Packing

You’ve passed the audition and you’ve received all of your paperwork.  Now one of the overwhelming parts: time to pack!  It’s quite intimidating to try and pack for 7 months at sea.  I thought about writing on this topic now because it’s very relevant as I’m getting ready to leave for the ship in less than a week.  Typically most people will over pack.  On a vacation that isn’t too much of a problem (minus some excess baggage fees), but working on a cruise ship every bit of extra space is vital.  If you over pack for a contract, you will be stuck with excess baggage fees, but more importantly you will be stuck storing all the extra stuff in a place where they isn’t really room to store it.

It’s important to determine what you will actually need versus what you want to bring.  Think about your itinerary and your work.  Are you cruising in the Caribbean?  Then best to pack warm weather clothes and some swimsuits, but if you are cruising to Alaska you need to pack differently.  I have worked some contracts where I hit both warm and cold weather and it was a packing nightmare.  On this next contract, I will be visiting 40 countries in just under 7 months, going from the heat of Southeast Asia to the cold of the Baltic and above the Arctic Circle.  Not only can it lead to come nasty sinus infections, but can also be quite a challenge to pack for so many different climates.

The small crew cabins.  There is no room
for overpacking!

I usually plan on doing laundry about once per week so I will use that when planning on what to bring.  For laundry on the ship, you usually have 2 options: to send it out for a fee and it usually takes a few days, or you can do it yourself at the machines and it will only cost you laundry detergent.  You can choose which option you prefer, I have done both in the past.  Sending it off is nice because you don’t have to give up your free time searching for an open washer and dryer and watch over your clothes.  Sometimes rude and impatient crewmembers will take unattended clothes out so they can do their own.  But the downside of sending off you laundry is that it will cost you and will take a few days to get them back, something to consider if you really need the clothes back quickly.  Most ships I have worked on will clean uniform clothes for free, but again you have to plan ahead if you will need those clothes quickly.  Usually the best option is to wash your own clothes if you have the time, and most musicians will have plenty of time.  The machines are generally free and you only have to pay for the laundry detergent.  You can wash your clothes the way you want as the laundry service tends to use harsh detergents and chemicals that will wear our your clothes.  But the downside is that watching clothes in a washer and drier is usually pretty boring but you must  do it to make sure your clothes stay where they are supposed to be.

When it comes to clothes to pack, I try and break them all down into 4 general categories: 1) daytime work, 2) evening work, 3) off duty, sightseeing, 4) underwear, socks, etc.  For daytime work, smart casual will usually work around the ship in guest areas.  Smart casual means slacks, polo shirt or long sleeve button-down shirt, and dress shoes.  Jeans, t-shirts, and tennis will not be allowed in guest areas. Uniforms in general are only for when in guest areas, so if you are only in crew areas no uniform is necessary.  For evening work it will depend on your specific ship.  It is best to check with your agent or the cruise line for the specific eveningwear requirements.  I have worked on some ships with 2 to 3 formal nights per cruise, which means formal gowns for women and tuxedos for men.  The other nights usually require dress clothes with dress shirt, dress pants, and dress shoes or even a suit on some ships and then a nice dress for women.  But again it will depend on the ship so best to check first so you will only pack exactly what you will be using.  If you are a member of a band onboard, you should check with your bandleader and/or agent if possible because I have seen a lot of bands that will coordinate and wear similar or matching clothes on the bandstand.

Now again for the off duty clothes it will depend on where the ship will be.  In the Caribbean, it will be warm year-round and t-shirts and shorts will be OK.  Even in warm weather it’s good to pack a light jacket and a few pair of jeans.  If you are in cold weather then you should focus more on long sleeve shirts or sweaters and pants and bring a heavier jacket or coat.  Then sometimes you have to pack a mix of both.  On one of my contracts, it was February and we would start the cruise in sunny and hot Singapore and then go to Japan and South Korea where it was still cold that time of year.  The variety was good in the itinerary but it was hard to pack, not to mention a sinus infection just waiting to happen with all the weather changes.  Then the last category is socks, underwear, etc.  It’s a good idea to pack enough for one week without laundry so you can determine the amount to pack.

My sister visiting and showing
off the tiny closet

A quick recommendation on buying uniforms based on my experience is to buy a quality brand than will last over the course of your contract.  Even if you are very active in the music scene in your home city, you will be performing every single night wearing your dress clothes and they will take a beating.  The laundry service is useful but can also be rough on clothes.  I wouldn’t recommend an Armani suit, but I wouldn’t go too cheap and have it fall apart either.  Same goes for dress shoes, make sure they are quality and are comfortable because you will be using them every single day.  Just try finding some middle ground: not too cheap that it will fall apart after a few washings but not too expensive so that you will cry if something happens to it while being laundered.

In addition to clothes make sure you have your instrument and any accessories you need.  Remember that in many areas of the world it is difficult to find the accessories you want for the job.  I’ve seen sax players down to their last few reeds and worried about where they will be able to restock.  Bring extra sticks, slide oil, reeds, pads, etc. to last for the whole contract.  When I worked in Dubai there were hardly any music stores and no places for instrument repair, so if a sax player had a problem with their pads then it was up to them to repair it themselves.  When the pianist broke a string on the grand piano in the theater, I worked with the piano tuner to purchase another one and they had to order them all the way from London because there was nothing closer!  There is an address you can have things sent to and then the cruise line will ship it to your ship but it takes quite a long time and I’ve heard some stories of things not making it to the ship.  This is one area it is better to over pack.

For toiletries it will depend on your comfort level.  It will be next to impossible in some areas of the world to find the exact brand you usually use with certain toiletries.  There are different cultures and sometimes they will not use the same style of products.  For instance, it is common the United States to use roll-on deodorant, but in other areas they use more aerosol sprays.  If you refuse to use something other than what you are used to, then make sure to pack enough to last you a while.  Same thing goes for shampoo, soap or body wash, toothpaste, razors, etc.  Sometimes it’s also cheaper to find certain products at home so you can take that into account, too.  But at the same time you don’t want to load up your suitcase with just toiletry items.  You will have the opportunity to buy in port, but you will be busy at the beginning of the contract so you should at least pack for a couple of weeks even if you plan on buying once you get to the ship.

Be sure to pack all of your paperwork that you will need.  There could be nothing worse than flying all the way to the ship and then finding out you left something required at home.  Double and triple check before leaving to make sure you have everything.  Make a checklist if that will help you: passport, Seaman’s book (if required), visas, immigration forms, Letter of Employment, training records, etc.  Make sure you pack all required documents into your carryon just to make sure they arrive with you.  I would suggest putting them all together in a folder or binder to keep them all together in one place.  It will keep you organized and cut down on the stress of traveling and arriving to the ship.

Make sure you bring some cash with you for the trip to the ship.  You may have to pay for a taxi, excess baggage fees, entry visa fees, etc.  Depending on when you arrive to the ship it might take a few weeks for your first paycheck so you will need some cash to get you by on the ship and also off the ship on your free time.  Having a credit card or debit card will help with purchasing things off the ship, but cash is the only way of paying for things onboard the ship.

One of the best parts of working as a musician on a cruise ship is being able to travel and see the world.   Bring a camera to capture all of the memories you will make.  I was never into buying souvenirs (because I’ve traveled to over 40 countries so I would have filled a house by now), instead I liked to take pictures and experience things as a way to remember where I’ve been.  Also, because of the lack of continuous cell phone reception, I would suggest bringing a small travel alarm clock.  I worked with crewmembers who would wake up late for work because they were used to using their phone as an alarm and then it would reset and show the wrong time.  Cell service on ships can be a hit and miss thing and I’ve had my phone jump across weird time zones, which would have messed up any alarm I had set.  An alarm clock and a watch are two things that can be set and left alone.

With any gadgets, be sure to bring along any required accessories such as chargers, cases, etc.  Even the newest iPhone or Android phone will do no good after a while without a charger.   For cameras I would highly suggest an extra battery in case you are out on a tour and the main battery dies.  Nothing worse than sitting on a bus for a couple of hours to reach your destination and then find your battery is dead.  Bring a pair of sunglasses for when you are off the ship and walking around at the beach or around town.

It is near impossible to create a single packing list for all cruise ships, but here is a general outline:

Toiletries: enough for at least a few weeks, maybe more if you are picky with the brand of products you use.

Underwear/socks: enough for a week.  Think about how many dress socks and regular socks you will need.

Daytime work: I would pack 4-5 polo shirts or long sleeve shirts for daytime wear.  Also 3-4 pair of dress pants.  Ladies can convert that to 4-5 blouses and 3-4 pair of slacks.

Evening work: For guys if there is a formal night, then pack a tuxedo and possibly a suit if they are required.  For a tuxedo remember to pack a bowtie, cummerbund, tux shirt, studs, and cufflinks.  If there are no formal nights, but suits are required every night then pack 2 dark suits.  4-5 solid color dress shirts and 3-4 ties that you can wear with them.  If you are in the ship’s orchestra make sure to pack 3-4 black dress shirts and 2-3 black polo shirts.  For ladies, if you have formal nights then a 2-3 formal gowns and 3-4 cocktail dresses.  If there are no formal nights, then more cocktail dresses and no formal gowns.

Off-duty clothes: 5-6 t-shirts, a couple of collared shirts, at least one button down shirt, 2-3 pair of shorts, and 2-3 pair of jeans.  This will depend on the itinerary and adjust according to the anticipated climate(s).  If in warm weather with beaches then pack a couple of swimsuits as well.  Even if you will be in a colder climate I would suggest at least one swimsuit because you will need it for your new hire training.

Shoes: For guys 1 pair of black dress shoes, 1 pair of comfortable shoes for off the ship, 1 pair of gym shoes for working out, and 1-2 pair of sandals (you don’t want to be that guy at the beach wearing tennis shoes, right?).  For ladies, a few pair of heels (or half a suitcase full if you are my wife… just kidding, I love you!), a pair of casual shoes for off the ship, a pair of shoes for the gym, and a couple of pairs of sandals.  It's important to note that shoes are required, no sandals, on the ship for crew except for coming and going from the ship.  This is for safety reasons.

Medications: try and plan ahead and pack as much as you can.  Prescriptions can be filled, but it may be more difficult going through different medical facilities around the world.  If you have a chronic condition that required long-term prescriptions then plan ahead with your doctor at home before leaving.  It’s good to bring a few over the counter medications as well: pain reliever/fever reducer, flu medicine, and something for upset stomach (you might experience different food than your stomach is used to).  Some are provided for free on the ship, but better safe than sorry.

Finally the last part of packing is picking the right size luggage.  Suitcases will need to fit under the bed in your cabin so don’t pack in a massive, oversized suitcase if possible.  If you need to pack in 2 suitcases, then try to use different sizes where one suitcase can be stored inside the other.  Crew cabins are so small to begin with and your roommate won’t appreciate having to step around your oversized suitcases every time they come and go from the room.

Overwhelmed yet?  It’s not something that most people are used to.  Vacations usually last for a couple of weeks at the most, so now imagine leaving home for 7 months for a mix of vacation and work plus your instruments and accessories as well.  As the airlines allow less and less checked baggage it gets even more difficult but that’s one of the parts of our job.

Our bags packed for this upcoming contract.