Cruise Ship Gigs??

[IamGroot]

So for years I listened to senior musicians, especially jazz horn players and drummers , telling me how much they enjoyed the cruise ship/europe tour scene. Play a cruise ship from the us to scandavia, then gig south winding up in Greece.

Well 15 years later, i am retired and ready to play.

Anybody have advice how to land this work? I am a very competent bass player whether its jazz or classic rock, etc. Can read charts very well or improvise by ear.

 

[Joe Nerve]

...chances are you'll go far if you get in with the right bunch of fellows.

I think cruise ship gigs are mostly word of mouth. I have 2 friends doing them now, and they got their gigs from others they knew who were doing them. Funny thing with those gigs too is it seems the people who hate being on cruise ships get them, and the people wanting them have a rough time. I always wanted to do cruise ship gigs, and still have that on my bucket list. It's a lot of work though, and depending on the cruise ship you can have a great time, or a really horrible time. I know some ships have the musicians doing other work during down time. I would never take a gig like that.

I'm going to guess others here will have some more hopeful info for ya. The above is my experience. I'm sure there are people here who know ways in that I don't.

Good luck. I hope you get a gig. I believe if you want to badly enough, you will.

 

[twinjet]

So for years I listened to senior musicians, especially jazz horn players and drummers , telling me how much they enjoyed the cruise ship/europe tour scene. Play a cruise ship from the us to scandavia, then gig south winding up in Greece.

Well 15 years later, i am retired and ready to play.

Anybody have advice how to land this work? I am a very competent bass player whether its jazz or classic rock, etc. Can read charts very well or improvise by ear.

Can you sight-read in standard notation? I'd brush up on that.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Can you sight-read in standard notation? I'd brush up on that.

That's not necessary these days. Knowing a lot of tunes and being able to learn quickly (or make quick charts) works. Both people I know who were doing them didn't have any reading skills at all.

 

[twinjet]

That's not necessary these days. Knowing a lot of tunes and being able to learn quickly (or make quick charts) works. Both people I know who were doing them didn't have any reading skills at all.

Oh, well hey, maybe now I stand a chance. my reading is rusty, but still usable.

A drummer I knew told me a ton of reading is involved. Maybe it just depends on the group.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Maybe it just depends on the group.

That's probably true.

Crazy as it might sound, I ALWAYS wanted to play in a wedding band. Loved the idea of playing such a wide variety of music, but thought I never stood a chance since I have no reading skills.

I'm playing in a wedding band .

Things ain't the way they used to be 10-20 years ago. I had to know less to start playing with this wedding band than I had to know doing club gigswith the same band.

 

[twinjet]

That's probably true.

Crazy as it might sound, I ALWAYS wanted to play in a wedding band. Loved the idea of playing such a wide variety of music, but thought I never stood a chance since I have no reading skills.

I'm playing in a wedding band .

Things ain't the way they used to be 10-20 years ago. I had to know less to start playing with this wedding band than I had to know doing club gigswith the same band.

I'm finding with this folk band I will be working for, your ears are most important. But if nothing else, having an understanding of Nashville numbers is helpful.

 

[IamGroot]

I read std charts in both G and F clef, real books, nashville number, scrathes on paper plus a system i concocted in excel. I used to play for a jazz vocalist in a steady restaurant gig who would call out a jazz std and then call the key as he counted it off......Girl From Ipanema......Bb. If you screwed up, he would stop, apologize to the audience and try again. It was a very good learning experience, good pay, and good food.

i also made a point of going to blues and rock jam sessions for years to be able to play anything.

 

[twinjet]

I read std charts in both G and F clef, real books, nashville number, scrathes on paper plus a system i concocted in excel. I used to play for a jazz vocalist in a steady restaurant gig who would call out a jazz std and then call the key as he counted it off......Girl From Ipanema......Bb. If you screwed up, he would stop, apologize to the audience and try again. It was a very good learning experience, good pay, and good food.

i also made a point of going to blues and rock jam sessions for years to be able to play anything.

Wow. That's a great way to get broken in.

My first paid work was in a swanky restaurant, also out of a real book. You learn real quick in that kind of environment.

 

[GhettoBrassGuy]

Still gotta read unless you're hired as part of an already existing cover band or tribute act, etc. Go here and apply. They do a live audition via Skype or something similar. If you pass they give you a plane ticket and you're on your way.

Proship Entertainment

 

[IamGroot]

THANKS!!!

 

[SLO Surfer]

If you join a ship by yourself you'll most likely be in the show band where you will have to sight read almost every night. You can also join a ship with a pre-formed top 40's band (or mariachi band when sailing in mexico or soca band in the caribbean) and those guys don't need to sight read as long as they can play tons of top 40 stuff (think hundreds of songs) and take requests from all eras. Those bands usually form on land and get a contract as a full band, from duo up to quartet. I've worked dozens of contracts for Princess Cruises and had many friends who have worked for Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian, and Celebrity cruise lines; not one musician I know of has had to do work outside of music other than passenger safety drills. It's a great gig if you're single. Most musician contracts average about 4-6 months long, and you need to own a tux.

 

[SLO Surfer]

I'd also recommend getting hired directly from the cruise lines if at all possible, and not go through an agent like proship. I always had quicker and more effective communication with the company directly than my band mates did going through their agency. You'll still do a skype or phone interview, which includes sight reading. They'll want to hear you play a bunch of styles like jazz and various latin feels, funk, rock, maybe some slap technique.

In my experience and from my friends word of mouth, Princess and Royal Caribbean are the best to work for with better pay, less hours, and more passenger privileges. I averaged a rehearsal and two shows a day, about 3 hours/day total. 1 beer or mixed drink in the crew bar costs about a buck and you just have to sign for it and pay a monthly tab.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

SLO Surfer covered it all but if you need more detail, there are many youtube videos covering this.
Some, from a young man named Josh Fossgreen, who posted almost a dozen. For example:
"How To Get A Cruise Ship Gig (Musicians)"
"What Skills You Need For A Cruise Ship Gig (Musicians)"
"Cruise Gig Gear For Bass Players"
"3 Reasons NOT To Do A Cruise Ship Gig (For Musicians)"
"3 Reasons To Do A Cruise Ship Gig (For Musicians)"
"Cruise Ship Musician Cabin Tour"
et cetera ...

 

[CapnSev]

Not quite a cruise ship (but pretty freaking close); I once played on a large ship that sailed from the port at Myrtle Beach into international waters, then turned into a giant floating casino. I was 21 at the time and knew someone that essentially got me the job. It was my first real professional musician job. It was hard. I was so outgunned by the other musicians it wasn't even funny. They were very encouraging though, and with their help, I grew more as a musician in those months than I had in my previous 9 years of playing before that.

I switched between electric and upright depending on the set or the night. Electric was all top 40 stuff that I had plenty of time to brush up on all week before the weekend (the gig). The upright was nothing but reading jazz charts. That was brutal.

Then I switched locations with the same company to Oceanside CA, to be closer to my home in Utah. That was a huge mistake. That band was not so friendly. They were all addicts, thieves, and generally despicable people. Every one of them. I quit shortly after that and moved back home.

 

[AztecViking]

Your enjoyment of it fully depends on your overall musical temperament. If you've survived for years doing cover band gigs you'll likely handle it fine.

I does sound like you've got what it takes to make it a worthy adventure. I'd say at least try it if you've got a legit opportunity.

 

[Jaygetsreal]

Be prepared to eat and drink LOTS.
An elderly guitarist band mate related his experience cruise gigging in the Pacific. After three weeks of excess his wife came to the Sydney docks to meet him on his return. As he walked down the gangway she honestly thought he was wearing a life jacket under his clothes

 

[jerry]

The friends of mine that do cruise gigs all read very well!

 

[dreamadream99]

[reading music] is not necessary these days.

Depends on the type of band. Certain lines (like Carnival and Princess) will have 5 to 10 different entertainment acts going on each night, from karaoke to piano bar, to country, rock, and blues. The smaller clubs and bars hire intact bands, and reading isn't a requirement.

The real coveted slot, though, is the main stage. It pays more, has less rehearsal, and shorter hours in general. This is a professional Vegas style show, with singers, and dancers. And the show band is definitely required to read. Charts can change nightly.

The only thing I hated about cruise ship playing was the crew quarters. Below the waterline, and cramped worse than the smallest college dorm room. If I had it to do again, I'd either negotiate a stateroom for a subsidy, or play in a guest band, which also gets staterooms, and can eat in public dining.

 

[Aberdumbie]

I did one cruise. Absolutely loved it. There was a Journey tribute act that played the casino. The fellows were far eastern. Little guys about five feet tall. They absolutely slayed their music and could not speak English accept for the Journey tunes they were singing....... OP I hope you land your cruise gig. That would be a great way to spend a retirement to be certain.