Guest Services Director

Job Responsibilities:

• Owns and monitors the Ocean Hospitality Service Excellence tool enabling first contact resolution, reducing recurring service failures by driving root cause analysis and attention to detail to provide workable solutions throughout the guest experience. Promptly resolves issues that affect shipboard guest operations and guests cruise experience.
• Delivers strategic initiatives to ensure exemplary service across all guest touch points. Collaborates with the Associate Hotel General Manager in formulating short- and long-term service improvement plans and in leading the onboard Hotel team to exceed satisfaction and service OBE targets.
• Ensures that guest service, housekeeping and laundry product quality standards meet or exceed policies and procedures.
• Consistently reviews guest relations feedback, Guest in Focus files, First Impression/Attention to Detail Forms, and other sources of information to identify and resolve trends and issues.
• Takes prompt action to ensure that the guest service and Housekeeping teams follow guest service standards and consistently surprise and delight guests.
• Willingly maintains a highly visible profile by effectively interacting with guests and crew daily on a formal and informal basis.
• Regularly reviews current policies and procedures; proposes cost efficient changes that will improve service to guests in collaboration with the Associate Hotel General Manager.
• Supports the delivery of group functions and weddings.
• Serves as a role model for departmental crewmembers by finding innovative ways to leverage technology to increase crew.
• Verifies operational efficiency and quality assurance for all areas of responsibility; develops and implements controls when standards are not met.
• Ensures that all Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry staff adheres to applicable Hotel Policies & Procedures to achieve set targets in a clean, safe, and healthy environment. Promotes empowerment within the teams, encouraging everyone to own and resolve the guest issues in an effective manner and focusing on service recovery.
• Actively participates in the planning and documenting of current and future itinerary deployments, anticipating potential challenges relating to demographics, logistics, and clearance requirements.
• Supports the development of shipboard organizational plans to ensure maintenance periods run successfully.
• Regularly monitors the shipboard Hotel Key Performance Indicators. Reviews and analyzes the indexes on an ongoing basis, discusses and evaluates findings with the Associate Hotel General Manager and team, and implements responsive action when appropriate.
• Oversees port arrival and departure formalities, including electronic transmissions; ensures timely, compliant, and accurate clearance process for guests, crew, and supplies.
• Chairs department meetings to discuss ship condition, public area and guest stateroom maintenance issues, crew performance, service delivery, product delivery and action plans.
• Regularly monitors all relevant Technical Hotel-related issues and projects; works productively with the Technical team to achieve prompt resolution or inclusion in future maintenance plans to ensure a positive guest experience.
• Directs efficient and smooth guest embarkation & disembarkation process, tender operations, passport and immigration inspections, to maintain Company standards.
• Promptly completes performance appraisals that are fair, objective, and accurate measurements based on observed behavior.
• Observes each crewmembers performance using his or her role description as a guide and delivers prompt and appropriate feedback. Coaches and develops skilled, engaged team members.
• Identifies top performers and mentors them for career advancement or promotion.
• Regularly monitors the effectiveness and completion of the onboard training programs for the Guest Services,
• Housekeeping and Laundry departments and participates as a facilitator as required.
• Conducts regular staff meetings with Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry departments senior staff to communicate policies, discuss issues, and coordinate solutions.
• Meets individually with direct reports at least weekly to build trust, establish effective relationships and communication, identify personal development and career goals, discuss specific operational business aspects, and creates open lines of communication.
• Continuously coaches the team on all Ocean Hospitality applications ensuring seamless delivery of Princess Medallion class.
• Regularly monitors direct reports to ensure they are providing constructive and consistent coaching, professional development, and feedback to their reporting staff.
• Carefully monitors costs, expenditures, and inventory of all assigned departments and achieves targets within established budget.
• Constantly maintains a capital expenditure and Hotel maintenance project list; promptly submits report to the Associate Hotel General Manager as requested.
• Carefully monitors the costs associated with the manning and operation of the Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry departments.
• Regularly reviews strategies and processes to optimize cost efficiencies.
• Maintains dual access of the Treasury Safe with the Guest Service Manager and confirms funds are always accurately accounted for in accordance with Hotel Policies and Procedures.
• Constantly analyzes current processes to identify areas for small innovations and improvement and increased operational effectiveness; develops long-term strategies to increase operational effectiveness throughout all areas of responsibility.
• Regularly reviews the Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry manning levels and the shipboard organizational structure to develop proposals that optimize the use of resources and decrease costs.
• Supports Senior Management in the analysis, development, and implementation of new product and operational concepts.
• Commits to maintaining awareness of Ocean enhancements, new industry concepts and products that may positively affect the onboard products and operations.
• Acts as a Company representative and always portrays a positive image of Princess Cruises to all guests, officers, and crew.
• Always maintains professional, effective, and motivated working relationships across all functions, taking into account differences in cultures, backgrounds, and individual personalities.
• Drives crew engagement by regularly monitoring morale through relevant metrics (such as the results of periodic climate surveys) and encouraging the highest levels of motivation within all areas of responsibility.
• Ensure departmental crew are committed and engaged to Princess Medallion Class and all Ocean applications.
• Encourages members of the Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry departments to develop small innovations and shares them with the Associate Hotel General Manager for wider distribution as part of the Companys strategy to go from Good to Great.
• Regularly encourages staff to engage in Reduce, Increase, Create, Eliminate (RICE) initiatives.
• Clearly, promptly, and reliably communicates Company policy and strategy to the Guest Services, Housekeeping and Laundry departments.
• Communicates clearly the ongoing innovation and updates to Princess Medallion Class
• Maintains clear and regular communication with the Associate Hotel General Manager and shore-side Guest Operations.
• Constantly coordinates with the Associate Hotel General Manager to keep guests fully informed during any incident or event that may affect their cruise experience.
• Communicates clearly and appropriately with third parties such as Customs and Immigration as required.
• Ensures compliance with Hotel Policies & Procedures, Fleet Regulations, Environmental Compliance Plan, and other applicable internal, external, and governmental regulations at all times.
• Ensures that all issues found during internal and external audits are appropriately and timely addressed and resolved, and develops plans to prevent repeat occurrences.
• Maintains current, accurate knowledge of public health standards and ensures compliance throughout all areas of responsibility. Supports the coordination of onboard resources and the response in case outbreak situations necessitate increased sanitation levels.
• Always ensures crewmembers strictly adhere to safety and environmental policies and immediately report non-compliance issues.
• Promptly performs General Emergency Procedures duties as directed.
• Address all accessibility issues which arise during the sailing as the ADA Responsibility Officer.
• Willingly serves as member of the HESS Action Team and takes action on relevant items.
• Complies with all Environmental Policies (HESS-MS).

Qualifications:

• Five+ years of progressive management experience in a leading hospitality setting with operational management experience in Guest Services and Housekeeping.
• Graduate of recognized hotel/business school preferred.
• Extensive experience and knowledge in all aspects of hotel/cruise ship operations within the US/Worldwide.

Princess Cruises offers many benefits. This position is afforded comfortable, Single cabin accommodations, meals, exceptional amenities, and extensive learning and recreational programs available to all our teammates.