working on boats or in hotels abroad

[rich8364]

Can anyone offer any advice on getting into cruise ship working, or playing in hotels abroad? After years of gigging around the London jazz scene playing double bass, and before that doing summer seasons, a cruise and various dance bands on electric bass, I got out of the business for a few years and did something else. Now I'm dipping my toe back into the music business and have been made redundant from my day job. I've got no particular ties and I quite fancy getting away from the UK, at least temporarily. Any experiences gratefully received.

[OliverH]

I was trying to get into this at the beginning of the year, and some of my music colleagues have already been doing it. My understanding is that a lot of permanently stationed bands (hotels etc) are being or already have been sent home. I think there is still work on ships but only for smaller ensembles (like a 3 or 4 piece all up). We were trying to get work as 4 guys + female singer and ended up not being able to get anything.

If you want to try, you need to find an agent who deals with cruise companies or overseas hotels. Ask them what band configuration you are most likely to get work as, then assemble your band in its final lineup, take professional photos, prepare a professional quality video of say 10 songs in a performance environment, and prepare at least 200 songs that are popular around the world.

That being said I don't think the economic climate is very friendly to this kind of band at the moment. Let me know if you have any luck though, me and my band mates want to get out of here!

[Howlin' Hanson]

Last cruise I was on there were a few duos and solo lounge acts, the main show band (probably hired as individual players), and a four-piece who looked they they had been assembled on board rather than hired as a band.

Good luck.

[MadMan118]

Originally Posted by Howlin' Hanson

Last cruise I was on there were a few duos and solo lounge acts, the main show band (probably hired as individual players), and a four-piece who looked they they had been assembled on board rather than hired as a band.

Good luck.

Yeah that happens, I played for a assembled band like that it was okay, the drummer was pretty solid and is now the drummer for my band. Other than that it sucked, we weren't allowed to go many places so I spent every spare hour at the bar or on the can. Good luck trying to get your DB on the damm boat, let alone if they even give you decent enough space. In my experience/opinion, the pay sucked, the experience sucked, my roomate/bandmate was seasick, and uf the upper/middle class annoy you you'll hate it there. They all wanted us to play really crappy music IMO, so all in all, stay on land.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by MadMan118

Yeah that happens, I played for a assembled band like that it was okay, the drummer was pretty solid and is now the drummer for my band. Other than that it sucked, we weren't allowed to go many places so I spent every spare hour at the bar or on the can. Good luck trying to get your DB on the damm boat, let alone if they even give you decent enough space. In my experience/opinion, the pay sucked, the experience sucked, my roomate/bandmate was seasick, and uf the upper/middle class annoy you you'll hate it there. They all wanted us to play really crappy music IMO, so all in all, stay on land.

18 years ago I spent 3 months playing bass on a cruise ship, and my experience pretty much mirrors MadMan's, except

- replace "sucked" with "was marginally tolerable"
- replace "seasick" with "a raging alcoholic"

Oh yeah, and the drummer is not the drummer for my current band...which is unfortunate, because he was good.


imho cruise ship work is best for folks who are somewhat transient; i.e., folks who don't own or plan on continuing to rent their primary residence. It's also good for folks with no aspirations to bigger/better things, or for people who just want to take a break from life. Because in the end it's a giant Rip Van Winkle time-suck: You come off the ship months later having accomplished little else other than playing a lot of bass, and your career is still exactly where it was way back when you first stepped onboard the ship...except that maybe you've met a couple musicians who can get you more time-suck gigs.