Did you know that Carnival Cruise Director Gary Blair is actually a skilled musician and accordion player?
These are the types of fun facts cruisers can learn from Fleet Director Lee Mason’s new video series – in which Mason wants to help Carnival fans get to know the cruise directors they might meet on their next voyage.
Mason, who was promoted to the role of Fleet Cruise Director at the end of 2024 after spending around eight years as a cruise director himself, has launched his new “Get to Know” video series as of February 10, 2025.
The interviews will be short – ranging from five to 10 minutes long – and can be found on Mason’s YouTube Channel (Lee Fleet Cruise Director).
“With getting to travel the fleet in my new role, I thought it was an ideal opportunity to help you get to know our team of incredible cruise directors, and so I am starting a new video series,” Mason shared on his Facebook. “This will be short 5 min interviews for you to get to know our team.”
His first interview was with Gary Blair, who is about to finish his current contract onboard Carnival Miracle on February 17, 2025. (But don’t worry – Blair will be back onboard the Spirit-class ship from May 5, 2025, until November 22, 2025).
While Blair is no stranger to Carnival, he recently returned to the cruise line after taking a break to work at Great Wolf Lodge as the Director of Guest Services from December of 2021 until the end of 2024 – making this a great opportunity for cruise fans to get reacquainted.
Throughout their conversation, Mason asked Blair about his musical upbringing, his experience as a cruise director (starting on the now-retired Carnival Ecstasy in 2017), and even his guilty pleasures (such as his affinity for bad reality TV).
While all Carnival Cruise directors lead the entertainment as the heads of the famous Fun Squad, the interview also went into how Blair brings the fun in a unique way as cruise director.
“If you cruise with me, I host a Scottish dance class and we do a Ceilidh…it’s kind of like a celebratory dance. Think country line dancing, with like partners, set moves, everyone does it all together, and it is like a real sweat fest,” Blair explained while talking about how he pays homage to his Scottish heritage onboard.
Blair also talked about his favorite part of being a cruise director – and what he hopes guests will take away from sailing on one of his voyages.
“It’s being a part of the experience of the guests in such a positive way. You know, when they’re having fun, I’m having fun, and it really is like just the best feeling in the world hearing their laughter, seeing their smiles, and getting to meet them…” Blair said.
Watch Lee Mason’s Interview with Gary Blair Below:
No Shortage of Beloved Cruise Directors
Lee Mason, who is hosting the video series, is one of four Carnival fleet directors – and this number will likely stay small. That said, the position was only just announced in 2022, so it’s relatively new and the total number of fleet directors hasn’t been confirmed.
While Mason was once a beloved Carnival cruise director, this promotion ranks him and his colleagues above the cruise directors – where they now oversee the entertainment across the fleet and help to train new and existing cruise directors.
But while there are only a handful of fleet directors, Carnival still employs 30-40 cruise directors at once. There is a cruise director onboard all 27 operating ships at a time, with another waiting in the wings to seamlessly take the reins after the current cruise director’s contract ends.
Typically, the cruise directors spend several months at sea, followed by at least a month at home to recuperate, with these extra fun crew members taking turns in the role based on who is on the clock and who is at home.
Read Also: What is it Really Like to Be a Carnival Cruise Director on Embarkation Day?
Some Carnival cruise directors even gain celebrity status in the cruising community – with Kyndall “Fire” Magyar one of the more recognizable names on the current roster. She is currently onboard Carnival Jubilee.
Many also know the name John Heald as Carnival’s brand ambassador, but some might not realize that he first rose to fame as a cruise director. In his sailing days, Heald filled the coveted role on ships like Carnival Splendor.
But with many of the cruise directors cultivating quite a following, including Blair, there was already quite an appetite for more of these interview videos.
“Love this idea Lee! It’s great to know a bit about the person behind the mic on our cruise! You always seem to find ways to identify what we want to know BTS from your POV,” one person wrote on Mason’s Facebook page.
“Wow, what a BRILLIANT idea! We LOVE to get to know each CD. We had the great fortune of cruising with Gary when he returned to Galveston on the Miracle in October…He did an AMAZING JOB! Thanks Gary for being the first interviewee on Lee’s new [YouTube] video sequence,” another added.
Mason did not indicate which cruise director would be featured next or when the next interview will be posted, but there will certainly be more to come.
