Introduction

Since this blog is new, I will start with an introduction.  This blog is a bit of a request from people who have been interested in working as a musician on cruise ships.  Working on ships for five years has allowed me to travel to over 40 countries on 5 continents.  I've worked on different ships that range in size from 600 guests up to ships that hold over 4,000.  I have worked as a musician in the orchestra and have also been Musical Director.

When I first started working on cruise ships, I knew absolutely nothing about what it would be like.  I took a cruise with my family twice before but when I was much younger.  Exactly ten years went by from when I took a cruise as a teenager with my parents to the day I signed on as an official crew member.  The only way I could learn was through my own experience and asking a lot of questions.  I knew nobody who had ever worked on a ship before so I didn't know where to even start.  As I gained more experience, I swore I would always do whatever I could to help people who were interested in the job and also people joining a ship for the first time.  After I started working onboard, I have helped friends and friends of friends help understand what is means to be a musician onboard a cruise ship.

I first started in 2008 and the range of comments from family and friends ranged from thinking I was going to live in paradise all the way to thinking I was crazy, they thought it was like joining the circus.  Over the years I've learned it is a combination of both and everything in between.  While you do fall into a routine over time, there is always something a little bit different from cruise to cruise.

My experience is probably like most cruise ship musicians.  I do have some rather unique stories to tell, but that will all come later on, I'm sure.  Some highlights include meeting people from all over the world (including my wife!), performing a wide variety of music, traveling around the world, and also being able to have my family come and visit from time to time.

So I think this is where I will leave it for now.  I will try and hit the big topics first (requirements of the job, how to go about getting hired, what to expect on your first days onboard, etc.) and then get into the smaller details.  I'll make sure to throw in a story or two along the way to keep it entertaining.  But hopefully this will give out free information to those who are interested in working onboard an international cruise ship.