Behind the scenes with Ceirios Davies, cruise director

In this exclusive interview, Ceirios Davies, known to friends and crew as Cherry, shares her journey from a rural childhood in South Wales to running the entertainment pulse on Ambassador’s cruise ships. From early loves for theatre and family ties to surprising skills learned during the pandemic, she opens up about what it takes to bring a cruise to life—and the sacrifices and rewards that come with it.

Q. Tell us about yourself and your background.

A. My name is Ceirios Davies, also known as Cherry! I am 29 years old. I spent my early childhood years growing up on a farm in rural Carmarthenshire, South Wales, with my Dad, Mam and Sister.

Growing up, I loved singing and acting. I enjoyed taking part in all sorts of shows that were put on locally. I went to Sunday school, the local young farmers’ club, and several different theatre groups. All these have helped me tremendously with the job I do today.

Q. What was life like before becoming Ambassador’s cruise director?

A. Life was pretty strange for me before becoming a cruise director with Ambassador, as it was during Covid. I had to leave my then post, working as an entertainment host for a different cruise company, and head back to Wales.

Not being one to sit at home and do nothing, my work life took a very sharp turn. My grandparents own and run a crane hire company, which is involved in the construction industry. During this unpredictable time, they were classed as key workers.

I joined the company working alongside my dad, my auntie and grandad. Within no time I had trained and became a qualified crane driver, a very useful skill to have as a cruise director! All jokes aside, it kept me busy during this strange time until things settled with Covid and I was able to return to do what I love.

Q. What do you love about your role and what do you find challenging?

A. I’m responsible for all on board entertainment and I act as the public face voice of the ship. I make announcements and introduce entertainment too. My favourite parts are travelling, meeting new people and working with people from all over the world. The downsides are that I’m away for long periods of time, when there’s rough sea days and long working days.

Q. What is the most interesting part about what you do?

A. I get the opportunity to meet lots of people from all walks of life. Added to this, I wake up each day in a different location anywhere in the world. I am fortunate enough to experience different cultures and traditions. The list goes on and on. I can’t call it a job as it’s a way of life, and I am “living the dream”.

Q. How does it feel to be on board for X amount of months each year?

A. It can be hard at times. Of course, I miss my family and friends back home but I can’t have it both ways. In order to pursue this career, there are certain sacrifices and this is unfortunately one of them. Nowadays, with the advances in technology, with phones and social media, keeping in contact is much easier. I’m not sure how they managed years ago!

I am so fortunate to have my ship family. Spending long periods of time day in day out with all the other crew members allows us to get to know each other well. Whenever one of us is feeling a little down, it is almost granted that a fellow crew member will notice and offer support. This is pretty special!

Q. Have you found love on board the ship?

A. No, I haven’t. It’s not really on my priority list of things to do as present, I want to pursue and my career keep on travelling before thinking of setting down.

Q. You get to live your passion plus travel the world. How does that feel?

A. This is an absolute dream come true. I’ve always said, from a young age that I wanted to travel the world and I keep pinching myself as I am actually doing that now.

I guess not many people can say that they are pursuing a job that they love and follow their childhood dream of travelling the world. I feel privileged and am truly grateful.

READ MORE: What are the advantages of no-fly cruising?

Q. What do you have planned for the future?

A. I’m ecstatic right now. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing and do it well. There is always room for improvement, and I strive to do the best that I can in my role. I hope to add several more countries to my ‘visited’ list and keep on making my family proud of what I’ve achieved so far. As of the future, well, I’ll just let it develop!

READ MORE: The Advantages of a Last-Minute Cruise Holiday

There are a wealth of cruise destinations you can tick off a bucket list destination and celebrate at the same time on a cruise.

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