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Cruise Ship Gigs??

#24
Joe Nerve said:
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.
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Wow! When did this happen? Now it's true I'm back after a few decades elsewhere, but since when did reading become optional? Not incredulous of your observation, Joe Nerve. I believe you. Just kind of mildly agog that reading is no longer considered a core skill. Seems the business is not what I recall it was.

To topic: it takes a certain point of view to do a cruise ship gig. Many friends who took the job and returned to do it again. They were able to cop the proper attitude to do this kind of gig. What I thought about when cruise gigs were available to me is if I was willing to accept the work in exchange for pay, and if I am comfortable working in that structure. I decided it was not right for me even though the opportunity is a massive skill builder. But I never cottoned to a structured hierarchy and took a hard pass. YMMV.
 
#25
Joe Nerve said:
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.
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Totally untrue. I am a musical director on ships. Sightreading is the most important skill if you are in one of the house bands (orchestra or trio). The orchestra, especially, is required to read new shows down daily. The charts you're required to read are, 99% of the time, fully written out bass parts with no chord symbols. The trios sometimes back guest entertainers if the orchestra is busy with another show, so they need to be able to read as well. There are other gigs that don't require reading, but those are usually with preexisting lounge bands. Even some of these lounge bands are reading bands these days.
 
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#26
I Work/Worked for Royal Caribbean Cruises.. I'm not sure why anyone would truly search for cruise ship gigs, but if you know how to save money and control alcohol intake along with dumb human beings, you will love it.

Otherwise keep trying to find gigs that can lead to something, as it's solely for saving money and meeting very very interesting or odd people.
 
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#27
There is a hiring agency in Montreal I beleive. Googgle it.
Some of the lines hire directly. They use Skype to audition.
They send you a sealed envelope which then has to be opened only
as they start the live interview. You then play along live on Skype.
You need to read music very well.
Good luck.
 
#30
GwenOnBass said:
Wow! When did this happen? Now it's true I'm back after a few decades elsewhere, but since when did reading become optional? Not incredulous of your observation, Joe Nerve. I believe you. Just kind of mildly agog that reading is no longer considered a core skill. Seems the business is not what I recall it was.

To topic: it takes a certain point of view to do a cruise ship gig. Many friends who took the job and returned to do it again. They were able to cop the proper attitude to do this kind of gig. What I thought about when cruise gigs were available to me is if I was willing to accept the work in exchange for pay, and if I am comfortable working in that structure. I decided it was not right for me even though the opportunity is a massive skill builder. But I never cottoned to a structured hierarchy and took a hard pass. YMMV.
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Ross Kratter said:
Totally untrue. I am a musical director on ships. Sightreading is the most important skill if you are in one of the house bands (orchestra or trio). The orchestra, especially, is required to read new shows down daily. The charts you're required to read are, 99% of the time, fully written out bass parts with no chord symbols. The trios sometimes back guest entertainers if the orchestra is busy with another show, so they need to be able to read as well. There are other gigs that don't require reading, but those are usually with preexisting lounge bands. Even some of these lounge bands are reading bands these days.
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Yes and yes and yes:). Apologies.

I think I spoke too quickly and not clearly enough. What I really wanted to express was that where there's a will, there's a way. There is a way to get cruise ship gigs without the ability to read. I know people who have done it, but I would guess most still do require reading skills. Or at least the ability to navigate a chart.
 
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#32
A friend, and former co-worker just celebrated 10 years on cruise ships. He loves it, and lives the Jimmy Buffet lifestyle, heading ashore and hanging out at beach bars when not working.
He cautioned me that it is not for everybody, and many quit after their first cruise. It's an unnatural lifestyle of forced seclusion, where many people feel groundless, and homeless. Boredom, and alcoholism are two of the dangers.
That being said- I'd love to try it!!

Edit- He doesn't read at all. He's in the show band, and just learns his parts the old fashioned way. They only rehearse once per cruise, so you gotta be on your toes!
 
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#33
Cruise ship work is cool, but you need the skills, and reading is top of those skills, SN reading in particular.
Reading charts is also required, as is a good work ethic.

In Europe you need paperwork, so a crew or transit visa is needed, this lets you enter ports of call, or a countries maritime waters, but does not allow you to stay or live there.

So depending where you work you will need the relevant paperwork before you apply.
The same applies for any medical paperwork, or H & S paperwork you may need...make sure you have it before you apply.

Much of this work is on websites, and auditions may be required, so always be honest on your abilities, skills and experience. The worst thing you can do is try and bluff your way on as you will be found out.

When i done it in the past the MD had everything in folders, so a rep of 1000 songs was common, everything from dance music `(waltz tango, American Smooth, Jive etc) to working with the shows put on, so think new show every night, to current chart songs, to classics and any genre such as Soul, Jazz, Disco, etc.
Today i believe this is iPad work, so the potential is thousands of tunes in a myriad of styles, so in theory a lot of "Click Playing" as a moving curser may be used to keep everyone in time.
Even as a bassist we could be asked to play with a piano player or guitarist, some light incidental music to people entering for dinner of events, or even play near the Captains table.

We were employed as musicians, so our employment was to play our instruments, so if not playing, practicing or rehearsing we were "off duty".
But i believe today many are employed under an entertainers contract, so you may find yourself helping out in any area covered as entertainment...and that is in theory whenever you are awake you are available to help set up shows, move scenery, baby sit kids, do showcases for passengers etc etc.

So if you google "Cruise Ship Musician Bookers" you will find lots of info and job descriptions to consider and maybe apply for.
As a rule you work for the company that supplies the entertainers, not the Cruise ship line, or any company booking the ships, but for the company that supplies the entertainers.

Good luck with it all, it is a great experience, well it was back in the late 70s early 80s, but life was simpler back then.
 
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#34
Never done a cruise ship gig but I have been a passenger on four different cruises that were all 14-days out.
I watched musicians move from venue to venue throughout the day changing costumes and genres as they went.
The same players who were playing soft rock at lunch were playing reggae by the pool in the afternoon, jazz standards at dinner, disco/top40 in the cabaret at night, or backing headliners in the showroom.
Almost without exception they were reading charts. Also without exception they were talented top level players.
Most of them were also multi instrumentalists and had vocal skills.
I always thought that a cruise ship gig would be cool until I got a close up view of it and realized that it wasn't really for me and even if I thought that it was I probably didn't have the skills required to pull it off.
 
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#35
Liam Wald said:
Never done a cruise ship gig but I have been a passenger on four different cruises that were all 14-days out.
I watched musicians move from venue to venue throughout the day changing costumes and genres as they went.
The same players who were playing soft rock at lunch were playing reggae by the pool in the afternoon, jazz standards at dinner, disco/top40 in the cabaret at night, or backing headliners in the showroom.
Almost without exception they were reading charts. Also without exception they were talented top level players.
Most of them were also multi instrumentalists and had vocal skills.
I always thought that a cruise ship gig would be cool until I got a close up view of it and realized that it wasn't really for me and even if I thought that it was I probably didn't have the skills required to pull it off.
Click to expand...

^ Spoken for truth.
 

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