Cruise Director

Cruise Director (Self-Employed)
European River Cruise Programme | 2027 Season
Lead Exceptional Holiday Experiences Across Europe's Rivers
Do you have a passion for travel, outstanding guest service and creating memorable holiday experiences? Riviera Travel is seeking experienced Cruise Directors to join our European River Cruise Programme for the 2027 season.
As Riviera's principal onboard representative, you will play a pivotal role in delivering exceptional holidays for our guests. Working alongside Cruise Hosts, shipboard teams and local partners, you will oversee the day-to-day guest programme, coordinate operational activity, lead guest communications and ensure every aspect of the Riviera experience is delivered to the highest standard.
This is an exciting opportunity for confident, organised and customer-focused professionals who thrive in a dynamic environment and enjoy bringing people together through exceptional travel experiences.
What You'll Be Doing
As a Cruise Director, you will:
Act as Riviera Travel's lead representative onboard during allocated sailings.
Coordinate the daily cruise programme in partnership with the Captain, Hotel Manager and ship team.
Deliver engaging Welcome Briefings, Port Talks, Disembarkation Briefings and onboard commentary.
Oversee the smooth delivery of excursions, transfers and guest activities.
Provide a visible, reassuring and professional presence for guests throughout their holiday.
Support the resolution of guest concerns and operational issues.
Work closely with Cruise Hosts, local suppliers and operational partners to deliver a seamless guest experience.
Provide operational feedback, reporting and observations to support continuous improvement.
Who We're Looking For
We're interested in hearing from individuals who can demonstrate:
Previous Cruise Director, Tour Director, Resort Manager or similar guest-facing leadership experience.
Outstanding customer service and guest engagement skills.
Confidence presenting to groups and speaking in public.
Strong organisational and planning capabilities.
Excellent problem-solving skills and sound judgement.
A calm, adaptable and solutions-focused approach.
The ability to build positive relationships with guests, suppliers and colleagues.
A genuine passion for travel and delivering exceptional holiday experiences.
Why Riviera Travel?
For more than 40 years, Riviera Travel has been creating award-winning holidays and unforgettable travel experiences.
Our Cruise Directors play a vital role in bringing those experiences to life, combining operational excellence with exceptional guest care to create memorable holidays across some of Europe's most beautiful waterways.
This is an opportunity to work within a respected and successful travel brand whilst visiting incredible destinations and helping guests enjoy the holiday of a lifetime.
2027 Programme Commitments
To support successful delivery of Riviera's 2027 river cruise programme, Cruise Directors should be able to:
Commit to agreed sailing allocations throughout the 2027 season based on the seasonal rotation of two weeks on and two weeks off.
Attend the Riviera Ready Workshop in January 2027.
Attend the Riviera Cruise Kick-Off Roadshow from 1 to 5 March 2027.
Maintain timely communication regarding availability and sailing allocations throughout the season.
Interested?
If you're an experienced travel professional with a passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences, we'd love to hear from you. Join Riviera Travel and help create unforgettable journeys across Europe's most spectacular rivers.
This is a self-employed opportunity for the provision of Cruise Director services. Individuals are responsible for their own tax, insurance and compliance obligations.

Work arrangement
Yes