Contract (Solo) Musicians Overview

So far I have covered some of the basics as it relates to orchestra musicians on the cruise ship.  Now I will shift to cover contract entertainers, or solo entertainers.  I'll start with some basic definitions to help clarify the rest of this post.  These musicians are usually pianists or guitarists who perform as a solo act onboard.  They perform in lounges and pubs and will create the atmosphere for that venue.  Most sing as a part of their performance, but some are purely instrumentalists.

The formal dining room,
a venue for some intermissionists

I'll start with some basic definitions to help you understand the rest of the blog post.  When I refer to an employee musician, those are members of the orchestra, most bands onboard, as well as solo intermissionists.  All are actual employees of the cruise line and the contract length is typically 6-7 months long.  When I refer to contract musicians or entertainers, I am referring to solo performers who are hired by the cruise line but more like independent contractors working onboard.  Their status is somewhere in between an employee and a guest.  The contract length for a contract musician is typically much shorter, usually somewhere around 4 months in length.

As with orchestra musicians, the contract entertainers also have a choice of whether to go through an agent or go through the cruise line directly.  In this case, I have found far more contract entertainers use an agent.  Since the contracts tend to be more involved and many of the entertainers work with multiple cruise lines, I can see more of the value of hiring an agent.

Another difference is the onboard accommodation.  Employee musicians will almost always have a roommate.  In the orchestra, it is usually only the Musical Director who will enjoy a single cabin.  Contract entertainers almost always have a single cabin.  This is a make or break aspect for many performing musicians.  I admit that it can be very difficult to share a small space with another person (until I was working with my wife, of course!).  Space and privacy are at a premium onboard a ship.  When I was promoted to Musical Director one of the greatest benefits was my single cabin!

Contract entertainers also have limited guest status.  Basically it means that their status is somewhere between that of a guest and that of an employee.  While they are still responsible for carrying out safety duties and are still crewmembers, they do enjoy some extra benefits.  It means that they can visit more of the guest areas, which gives more variety of places to visit during non-working hours.  In some cruise lines, the employee musicians (orchestra musicians, band musicians) cannot always eat in guest dining facilities, but contract entertainers do have that privilege.  Also, depending on the cruise line, contract entertainers are not required to wear a uniform everywhere around the ship like the employee musicians.

A production cast singer stopping in at the Schooner Bar
to sing a few songs

The status, contract, and accommodations are not the only differences between an employee and contract musicians.  There are also major differences in the work environment as well.  One of the major differences in the performance requirement between band and orchestra musicians and contract entertainers is that band and orchestra musicians perform together as a group and contract entertainers/solo musicians perform on their own.  This means that the entertainment falls entirely on the shoulders of one person in the solo/contract entertainer venue.  If the entertainer is not feeling well, there is nobody there to help pick up the slack.  As I said earlier, most of the contract entertainers sing as a part of their performances and there is nobody to help share the singing responsibilities.  If they are well versed on their instrument they might be able to get away with instrumentals for a night, but not for a long period of time.

One word of caution is that some venues on cruise ships still allow smoking and those are usually the venues where contract musicians are scheduled.  Smoking on cruise ships has been a hot topic recently as more places around the world are implementing smoking bans on land.  Smoking on ships has long been a concern of contract entertainers as lounges used to be environments full of smoke and people also tend to sit close to the entertainer.  Luckily, more ships are going smoke free which helps save the voice of many performers.

In order to be successful, the contract musicians must take extra care with their voices.  Depending on the itinerary, cruise ships sometimes go through different climates within one cruise which can also create sinus and allergy problems.  I was once working on a ship that started in Singapore where it was hot and sunny year round.  During the cruise, the ship visited Japan and Taiwan and ended in Shanghai with cold environments since it in March.  Then turned around and ended the next cruise back in Singapore.   Besides requiring an extra suitcase of clothes to keep up, it was difficult on the singers on the ship.

The contract entertainers work about 4 hours per night in their venue.  Most Musical Directors and Cruise Directors try their best to give the entertainers one night off per week, but it is not guaranteed in the contract.  Imagine the beating the voice takes performing 4 hours a night, 7 days a week for 4 months at a time!  One day off a week can mean a world of difference.

Different cruise lines have different needs and expectations depending on the venue.  Most ships have a Schooner Bar or piano bar, where the musician sings and plays piano.  The guests typically are there to be entertained and there are many nights of sing-alongs.  The guests tend to sit close to the entertainer and make requests throughout the night.  The entertainers in the Piano Bar must be outgoing and be able to interact with the audience.  Their job is to entertain the crowd each night of the cruise.

Jimmy, the pub guitarist, entertaining guests

Some ships have a pub, which is similar to a traditional Irish pub.  This usually involved a guitarist/vocalist.  The pub environment is similar to the Piano Bar in that the guests go there to enjoy a drink and be entertained.  The pub entertainer must also be outgoing and interact well with the guests.

Another venue is a piano lounge.  This is a more laid back atmosphere and the entertainer is there to create an ambiance or a mood for the guests.  It is a place to relax, have some drinks with family and friends, and maybe hold a conversation.

There are intermissionist positions on some ships, which either be solo guitar or solo piano.  It is important to note that these musicians are employee musicians, typically with a 6-7 month contract and without the guest benefits.  These musicians tend to be well-versed instrumentalists who perform in a variety of venues and like in the piano lounge; they set the ambiance for the venue.   Sometimes they will work off a set list they put together, but oftentimes will also include requests from guests onboard.  Their job includes a lot of variety; one afternoon they might perform in a large open area as guests are coming onboard, while the next evening they might perform in the dining room, and the next evening play in a lounge as guests have drinks and relax at the end of their day.

In all cases, it is important to have a large repertoire to be successful as a contract entertainer.   When you get hired, you may not have a say in which ship you will be working.  You can imagine that what might work on a 7-day Alaskan cruise may not work on a 3-day Bahamas cruise.  What might entertain guests on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise may not entertain the guests on a 10-day Asian cruise.  While you might not need to learn specific songs from a country you are visiting, it does help to learn a few local songs.  And a tip for all musicians, the general rule is the longer the cruise, the older the guests.  Think about it, how many 30 year olds can take enough time off from work for a 14-day cruise?  Repositioning cruises (more specifics on that type in later posts), where the ship transfers from one area of the world to another, also draw a much older crowd.  This is important to remember as you prepare for a specific contract.  For instance, Frank Sinatra may not go over very well on a 3-day Bahamas cruises where the crowd is younger and there to party every night.  But at the same time, performing Lady Gaga might not be well received on an Alaskan cruise where the average age of the guests is above 70.

A fully packed Piano Bar

If you are hired to work for a cruise line as a contract employee, I would highly suggest contacting the main office, either directly or through your agent if you have one, to get specifics for your assigned ship.  Uniforms/dress code, average demographics, and any relevant information about your Musical Director and Cruise Director would help you prepare for a successful contract.  It's better to be proactive and be prepared than go in not knowing and having to play catch up once you arrive to the ship.  Some cruise line's have formal night that will require a tuxedo while some cruise lines don't.  Since airline baggage keeps getting more and more expensive, it's better to pack smart.

As for any more suggestions or advice, I have never performed onboard as a contract/solo musician.  In order to go further in depth, I asked my friend, Max DiFaz, who is a very successful contract entertainer, for his advice on the topic.  He was kind enough to offer to great advice that will be the subject of my next post.