Interview with Liam Ryan, Cruise Director of Celebrity Solstice

Finding myself sailing to New Zealand as a guest on board the magnificent Celebrity Solstice (courtesy of Travelat60) I was curious to find out what “a day in the life of a Cruise Director” involved.

After all this person (Liam) was faced with keeping 2,800 passengers happy with every activity, music genre and form of entertainment known to man for 14 days.  Tough gig!

Being part of the Media Team (yes ME!) on the ship, my thinking was – as the older generation are the largest (not physically) group of cruisers to be entertained,  I could find out how this man handled this weight on his young shoulders.

What a great interview it was – Liam’s fun personality was so infectious.   I’d watched his long legged moves around the table tennis table the day before when competing against passengers and constantly had tears of laughter rolling down my face.

Anyway, back to the interview….

Q – Liam, what is a typical day in the life of a Cruise Director?

 A – For me, a typical day is starting work at dawn and finishing at dusk, often later, along with my team of managers.  We have Managers for Digital, Broadcasting, Marketing plus a Youth Program Manager and an Activity Manager.  The Band Manager organises the musicians – we have six live bands, including the orchestra and our popular in house Duo Effect.

Q – How do you handle your stress levels as a Cruise Director, because the job does sound stressful!

A – I know it’s a bit unusual but I feed off other people’s energy.

I know I’m doing a good job when people are happy with the entertainment we’re providing for them and laughing at my jokes!

Q – The entertainment is excellent – how do you select the program for each Celebrity cruise?

A – We have our own large shore data base to select from.  We listen carefully to the feedback we get and of course consider the age demographic on each cruise.

We’re very careful not to wear out talent out in one day.  The acrobats we have on board need to be rested for a couple of days, and this goes for the singers and other performers otherwise their performances wouldn’t be up to scratch.

But, we do rely heavily on our shore based entertainment.

We need to have a Plan A and B, then C, D, E …right down to Z to cope with the unexpected.  This is where cruise entertainment is different to land based.  You can’t just ring up and replace an acrobat, or magician when the stage is out in the middle of the ocean.

Luck has been with me so far and I haven’t had to chopper in any entertainer replacements yet!

Q – So…if the magician’s rabbit got sick and had to be replaced tonight, what would happen 

A – Ah, we don’t use live rabbits any more – biosecurity issues and all that stuff!

Q – Do you get rested like your entertainers?

A – I work four months on and two months off.   I do like working on board the Celebrity Solstice and hope to continue with her for a while.

I’d also like to work in Asia at some time in the future – you know, continue exploring the world.  I can also see myself spending more time in New Zealand in future years – I really like that country.

Q – How tall are you? 

A – 6’2” – my legs are really long and I find it difficult to get trousers to fit!  Really! I thought you were at least 6’4!

Q – Liam, what’s your working background.  Were you in the Events Industry?

A – No, I was an entertainer.

From 12 years of age I was in musical theatre doing classical ballet and jazz.

My very first job was in a theme park in Paris when I saw a position advertised on a cruise ship for a dancer.  I applied, got the job and have worked my way up from there.

Q – You have an amazing sense of humour – is that the English in you coming out?

A – I’m English and Welsh, but I was quiet as a child.  Yes, I really was.  (This comment came after I gave him a quizzical look as it was difficult to imagine this laughing larrikin as quiet!)

As a young child, I’d get extremely nervous when I’d have to go on stage to perform (I’d be arguing with myself, saying things in my head like “why the heck am I doing this?”, but once on the stage and seeing the audience, I knew I was where I belonged.

My humour probably developed as I got older.  My Dad’s funny and my younger brother and I bounce off each other a lot – he’s a chef in Tenerife (Canary Islands) so we have lots of jokes and stories to compare when we get together.

Q – Finally Liam, what’s your favourite part of being a Cruise Director?

A – I’d have to say it’s the people.  I get so many opportunities to meet different people all over the world.

Everyone loves entertainment, it’s a huge unifier – so, the best part is bringing people together through entertainment.

A big thumbs up for Liam Ryan, legendary Cruise Director on the Celebrity Solstice

Things to remember:

1. Book a cruise on the Celebrity Solstice  in 2018 – Liam will still be on board with an amazing  portfolio of activities, events and entertainment.
2. Take tissues for laughter.
3. Arrive at activity/show location at least 15 minutes early to get a good seat – everything is so popular the good seats go quickly.
4. Sign up to Travelat60 and keep an eye out for their excellent travel/cruise deals.

What’s been your favourite cruise?