July 19, 2019

A 'Dream' come true: Meet a Disney Cruise Line Cruise Director

WATCH: This doughnut on a shake is Disney Cruise goals

Editor's note: This is the latest installment in our series on some of the most unusual and amazing jobs in the travel industry. Jimmy Lynett is the cruise director on the Disney Dream.

If you've ever dreamed about living on a cruise ship, you'll probably find yourself envious of Jimmy Lynett, the cruise director on the Disney Dream.

"Cruise Director, for me, was always something to aspire to," Lynett told "Good Morning America." "I started out in youth activities, way back in 1998, when we had one ship in the fleet."

That ship was the Disney Magic.

"My career took me through all different areas of the entertainment department," Lynett said. Aside from the youth department, he also worked in the adults department and as a port adventures manager.

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"From there, I maneuvered my way over to assistant cruise director," he said. Finally, he landed his goal.

As the cruise director on the Disney Dream, Lynett said his most important responsibility is to make sure the guests are having a good time. In conjunction, he has to make sure his team is living a "healthy, balanced life" at work and outside of work.

"Twenty-four hours, 7 days a week, you are in your work location, whether in the crew area or in the guest area," he said about life on the ship.

Lynett said he's especially happy when parents get the opportunity to reconnect on their vacation while their kids are enjoying the kids' clubs and other youth activities.

"Even if it's just a stroll on the upper deck, it's great to give them that opportunity," he says.

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On board the Dream, guests will see Lynett at the Walt Disney Theater, where he said his main goal is "energy."

"I really try to entertain the kids," he said. "I find that when the kids are engaged, the parents are content."

He should know. Lynett, who makes his home in Australia when he's not on the Dream, has three children of his own.

Lynett's job involves being "on" at almost all times. He doesn't drink coffee, but instead gets his pep from the guests on the ship.

"Every time new guests enter the ship, there's new energy on board, and it's contagious, not just for me but the whole crew," he told "GMA." "It's that continual flow of excitement that keeps me going. There is nothing like seeing a child see Mickey Mouse."

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So what's it like behind the scenes?

Lynett credits the ship's captain with setting a positive tone for the crew from the top down. And, according to him, crew members are just as friendly behind the scenes as they are with the guests.

"You can't be one way with the guests and then shut it off," he said. "Even when we're passing each other in what we call the I-95, everyone smiles and says hello to each other, and we have crew members from 60 countries around the world."

Because crew members on the ship have no weekends off, Lynett said it's crucial to take advantage of downtime in order to maintain some kind of balance.

And while the pros far outweigh the cons, Lynett said there's one downside to being the cruise director: He's away from his family for 10 weeks at a time. He said, though, that during the following 10 weeks he's off the ship.

His advice for people who aspire to the job of cruise director, the most well-known crew member on a ship?

"Everyone has a dream -- never give up on it," Lynett said. "But you have to be persistent."

"Don't get into a funk in any one role," he added. "They will make you even better at the job you aspired to when you get there."

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.