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Cruise ship gigging

#41
juggahnaught said:
Congrats on the gig!

If you don't mind a few questions:
  1. How did you get your own quarters on the ship? I understand that that's usually reserved for guest bands. Are you technically ship staff, or no?
  2. You're transcribing a lot of music. Does the majority of your repertoire and setlist require you (personally) to sight read? Or are you playing standards and songs that are well-known to you?
  3. How long are you going to stick with the cruise ship gig?
  4. What's your method for transcription? In the past, when I've done it, it's just been a matter of listening and listening and relistening. (I used Dorico to do a multi-instrument transcription of Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up", as well as "Pick Up The Pieces" by Average White Band, and even though I have a good ear it was just a slow process overall. Especially with Move On Up - seemed like every time I listened, there was a new instrument waiting for me.)
  5. Final question - if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I'm 35 and maybe in five to ten years I could see myself doing a cruise ship gig for six months to a year or so.
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1. Yes, we are a guest band with passenger status.

2. Yes, strong sight-reading is essential, simply due to the size and diversity of the repertoire (over 500 songs, ballroom, pop, soul, jazz, rock etc, including medley arrangements).

3. The current contract is until mid November but I envisage returning for more stints in 2022 and beyond.

4. I listen carefully and write down what I hear! I don’t know how to explain the process other than stating the obvious!

5. A well-preserved 51 years of age!
 
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#42
JimmyM said:
Holy crap! You use heavies! Anyway, it looks like they totally hooked you up. Glad to see that your wife was cool with it. Usually dudes with wives don't do cruise ship stretches...it's usually kids out of music school and divorcees :D
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I initially declined the gig. I got home and told my wife. She immediately instructed me to phone back and reverse my decision!
 
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#46
Tom Read said:
4. I listen carefully and write down what I hear! I don’t know how to explain the process other than stating the obvious!
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Looks like we're on the same page in terms of process. That's what I do. I just wasn't sure if there were any different processes that professional transcriptionists use, especially in terms of speed and output. I guess that perhaps music transcription is just a universally tedious process. (Even with MIDI keyboard input, sometimes you still have to go back and make corrections, ugh.)

Glad to hear that I haven't yet passed the age of possibility. Good luck with the gig.
 
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#52
morgansterne said:
I played in a casual band with a drummer who was a cruise ship magician for a few years. He and his lovely assistant (also wife) and his parrot, who of course was trained for comic relief in the show.

I hope you get some stories out of your experience as entertaining as his are. Enjoy!
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Reminds me of a cruise ship magician who boarded with his assistant (also wife) and their skunk. Actually, might have been two skunks with one dyed to perfectly match the other. His late night adults only show was quite entertaining!
 
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#53
(OP) - "There's no day off - it's a 7 day working week. Those days tend to have 4, 5 or even sometimes 6 sets to play, and sometimes with the first at 12 noon and the last finishing at midnight! In between those sets, I'm still writing bass transcriptions in my cabin. I've brought a small tablet running Musescore with me, and a Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard. I've had a couple of orders from my website, but mainly I've been writing myself bass charts I need for the shows on here."

Very ambitious schedule you have. It's great seeing a fellow bassist enjoying themselves and working. Thank you for sharing as I enjoyed reading your post very much.
 
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#55
I missed out on the cruise ship experience when I was a kid, and that's when I should have done it. But the sea and I sometimes have our little disagreements, and the sea usually wins.

By the time I got on cruise ships, I was in the backup band for the headliners on 50's-60's cruises, then our BL started putting on his own cruises and hiring the acts directly, so most I ever did in a stretch was 2 weeks. And it ended up being 7 day weeks for us, too. Always loved them for about 4 days, but by the 5th day I was ready to get off. Except for Alaska. We only worked 5 days on that one, and it was a blast to see Alaska (and stay in Seattle for a day, if you know what I mean :D )

There was reading involved, but nothing like what you get thrown at you when you're in the ship orchestra. You can't even get on those gigs unless you're a good sightreader. And while I consider myself a good sightreader, sit me down next to a decent horn player and I'm toast! So for that reason alone, I wish I'd have done a hitch or two.
 
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#56
BlueTalon said:
I did six years in the Navy (4 1/2 of those on a frigate) and I have no desire to do anything like a cruise gig. But being at sea can be an enjoyable experience, and you look like you're having a wonderful time, so I'm very happy for you.
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I can only imagine being a civilian eating good food. Having nice living space and playing bass everyday is a considerably more enjoyable experience then being on ship duties in the navy.
 
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#57
I did the cruise ship thing for 6 months when I was 22 and single, it was a lot of fun. I played drums in the showband, so it was a piecemail band full of talented musicians (and me) sightreading everything. I shared a tiny cabin, but I was with the bassist who was a super cool guy, so it was fine. I always got one day a week off though, and I got off the ship every day and wandered around just like the guests.

Super fun job for a young single dude, but I haven't even been tempted to do it again.
 
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#58
SLO Surfer said:
sounds great! Did you board the ship with a band that had already been formed on land, or did the company hire you as a bassist and you met the band once on board? How many passengers/crew fit on the ship?
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The band met for the very first time on board! The keyboards/MD and the female vocalist already worked together extensively (and they are a couple!), but they sought and hired a bass player and drummer based on recommendations. All members of the band are strong readers and highly experienced session musicians, so sounding tight and polished came early in rehearsals on board despite having never previously met.

The ship markets itself as luxury boutique cruising, and so is spacious, including the passenger accommodation. Therefore the passenger capacity is 999, and the crew is believed to number around 500.
 
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#59
Ethereal Thorn said:
I can only imagine being a civilian eating good food. Having nice living space and playing bass everyday is a considerably more enjoyable experience then being on ship duties in the navy.
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Oh, there's absolutely no doubt about the truth of what you said. But there's still the ship part of it, and I've done enough time on those.

Speaking only for myself, of course.
 
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