Carnival Cruise Director Schedule for 2024/2025

Cruise directors are the face of fun aboard Carnival cruise ships, and having the Carnival cruise director schedule can help travelers plan which ships to book to enjoy their favorite Fun Squad leaders.

This updated schedule is the ultimate tool for knowing which particular cruise director is assigned to which ship in the coming months.

Complete Carnival Cruise Director Schedule

Do note that schedules can change as operational needs change and different cruise directors may move to different positions in their careers, while gaps in the listed dates may indicate dry dock plans or currently unassigned roles.

The list below (alphabetical by ship) will be updated as such changes are confirmed, so check back often to see where your favorite Carnival cruise directors are sailing. Where individual names are linked, you can get to know the cruise director through their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram (not every cruise director has a public account).

Carnival Adventure Cruise Directors

Formerly Pacific Adventure, this 109,000-gross-ton, Grand-class ship will be transferred to the Carnival fleet from P&O Cruises Australia in early 2025. While the transfer has been confirmed with the brand’s dissolution, no cruise directors are yet assigned to the vessel as she joins Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Breeze Cruise Directors

Lia Stivers has joined Carnival Breeze over the holiday season, and at this time no new cruise directors are assigned after early January 2025.

• Lia Stivers – 11/9/2024 to 1/9/2025

The Carnival cruise ship is the youngest of the Dream-class vessels and the 128,000-gross-ton ship can welcome 3,690 guests per sailing.

Carnival Celebration Cruise Directors

Leon Smith is currently bringing the fun to the Carnival cruise ship. Towards the end of November, popular CD Marty Pitts will sign on Carnival Celebration to lead the most celebratory time of year, remaining onboard through the holidays and into the spring sailings. In May, Joseph Boyes will take over until Pitts returns in July. Popular CD Lee Mason has already left Carnival Celebration, following his promotion to Fleet Cruise Director.

• Leon Smith – 6/30/2024 to 12/1/2024
• Marty Pitts – 11/24/2024 to 5/17/2025
• Joseph Boyes – 5/11/2025 to 7/6/2025
• Marty Pitts – 7/6/2025 to 11/9/2025

Carnival Celebration is celebratory indeed, with unique tributes to the cruise line’s more than 50 years of history onboard, including the Golden Jubilee bar and lounge.

Carnival Conquest Cruise Directors

Stejepan Neral has overtaken entertainment duties onboard Carnival Conquest until early December, when Savannah Mitchell returns in the holiday season through February. Ricardo Alfonso Betancourt Lopez is no longer on the ship’s updated CD schedule.

• Stjepan Neral – 10/4/2024 to 12/13/2024
• Savannah Mitchell – 12/13/2024 to 2/8/2025

The lead ship of the popular Conquest class, the 110,000-gross-ton ship can welcome 2,980 guests aboard and is also home to 1,150 crew members.

Carnival Dream Cruise Directors

Just one cruise director is currently making dreams come true aboard Carnival Dream. Lawrence West signed on in October 2024 and remain the ship’s cruise director until the second half of February 2025. He will return to the ship in late April through August 2025, but no one is yet assigned to the gap.

• Lawrence West – 10/13/2024 to 2/22/2025
• Lawrence West – 4/27/2025 to 8/31/2025

The 128,000-gross-ton Carnival Dream debuted in 2009 as the largest ship in the fleet at the time, offering dreamy vacations to 3,646 passengers on each sailing.

Carnival Elation Cruise Directors

Guests will be elated with a fun lineup of cruise directors at the moment for Carnival Elation. Christian Matthieu is heading up the fun aboard the Fantasy-class ship through the holiday season into January 2025, when Franco Spies will take over until mid-March.

• Christian Matthieu – 10/28/2024 to 1/6/2025
• Franco Spies – 1/2/2025 to 3/13/2025

Now the oldest ship in the fleet and one of only two Fantasy-class vessels remaining, Carnival Elation offers a more intimate feel than larger ships.

Carnival Encounter Cruise Directors

The second ship being transferred to Carnival Cruise Line following the sunsetting of the Carnival-owned P&O Cruises Australia brand, no CDs have yet been assigned to Carnival Encounter. The vessel will be rebranded as a Carnival ship but will continue offering cruises in Australia from spring 2025.

Carnival Firenze Cruise Directors

Leading the fun on Carnival Firenze is Joseph Boyes, who is now on his second aboard the ship, having already welcomed her when she joins the fleet in April. In March, Keegan Van Zyl will take the fun helm, while Boyes will rejoin the ship during the summer months.

• Joseph Boyes – 11/9/2024 to 3/25/2025
• Keegan Van Zyl – 3/10/2025 to 5/15/2025
• Joseph Boyes – 7/10/2025 to 8/31/2025

Coming to the Carnival fleet after her transformation from Costa Firenze, the renovated and renamed Carnival Firenze officially welcomed guests for the first time with her April 25, 2024 sailing.

Carnival Freedom Cruise Directors

Todd Evans is leading the fun aboard Carnival Freedom for two confirmed contracts. At this time, no interim cruise director has been announced to cover his break in February 2025.

• Todd Evans – 10/31/2024 to 1/9/2025
• Todd Evans – 3/1/2025 to 7/5/2025

The vessel is updated and sailing smoothly after her October 2023 dry dock that finally replaced her whale tale funnel that was damaged in a fire in May 2022. Unfortunately, a lightning strike once again damaged the ship’s funnel in March 2024, but she continues to sail with a straight funnel, lacking the iconic “wings” on either side.

Carnival Glory Cruise Directors

The Conquest-class vessel will have glorious leadership indeed with both Ricardo Alfonso Betancourt Lopez and Stjepan Neral leading the ship through early 2025. As schedules are confirmed, future cruise director assignments will be finalized.

• Ricardo Alfonso Betancourt Lopez – 8/19/2024 to 1/10/2025
• Stjepan Neral – 1/3/2025 to 3/14/2025

The 2,980 guests who can set sail on every Carnival Glory cruise will have glorious getaways with the energetic attention of each cruise director.

Carnival Horizon Cruise Directors

Tyler Meehan and George Cross have got the fun covered board Carnival Horizon through July 2025. Meehan has two contracts lined up, while Cross will be filling in the gap between them with his charismatic charm.

• Tyler Meehan – 11/12/2024 to 1/26/2025
• George Cross – 1/18/2025 to 3/29/2025
• Tyler Meehan – 3/29/2025 to 7/27/2025

A Vista-class vessel, the 133,596-gross-ton Carnival Horizon offers Western and Southern Caribbean itineraries from Miami, each one offering great horizons to explore.

Carnival Jubilee Cruise Directors

Texas native Kyndall “Fire” is one of the fleet’s most popular cruise directors and the natural choice to lead Carnival Jubilee sailing from the Lone Star State. Currently, she is the only CD assigned to the ship, and just recently shared what it is like for a Carnival cruise director on sign-on day.

• Kyndall Fire – 11/9/2024 to 3/15/2025
• Kyndall Fire – 5/17/2025 to 8/17/2025

The newest ship in the fleet is the new fleet flagship and the largest ever Carnival ship to sail from Galveston, Texas, offering exclusive fun with the Lone Star Tailgate Party, a celebration of Texas culture onboard.

Carnival Legend Cruise Directors

Legendary fun is in store for guests setting sail with Frankie Portera and Adam Gilbert aboard Carnival Legend. The cruise director duo will share leadership roles aboard the ship through the end of 2024 and into 2025, though a gap does exist at the moment during May and June, when no CD has yet been assigned.

• Frankie Portera – 11/8/2024 to 1/12/2025
• Adam Gilbert – 1/5/2025 to 5/8/2025
• Adam Gilbert – 7/7/2025 to 11/10/2025

The 88,500-gross-ton, Spirit-class Carnival Legend offers exceptional vacations with diverse deployments, setting sail in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, and Mexico depending on her sailing date and homeport.

Carnival Liberty Cruise Directors

Both William “Pauly” Munhollon and Cam Chavis offer uniquely fun leadership as cruise directors and will bring great flair and excitement to Carnival Liberty on their contract assignments in 2025.

• William “Paully” Munhollon – 1/5/2025 to 3/16/2025
• Cam Chavis – 3/16/2025 to 9/07/2025

A truly beautiful Conquest-class ship, Carnival Liberty was the first in the fleet to offer the Carnival Seaside Theater on the Lido deck, a feature often used by cruise directors for parties, dance contests, and more.

Carnival Luminosa Cruise Directors

Carnival Luminosa is lighting up the fun with Zackary Paiement-Dockrill as cruise director for two lengthy contracts as the ship sails in Australia and Alaska. In between, no CD has yet been assigned to the gap, but there is plenty of time for that decision to be made.

• Zackary Paiement-Dockrill – 10/12/2024 to 3/13/2025
• Zackary Paiement-Dockrill – 5/8/2025 to 9/11/2025

The first ship transferred to the Carnival fleet from Costa Cruises, Carnival Luminosa has a distinctly different vibe but is no less entertaining with the work of her dedicated cruise directors.

Carnival Magic Cruise Directors

It takes a special kind of cruise director to bring the magic to Carnival Magic, and that is just what Keegan Van Zyl, Jake Miller, and George Cross will be doing in the next few months, with contracts extending well into the 2025 autumn sailing season as Jake Miller will return to the ship twice.

• Keegan Van Zyl – 8/11/2024 to 1/11/2025
• Jake Miller – 1/11/2025 to 5/11/2025
• George Cross – 5/3/2025 to 6/22/2025
• Jake Miller – 6/2/2025 to 10/6/2025

Anyone looking for a magical getaway can’t do better than the Dream-class Carnival Magic, offering Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean itineraries from Miami.

Mardi Gras Cruise Directors

Three energetic gentlemen are leading the fun aboard Mardi Gras in the coming months, with Jacky Tang, Rainier Scholtz, and Leon Smith sharing the duties through late September. At times, two CDs will be onboard at once, covering holiday periods and ensuring plenty of fun onboard.

• Jacky Tang – 10/12/2024 to 3/8/2025
• Rainier Scholtz – 12/28/2024 to 1/8/2025
• Leon Smith – 3/1/2025 to 5/10/2025
• Rainier Scholtz – 3/3/2025 to 5/10/2025
• Jacky Tang – 5/10/2025 to 9/27/2025

The first of the Excel-class ships, Mardi Gras also set many other firsts when she debuted in 2021 – the first LNG-powered vessel in the fleet, the new red-white-and-blue livery, the award-winning BOLT roller coaster, and much more.

Carnival Miracle Cruise Directors

Two different cruise directors will be making cruise vacation miracles come true aboard Carnival Miracle over the next year – Gary Blair and Elizabeth Clough. A slight gap in the schedule in April 2025 has not yet been filled.

• Gary Blair – 10/12/2024 to 2/17/2025
• Elizabeth Clough – 2/9/2025 to 3/30/2025
• Gary Blair – 5/5/2025 to 11/22/2025

A popular Spirit-class vessel, Carnival Miracle is a guest favorite offering diverse itineraries from various homeports, including Galveston, Dover, Rome, Tampa, and Seattle in the next two years.

Carnival Panorama Cruise Directors

Carnival Panorama has two take-charge cruise directors lined over the next year sure to bring the fun to all guests – Andrew Mercer and Rainier Scholtz, who will alternate contracts – each one with their own distinctive style.

• Andrew Mercer – 8/10/2024 to 1/19/2025
• Rainier Scholtz – 1/11/2025 to 3/1/2025
• Andrew Mercer – 3/1/2025 to 7/5/2025
• Rainier Scholtz – 7/5/2025 to 9/7/2025

Carnival Panorama is fresh from dry dock with extensive renovations and has returned to her year-round homeport of Long Beach with exciting Mexican Riviera itineraries.

Carnival Paradise Cruise Directors

Amber Lynne Celen and John Loney both offer outstanding fun for guests to enjoy, and their leadership ensures everyone sailing aboard Carnival Paradise has a great time on one of the most intimate Carnival ships.

• John Loney – 10/14/2024 to 2/8/2025
• Amber Lynne Celen – 2/8/2025 to 4/10/2025
• John Loney – 4/10/2025 to 8/10/2025

The last of the Fantasy class ships to be built, Carnival Paradise has been delighting guests since she first set sail in November 1998. She debuted as the world’s first completely non-smoking cruise ship, though that policy was discontinued in 2003.

Carnival Pride Cruise Directors

Every cruise director aboard Carnival Pride takes great pride in delivering exceptional experiences with Amber Lynn Celen and Dustin Gabriel filling that role for much of 2025.

• Amber Lynne Celen – 10/16/2024 to 1/5/2025
• Dustin Gabriel – 1/5/2025 to 5/11/2025
• Amber Lynne Celen – 5/11/2025 to 7/6/2025
• Dustin Gabriel – 7/6/2025 to 11/2/2025

The Spirit-class vessel sails year-round from Baltimore destinations in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, the Bahamas, Greenland, and Canada, taking 2,124 guests along on each amazing trip.

Carnival Radiance Cruise Directors

It takes a radiant personality to lead the fun aboard Carnival Radiance, and that is just what Michael D’Auria and Lia Stivers are doing into 2025. The radiant pair will alternate over their next three contracts to bring their own brilliant light to the ship and all the fun aboard for guests.

• Michael D’Auria – 9/8/2024 to 1/26/2025
• Lia Stivers – 1/20/2025 to 3/27/2025

Formerly Carnival Victory, the ship underwent an extensive, $200 million renovation in 2020 to become Carnival Radiance and now offers Baja Mexico and Mexican Riviera itineraries from her year-round homeport in Long Beach, California. Guests will also want to check out the occasional longer Hawaii sailings aboard Carnival Radiance.

Carnival Spirit Cruise Directors

Cruise directors have to have bold and energetic spirits aboard Carnival Spirit, and that is just what Alex Siegler and TJ Partida will offer through their assignments this year. There is significant overlap and confusion in assignment dates, however, and this schedule may still be in flux.

• Alex Siegler – 11/3/2024 to 1/30/2025
• TJ Partida – 3/11/2025 to 7/15/2025
• Alex Siegler – 3/30/2025 to 9/30/2025
• Alex Siegler – 7/15/2025 to 9/9/2025

A very popular ship with Carnival fans and repeat cruisers, the first-in-class Carnival Spirit sails from Mobile, Alabama each winter and repositions to Seattle for the Alaska sailing season each summer.

Carnival Splendor Cruise Directors

Rainier Scholtz and Simon London are the faces of fun for Carnival Splendor, with both serving good contracts aboard the ship. At the moment, they are the only CDs assigned to the vessel.

• Rainier Scholtz – 9/9/2024 to 11/22/2024
• Simon London – 11/22/2024 to 4/27/2025
• 
  The vessel was first planned for Costa Cruises but transferred to Carnival Cruise Line during construction. The 113,300-gross-ton ship sails year-round from Sydney, Australia, with diverse itineraries Down Under.

Carnival Sunrise Cruise Directors

Cruise directors have to have a triumphant attitude, and that’s just what the all-star lineup for Carnival Sunrise offers. Gabriel Coppolla and Christian “Deon” Williams will both offer their own fantastic fun onboard the ship in the coming year, with other assignments yet to come to cover the summer season.

• Gabriel Coppolla – 10/14/2024 to 1/11/2025
• Christian “Deon” Williams – 1/6/2025 to 5/8/2025

Previously Carnival Triumph before an extensive $200 million refurbishment in 2019, Carnival Sunrise now sails from Miami, offering cruises to the Bahamas and both Eastern and Western Caribbean destinations.

Carnival Sunshine Cruise Directors

The cruise directors on Carnival Sunshine bring a bright light of fun and excitement every guest can enjoy. James Love and Alex Siegler will both lead the way aboard the ship to finish 2024 and well into 2025.

• James Love – 10/12/2024 to 3/16/2025
• Alex Siegler – 3/8/2025 to 5/17/2025
• James Love – 5/17/2025 to 9/14/2025

Formerly Carnival Destiny, this ship was the first to be extensively refit to lead the new Sunshine class of vessels and now offers sailings from Charleston, South Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia.

Carnival Valor Cruise Directors

Elizabeth Clough and Filipe Serrina do Couto are up next to lead Carnival Valor. There is a summer gap in the CD assignment for the vessel, but there is plenty of time to fill that position with another great cruise director.

• Elizabeth Clough – 11/16/2024 to 1/16/2025
• Flipe Serrina do Couto – 1/11/2025 to 5/10/2025
• Flipe Serrina do Couto – 7/12/2025 to 11/15/2025

Part of the Conquest class of ships, Carnival Valor can welcome 2,980 guests onboard at once, with nearly 1,200 international crew members to ensure everyone has a great time.

Carnival Venezia Cruise Directors

The distinct Italian vibes of Carnival Venezia will also enjoy the distinct flair of three of the cruise line’s most popular cruise directors through 2025 and into 2026. While Lee Mason has been promoted to Fleet Cruise Director, Georgia Craig, TJ Partida, and George Cross will lead the ship with just as much fun.

• Georgia Craig – 10/14/2024 to 12/18/2024
• TJ Partida – 12/29/2024 to 2/16/2025
• Georgia Craig – 2/23/2025 to 6/30/2025
• George Cross – 6/26/2025 to 9/2/2025
• Georgia Craig – 9/2/2025 to 1/4/2026

Carnival Venezia originally belonged to Costa Cruises but was transferred to offer “Carnival Fun, Italian Style” with distinctive touches of Italy, including an exclusive Venetian mask party onboard every sailing.

Carnival Vista Cruise Directors

It takes true vision to lead the fun on Carnival Vista, and two amazing cruise directors will do just that over the next few months – Marq Anthony and Frankie Portera – each bringing unforgettable style to the ship.

• Marq Anthony – 11/2/2024 to 3/8/2025
• Frankie Portera – 3/3/2025 to 5/3/2025
• Marq Anthony – 5/3/2025 to 9/6/2025

The first of the 133,600-gross-ton, Vista-class ships, Carnival Vista sails year-round from the world’s busiest cruise port, Port Canaveral, offering a variety of top Caribbean itineraries.

Understanding the Carnival Cruise Director Schedule

Carnival Cruise Line employs approximately 30-40 cruise directors, though schedules and assignments are fluid and not every cruise director may be under contract at the same time.

Contracts vary from just a few weeks to several months, though even in those time periods an individual cruise director may move from one ship to another, depending on operational needs and available assignments.

The dates for each cruise director indicate the beginning and end of a specific ship contract (??? indicates an unknown end date), with multiple entries listed for different individual contracts.

Dates occasionally overlap for multiple cruise directors as assignments change. This extra time is when the new cruise director will meet their team, familiarize themselves with the vessel, and prepare for a smooth transition from one leader to the next so all guests have the very best onboard experience.

Individual cruise directors often remain aboard the same ship for several weeks or months at a time, allowing them to develop a truly unique personality for that vessel and to work seamlessly with their Fun Squad team.

Cruise directors with greater seniority may request specific ships or homeports as they prefer, though assignments are always subject to the operational needs of the overall fleet.

How the Schedule of Cruise Directors Can Change

Carnival Cruise Line changes the cruise director schedule nearly every week as different contracts are adjusted and ship deployments and dry dock schedules change.

Crew members can come and go with different commitments or promotions, which can also impact which cruise director is assigned to which ship for different time periods.

Cruise Hive is committed to providing the most accurate, updated information to all readers, and will update this list regularly with new information. Check back to keep track on all your favorite cruise directors and to learn who will be the face of fun on your next Carnival cruise.

About Carnival Cruise Directors

The cruise director is one of the most visible members of a ship’s crew. He or she is the “face” of fun for Carnival Cruise Line’s Fun Squad—the crew members who host trivia contests, lead deck parties, judge contests, and share other fun with every guest.

Cruise directors are leaders of the activities staff and coordinate closely with the entertainment staff to provide amazing fun for everyone aboard, no matter what the time of year, specific cruise itinerary, or any challenging circumstances.

Read Also: How Much Does a Cruise Director Make?

Cruise directors often introduce the evening’s entertainment or production shows, host question-and-answer sessions, make onboard announcements, greet embarking passengers, and more.

Behind-the-scenes duties such as planning daily activities schedules, balancing the schedules of crew members under their leadership, and ensuring the Fun Squad is fully equipped with games, prizes, and equipment is also part of the cruise director’s job.

Carnival Cruise Line also has a unique role in its leadership team, the Fleet Cruise Director position. This is an experienced and charismatic individual who helps train other cruise directors and develops new activities that can be used fleet-wide.

Carnival’s first Fleet Cruise Director was Mike Pack, who was promoted to the leadership role in early 2022, along with Chris “Donkey” Salazar who assumed the role in early 2023. However, Mike Pack announced in November 2024 that he would be retiring.

Chris “The Flying Scotsman” Williams was promoted as the third Fleet Cruise Director in November 2023, while Erin Weigand was promoted as the fourth to the position in February 2024.

While Chris Williams retired completely from Carnival Cruise Line in August 2024, the Fleet Cruise Director position was filled by Lee Mason in mid-October.

It is possible that additional active cruise directors will also be promoted into the new leadership position in the future, at which time they will no longer have individual assignments on specific ships, but will operate from Carnival Cruise Line’s shoreside offices to support all cruise directors on the line’s 27 vessels.