I'm a cruise director for Holland America. Our crew lives in its own little world that passengers don't see.

• Kimberly Wells started working on cruises as a performer in 1987 when she was 20 and fell in love. 
• After a hiatus on Broadway and the Home Shopping Network, Wells returned to cruise work in 2020. 
• She shares the pros of working on cruises: the people, the places, and the cons: no days off. 

This as-told-to essay is from an interview with Kimberly Wells about working as a 57-year-old cruise director. It has been edited for length and clarity.