Head of Entertainment - #192379

Category: Guest Experience
Vacancy Type: PermanentFull Time
Salary: Competitive
Closing Date: Fri, Jul 10, 2026
Location: Ipswich
Benefits: AXA Health Private medical, Life Assurance, discounted holidays and cruises plus retail discounts and cash back incentives through our Boost Benefits scheme

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a family-run business that has been offering exceptional cruise experiences for over 170 years. With a fleet of ships that provide intimate, friendly, and immersive voyages, we are committed to delivering world-class service with a personal touch. Join us and be part of a proud heritage that is all about making lasting memories for our guests.

As we continue to grow, we are now strengthening our Shoreside Guest Experience team with a Head of Entertainment. In this pivotal role, you will be the creative force and strategic leader behind every moment of joy, discovery and connection across the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines fleet. Working in close partnership with RWS Global, you will ensure our entertainment and enrichment offering remains brand-aligned, financially disciplined, creatively ambitious and constantly evolving. You will act as the intelligent client-owning entertainment strategy, creative direction, budget oversight and supplier governance while driving exceptional guest experiences and supporting onboard revenue performance. Central to this will be managing RWS through clearly defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to deliver consistently high standards across all ships.

While it would be highly advantageous for candidates to have previously worked onboard a cruise ship in a similar role, we also welcome applications from those who have held senior entertainment positions shoreside and can demonstrate a strong grasp of the operational realities of life at sea.

To be successful in this role you will need to have:

• Senior leadership experience in cruise, leisure and live entertainment environments.
• Commercial awareness, including budget ownership.
• Experience managing third-party entertainment suppliers.
• Excellent creative judgement, with strong brand sensitivity.
• Ability to balance guest experience, creativity and commercial outcomes.
• Strong understanding of the on-board product and ways of working at sea.

This is a Full-Time, permanent position working 35 hours per week. Based shoreside, the role follows a hybrid working pattern and includes time at our Head Office in Ipswich, as well as visits to our ships, typically at least twice a month to stay closely connected to the onboard product and teams. You’ll also collaborate regularly with Fred. Olsen colleagues and external suppliers to ensure our entertainment offering remains exceptional and aligned with our brand.

Attached to this advert you will find a full overview of the fantastic benefits we offer, along with a detailed Job Profile for this position.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines offer a wide range of benefits including Axa Health Private medical, Life Assurance, enhanced maternity and paternity pay, discounted holidays and cruises, plus retail discounts and cash back incentives through our Boost Benefits scheme. Attached to this advert you will find a full job description and details of our Company benefits on offer.

Our Values:

We are caring - “We trust and care for each other, our guests and our environment”

Always deliver a warm and friendly welcome, always make time to listen, look out for each other’s safety, security and well-being, strive to help protect the environment for future generations.

We are positive - “We live and share a positive attitude”

Motivate each other with positive energy, always see the opportunities in new ideas, believe it’s better to learn than never try, always look for ways to add value and make a difference.

We are real - “We are always ourselves and respect others”

Bring our real selves to work and perform, respect and embrace all our different personalities and cultures, have the courage to admit when we are wrong and have the strength to act on it, have a voice and encourage open, honest communication.

We are a team - “We are more than a team; we are a family”

Share experiences and learn from each other, adapt, respond and pull together to drive results, together we recognise and celebrate our achievements.

As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We want to ensure that you feel supported throughout the application process and provide reasonable adjustments where necessary and requested. If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of your application and interview process, please do not hesitate to let us know.