Cruise ship gig questions

[Fruitysloth]

I've been pitching the idea back and forth about auditioning for cruise ship gigs after I get out of undergrad, and I had some questions regarding the topic. The opportunity to travel, play, and learn sounds like a great opportunity.

-Who would I get into contact about auditioning?
-What all should I be proficient in when I audition? Outside of genres, but random things (effects pedals, other instruments, etc.)
-How would I go about fixing my horn if it breaks? Do I have the ability to bring multiple horns just in case?
-How do I pro/con it as a single post-undergrad looking for work? I saved this for last as I have a few pros/cons thinking about it right now:

Pros:
Networking opportunities
Traveling opportunities
Time to practice and get better at the things I want to get better at WHILE still gigging and making money
No rent or food costs

Cons:
Being away from friends/loved ones for months at a time
Tiny living space(not really a con unless I have to keep my instruments in my room)
Unfamiliarity with international laws/languages
What happens if I get sick? Do I get fired?
What happens in the event of family emergencies at home? Do I have the ability to leave when I get to a port and fly out from there back home?

Just a couple things running around in my head right now, I'm curious to see this community's experiences with it, and if anyone has answers to what I'm thinking about. Thanks in advance!

[Nhtrombone]

User DaveAshley has quite the cruise ship pedigree and is currently the bandleader on Cunard’s QE2. He may choke in here.

[Kingfan]

We were on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and the trombone player (nice young Brit with a Rath) also had to help staff the jewelry sale tables sometimes. You might want to define what other duties you might be asked to do so you aren't blindsided once on board. Me, if I was young and single looking for a playing job, I would definitely consider a cruise ship gig.

[BurckhardtS]

I'm actually considering doing the same thing soon, once I finish my degree to buy some time in the summer before grad school. If anyone has similar tips/advice let me know. From what I understand from friends that have done it before, you need to be a good reader, and a decent improviser. I think some cruise ships send you the music 30 minutes before the audition and you basically have to read it in front of them.

[BGuttman]

We had a couple of threads on the old TTF, but all I could find was:

https://trombonechat.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=1548

[JohnL]

Forum member Zac Lee has done a fair amount of cruise ship work, I think some of it pretty recent. You might PM him for some info.

[Mikebmiller]

Megan O'Malley, who is on here sometimes has a nice blog about her cruise ship adventures:

https://taz-39.livejournal.com/?fbclid= ... t_MfWuvki0

[BrassedOn]

First, on the pro/con...
Main pro for me was time performing and getting paid. If you're a jazzer or commercial player, you get some soloing and reading experience, in a lot of different styles, depending on the band's duties. Usually you can find one compatriot who wants to jam. Second was seeing a bit of the world with someone else paying. You'll make some contacts on the ships, and friends in the biz, especially if you move from ship to ship, line to line, and meet and play with a lot of different people, instead of settling in on one line and route (where some members get comfortable and play for years). Make friends, meet people. I still have professional contacts and close friends from ships I played 15 years ago. I met my then future wife on a cruise (she was a tour guide). YMMV! Have fun, by all means. Be careful if you party with (insert country here). I've hung with cats that would make your average frat party look like wine tasting. If you like to arrange music, compose originals, or just do stuff on a computer for your own enjoyment, or have some side gig, you'd have a lot of time on the ship. Just not a great internet connection. The bands play when the passengers are on the ship, not in the morning. So when in port the bands are off, except for the lobby guitarist. Sometimes there is an opportunity for extra money, the good one for my roomie was assisting the art auction. Good $ taste, but my friend needed a nicer suit ($450 not $200) and tie and he had some charm.

Cons: If you are currently gigging or have lots of contacts or opportunities now, those dry up more than a bit when you're on the ship, just because you are unavailable and say no too many gigs. If you're thinking about being in shape for an orchestral or military audition, in my experience it would be tough, getting in all the practice time you'd want, on a ship. Difficult to find an empty room to play for hours. Pay is just okay as long as you keep expenses down. If you have heavy student loans, could be tough. If you are on break between runs, you're not paid. Pretty much only American flag ships (rare) offer medical insurance, benefits, other than the ships doctor for some aspirin and Tamiflu. Keeping in physical shape? The crew gym is often kind of basic, so get off the ship in port and do a lot of walking.

I did know a drummer with a good situation. He was quite good (important) and a drummer (very valuable), a nice, dependable guy (recommended by band leaders), and he only did fill in work. He had it set with the contractor he would just fill in gaps for 2 or 3 weeks, maybe a month. Never got involved with any ship's situation, if he had a bad roomie it would end soon, no politics, always interesting, lots or reading and new shows to learn. Kept it fresh. I don't know if a trombonist could get that, but telling the contractor you're available at the drop of a hat, passport ready, packed and ready to go anywhere, might move you up the list a bit.

1. Whatever you do, do NOT sign an exclusivity agreement. That would mean you cannot switch to another cruise line.
2. Do NOT sign an agreement to an agency that supplies cruise ships with musician that takes a cut for every job you will ever do on any cruise line, they even bill you for a % when you switch lines. IMHO, it is one thing to take a commission on a single contract, it is quite another to keep a finger in my pocket wherever I play.

After that, adding to the above posts. Some big companies have a web site that posts openings, where you upload resumes, recording/vid links, or the contact info for their main contractor. These days people like to see that you have stage presence, so if it looks good, post vids of live gigs with a little horn choreography on a pop song, short lively solos, "big band lead" can mean a credible version of Getting Sentimental Over You, Marie, a la Dorsey or Buddy Morrow or something from your jazz band playing section lead, singing, can help. A little rock, improving on rock/funk tune, standards, pop, jazz, show.

Expect

• A lot of sight reading on the bandstand. If the band does society dance stuff, you'll read that a lot on the stand. If you are doing more top 40 club stuff, the rehearsals are for the singers and dancers, so read the chart well and take time to memorize it on your own time very very quickly, because the form will change if they decide to extend a song for the dancers, and you'll have choreography, interaction with the passengers. Show rehearsals are for the singers, dancers, and stage stuff. Musicians are expected to get it right, right away. Generally, I think Bands tend to rehearse very little, usually just the shows and maybe a new tune.
  Improvising. Leaders don't necessarily give you a tune list, or time to search your iPad for a chart. Have that discussion before the set if you're nervous about what head tunes get called.
  Know a lot of standards heads and changes. I played in more of a society band. So we played Standards that are danceable like 30s and 40s tunes, swing, more than bebop jazz standards.
  On your laptop, download tons of fakebooks, PDF lead sheets, tunes, etc. Internet on ships is much better today than in the past, but downloading files can be a pain. You won't be able to access your spotify or itunes for much of the time you're out.
  Make sure your passport is up to date, with a year or more on it.
  Know that you're under contract, and if the company needs to adjust the schedule or move you to a different ship, they can.

Pack light on your first cruise. Basic mutes (straight, cup, plunger, unless they specifically say you need pixie, solotone, or harmon for some show), 1 horn. Worried about needing a repair? Well if someone drops a crate on your horn, you're out of luck. But you should be able to get through 3 months without needing a slide repair. You can probably go years without a trombone mishap. At least once a week you should be in a port that has a repair shop. Do that research when you know the itinerary but before you board. You would hand carry a horn on and off ship, keep it in a hard case around the ship (narrow hallways, metal stairs, no good storage options for a soft case). Bring horn stand, extra slide goo, etc. If you don't already have a silent brass, just some foam in your adjustable cup mute is probably fine. I usually count on finding a time to practice backstage in the theater, but if you really put in a lot of face time, plan on a solution. If you wanted to bring "extra", and you double on guitar or something, that might be worth the extra luggage.

Please don't practice in your cabin, your neighbor is a waiter or room steward who probably puts in 18 hour shifts doing a much harder job. So the 1 hour nap they get in the middle of the day really matters to them.

Do be ready to be in charge of a lifeboat station. You'd not have to handle ropes and boats, but ships I've been on all wanted musicians (who have some presence and speaking in public experience) to take roll and give passengers basic instructions.

Pack a small flashlight. Comes in handy in so many ways (finding something you dropped backstage during a show, finding something in your cabin without waking roommate). And if the ship ever did go dark, it is very dark in your inside low level cabin. Earplugs, cuz you don't know your roommate.

I'm guessing the contractor will specify, but have a good quality tux that is very comfortable, loose. Ships get hot. Good black shoes.

3. Don't be "that guy". Cruise ship horror stories abound, like the guy who peed into a pickle jar from his top bunk because he didn't want to go all the way to the bathroom, 4 feet away, the guy who tried to pick up passengers and bring back to their cabin, a lot. Sure, totally against the rules, but really a violation of roommate code.

4. Really keep your costs low. Eat the chow you're offered. Don't wear a hat in the officers mess. Easy on the alcohol. If you think you'll do this for a while, get rid of your apartment and plan to visit family or friends between cruises.
5. Set your home address with a family member so you have a reliable place for mail and taxes, preferably in a state with no state taxes. Organize your banking and bills to be all online.
6. Take advantage of the experience. Take time getting to know each port. Check with the excursions team to see if they need crew to chaperone trips. Just taking attendance on the bus and holding a little sign can get you free horseback riding, historic ruins trip, run on a 1960 racing yacht. One I had was a day drinking beer, eating grilled chicken, and snorkeling around an island small enough you could swim around without your beer getting too warm by the time you get back.

Pros:
Networking opportunities. Yes, some if you change ships/lines regularly.
Traveling opportunities. Yes!
Time to practice and get better at the things I want to get better at WHILE still gigging and making money. Yep, as above, sometimes tough to find space, and you might not be able to play loud on an open horn.
No rent or food costs. Yep!

Cons:
Being away from friends/loved ones for months at a time. Mine were happy for me. Easy to keep in touch
Tiny living space(not really a con unless I have to keep my instruments in my room)
Unfamiliarity with international laws/languages. Ports tend to be English friendly. English is very common in travel industry. Always travel in groups in unfamiliar places, for your safety.
What happens if I get sick? Do I get fired?Ships docs for common ailments, doc can do emergency appendectomy. Seriously ill, you'd be in a port within 48 hours, and probably have to de-ship on your expense.
What happens in the event of family emergencies at home? Do I have the ability to leave when I get to a port and fly out from there back home? For something like a close family death, possible. At your expense. You are under a contract, and tough to replace immediately. You'd really want to communicate that situation clearly, it is very involved to get your passport back from the office of the purser, get entry to a foreign country, and fly home from a foreign airport. If you have a family member in a condition that could turn bad, you might not want to choose to be working overseas/on the seas.

[BGuttman]

Great post, BrassedOn. Between that and Megan O'Malley's blog you can get a great idea of what cruise ship life is like.

Can somebody post links to the agents who recruit for the lines?

[ExZacLee]

BrassedOn's post is great, very informative. A lot of good information there.

The ship gig has changed a bit since I started doing boats in '95. My last time out was about 3.5 years ago, with NCL and CCL. The NCL gig was more like the old days - a lot of reading, shows, jazz and dixie sets, etc. The CCL gig was transitioning to the newer format where you're basically playing in a cover band with a horn section - although we were still doing shows, fly-ons, cocktail parties and the occasional jazz set.

When starting out, expect jobs with many places to be in the 550-700/week range. Lower pay used to equal a more relaxed environment, but many ships have started putting the kibosh on the freer atmosphere we enjoyed a few decades ago. A higher premium is placed on responsible behavior now, to put it Kindly.

Some lines (luxury lines) still have 7 piece and small big bands - older format with shows, etc., lots of reading - and if you're in the know the money can be pretty good. My buddy Mike just finished something with P&O (I think it was P&O) that was paying about 900 a week. Those are rare and usually go to people with a lot of history or a good recommendation.

Some lines actually have broadway shows on them - pay well, guest status and cabin - if you're in the touring circuit and know the right people, these are pretty lucrative as well. Improvising usually not a necessity on these gigs. Reading chops need to be in the 99th percentile, and low brass players might be expected to double on trombone, bass trombone, euphonium and tuba depending on the show and the chair. My buddy Ryan, a lead trumpet player, just plays trumpet (not sure if he ever has to double on picc or anything.) These types of gigs can be short term and are good for guys with established work in larger cities.

The least specialized gigs, like CCL used be (and I think NCL still is for most part) - that require the most generalized level of skill (and pretty high level across the board) are great even though they may not pay as well as some of the other gigs. You play a lot of different stuff, have plenty of time to practice, and you can work on your arranging skills with a working band. I made a lot of extra income with my arranging when I was working on ships. I also picked up some piano skills and did that for a few years. The piano gig paid more (an extra 100-150/week) and offered opportunities for extra sets/ private parties and what-not. I got particularly lucky when the stars aligned on one contract, I was pulling an extra 500-700 a week in extra duties, another $150/wk for subbing as musical director, plus the extra pay from the charts I was doing for singers. On that contract, which I think was about 5 or 6 months, I averaged about $2000/wk - this is rare but if you hustle and find yourself in the right position, who knows. Making that kind of money playing music on land is very difficult, and part of why I did it as long as I did (over a decade.)

Ships are great for working on your musician skills - becoming a total musician. Whether you want to do it for a long time depends on a lot of factors, mainly how well you can tolerate being in a cramped environment with your shipmates.

CCL does their stuff online now. If you know the guys who do the hiring it's a plus, as with any job.

https://carnivalentertainment.com/musicians

Mike Suman's company (Suman Entertainment) hires for ships, with the plus that if you're particularly good and easy to get along with, he also does tours, productions and that sort of thing. The last thing I did with them was fun jaunt up to Niagara Falls for a BeeGees show - made some extra scratch for charts too.

http://sumanent.com

ProShip, Landau, etc., I haven't worked with them. They take a percentage, and may require exclusivity agreements - I don't like to go that route if I can avoid it.

I have a few students going out soon - I'll see if they want to post their experiences as well.

[Jhereg]

Hi Fruitysloth (great name),

Just thought I'd chime in, Mike provided a link to my blog but here is the first post I made about actual ship stuff. Every post after this one covers my time and experience on the ship:
https://taz-39.livejournal.com/100829.html

BrassedOn and ExZacLee have given a REALLY good rundown of things to think about. I'd like to add some considerations based on my very recent experience.

• At the end of my cruise contract (which was not even a month ago) all of the musicians were sat down by upper management and told that Princess will be making a significant effort to hire people who can A) behave like adults, and B) who are more likely to stay with the company for multiple contracts. Princess Cruises is a part of Carnival Corporation, which owns the majority of existing cruise lines and ships. So consider that even right now, they're making changes. Consider your personality and what you want out of cruising. BrassedOn is right, the cruise ship industry has changed and continues to change.

• Internet is getting SIGNIFICANTLY better on ships right now. That said, you should still expect outages and slow service, especially on sea days. Highly recommend setting aside money for ship wifi, or buying an SD card for whatever country you'll be in, or using your shore leave to hunt down free/cheap wifi.

• All Princess ships use tablets for their music. I know, for a fact, that Carnival Corp is rushing to have tablets on ALL of their ships. If I were you, I'd be prepared to use some kind of Android tablet for the majority of your sets, especially if you're in the house band.

• No matter what cruise line you end up on, you WILL have to do weekly, biweekly, and monthly safety drills. You are basically serving the same function as an airline steward.

• You will not be allowed off the ship nearly as much as you think. You will be assigned In Port Manning duty, meaning in one port per week you will have to stay on the ship. I know that schedules vary across cruise lines, but personally the most time I ever got off the ship in one port was about 8 hours. There usually wasn't even time for excursions. I hope your experience will be different.

• Even if you aren't prone to motion sickness, you CAN get motion sick. Keep a few meclizine in your trombone case or pocket (it's free from the ship med center) and if you know it's going to get rough, pop one NOW to save yourself a lot of agony later. My boss, who has done ships for 20 years, got sick during one of our shows because she "never gets seasick" and didn't take anything even though she knew it would be a rough day. No one is safe from motion sickness. Swallow your pride and prepare for this possibility.

• You've listed one of your cons as "tiny living space". You should rephrase that to "tiny living space shared with a stranger". You will have zero privacy...your roommate will see you naked and showering and sh*tting and jerking off, and you'll get an eyefull of whatever he does too. All of the smells of both of you will be in that tiny room. Just be prepared to deal with that, especially if you're one of those who NEEDS alone time, because you are NOT going to get much AT ALL.

• The others have said this already but I'm saying it again: the pay is just ok. It is not lucrative to be a house band musician on a cruise ship. You *might* have some opportunities to make extra money, but unless you've arranged that with your hiring manager before boarding, don't depend on that.

• Oh, and before you can join a ship, you will require a full physical which depending on your medical history could include multiple blood draws, urinalysis, EKG, vaccinations, eye tests, ear tests, misc. physical exams, and more...and usually you are the one who has to pay for that. The exam must be completed months before you join, so better get started now.

That's about all I can think of right now. Different ships will have different perks and rules and whatnot, but some things are the same across all of them. My blog contains most of the positive aspects of ship life...I have listed most of the negatives to counteract that haha. Some people love it and do it for years, for others one contract is enough. I think you should give it a try if/when you are able. Despite all the cons I've listed here, it definitely is an experience worth having.

[PaulTdot]

To add to what other have already written:

* The upside is everything you'd expect: you're playing all the time, you get paid, you have few worries, you see the world. I got paid to party regularly, perform every night, visit Mayan pyramids and go cave tubing in Belize.

You meet a lot of interesting people from around the world - most ships are very international.

* The downside is that your life is very limited and outside your control. You don't know how your cabinmate will be, what your schedule is, when you're allowed off the ship, what you eat, sometimes when you sleep, etc.

* You're isolated, which means lonely, homesick, and, often, far from musical inspiration. You might spend months never hearing someone who plays at a really high level or playing with musicians who really swing or otherwise inspire you. Don't forget that you're not taking lessons, sitting in on jam sessions, or going to shows. You have to be your own source of inspiration and motivation (more on that below).

Your cabin probably won't have a window, so you won't see the sun in the morning. That can be hard for some people. On the upside, you'll sleep like a baby, in a gently rocking, humming ship!

* When you get back, you'll be surprised at how much everyone has "forgotten you". After a single contract, I was running into people over a year later who didn't call me for gigs because they thought I no longer lived in the city.

If you do a good job, they will try to keep you working on ships for as long as possible (offering better contracts, bonuses, etc). You'll have fewer and fewer options "on land", may have a ship-based girlfriend or boyfriend or partner, and all these things will push you to go out again for another contract, and another...

* If you want to party it up and have a great time without worries, it's a great thing to do. Watch out, though: I saw people end a long contract with no money to take home, because they spent it all. Still, if you want an easy life for a while, this will give you that! On some ships, you don't even need to change your sheets on your bed - someone else does that for you. It's a little bit like university life, living in residence, but without any classes.

* On the other hand, if you want to accomplish things and do good, you'll have lots of free time. I'm a self-motivated person, so I practiced more, and more consistently, than I ever have in my life, before or since. I put myself through a rigorous workout regimen and was in the best shape of my life. I studied Spanish and HTML. I know people who also completed courses by registering for some kind of certification on the days they were in port. You can achieve a lot!

However, staying motivated on a ship is hard. Life is strange, you're surrounded by weirdos and gossip, you miss regular life, and there are all kinds of other challenges. No one's pushing you forward: it's all you.

When you first arrive on the ship, chances are that you WILL get sick with something. There will be a million viruses floating around you haven't been exposed to before.

[Mikebmiller]

Are all contracts for 3-4 months? I was just wondering if a retired guy, which I will be in a few years, might be able to sign on for a week or two, maybe to fill in for someone or fill a gap between contracts for a ship. Just curious. I would love to do a short term thing, but having a wife and dogs and so forth would make a multi month commitment unrealistic.

[ExZacLee]

Cruise lines are generally looking for people to commit to longer contracts. If you have a history with them and live near a port you could possibly work as a short term sub. I did sub work for a short time, but it's not for everyone. You fly out to a boat, you're playing new stuff every night so most of your free time is spent going through the book (little to no rehearsal) and getting certified for that ship in your safety classes. If you get more than a week or two, you may have some time to get off and explore. If you have guest status you can avoid safety training, but this is rarely a musician perk - particularly for subs, unless you're subbing on one of the "big deal" shows (like the broadway at sea stuff.)

[papaslides]

9 years on Royal Caribbean, 5 as a musical director including a few takeouts of brand new ships. Feel free to PM me any questions.

[wegibson]

PM me if you are interested in any more information. I am a musical director for Cunard.

[BGuttman]

wegibson, you cannot receive Private Messages until you have two approved posts. You can post a dummy in the "Why can't I see my posts" thread in Comments.

[Thrawn22]

Consider it like enlisting in the military. Which, given the current state of the military, maybe be a pretty good comparison.

[ExZacLee]

It is nothing like enlisting in the military.