on the vine, but his career blossomed thanks to a big personality and the seemingly boundless energy which quickly made him a favorite among cruisers… especially after he became cruise director on the Carnival Breeze .

Among those sure to be excited for Mitcham? The 40,000 people who follow him on Instagram (@mattcruisedirector), not to mention the 60,000 who also follow him on Facebook. And then, of course, there’s the girlfriend with whom he just celebrated his three-year anniversary!

Joining Mitcham will be entertainment director Hugo Hidalgo. After joining the Carnival team as a fun-squad member back in 2012, he’s held a slew of positions which have helped him get to know not only a whole lot of Carnival guests, but what it takes to keep them entertained.

Among his past accolades? Entertainment Director Rookie of the Year, as well as special recognition for how successful his team has been in raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Together, this amazing duo will head up a team of 125, all of whom have only one goal in mind: keeping everyone on board the Mardi Gras entertained. Among the weapons in their extensive arsenal will be the all new Family Feud show being introduced on Mardi Gras, as well as music and entertainment options which have yet to be revealed.

“Mardi Gras will take our entertainment offerings to the next level,” said Carnival’s vice president of Entertainment, Chris Nelson, adding that “Matt and Hugo are the perfect team to lead this effort and help our guests create a lifetime of wonderful vacation memories.”

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