Guest Experience Manager | Cruise Whitsundays

Be a part of sharing special places and shaping lasting memories with Australia’s leading experiential tourism business.

About Us

Cruise Whitsundays delivers unforgettable guest experiences across the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef.

At the heart of our premium offering is Reefworld, our exclusive offshore experience at Hardy Reef and home to Reefsuites - Australia’s first underwater accommodation – and Reefsleep, our unique overnight experience on the Great Barrier Reef. Here, an extraordinary location is matched with personalised service, quality food and beverage and premium hospitality.

Based in Airlie Beach, Cruise Whitsundays also operates a fleet of vessels delivering day tours, sailing adventures and resort connections to some of the Whitsundays’ most iconic destinations, including Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef.

About Journey Beyond

Cruise Whitsundays is part of Journey Beyond, Australia’s leading experiential tourism group, operating 20 brands across Australia and New Zealand.

Our collection includes iconic experiences such as The Ghan, Indian Pacific, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Outback Spirit, Monarto Safari Resort, Rottnest Express and Melbourne Skydeck - all united by a commitment to creating unforgettable guest experiences in remarkable places.

About The Role

We are seeking a passionate Guest Experience Manager to enhance the hospitality and guest services at Cruise Whitsundays. This key role focuses on service delivery, food and beverage quality, staff training, and product innovation. Your contributions will directly improve guest satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores through high-quality catering and exceptional service standards, all while committing to continuous quality improvement across Cruise Whitsundays products.

As an ambassador for the exceptional experiences we provide, the Guest Experience Manager will lead in creating memorable moments for our guests across all areas of the business. This hospitality-focused position guarantees the delivery of outstanding overnight resort-style hospitality at Reefworld Premium, manages the overall food and beverage program, and oversees the Catering, Café, Stores, and procurement departments. You will work closely with your team to design and implement innovative product and service enhancements that enrich the overall guest experience.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead hospitality and guest service standards across Cruise Whitsundays.
• Oversee the food and beverage program, ensuring exceptional quality, presentation and service.
• Lead and develop guest-facing teams, building a strong service and hospitality culture.
• Oversee Catering, Café, Stores and procurement operations.
• Use guest feedback and Net Promoter Scores to identify and implement improvements.
• Drive product innovation, service enhancements and continuous improvement.
• Partner with operational leaders to deliver a consistent and exceptional guest experience across our products.

About You

You are an experienced hospitality leader who understands what it takes to create an exceptional guest experience.

Coming from a premium hotel, resort, lodge, cruise or tourism environment, you bring strong operational leadership, high service standards and a genuine passion for hospitality. You are a visible and engaging leader who enjoys developing teams, improving products and ensuring every detail of the guest journey is consistently delivered.

To be successful, you will have / be:

• Senior leadership experience within a premium hotel, resort, hospitality, tourism or guest experience environment.
• Proven experience leading and developing guest-facing teams.
• Strong experience across food and beverage, catering or broader hospitality operations.
• A strong understanding of premium service standards and guest expectations.
• Experience using guest feedback and service metrics to drive improvement.
• Strong commercial, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• A relevant qualification in Hospitality, Tourism or a related discipline.

Requirements

• Relevant qualification in Hospitality, Tourism or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in a senior leadership role within a premium hospitality, tourism or guest experience environment.
• Proven experience leading guest-facing teams and delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Demonstrated experience managing large upmarket hospitality, catering or food and beverage operations.
• Proven ability to lead organisational change through effective consultation and stakeholder engagement.

Benefits

• Generous discounts on Journey Beyond travel and experiences
• An attractive salary and positive work environment
• Study Assistance Policy
• A career with opportunities for progression, transfers, and secondments
• Employee Referral Policy
• Parental Leave program
• Purchased Leave policy
• Private Health discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounts on Journey Beyond merchandise
• Discounts at the Cruise Café & Bar
• Discounts at the bar on board vessels
• Free public transport
• Salary sacrifice remote area benefits

Applications will be reviewed and progressed as they are received, so don't wait, apply now!