Cruise Assistant

Job Introduction

Saga is Britain’s most experienced specialist Tour Operator for holidaymakers who are aged 50 years and over. 

SAGA is primarily a direct sell, off-peak tour operator, with a varied programme of holidays.  These range from Long-Haul, European and UK (Short Haul) tours and resort stays, Ocean & River Cruising, Short Break holidays and Special Interest programmes, such as Walking, Singles, Archaeology, Art Appreciation, Gardens and Music. 

Our employees will be able to provide an excellent level of service and able to gain customer confidence through knowledge and a genuine concern for their wellbeing and enjoyment of their holiday. 

…And right now, we are looking for a Cruise Assistant at an exciting time in Saga’s history. As a Group, Saga is taking to the seas in our brand new, luxury cruise ships and leading the market with innovative insurance and financial products.   

As a Cruise Assistant onboard one of our river cruise ships, you will ensure that all Saga guests enjoy a pleasurable and memorable holiday by creating and delivering exceptional guest service.   Having a passion for people - you will engage with the guests every day.   Ensuring they receive a warm welcome and a personal dedicated service throughout their stay- arriving as a guest and leaving us as a friend.   

As a Cruise Assistant, you will be responsible for delivering excellent guest experience. You will not only be the face of Saga but will be an integral part of the guests’ holidays – ensuring that we are offering guests an exciting and diverse range of activities throughout their stay. Providing authentic experiences that allow guests to culturally immerse themselves into the local culture as little or as much as they want.  You will be the local expert – sharing your local knowledgeable about the areas and on hand with our guests with everything they may need.  

Role Responsibility

• Your role as our Cruise Assistant is to enhance the holiday experience by providing a unique and exclusive guest service.   Ensuring all guests have a truly memorable holiday.   

• Be proactive in facilitating a social atmosphere throughout the guests’ holiday. 

• Create an exciting and original daily activity planner for guests in order to maximise their holiday experience. 

• To co-host/host activities and games during the day as required – finding new ways to incorporate the local area into the guests’ holiday experience.  

• Assist the Cruise Host in ensuring the programme runs as advertised in the brochure and detailed in the customer itinerary.  

• To offer a full personalised concierge service to our guests on board – using your expert knowledge – you will tailor-make this service for our guests to enjoy.  

  Customer Care & Quality:  

•   Handle guests’ complaints – if a guest has cause to complain during their holiday - you must take ownership of the guest complaints, act promptly and take all reasonable steps to rectify matters.    All issues must be followed up with the guest until the problem is resolved to the guest’s satisfaction.    

• Ensuring the guest is put at the forefront of every decision-making process and maximise every opportunity to retain and recover guests through first contact resolution actively using compensation in resort.    

• Ensuring our guests receive a First Impression Survey and that all issues are recorded and acted on accordingly whilst identifying reoccurring themes. 

• Provide detailed written reports in response to customer complaints as required. 

• Assist and provide full support with guest illness, accident, death, repatriation and liaise with insurance company and head office.  

• Throughout the season ensure the ship is maintained, cleaned, fully equipped, ready for guests' use.   Liaise with Management as necessary and follow up until resolved satisfactorily.  Persistent or recurrent issues must be escalated to your Cruise Host. 

• To assist in completing monthly checks - all measures must be taken to ensure issues identified are rectified promptly to pre-empt / prevent guest issues.  

  Operational:  

• Co-ordinate transfer team to meet all guests at their point of entry and ensure their smooth transfer to and from the ship. 

• Liaise with the ship prior to guests’ arrival to ensure efficient allocation of cabins. 

• Co-Host a welcome meeting and cocktail party for guests. 

• Assist in Co-ordination of the excursion programme – promotion and payment, supplier confirmation and guiding where necessary. Ensure all F2s are emailed to excursions on a weekly basis, even in the event of no sales. Comply with minimum numbers provided by excursion product analysis and cancellation procedures.   

• Ensure the hospitality desk is hosted during specified duty hours, in a regular location on board, to respond to all questions, queries and general information for customers. Socialise with customers where they are located. (Take the desk to them). 

• Complete a Cruise Report regarding the ship, facilities available, excursions and all other aspects relating to the overall operation of the holiday on an exception basis.  

• To ensure good service levels are maintained.  It is important that the Cruise Assistant establishes a good working relationship with our suppliers, such as the purser's office, captain and ship staff or hotel staff 

• Ensure all Saga branding is always up to date.  

• Adhere to all policies, procedures and guidelines as directed by your manager and in the Manual. 

• As Cruise Assistant you will share the responsibility with the Cruise Host in admin completion.  

• You will be managed and directed by the Cruise Host, however, will be required to step up into their role should the situation arise and take on the Cruise Host role and responsibility.

The Ideal Candidate

Capability, Knowledge and Experience: 

• Ability to identify potential issues and resolve any problems before the guest is even aware. 

• Can work as a member of a team but has the ability to work on their own initiative. 

• Decision-making skills. 

• Strong written and oral communication skills. 

• Excellent social skills. 

• Ability to efficiently look after guests and promote an unforgettable experience.   

• Ability to communicate in local language.  

• Proven customer service experience. 

• Presenting skills – public speaking experience. 

• Previous work or experience on the rivers is preferred. 

Personal Characteristics: 

• Caring nature. 

• Innovative – always looking for new ways to improve. 

• Flexible approach to work. 

• Organised. 

• Able to facilitate friendships.  

• Confident. 

• Sense of humour. 

• Effective communication skills for both guests and suppliers. 

• Ensure that Saga’s corporate imagine is maintained. 

• Previous work as a Tour Manager or on-board river cruise vessels.

Our values are:

• Precision Pace - Always owning and making things happen.

• Empathy – Always aware of others.

• Curiosity – Always asking why.

• Collaboration – Always one team, the Saga team!

Package Description

A variety of opportunities from March 2022 to January 2023.

River cruises include - Rhine, Danube, Moselle & Elbe.

About the Company

Having spent our first 30 years focused on travel, Saga launched Saga Magazine and developed home and motor insurance and financial services in the 1980s. Private medical and pet insurance followed in the 1990s, along with the launch of our own cruise ship operation. The strength of the Saga brand provides the Group with the ability to develop in-house or partner with suppliers to offer our customers and members highly differentiated, competitively priced products which meet their evolving needs.

Saga exists to help our customers and members lead the life they want to lead. To succeed in this, we know that the most important thing to do is to listen to our customers and members. At the heart of our business model is our drive to know more about our customers’ wants and needs so we are best placed to serve them.

Applying this approach over the past 70 years has enabled us to become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has become one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic and is recognised for its high quality products and exceptional standards of service. These include cruises and holidays, insurance, personal finance and the Saga Magazine.

When you join Saga you will see that we are committed to treating all employees fairly and to offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement.

We value diversity not just because it is the right thing to do, but because diverse teams perform better. Creating a culture in which everyone feels welcome and offering equal opportunities in all aspects of employment and advancement is incredibly important to us. Fair consideration is given to applications from all applicants, including those with disabilities and those over who are over 50 as we are champions of age inclusivity.

We are an official Disability Confident Committed employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible and we will make reasonable adjustments as required.

We are a member of the 30% Club and partner with Women Ahead which offers us a fantastic opportunity to take part in a leading, global, cross-company, leadership mentoring scheme to champion female talent.

We are a signatory of the Armed Services Covenant and have received a Silver Award from the Employer Recognition Scheme. 

To all recruitment agencies: Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the HR Recruitment Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.

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Saga Group