Chief Housekeeper

About the role

The Chief Housekeeper leads the entire housekeeping operation on a luxury cruise vessel, ensuring the highest standards of cleanliness, service and guest satisfaction across all guest suites, public areas and back‑of‑house spaces.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee and manage all aspects of the housekeeping department, delivering premium butler and cleaning services.
• Conduct regular walkthroughs of the ship to verify standards and promptly address any issues.
• Interact proactively with guests to anticipate and fulfil their expectations.
• Coordinate with other ship departments to maintain smooth operations and good people management.
• Respond immediately to guest requests, enquiries and complaints, ensuring satisfactory resolution.
• Monitor guest satisfaction through comment cards and rating scores, taking corrective actions as needed.
• Inspect VIP and premium suites on embarkation and perform random checks on other cabins.
• Maintain and display an equitable in‑port manning schedule for the housekeeping team.
• Handle confidential information with discretion and keep accurate employee records.
• Induct, train, coach and lead crew to consistently achieve superior performance.
• Prepare cruise reports, manage complaint logs and control operational costs.
• Ensure compliance with public health requirements and company service standards.
• Liaise with HR on personnel matters to continuously improve service quality.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in luxury hospitality housekeeping, preferably on cruise ships.
• Strong leadership and people‑management abilities.
• Excellent communication skills and a genuine hospitality mindset.
• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining meticulous standards.
• Commitment to confidentiality and adherence to health and safety regulations.

Required skills