Chief Housekeeper – Luxury Cruise Ship

About the role

The Chief Housekeeper leads the entire housekeeping operation aboard a cruise vessel, ensuring that guest suites, public areas, and back‑of‑house spaces are maintained to the highest standards of cleanliness, service, and safety. This senior position combines hands‑on supervision with strategic management to achieve total guest satisfaction.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee all butler and cleaning services across guest suites, public areas, and back‑of‑house locations.
• Conduct regular walkthroughs of the ship to verify standards, address issues promptly, and maintain smooth operations.
• Interact proactively with guests to anticipate needs, resolve requests, and ensure a personalized hospitality experience.
• Manage the housekeeping team’s schedule, training, performance, and administrative records.
• Monitor guest satisfaction through comment cards and rating scores, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Ensure VIP and premium suite procedures are executed correctly at embarkation, with random checks on other suites.
• Maintain compliance with public health regulations, log all relevant data, and uphold company service standards.
• Prepare cruise reports, track complaints, and suggest improvements to enhance service quality.
• Liaise with HR on personnel matters, staffing plans, and training needs.

Required profile

• Extensive experience managing housekeeping operations in a hospitality or cruise‑ship environment.
• Strong leadership and people‑management skills, with the ability to coach and motivate a diverse crew.
• Commitment to guest satisfaction and the ability to respond quickly to guest requests and complaints.
• Knowledge of public health standards and ability to enforce compliance.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Required skills