Meet Royal Caribbean's Chief Dog Officers — The Most Important Dogs at Sea 🦴

Royal Caribbean has captains, engineers, chefs, entertainers and thousands of crew members working across its ships.

It also has dogs.

In fact, Royal Caribbean has given three Golden Retrievers the rather official sounding title of Chief Dog Officer. Rover is stationed aboard Icon of the Seas, Sailor looks after Star of the Seas and the newest recruit Skipper joined Legend of the Seas for its 2026 European season.

They might have four paws rather than epaulettes, but these are not simply cruise ship mascots. Royal Caribbean describes the Chief Dog Officers as members of the crew whose job is essentially to create connections, lift spirits and provide a little taste of home for guests and crew who might be missing their own pets.

And if you want to see what life actually looks like for a dog working at sea, the Chief Dog Officers even have their own Instagram account @chiefdogofficers.

So, what does a Chief Dog Officer actually do?

The job description is probably one of the better ones you'll find on a cruise ship.

The pack spend their days greeting guests, spending time with crew, exploring different areas of the ship, playing, practising their training and naturally fitting in plenty of naps. When the ship calls at Royal Caribbean's private island destination Perfect Day at CocoCay, they can even enjoy a proper beach day with plenty of space to run around and explore the sand alongside their Chief of Staff. Their humans make sure they have time for all of that, as well as looking after their grooming, meals, exercise and general wellbeing.

There is a little more to the role than simply being adorable, though. The dogs are specially trained to cope with the movement of a ship, busy public spaces, unfamiliar sights and sounds and large numbers of people. They each have their own life jacket and muster station, while their Chief of Staff stays with them when they are out meeting guests and crew.

In other words, they may have one of the more relaxed jobs onboard, but someone is definitely taking the responsibility seriously.

Rover

Rover was the original Chief Dog Officer, joining Icon of the Seas at just six months old. She quickly became a familiar face onboard and is particularly fond of playing fetch, swimming and spending time with the crew. She has even been known to settle down for a nap in her own spot on the bridge.

Sailor

Rovers sister Sailor took on the role aboard Star of the Seas and has developed quite the onboard routine of her own. Her day can include morning walks around the ship, visits with crew members, surprise appearances around different neighbourhoods onboard and, of course, a healthy amount of downtime. Royal Caribbean's own behind the scenes account describes her as something of a four legged celebrity among guests and crew.

Skipper

Then there is Skipper, the newest member of the pack. She joined Legend of the Seas in 2026 ahead of the ship's European season, meaning Royal Caribbean now has Chief Dog Officers spread across three of its newest ships.

More than just a cute idea

It would be easy to dismiss the whole thing as a clever bit of cruise marketing, but there is a genuinely thoughtful idea behind the role.

Royal Caribbean says the Chief Dog Officers were introduced partly because both guests and crew can miss their pets while they are away from home. A friendly dog wandering around the ship can offer a surprisingly simple reminder of home, while creating an easy way for people to connect with one another.

The dogs have also been involved in Make-A-Wish fundraising, with private meet and greets offered through onboard auctions.

And judging by Royal Caribbean's latest behind the scenes look at their lives, the response from guests can be surprisingly emotional. Some passengers have even booked cruises specifically because they wanted the chance to meet one of the Chief Dog Officers.

Probably the best job at sea

There are plenty of impressive jobs on a cruise ship, but the Chief Dog Officer role has a fairly unbeatable combination of responsibilities: greet people, make friends, explore the ship, play fetch and take naps when required.

For passengers, they are a small but rather lovely part of the experience. You might board a Royal Caribbean ship expecting waterslides, restaurants, entertainment and Caribbean sunshine, only to discover that one of the highlights of your trip has four paws and a wagging tail.

And honestly, we can't think of a better reason to keep your eyes open while walking around the ship.

Keep an eye on our latest cruise deals. You never know who might be waiting to welcome you aboard 🐕

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