What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Regulated hospitality training: Spanish Higher Technician in Tourist Accommodation Management (vocational diploma, Royal Decree 1686/2007), a hotel management degree or international equivalent (as a guide).
- Usual fleet route: internal promotion from housekeeping supervision (floors/public areas) after years of appraisal — the onboard record weighs more than the diploma.
Basic STCW
- STCW Basic Safety Training (A-VI/1).
- Passenger ships (Regulation V/2): Crowd Management and, as a manager responsible for passengers in an emergency, Crisis Management and Human Behaviour (A-V/2).
- Maritime security awareness (A-VI/6-1).
Specific courses
- Passenger-ship sanitation: USPH/VSP standard (CDC Vessel Sanitation Program) and EU SHIPSAN on European itineraries.
- Outbreak Prevention Plan (OPP) and stepped reinforced disinfection (as a guide, company-specific).
- Industrial laundry and linen management: par stocks, replenishment cycles and shrinkage control (as a guide).
- Team occupational safety: chemical handling, ergonomics and prevention in cabins and corridors.
Indicative experience
As a guide: 5-8 years in housekeeping, including 2-3 as Assistant Executive Housekeeper in a fleet, or rooms-division leadership in high-volume hotels/resorts. Having run full turnovers and passed USPH inspections with strong scores is valued.
Observations
Typical route: Cabin Steward → Floor Supervisor / Public Area Supervisor (own card in this explorer) → Assistant Executive Housekeeper → Executive Housekeeper → Hotel Director (own card). On large cruise ships the role coordinates hundreds of crew and thousands of textile items per day. In USPH/VSP inspections, accommodation is scored along with the rest of the ship (passing threshold 86/100 as a guide — verify the current manual). The job is won or lost on turnover day: that day's logistics separate a fleet housekeeper from a hotel one.
What this role does
On a cruise ship, the perception of luxury starts with impeccable cleanliness and visual consistency: this position directs that human and logistical machinery at scale — hundreds of crew, thousands of cabins and tonnes of textiles rotating daily. It is also a public-health role: its standards are the first barrier against gastrointestinal outbreaks, and its numbers (productivity per cabin, consumption, inspection score) are reviewed at fleet level.
Typical watches
- Continuous 24/7 hotel shifts
Key responsibilities
- Guarantee cleanliness, presentation and readiness of cabins and public areas.
- Manage large linen, amenities and housekeeping workforces.
- Run turnover day: thousands of cabins made ready between debarkation and the next embarkation.
- Keep the department ready for unannounced sanitation inspections (USPH/VSP, EU SHIPSAN).
- Control the accommodation area's budget, consumption and stock (linen par levels, chemicals, amenities).
Operational scope
- Cabins, suites and common areas
- Laundry, linen room and housekeeping stores
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.