Back on a Ship

It’s been a little over a week since I signed on my new ship.  The travel to get to the ship was long and as always there were a few minor bumps along the way.  I was sitting in a 777 to fly from Detroit to Tokyo when the pilot asked everyone to exit the plane as the toilet system was broken and he would not attempt to fly over 14 hours with no working toilets.  Luckily maintenance fixed the issues quickly and we were on our way with only a minor delay.  Finally I arrived in Hong Kong after 11pm, went through immigration, and got to my hotel after 1am.  The following morning my alarm went off at 6am to get up, eat breakfast, check out, and get on a shuttle bus taking everyone to the ship.

All in all it is nice to be back.  Taking the last year and a half to two years off helped remove the burnout that most people being to suffer after a few years at sea.  I’ve found the little things don’t bother me as much as they used to.

I wish I had wonderful stories of getting out in port to share, but so far I have stayed on the ship.  There is new music to learn, new trainings to take, and a routine to settle into.   I did this same itinerary 2 years ago and we also have one more cruise with the same ports so I am not rushing myself to get off the ship.  After all, this is work even if in exotic places around the world.

It has been fun getting back into playing with the orchestra on the ship.  I have been onboard for 9 days and every single night has been playing style of show with different entertainers.  My very first day I had to play a production show with the orchestra and the production cast of singers and dancers.  So imagine traveling over 24 hours, going through 13 time zones, getting less than 5 hours of sleep, and then get up early and go through a day of meetings and then at night having to play a one hour show with click tracks, tempo changes, and style changes in front of the passengers.  Luckily I didn’t experience jet lag and I was able to play through the show with only one run through.

A couple of things that I have experienced in the past week and a half are worth noting.  Some of them I have written about before and some of them are new points.

1) Be organized when you pack.  Don’t pack any important documents in your checked luggage.  Get a folder and place all of your documents there so you know right where they will be when you need them.  I arrived after 24 hours of sitting on planes and was 13 hours ahead of my home time zone and I found myself having to pull out all my documents to present to port immigration authorities in the Hong Kong airport.  I was so exhausted, but it was easy because I had put all the documents together in one folder in a carry-on bag.  The tie spent organizing beforehand definitely paid off.

2)  When you first get to the ship, be friendly and introduce yourself to people.  First impressions are important and can last a long time, so if you make a bad impression on your first day it may take the entire length of your contract to overcome it.

3)  While the passengers may be there on vacation, the crew is not.  If you are joining a ship, make sure that you are settled into a routine before you go off the ship.  Make sure that you can play through all of your music and can handle all of your work responsibilities first.  Many musicians I am working with were shocked I was staying onboard when we were in some great ports.  But I am there to work and I do not want to let anybody else down just because I am new to the ship.  It is rather selfish to play poorly in the evening shows because you are too busy off the ship sightseeing around town.  The ports will still be there, and most of the time the ship goes to the same ports several times over so there is no rush.

4)  Always check with your supervisor and the training board for any upcoming training.  Due to port schedules, management meetings, and other reasons the trainings can get moved quite often.  I’ve had one particular training canceled three times just in my first week onboard.  I’ve had several moved to other locations or to other times so it is important to keep up with the latest information.

5)  Finally, learn to go with the flow.  This might not be easy to understand for some people, but the world does not revolved around you.  There are oftentimes other people and circumstances to take into consideration.  Whenever you are dealing with large groups of people there is always a need for flexibility.  The day I signed onto the ship, I woke up at 6am after just 4 hours of sleep and we were rushed to the ship.  Then we waited outside of the ship for 2 hours.  Yes, it was frustrating and we were all talking about the extra sleep that we could have all had after long travel days.  But there was nothing we could do about it.  In just one week we’ve had port times cut short, rehearsal times change, trainings changed and canceled, and even discussed about missing a port altogether (we are currently in Bangkok and due to the protests we almost had to skip it completely this cruise).  At that point you have a choice, either fight the change or learn to let it go and be flexible.  If I can give a little advice, the end result is going to be the same so there is no reason to fight it along the way.

Being back has brought back a lot of memories from earlier contracts.  It is like a little reunion because I am working with several people I have worked with before on different ships.  It’s also nice to work to meet new people and build new friendships.

So now this blog will start to incorporate some new stories and some new travels.  Each week is different so hopefully there will be some good material.  But in any case, I have some music to look over!

New Journey

Today is the day.  I will be flying today (and tomorrow) to get to Hong Kong to start my new contract.  My wife and I have known about our upcoming contract for a couple of months now.  She's already rehearsing with her new cast of singers and dancers.  For the past few weeks I have been taking care of all my paperwork (new Chinese visa, medical, etc.).  I was in the middle of my last minute packing last night when I saw an email come in from Delta.  I had already taken advantage of online check-in earlier in the day so I was ready to go.  I was flying from Cincinnati to Atlanta to Tokyo to Hong Kong.  The email indicated a scheduled delay on the Atlanta to Tokyo flight which would have only given me 40 minutes in Narita airport to get to my connecting flight.  In Japan, if you are just passing through luckily you do not have to claim your bags and go through customs and immigration, but you do have to pass through the transit passenger line and go through security again.  40 minutes would not be enough time.  So I called Delta and they were quickly able to change my flights and I was even given better seats on my new flights.  I will be going through Detroit now instead of Atlanta and will even pick up the exact same Tokyo to Hong Kong flight.

I'm hoping that is the only glitch in the travel day(s).  I've learned to be as flexible as possible because anything can happen.  The timing still works out, my new first flight leaves 10 minutes later and I will still be getting to Hong Kong at the originally scheduled time.  I will arrive in Hong Kong after 11pm, will head to the hotel to get a couple of hours sleep and then get up in the morning to sign onto the ship.  It feels a little like the first day of school as I will be in a new environment and will be meeting a lot of new people.

The first few days onboard the ship are usually busy, but I will do my best to update from the ship.  It's also a crazy time of adjustment, probably the part I'm least looking forward to.  I leave today, Sunday, at 10am Eastern time and will arrive in Hong Kong after 11pm local time on Monday.  It's over 24 hours of travel time and then throw in the time differences, going across the International Dateline, and on the clock it will look like 37 hours.  Add in getting just a few hours of sleep, waking up early to sign on the ship, and then it's a full day of meetings, followed by work.  I don't typically sleep well on planes so it can sometimes make for a rough beginning.  I'm just hoping jet lag doesn't hit me too hard because I don't have time for it.  Crewmembers really hit the ground running right at the beginning of their contracts.

It's time to close up the laptop and say goodbye to the world of high-speed internet.  Ship internet is slow and can be expensive, but I am looking forward to continuing to write on the new adventure.

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.

Happy New Year

We're already a few days into 2014, but Happy New Year!

I wanted to give an update with the blog and also let everyone know about some things coming up soon.  There is a reason that I started this blog; when I started working as a musician onboard a cruise ship in 2008 I literally knew nothing about what to expect.  I searched the internet trying to get as much information as possible and there really wasn't much out there.  I promised myself to always help people who are interested and are new onboard so that can be better prepared than I was.  After helping several musicians get hired by cruise lines and also helping new crewmembers when they come onboard, people were suggesting that I start a blog and share the information with everyone.  I gave it some thought, but I had never done the blog thing before and the idea went to the backburner.

In 2012 my then fiancee (now wife) and I took a break from working on ships in order to focus on our upcoming wedding.  We finished our last contract in May 2012 and got married in August.  Since then we have performed on land and have been living in her hometown of Cebu, Philippines.  She performed in the musical Avenue Q at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and we have both performed at different venues in Manila and Cebu.

Now fast forward to 2013 and there is another reason that the blog finally came into being.  My wife and I got offered a contract to come back to ships again.  My wife will be a featured singer in the production cast of singers and dancers and I will be playing drums in the orchestra.  I figured it would be a good time as I get ready to go through the experience again and plus I will have new adventures to write about and share.  We have worked for the company before and have even worked on a sister ship (meaning same design and layout).  One of the bonuses is that the ship is small and has an amazing itinerary.  We will be visiting 40 countries during our contract onboard.  I will be signing on January 21 in Hong Kong while my wife starts rehearsals with her cast in Florida this week.  She will join the ship in March in South Korea.  We will sail in Southeast Asia, then over to India, the Middle East, the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean, and then up to Northern Europe and Scandinavia.  With a smaller ship you can get to ports that the larger ships just can't fit into.  Plus this cruise line is known for a lot of overnights and their great itineraries.  Our contract will run until August when we sign off in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The blog will continue with the theme of performing onboard an international cruise ship but will start to include some new firsthand travel experiences.  We are excited about returning and traveling again.  We are sad to leave our friends, family, and our dog but it will be fun to return to traveling to new places and performing every day.

The First 2 Weeks

I previously wrote about the first day of a contract onboard a cruise ship.  That first day is a long day and a mixture of excitement and anxiety of something new.  But the sign-on process doesn’t stop after the first day, there will be more to come.  If it is your first contract, there will be approximately two full weeks of training.  If you have done a contract before for the same cruise line and are just returning from vacation, you might have just a couple of days of additional training.

Training

The crew mess (dining room)
This usually has more international foods

For a first ever contract, a crewmember will undergo emergency trainings as well as several different human resource trainings.  There will be some general training for all sign-ons on the first couple of days.  For the human resources side, they will cover all of the company policies and also human resources-type topics like sexual harassment, zero tolerance (alcohol/drugs), etc.  These classes will usually be taught by the training and development officer.  These trainings are usually only required once per year.

The other side of training is the safety training.  These are very extensive during a first contract.  New crewmembers are required to take a class on crowd management and another in assisting passengers in emergencies.  Crowd management will include techniques to direct and guide passengers and how to properly communicate with them during an emergency.  Crewmembers are always taught to greet, smile, answer questions, and interact pleasantly with guests during normal times, but during an emergency everything changes.  The role of a crewmember during an emergency is to be direct and tell guests exactly what to do and make them follow your directions.

The I95, the crew hallway that
runs the length of the ship

In the other safety training, crewmembers will learn how to respond to an emergency as well as basic survival techniques.  The two most memorable topics for me are how to survive in the ocean and also fire fighting.  For ocean survival, we had to jump into the ocean and climb aboard a life raft.  We also learned how to turn a life raft over if it was upside down and the best way to stay together as a group and be seen by rescue teams.  I went down the side of the ship from Deck 5 using the rapid descent device (it’s kind of like repelling down the side of the ship and into the water).  I found the experience fun, all except for the fact that it was in the Caribbean in September when there were a lot of jellyfish.  Luckily I didn't get a full sting, just a few passing nicks from the tentacles.

The firefighting training was also a lot of fun.  We learned the different type of fire extinguishers and the proper uses for each.  We also learned to use a high-pressure fire hose and put out a fire.  We practiced on the back mooring deck (where the ropes are held to secure the ship while in port) and shot the fire hoses out to the sea.  Fire fighting on a ship is extremely important because it is not like on land where you call the fire department and they arrive to put out the fire.  On a ship the crew is the fire department.  Even if the ship is nearby to land it will take too long for another ship to come close by and help, so it is up to the trained crew onboard to put out the fire.

Those are the basic mandatory trainings.  There can be more depending on the crewmember’s department, but for musicians those are it.  Once I became a Musical Director, which is a management position, I was required to undergo addition training, such as human behavior and crisis management as well as learning how to drive a lifeboat.

An example of a certificate issued to crew
My lifeboat certificate

Once a crewmember completes the safety training, the Safety Officer will issue a certificate to prove it has been completed.  It is extremely, extremely important to keep those certificates and always bring them to the ship.  The crowd management certificate is good for 5 years and the survival techniques certificate is good for your lifetime.  Lose the certificate and you have to re-take the classes whether the certificate is expired or not.  Always make sure to bring the certificates with you when you join the ship or if you get transferred to a different ship.

One last thing about training is to remember that it is a lot of information to take in.  Training is done in a classroom-type of environment and it is like going back to school.  The trainings will usually start early in the morning, such as 8am, and most training managers and safety officers I know are all very strict about showing up on time.  It is important to note that training is all done in English (the only official language spoken by crewmembers to both guests and fellow crew) and taught on a basic high school level.  I know many college-educated musicians that become very overwhelmed during trainings because it is so much information that is unrelated to their previous studies (not many conservatories teach firefighting!).  They feel that they have to remember every single word and will get kicked off the ship if they forget something.  Yes, the information is tremendously important and can mean the difference of life and death, but you will continue to learn even after the trainings are completed.  Cruise ships bring together many languages, cultures, and educational backgrounds.  If a college-educated, English-speaking crewmember is struggling to remember everything, imagine someone with a high school education whose native language is not English.  So my advice is to learn everything that you can, but don’t stress out too much if you are finding it difficult to remember everything, especially at first.

One of my crew ID cards

Crew Card

Also in the first couple of days every crewmember will be issued a crew card.  This is a multi-purpose card that will be used for everything from photo ID to credit card to a makeshift visa in some countries.  The crew card is one of the most important things you will keep with you during the contract.  You must bring the card to every single place you go on and off of the ship during the contact.  It will let you on and off the ship.  The same card will also let you purchase things on the ship.  The accounting system varies between cruiselines.  Some offer it on a prepaid basis where the crewmember loads money onto their account and then use the crew card to purchase items on the ship, such as in the crew store, guest bars, crew bar, internet café, etc.  The other system is a credit system where a crewmember accumulates a balance and then on payday must pay off the balance.

It is very important to keep track of your crew card.  There is usually a high fee to replace it if you lose it.  Plus, if you lose it somebody can charge items to your account and spend your hard-earned money.  The card is also used to get on and off the ship, so if you lose your card you will be stuck onboard until you can get a replacement.

Advice

The back deck, an open-air crew bar

As soon as a crewmember arrives to the ship the work immediately begins.  No matter if you live in city where you will sign-on or if you flew halfway around the world, you don’t get a chance to ease into work.  Bands and entertainers will perform that same day and the orchestra will have a show that first night.  The next day will be full of training and also your regular work as a musician.  Be sure to take care of yourself: eat healthy meals, go to the gym, and get on a regular sleep schedule.  Your body will be adjusting to a lot of things, so do your best to say healthy.

The staff and officer mess (dining room)
This is where most musicians eat

It is important to remember that your first priority while working on a cruiseship is work.  Unfortunately some musicians lose sight of that fact and are more interested in being a tourist and go off sightseeing.  True, being able to travel the world and see new places are huge positives to working onboard, but it will come in time.  I highly suggest to stay onboard until you settle in, establish a routine, and are 100% comfortable with work.  I have seen musicians get fired in their first 2 weeks because the Musical Director watches them struggle through the shows at night, but yet they are off the ship all day long, acting as though they are guests on the ship.  If you are having a hard time with work, then do what you need to do to get caught up.  In time you will be able to get off the ship, but make sure you can take care of your playing responsibilities first.  Most ships have a somewhat repetitive itinerary so it’s not like you are going to miss anything by waiting a few weeks; everything will still be there when you are ready to go off exploring.  And if you itinerary is changing and it’s the last chance, then there may be a chance in the future.  Better to miss a few ports than go out, bomb the show, get fired, and then be sent back home and miss every future port!

A pool table in a crew rec area

The first two weeks onboard will be nothing like the rest of the contract.  It will be extremely busy with training and work and it is easy to get overwhelmed.  I’ve seen crewmembers want to quit because they think it will stay like that.  If you find yourself in that situation, relax and just know after the first couple of weeks you will settle in a routine.  After 2 weeks you can get off the ship almost every time you are in port.  And instead of being too busy, most musicians find themselves searching for ways to stay occupied because they have so much free time.

Merry Christmas

Snowmen on display in Cozumel, Mexico

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!  Since it is Christmas I thought I’d take a break and post a little something about what the holidays are like onboard a ship.  First of all, yes there are actually people who cruise for the holidays.  Even with the premium rates the ships are usually full at this time of year.  It can be a nice getaway for people who want to celebrate in a warmer climate.  It can also be an option for people who like to gather together but don’t enjoy cooking and cleaning.  And it is also an alternative if family is spread out over the country; everyone can fly to meet instead of picking who travels and who hosts.

If you track the rates for cruises, you will see that some of the highest rates of the year are for the Christmas and New Years cruises.  With higher prices come higher expectations, which the cruise lines already anticipate.  The holiday season is packed full of extra parties, food, and entertainment.

A Santa in sunny St. Maarten

Another thing even most experienced cruisers don’t know is that there is a “blackout” period on cruise ships where no crewmembers will sign-on or off the ship.  The blackout period is generally the middle of December to the middle of January.  There are a few reasons, the most important is that it creates consistency on the ship and allows crewmembers to focus on serving the guests.  Having no crew sign on the ship means no sign-on trainings outside of the regular workday.  If means that the crewmembers are also not adjusting to their first week back after 6 to 8 weeks at home on vacation.  Another reason is, that as most people have found when shopping for airfare, the airline rates are also at a premium at this time of year.  It’s a simple matter of supply and demand, just like cruising during the holidays.  Cruiselines and airlines don’t add extra routes, so with supply staying the same with demand rising, it means that prices will rise.  With cruiselines paying for the airfare of most crewmembers (there are some exceptions where crew pay for their own) they can cut down on the high rates if they just don’t fly crewmembers during that time period.

A 5 story Christmas tree on display

Demographics onboard the ship will change during the holiday season.  Since children will be out of school, there will be children on the ship again.  Spring break, summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are the times with the most children.    Families will cruise to spend time together.  This means that the youth staff on the ship will be extremely busy.

For musicians, the holidays mean learning some holiday music and also most likely covering a few extra sets.  It’s a team effort.  The orchestra might be required to perform a holiday show with the singers and dancers.  I’ve performed some holiday shows that are created by the cruise line and then I’ve been responsible for creating some onboard with whatever resources we had.  On Christmas Eve we would always do Christmas carols with the senior officers, production cast, and the guests.  It was always cool to have a choir including several hundred guests.  We also always did a Santa parade where Santa would come onboard the ship and then give gifts to the children and have photos taken.  It was always interesting to see the different ways Santa would arrive.  Once he did a zipline next to the ship and then came onboard and another time he came to the ship via the high-speed rescue boat.  The children were always happy to watch the parade and receive their gift from Santa.

The ship is fully decorated for the holiday season.  This can be everything from a 4 or 5 story Christmas tree to gingerbread houses to giant balloon drops at midnight on New Years.  No matter where in the world the ship might be, in hot or cold climates, the guests usually still want to feel the holidays and the ship will be full of holiday spirit.  I never found a guest who cruised to try and get away from the holidays, instead it is usually just a different way of celebrating.

A photo I took behind the drumset
during a New Years countdown

The biggest night of entertainment all year is New Years Eve.  The focus will be the midnight countdown and all bands will most likely be playing somewhere on the ship.  The guests can dress up, eat a nice dinner, enjoy some drinks, and listen to live music as the current year draws to a close and a new one begins.  Depending on where the ship is located and the demographics onboard, the ship can offer a variety of countdown options.  In larger ships, there may be several different venues to appeal to the different tastes onboard.  On my first ship, we had at least 6 different options for guests as the clock stuck midnight.  The orchestra played in the main area inside, a DJ was on the pool deck, a Latin band performed along with a Spanish countdown, a dance band played in a lounge, a pianist was entertaining in the piano bar, and another dance band was performing in another lounge.

Santa at a mall in Alexandria, Egypt

I’ve been able to spend the holidays in some interesting places.  I’ve celebrated Christmas Day in Haiti, Egypt, and Dubai.  I’ve counted down to the New Year in Abu Dhabi, Mexico, and my personal favorite: in the Messina strait between Sicily and mainland Italy where fireworks are being set off on both sides.  It’s interesting to see the holidays in different cultures.  I grew up in the Midwest with snow in the winter, so it was very different spending Christmas in shorts, a t-shirt, and flipflops in 90-degree heat.  I did a double take seeing the holiday drinks at Starbucks in Mexico when I’m getting a sunburn.

One darker part of the holidays is that they can be the most difficult and depressing times for the crew working.  It is kind of ironic that the crew is working so hard to give the guests a great holiday when they are in fact miserable themselves.  Seeing families happy together can only remind a crewmember that they are thousands of miles away from their own family.  To be a seaman of any kind, on a cruise ship or a tanker or a cargo ship, means sacrificing birthdays, holidays, and special events with family and friends.  Yes, working on a ship can be a great experience to travel the world and earn a living, but there are also the negative sides that especially come out during the holidays.  Email, phone calls, and even Skype can’t replace the feeling of being with your family and friends during the holidays.  If you ever happen to go on a cruise, or visit anywhere during a holiday, please be sure to be nice to the people working.  Most people would not chose to work on a holiday and spend time away from friends and family, but work is work and they are sacrificing to provide for their families.

A display at the entrance to the main dining room

In my family, we’ve learned to celebrate even if it means not at the normal times.  We’ve celebrated Christmas in September because I was about to start a contract.  I’ve had a birthday dinner 2 months before my birthday.  You really learn that when you celebrate is not as important as the people you celebrate with.

All in all, the ship is a fun place to celebrate the holidays.  While there are lots of parties and events to keep the guests entertained, there are also a lot of parties and events planned for the crew.  Crewmembers try to make the best of it and enjoy it together.  While crewmembers may not technically be family by blood, they do spend more time together than with their actual family members. 

 Enjoy the holidays!

A Kinder advent calendar I bought one year in France

Sign-On Day

You’ve passed the audition, you’ve completed your papers, you’ve gotten all the travel documents, and now it’s time to fly to join the ship.  If you are like me, it’s a mixture of excitement and anxiety because you don’t really know what to expect.  The life on a ship is far different from life on land; there are pros and cons to both sides.  When I started my first contract I really had no idea what to expect.  I didn’t know anybody who had worked onboard a ship before; I had just taken a couple of cruises with my family when I was young.  The last time I had cruised as a guest was 1998 and the ship was 73,000 gross tonnes and when I stepped foot on my first ship as a crewmember in 2008 the ship was almost a football field longer and double the overall size at 154,000 gross tonnes, at the time the largest in the world.

My very first cabin on a ship.  This is a pretty
typical crew cabin that is shared.

Before you leave for the airport, double check all of your documents and make sure you have them in a folder all together.  The sign-on day goes by very quickly and it will be less stressful if everything is prepared in advance.  If you forget certain documents, such as your passport, you will not be allowed to board the ship.  The cruise line will pay for your flights and will usually fly you to the port city one day before you sign on.  They will pay for your hotel and usually provide a meal or a per diem for your food.  If you are entitled to a single cabin on the ship, then you will have a single occupancy room at the hotel.  If you are required to share a room on the ship, then you will share a double occupancy hotel room as well.  Unless you are traveling together as a band, you most likely will not share the hotel room with another musician.  Be sure to secure your belongings, as the other crewmember will have a key and access to all of your stuff.  I’ve never experienced a problem with theft, but it’s better to be safe.  Depending on where you are in the world, you might have most of the day before your sign-on day to go out and sightsee.  For example when I flew to Barcelona from the U.S., I arrived early in the morning, went to the hotel, and then took a shuttle to spend the day downtown.  But when I went to Dubai and also Bangkok, I arrived very late at night and had no time to go out.  Just remember to be responsible as the next day will be very long and start very early.  I worked with a manager once who partied a little too much the night before and actually missed the ship on his sign-on day.  He had to pay for his own flight to the next port and then was fired.  It was a very expensive lesson that also resulted in losing a job.

The actual sign-on day is long and just be prepared to wait around a lot.  Usually a shuttle will come pick up all the signons early in the morning and take you to the ship.  The number of people signing on the ship with you varies.  Every cruise there are people coming and going to start and end their contracts.  Once you get to the ship you will be met by people from the Human Resources department and the crew office.  A senior representative from your department will also usually be there to greet you and help you onto the ship.  You will be handled another packet of papers to fill out, the number and type will vary between cruise lines but will usually cover basic information.  You will also hand over your medical papers to the medical staff and they will check to make sure it is complete and valid.

The bathroom in my first cabin.
Shower, toilet, and sink all within a few inches

If you are an American citizen or Permanent Resident (a “green card” holder), then you will also be given U.S. tax forms to complete.  No matter where in the world you are working, since the parent companies of the cruise lines are all located in the United States, you will be automatically required to have Federal taxes deducted from your salary.  Other nationalities will not fill out the papers and it is up to you to declare the taxes to your own home country if required.  The state and local taxes are not included, so make sure you save some money to pay those on tax day.  I worked on ships that didn't make a single stop inside the United States, but I still had taxes withheld from every single paycheck.

Once all the papers are completed and returned, somebody will show you to your cabin.  A majority of crewmembers share cabins with another person.  The living arrangements, called berthing, are usually done where you will share with somebody from your department.  Most of the time musicians are sharing with other musicians, but sometimes can be with other entertainers such as singers, dancers, or a DJ, or other times from the cruise department such as a youth staff, sports staff, or cruise staff member.  In some rare occasions I have seen musicians temporarily live with bartenders or waiters but that is not normal, as the crew office usually likes to keep people with similar schedules together (i.e. the waiter who has to wake up at 5am doesn’t want to be woken up by  a bartender who ends at 1am).

After dropping off your suitcases, somebody will show you around the ship.  The moment you step onboard the ship as a crewmember, you will have assigned safety responsibilities.  If you are starting your very first contract, the responsibilities will be limited until you have finished all of your safety training.  But your tour should consist of your working areas, the crew areas (crew dining areas, crew bar and lounges, laundry, etc.), the life stations, and also your safety responsibilities.  The manager giving the tour will teach you the very basic emergency signals and what to do if they are sounded.  Don’t worry, it is a lot to take in on the first few hours but you will have trainings to cover it more in depth later.

My first Musical Director single cabin, with porthole!
A little messy the day I moved in.

My  

Once you finish the tour of the ship, you might have a little downtime to start unpacking your suitcases.   Remember that most people will have to work that same day, so take time to prepare whatever you need to perform.  Check your instrument, hang up your clothes, and if you are in the orchestra then try and locate the charts you have to play that night.  The cabin will be very small compared to what you are used to on land, even if you have a tiny studio apartment.  Be respectful of your roommate and try to get to know each other at least on a basic level.  Typically the person who has been in the room the longest gets the bottom bunk, so unless you have a good reason not to, just give them the bottom bunk.   When they eventually sign-off the ship then you will move and the new person gets the top bunk.  Also, the drawers and cabinets will be split 50/50, so you will probably just move your things into the ones emptied earlier in the day by the person who just left.  It’s really important to respect each other, as you will share the tiny living space for an extended amount of time.  You don't have to end up best friends, but there must be respect.  If you do experience a problem, it is best to talk about it early instead of letting it go and build up.  If talking directly with your roommate doesn't work, then take it to your supervisor who can help the situation.

Another cabin I had as Musical Director.

The thing about being new on a ship is that you will get lost the first few days.  It doesn’t matter if it’s your first contract or you are going to a different ship.  Don’t be afraid to ask somebody if you are lost or need something.  Everybody has been in that position before.  On my first day I got lost on my way to lunch and everyone I saw looked so busy and I didn’t want to stop them from what they were doing.  After the 3^rd time of walking down the same wrong hallway and seeing the same guy each time, he finally stopped me and asked if I needed any help.  Crewmembers are generally very nice to one another and are willing to help.  Yes, sometimes they may be very busy or are having a bad day, but they will still help you out.  My point is, just ask when you need help.  You are expected to get lost in those first few days (or in my case it was 2 weeks); it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

The end of the I-95 going towards storage areas.
This was taken on a slow day at sea.

The day when the guests onboard change over is called embarkation day or “turnaround day.”  It’s the busiest day onboard all around the ship, so be careful when you are walking around.  It’s very different than anything you will find on land.  Imagine a hotel on land where every guest checks out within a couple of hours of each other in the morning and then the hotel completely fills up with new guests that same afternoon.  That is life on a cruise ship.  But add to the stress having to load supplies to last a week, or more if on longer cruises, and moving them into the appropriate storage areas (called “stores” onboard).  Throw in offloading a week or more worth of garbage and recyclables as well as getting a group of new employees, showing them around, and training them.  Always look where you are going and try and avoid the busiest areas if possible.  My general rule is to get off the ship if possible on turnaround day just to avoid the stress of everything going on there.

The next requirement will be the mandatory safety training.  There is a short, basic training that all crewmembers must take before the ship leaves the pier.  This is required if it’s your first contract or your 20^th contract.  There are strict laws when it comes to onboard safety and these are set by an international organization, called the SOLAS Convention (Safety Of Live At Sea), which is overseen by the International Maritime Organization.  SOLAS was first passed in 1914 upon the sinking of the Titanic.

My wife's featured singer cabin.
By far the largest room we've had on a ship!

The training session might be a little different from cruise line to cruise line but the basics are going over the emergency signals and code words, what to do in case of an emergency, and also the environmental guidelines on the ship.  These are just the basics before the ship leaves so that everyone understands just in case of an emergency.  As we have all seen in the news, safety training of the crew can literally be of life and death importance.  I have been in life-threatening situations while at sea and had to put the years of training to use.  Yes, the onboard training is like being back in a school classroom and it can be very boring, but I’ve learned the importance of it firsthand.  This is just the first step in your trainings onboard, if it is the first contract the trainings will last around 2 weeks.  If you have completed a contract before then the trainings might only last a few days.  Your supervisor, the Safety Officer, and/or the Training Manager will give you the schedule.  Just continue to check for updates to the training schedule and they can oftentimes be moved depending on availability of the room or the needs of the ship.  Also, make sure you arrive on time for your training.  I have worked with some Training Managers that lock the door as the clock strikes so no latecomers can sneak in.  The consequence can be as little as having to redo the training to getting a warning to even being fired.

Once training if finished, the ship will conduct a mandatory guest muster drill (usually referred to as “boat drill”).  Every ship must conduct a boat drill for the guests before the ship leaves the port.  This is just in case an emergency occurs and then everyone will know where to go and what to do.  All guests are required to attend wherever or not they have cruised before.  The whole drill lasts about 30 minutes and should hopefully be the only time the guests have to go to their muster stations for the rest of the cruise.

Musicians hanging out in a crew corridor
just outside the cabins.

After the drill, the rest of your day depends on where you work.  If you are in a band, you might have a sound check with the lounge tech or you might even start playing right after the drill or before dinner as the guests are out and about looking around the ship.  If you are in the orchestra, you might have a rehearsal or quick sound check for the evening show.  Solo entertainers will usually work in the evening in their respective lounge.  In any case, you will hit the ground running and immediately start working.  Just be careful and take care of your health as you might experience jet lag as well as have late nights performing and then early mornings with training.  Sleep when you can, try and eat healthy, and visit the gym whenever possible.

Depending on when you finish work, I would recommend trying to go to sleep earlier than normal.  If you are fighting jet lag it will help to get on the new schedule as soon as possible.  Also, you most likely need to catch up on the sleep after traveling and the next morning will start early with a new round of trainings.

Like I said, the first day is one of the longest days of the whole contract.  You will forget people’s names and how to get from point A to point B.  Don’t worry, it gets easier as each day passes.  Make some new friends and don’t keep to yourself.  Meeting people from other countries and cultures is one of the great benefits to working on a ship.  Try to make friends outside of your department as well.  The unique thing about working on a cruise ship is that you live and work all in the same place.  Good that you will never have to worry about the commute, but bad if you are the kind of person that likes to separate work and play.  You will be around the same people nearly 24 hours a day, so it’s nice to make friends outside of the people you directly work with.  And if you are a private person, you might as well start letting go of that.  There is not really anything very private while working onboard a ship; it’s a small, closed environment where everyone is around each other all the time and nothing ever happens without everyone knowing about it.  It’s just one of those things where the sooner you accept it the better off you will be.

Now that we’ve covered the first day, I will go into some detail what to expect for the first 2 weeks onboard.  You will be adjusting and attending a lot of trainings.  I've seen some musicians almost quit within the first 2 weeks because they didn't expect to be in so many trainings.  The bad news is that you will be incredibly busy and at times possibly overwhelmed.  You will be meeting lots of new people, learning new procedures, attending hours of trainings, learning new music and venues, and performing every day.  The good news is that once you make it past your first 2 weeks you will start to settle in and relax into a regular schedule.