Ep. 262 - How would you like to be a Cruise Director on a cruise ship going all over the world? I interviewed Amanda Poulson who is on the Azamara Quest cruise ship. I was amazed to find out everything a cruise director is responsible for! I thought maybe it would just be making the announcements each day and yes, she does have a green screen right in her office, but it’s much more! And I found out that most Cruise Directors have been performers. Join us in this lively conversation about cruising around the world and how she found her new love – and husband.
Amanda Poulson is the cruise director of the Azamara Quest cruise ship and has been in musical productions since the age of 10. In this episode, she talks about her background in musical productions and theater and her experience as a working performer on board a cruise ship.
Listen in to learn why having the right support system can help you overcome your fears and find success in whatever you were afraid of. You will also learn the power of celebrating our differences to make the world a better and harmonious place.
And the real treat is in the Resources section of this page where you can hear her sing.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of having the right support to help you overcome your fears and succeed
- Why you need to have real-world skills when going for a job at sea
- How we can make the world a better place by figuring out how to look past our differences
"I wish the world could run itself the way life on a cruise ship runs. We have 40 countries represented by our crew which means 100 religions, 200 life philosophies, a thousand different world outlooks, different cultures, and traditions under one roof. We manage to live, work, support, and thrive." - Amanda Poulson
CAREER
A Wisconsin girl at heart, Amanda Poulson received her degree in Music from the University of Wisconsin in her home town of Madison.
She has performed worldwide and first went to sea in 2008 as a featured vocalist with Royal Caribbean International.
She found her true home at sea when she joined Azamara in 2012 as a singer in the Production Cast and was honored to join the management team when Azamara Pursuit launched in 2018.
When not onboard, Amanda splits her time between the United States and Canada with her husband, Matthew, the Cruise Sales Manager, as they visit family and continue their travel adventures.
Amanda is an internationally acclaimed singer and performs everything from Italian arias to contemporary pop. She shows feature some of the greatest melodies of all time and are not to be missed!
Key Moments
Amanda on her background in musical productions at an early age and her experience with it [1:59]
She describes her time in New York and what it was like before becoming a working performer [4:41]
She talks about the favorite shows she’s played in plus her journey to starting a theater company [9:29]
How she began her cruise ship career plus her experience traveling the world and performing [13:47]
How she became a cruise director and learned to manage an entire department [16:38]
She explains the challenges of working at sea and how they’ve learned to improvise [20:21]
How you need to prepare for work and life when applying to work at sea [24:20]
Amanda on the power of celebrating our differences just like they do on the ship [27:31]
RESOURCES
YT Stay Creative - Broadway at Sea
YT Tony Markey and Amanda Poulson