Downtime on a Ship

This post comes in response to a request that I received from "miss bliss" and I will happily comply because it is a major issues and topic for any musician or entertainer working onboard a cruise ship.  I was asked to write about what people do with their downtime while working onboard a ship.  How downtime is handled can mean all the difference between a happy contract and a miserable one and also moving forward with professional goals or staying stagnant and stuck in the same cycles.

For almost all musicians and entertainers there is a lot of downtime during a contract.  Even on a busy playing day there is still a lot of time to fill.  Say that on the worst day a musician is scheduled to perform six hours (which for most positions rarely happens), that still leaves 18 hours left to fill.  Consider that on a ship musicians live where they work, there is no commute, there is no cooking as the meals are provided in the mess.  A lot of things on land that take up a person's time away from work aren't really considerations on a ship.  Port days are probably the easiest because there is always the option to go into town for a while.  But there are also sea days, where the ship will not dock while in transition from one port to the next.  Sounds easy, but put a few sea days together and most everyone on the ship starts to go stir crazy.  My personal record was 10 sea days in a row because we were going from the Middle East to Europe.  Seven sea days were already scheduled just for transit time including a day through the Suez Canal (which is still a sea day because the ship is moving and nobody can exit the ship in the Suez Canal), but then the uprisings in Egypt happened and they canceled three ports in Egypt without replacing them with another port, which meant we went 10 days without touching land.  That will test the patience and mental stability of even the most experienced seafarer.

Regular life onboard a ship is not exactly like a free weekend at home on land.  On the ship you only have access to the tv channels that they are able to get, which might be some cable channels but in other parts of the world might only include older movies and a news channel if you are lucky.  And don't think about being connected online 24 hours a day.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, the crew is charged by the minute for internet access.  The speed reminds me of AOL from about 20 years ago.  Most cruise ships use a satellite connection, which means the signal goes from the ship to a satellite in space, then beamed down to a receiving station on land, then sent over to a network, and then all goes back the way it came but in reverse.  You can see why everything from weather to positioning around the globe can make a major impact on the speed and even overall availability of access.  While most people are accustomed to being connected online 24 hours a day on land, it just isn't possible while on the ship.  You can see how much of a premium gets put on a strong wifi connection when the ship is in port.  Any place that has strong wifi will have a group of crew members Skyping, checking email, and updating their Facebook statuses.

Most musicians I know seem to either enjoy ships or hate them (or at least find them a necessary evil at a certain point in their lives) depending on what they get out of the experience.  This all boils down to planning and sticking to the plan.  I've often been asked by younger musicians  about whether they should stick with ships or give up ships and try full time on land.  My advice is always the same: if you are continuing to get something out of working on the ship, then do it while you can.  But if you no longer enjoy it and no longer find it satisfying, then it's time to find something new.  It's my advice for ships, but also my advice for any career, whether on land or at sea.  If you are no longer enjoying what it is you do for a living, then find something else.  Life is too short to spend 30 years or more doing something you hate doing every day.

Finding personal and/or professional satisfaction is key and can be different for each person.  I have worked with a lot of musicians fresh out of college looking to gain playing experience, to have a steady gig, and to have time to practice their instruments.  A cruise ship definitely satisfies those criteria.  Some musicians never traveled much, maybe even went to college just down the road from where they grew up, and want to see the world.  Working on a cruise ship that is in a different city every day is going to be a good fit for them.

But a word of caution in that cruise ships are not for everyone and they aren't usually the right fit for everyone for an entire 30 year career (although I do know some who are perfectly happy after decades in the job).  Cruise ships are full of repetition, from playing the exact same production shows every week for 6 months at a time, to playing the same or similar charts every week at jazz and big band sets, to playing the same rotation of guest entertainers every couple of months.  What might have appeared fulfilling, fun, entertaining, or even challenging at first can become part of the grind.  Same is true for the ports.  My first two contracts were on a ship in the Caribbean and we repeated itineraries every other week (one week was Eastern Caribbean, the next Western Caribbean, then back and forth every week of the year).  At first it was all new and it was nice for someone used to cold and snowy winters to be relaxing on a beach in 80 degree temperatures on Christmas Day.  But a year into it, the same 6 ports started to get old.  While at first I never missed an opportunity to go off the ship, at the end of one year I found myself staying onboard more and more often.  When I went to my second ship (3rd contract), the ship was based out of Dubai and the Middle East for 4 months of the year and doing the same itinerary week after week for those 4 months.  The first year we did 3 days a week in Dubai, then one day each in Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Fujairah, and Bahrain.  The second and third years changed by adding a sea day and eliminating the stop in Bahrain due to the political uprisings that started between our first and second years there.   By the end of my 3rd contract, those cities that seemed to exotic and interesting started to feel mundane.

But I have digressed, so back to the downtime aspect of ship life.  It is really important to have goals while onboard for a contract.  The musicians who are the happiest have something specific they want to achieve during their contract.  It might be practicing a certain number of hours on their instrument, or go through certain books, or improve in specific areas.  It might be more of a side project, something like writing or arranging.  Or it might be to go sightseeing and see new parts of the world.

If you enjoy sightseeing or history, try and do research before you start your contract.  Read up before you visit and it will make your time in a particular port even that much more rewarding.  I would research all of the new places online and save the info on my laptop, then before we would arrive to the port I would read through so I would know what to expect.  In the end it worked for me.  While I was out in the city taking mass transportation and seeing all there was to see, others stayed near the ship in a Starbucks (I still enjoy my Starbucks, I'm just saying) or an Irish bar (every city in the world seems to have its Irish bars).  Imagine what the crew members have to look back at years in the future: "yeah, I went all over the world and saw the inside of a Starbucks in 60 different countries."  I researched admission prices, opening/closing times of places of interest, as well as transportation schedules, routes, and prices so I could use my time as efficiently as possible.  I love the TripAdvisor app, and you can now download city guides for a lot of the major cities and use them offline while you walk around without having to be connected to the internet.  There is another app called Maps.me where maps can be downloaded with turn-by-turn directions and then used offline.  It can be a lifesaver if you get lost on the way back to the ship!

The people who are the most miserable are the ones that come onboard with no plan whatsoever and get bored in their first week.  Or they came with a plan but it went out the window because they either weren't focused or were just plain lazy.  Downtime can either be a blessing or a curse depending on how its used.

One major downfall I have seen time and time again is spending every night in the crew bar.  Cruise ships have a bar (sometimes more than one) specifically for the crew to use at night once they are finished with their work.  Alcohol is cheap and flows easily, which is attractive to many musicians.  One word of caution though, all cruise ships have limits on alcohol consumption, some more strict than others.  Unfortunately as a Musical Director, I have seen several musicians be fired because of drinking too much.  It is never a fun moment to have to appear with the musician in a Captain's hearing where they are fired and sent home at their own expense.  The crew bar can be a cycle, where some crew members go every night until it closes at 2am, then they sleep until Noon or later, wake up for rehearsal, eat dinner, do the shows, and then repeat the process.  One of the saddest cases I saw was an older musician who hated his job.  He spent $500 a week (which was about the average salary for the orchestra members at that time) in the bar and was eventually not re-hired because his drinking led to performance issues on the bandstand. Imagine spending every dollar you earn and then eventually lose you job over it.  I'm not saying that crew should never go to socialize, and isolating yourself in your cabin alone every night is worse, but everything in moderation.

My advice to those about to do a contract, whether it is their first or 50th, is to set concrete goals and stick to them.  Use check points throughout the contract to make sure you are staying on task and staying productive and of course modify if necessary.  If you are planning on arranging 10 charts during a six month contract, then set smaller goals, such as one the first month then two the next month and so on.  In the fourth month, if you haven't hit at least 7 charts, then you haven't been sticking to your routine.   Maybe you got sidetracked by something else productive, which could be OK, but maybe it's a sign that you have been focusing on less productive ways of spending your time.

A sad sequence of events I have seen all too often are with musicians who no longer want to work on ships but find themselves having to.  Ships are great if it is where you want to be.  But it can be a sad, lonely, and sometimes dark place if you feel that it is your only option.  I have seen musicians spend most of their paycheck either in port or in the bar due to boredom.  Then they go home with just enough cash to keep them going during their 6-8 week vacation, then find themselves without any other option financially so they come back to the ship and repeat the process over and over.  My suggestion: not only set goals for using your time, but set goals for saving money.  Make sure to come home with money in the bank.

As far as spending time productively, I mentioned arranging as an example because there are a lot of people that use it to productively fill time and also to make some extra cash during the contract.  Singers, guest entertainers, and sometimes even the ship's entertainment department are sometimes in need of new charts or updating older charts.  The ship's production cast is made up of singers, some of which are required to have their own charts.  As they perform more often, they might decide to pay to expand their personal collection of charts arranged for them, so they oftentimes look for somebody onboard to arrange for them.  In one of my latest contracts, the hotel director and cruise director wanted the orchestra to play some very recent pop music (i.e. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift).  Because the orchestra usually uses charts and not whole songs by ear, they paid orchestra musicians to do the arrangements.  Not a bad way to make some spending money.  Plus the skills that a musicians continues to develop in arranging can also pay off on land after the contract is finished.

All in all, ships can be a great experience.  I have been able to visit over 60 countries.  I have been able to play with some great musicians from all parts of the world, who have all taught me as much or more than I could in a classroom.  And from playing every night, I have been able to greatly expand my repertoire.  This past contract I wrote a music textbook/workbook because my wife and I will be opening up a music school.  And speaking of my wife, I met her through ships which would have to be the best result of them all.  Had it not been for ships I am sure our paths would have never crossed.

Building a Repertoire, Part 1

One of the most difficult parts of being an entertainer is building and expanding your personal repertoire to make sure you are continuing to play songs that people like to hear.  It is especially hard whenever your audience comes from from a variety of countries and cultures.  This is true for both solo entertainers as well as ensembles.

My first bit of advice is to not try too hard to please every single person.  You can never please them all.  Remember the saying, "you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time."  That saying is true when it comes to picking the music to play.  Instead of focusing your energy on that one person that leaves your lounge, focus on all the people staying and having a great time.  Most musicians I know are perfectionists so it goes against our mold to let it go, but there's no reason to ruin the good vibe you are setting just because you lost one person.  People have different musical tastes and don't take it personally if what you are playing doesn't mesh with one particular person's taste.  I've seen it happen, though.  An entertainer sees the people in their room and sometimes they notice that a small group of people is more involved in their own conversation than in listening to the music.  So what does the entertainer try to do?  They start to focus their attention on the small group and neglect the rest of the audience, making the much larger group want to leave.

Now although you may not be able to please all of the passengers all of the time, there is nothing wrong with playing music that the passengers actually enjoy.  Surprising, right?  In some of my previous posts I mentioned the typical cruise demographics.  If you can figure out the average guest (if that really exists) on your upcoming contract or gig, then you can start to personalize your repertoire.  Try to keep in mind the cultures and ages of most of the passengers that will be coming to listen to you night after night.  It will always be a balance of what you as a musician want to play and what the audience wants to hear.  Somewhere in the middle lies a happy balance.  I've seen guys playing in jazz sets around the ship and they refuse to take requests of standards because they would rather play bebop or something that they personally find more musically fulfilling.  One passenger asked the band if they could play "Take the A Train."  Simple enough request.  The band knew the tune, the passengers knew it and would have enjoyed listening to it.  Did the band play it?  No.  And why, might you ask?  Because the members of the band thought it was too basic and not challenging enough.  They would rather play 20 choruses each of "Spain" to an empty room than fulfill a simple request from a passenger.  While you can't please all of the people, just make sure that it's not just the people on the bandstand enjoying the music.

This next bit might sound a little contradictory to my first suggestions, but my second piece of advice is not to lose yourself in that process.  You were hired because of what you do best.  There will be some genres you feel more comfortable with and others not as much, and that is OK.  It is good to expand what you can offer, but at the same time make sure not forget your own strengths.  Think about it like branding, because as an entertainer or band you are your own brand.  When people see your name or the band's name, there should be something that comes to mind.  When people hear The Beatles, they expect rock and roll, when they hear John Coltrane, they expect jazz.  If you start going off in a million directions you will lose the power of your brand.  You could imagine the confusion if The Rolling Stones would come out on stage after decades of doing rock and roll and then started doing nothing but waltzes.  It would destroy all the work they put in to build their brand and their image.  The same is true in if the band isn't playing in Madison Square Gardens or the Hollywood Bowl.  For instance, if a band was put together to be a "Latin band" that performs on ships, they should focus their attention to playing different Latin styles.  They should also learn some other styles, such as some ballads, pop, ballroom, and jazz because there will probably be a time when it is useful.  But if the one band hired to play Latin styles then they should play mostly Latin styles.  If that band starts playing more rock than anything else, you can see where it would become a problem with the onboard management.

I would recommend asking the hiring person at the cruise line or your agent if you are not directly hired, and ask what need they are trying to fill with entertainment onboard.  The person in charge of hiring entertainers should know and can help you out.  Try and get an email address for the Musical Director/Bandmaster on your next ship and try and find out what they have been experiencing and ask for suggestions.  I have always been more willing to work with somebody being proactive, rather than playing to an empty lounge and not caring.  Yes, you will receive your pay no matter what, but it might be your last gig with that cruise line if the Hotel Director, Cruise Director, and Musical Director aren't happy with you job performance.

There are other factors to take into consideration as well, and some of them will be the subject of my next post.

Another Contract Begins

It's that time again as vacation winds down and it's time to hop on a plane to join another ship.  This time I'm flying to join a ship in Athens, Greece.  I've worked on this ship back in 2012 and it's also the sister ship of the one I just finished my last contract on.  My wife is already there, so I am ready to get onboard. Vacation has been nice and it's the longest I've stayed in the US for one period of time in the last five years.  But vacation can't last forever and it's time to get back to work.

This itinerary is another world cruise type of itinerary.  I join the ship in Athens on Monday and that is the start of the crossing to Asia.  We immediately go through the Suez Canal, then through the Gulf of Aden and the pirate waters, stopping in the Middle East, then over for 3 days in Mumbai.  The next cruise will have stops in India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.  The next will get us to Southeast Asia via Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and then ending in Singapore.  We will spend 3 and a half months in Asia before heading back to Europe again, where my contract will end on the 4th of July in Southampton, England.  It's a really, really long contract but that is my wife's sign off date with her cast, so I asked to stay until then as well.  And as the corny saying goes, "home is where the heart is," so for 8 months we will just make our home all over the world on a ship.  A huge plus is that because she is a featured singer, she gets a huge guest cabin and porthole.  The porthole really helps with the sanity because natural daylight is at a premium for crew members.  Most crew live either below the water line, on the inside, or just where there are no portholes, so they live without natural light in their cabins for months at a time.  It makes it near impossible to tell what time you wake up, because 7am looks the same as 10am which looks the same as 4pm.

It's always nice to check out the itinerary before starting a contract, that way we can plan along the way. During our contract, the ship will visit 43 different countries on 3 continents (Europe, Africa, Asia).  Even though this is my 8th contract and my 3rd contract on a world cruise format, there will still be 28 new cities in 7 different countries.  It will also bring my total up to 161 different cities in 63 countries.  Yes, I'm a nerd and I keep track of these things.  But I figure not many people get to see this much of the world, so why not pay attention and take it all in.

The work will be nice, too, and it


will keep me busy.  The ship has 4 production shows (one is a cappella so no orchestra), a long party set at the pool with about 25 songs all segued together, all the different guest entertainers, shows with the cruise directors, sometimes Welcome Aboard and Farewell Shows, a jazz brunch every cruise, shows with the featured singers (which includes my wife's solo show which I enjoy playing), and various sets around the ship (welcome back from tours, jazz sets, ballroom sets, etc.).  Since I've already worked on this ship, I am familiar with the material and there are a lot of people that I know there so it will be nice to return.

I will do my best throughout this next contract to keep up with posting.  Hopefully it will become a mix of advice and insight into working on a ship as well as updates with the cool places we are visiting.  Maybe a little bit of travel advice along the way.  My wife and I are also writing an entertainment/travel/lifestyle column for a newspaper called Cebu Daily News in the Philippines so I will try and post links if you feel like reading a little more in depth about that side of things.

Sting Worked on a Cruise Ship

Yesterday I was reading an article about the launch of Sting's new album, "The Last Ship."  He performed some of the album material for the press onboard the Queen Mary 2 because Cunard has partnered with Sting to promote his new album.  In the interview, Sting revealed that at one point early in his career he did a contract on a ship, the P&O Oriana.  He played bass in a band and also sang, until they received complaints that his singing was "bothering the female passengers."  I guess it goes to show that you can't please every passenger.  Since his contract on P&O, Sting has released 5 studio albums with The Police, 11 solo studio albums, and in total between his former band and his solo career has sold over 275 million albums.  That's 275,000,000!  Throw in 16 Grammy Awards and I think it's safe to say he is most likely the most successful former ship musician of all time.

One of the best quotes was when he mentioned that performing in a band on a cruise ship gave him valuable experience.  "You had to do all kinds of music.  You had to play ballroom dancing, you had to play cabaret, pop music, disco, anything... It was a very good education for a young musician."  That coming from an icon in rock/pop music.  For anyone who has ever performed onboard a ship, they can relate to what he is talking about.

There are other performers who got their start working on a cruise ship.  Academy Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson at one point performed in the Hercules show onboard the Disney Wonder.  Actress Taraji Henson, who was in the movies Hustle and Flow, Baby Boy, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Think Like a Man, and the television series Person of Interest, worked on Odyseey cruise lines while attending school at Howard University.  There are also numerous singers and dancers on Broadway and West End who have spent time performing onboard cruise ships.  It provides a great opportunity to paid as well as perform, see the world, and gain valuable experience.

Reading the article about Sting led me to an important point and that is a point I have made previously on this blog, and is you must set goals to make sure that you get something out of the experience.  If Sting honed his craft decades ago by playing on a ship, then any musician can, if they have the right mindset.  Did most musicians on a cruise ship set out with this as a career goal?  No.  But they can learn from their time if they choose to do so.

There are 5 parts to how to accomplish this:

1) Set concrete practice goals for each contract.  Set minimum amounts of time to spend practicing and hold yourself accountable to it.  There will still be time to get off the ship and explore the ports, have other hobbies, and log practice time.  And the practice time should not just be shedding the music to play on the ship, which is a good thing to make sure you are prepared and keep your ship job.  But make sure to include general technique and expand on your fundamentals because this is what will make you a better musician in the future.  Determine your weaknesses and go after them.  Unfortunately I see a lot of musicians log practice hours going through things that they already do well.  Maybe it's because they want to walk away feeling good.  Practice should be uncomfortable, it should push you as a musician and as a person.  Don't play through the same things over and over, especially when you can already do it well.  Instead, find your areas of weakness and spend quality time trying to improve them.  But you have to set aside the time.  Because it is easy, I see a lot of musicians stay out late at the crew bar, then sleep until the afternoon when rehearsal starts, then repeat the process.  I find it kind of funny that it is usually those musicians who hate ships and complain about working on them.  It's all how you look at it.

2) Learn from the music you have to play.  There is a lot of music to be played on a ship.  Sting said it well in that you will play so many different styles of music every day.  It's your choice how you want to look at it.  Some people dislike the job because they are playing a lot of music, but not necessarily the stuff they want to play.  No offense, but I see that attitude most with the hardcore jazz guys.  They want to play nothing but burning, up-tempo bebop tunes to show off their chops and have some stupid showdown with other musicians on tunes like "Donna Lee" or "Giant Steps" or "Cherokee."  When solos come around, they usually play fifteen choruses of some completely unlistenable garbage full of crazy extensions and then when finished, they stand off to the side with a smug look while criticizing everyone else's solo and saying how much better his own was.  Ok, rant over.  But back to the music, there are a lot of styles I studied in school but hardly used on a regular basis  On almost every single cruise, the orchestra will play samba, bossa nova, mambo, rhumba, waltzes (English and Viennese), swing, funk, rock, etc.  Now it is up to me if I want to care about what I'm playing or go on autopilot.  Use that experience to really dig into the different styles and learn how to play them authentically.  Same it true with guest entertainer shows.  I have vastly expanded my musical knowledge by performing with the different guest entertainers, the acts who come for just a few days at a time.   I have played everything from music theater to classical to Motown and everything in between and I know I am a better musician for it.

3) Learn from the people you are working with.  I have been so fortunate to work with some really talented people from all over the world.  While I might have studied a lot of world music while in school, it was totally different seeing it up close and personal every day with people who grew up with it.  I have worked with steel drummers from Trinidad, salsa musicians from Latin and South America, and dance bands from all over the globe.  They all grew up with different perspectives on music than I did, and sometimes learning from them caused a breakthrough in my own playing.  And it's not just true with the performing side, I have also worked with some excellent production team members (stage managers, sound techs, light techs, riggers, stagehands, etc.) who have gone on to work with major touring acts such as Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones, or with shows such as Cirque du Soleil and Dragone, and have worked at incredible permanent venues such as Brevard Music Center and major universities throughout the country.  Everyone working onboard is a resource if you choose to learn from them.

4) Learn how to perform.  This might seem silly, but this is an area that many musicians might lack.  They don't understand what it means to be on stage or on the bandstand and actually perform for people.  I don't mean twirling my drumsticks above my head during a show, I mean playing in an ensemble using listening skills.  I like to communicate with the other musicians, particularly the other members of the rhythm section while I perform along with them.  Because we are playing and producing sound, this usually means using non-verbal communication through eye contact.  I once worked with a bass player who  never looked up out of his stand... ever.  It was frustrating because it gave off a vibe that he just didn't care about anyone but himself.  In actuality he was inexperienced and was just trying to keep his head above water reading while the charts, but it made the playing situation more difficult than it could have been.  Learn how to listen to the ensemble and take musical cues from your colleagues, it can make a world of difference.  Musical interaction is the name of the game.

5) Develop your professional skills.  I've said it before and I will say it again and again, being a musician, singer, dancer, entertainer, etc. is still a job.  It might be a fun job, but it is still a job, meaning that it is a profession, meaning that you need to be professional.  There are parts of the job that are not enjoyable, but are necessary.  Things like paperwork or training or punching a time clock (this is required of all crew members on all cruise lines in order to comply with international maritime labor laws).  But you take the bad with the good and in the end you must weigh them all to see if the job is personally worth it.  Some people know how to be professional without ever thinking about it, but for some it is more of an acquired skill.  I see a lot of younger musicians who don't see the professional side as important because it is "just a ship."  As a musical director I try to advise them that whatever habits they are developing now will follow them in the future.  It's not like they can show up late for 6 months of a ship contract, then get a job on land and magically start showing up on time.  Habits are hard to break, for better or worse.  Might as well start good habits sooner than later.


Performing on a cruise ship offers a lot both professionally and personally.  I cannot complain with my own experience.  First, I met my wife while working on a ship.  Without the ship, we most likely never would have met.  Then there is the travel, sightseeing, and learning about other cultures.  After my next contract I will have traveled to 161 different cities in 63 countries on 5 different continents (still have Australia and Antarctica to go).  Yes, it makes picking a place for a personal vacation a little different than most people, but it has given me insight into many cultures and has broadened my own perspective, showing me how small the world is and how interconnected we all are.  I have met some incredible people from all over the world and keep in touch with a lot of them.  And I have made a living performing music and doing what I love.

Sting onboard the Queen Mary 2 (Photo from Cunard)

Who Is the Typical Cruise Ship Passenger?

Cruise demographics can be an interesting thing.  I have been asked many times to describe the typical cruise passenger.  It's difficult because there are cruising options for everyone; it is not just a vacation for the super wealthy as it was generations ago.  A lot of people ask because they are curious about what to expect when they get onboard when they start to work on a cruise ship.

A line of guests waiting
to board the ship

For one area of musicians, the ship's orchestra, the guest demographics don't change how they do they job to much of an extent.  The ship's orchestra typically performs in the main theater, playing for the production shows along with the ship's singers and dancers as well as with guest entertainers.  Production shows are chosen by a corporate office and tend to stay onboard the same ship for several years.  The guest entertainers are also booked by somebody in the corporate office.  Because of that, the ship's orchestra generally just plays whatever shows they are assigned to perform.  There are a few extra performances around the ship (big band set, jazz jam sessions, singer sets, etc.) but those don't make up a majority of their performance schedule.

The lounge entertainers are where the passenger demographic can make or break their experience.  Whether they be solo entertainers such as in the piano bar or a solo guitarist, or a dance band, trio, or duo, they interact closely with the guests throughout the cruise.  Their freedom to make their own set lists and take specific requests means that the people onboard will impact their performances.  They are hired based on their ability to connect and interact with guests.

My first ship played host to quinceañera parties,
a coming-of-age party to celebrate a girl's 15th birthday.
They were extremely elaborate with gowns that rival
most wedding gowns.  The parties had hundreds of
people every cruise, changing the music preferences.

Cruising is a very diverse industry.  Most people who have cruised before know that the crew come from all corners of the world, typically somewhere between 40-50 different countries, even on a smaller ship.  But what they may not know is the same is usually true for the passengers onboard.  There have been cruises I worked on where there were nearly 40-50 different countries represented by the passengers.  While this makes for a nice collection of cultures, it can be stressful when you need to know what it is each one of them wants to hear.

There are a few generalizations that I have seen hold true over the years.  There will always be exceptions to the rule, but here is a general guide:

1) The longer the cruise, the older the crowd.  There aren't many 25-year-olds that can take off two weeks off from work at a time to go on a vacation.  So when you are looking at your upcoming itinerary and see a 17 day cruise, imagine a retirement home at sea (not everyone, but usually an overwhelming majority).  The same is true for repositioning cruises, which is when the ship changes locations for a season (i.e. Europe in summer and back to the Caribbean for winter).  The ship is at sea a lot and you usually don't see many younger people book a cruise to sit out by the pool all day every day.  The opposite is also true, there is usually a younger, party crowd on the 3 and 4 day cruises.

The sports area on a newer, larger ship.
Complete with rock climbing and basketball.

2) School breaks mean families and a LOT of kids.  The summer season can be brutal on a cruise ship.  The first ship I ever worked on carried on average 4,000 passengers every week.  During the school year we might have had 100 out of the 4,000 be under the age of 18.  But then come summertime and we had cruises with over 1,000 children on the ship.  While they might be well-behaved, that is still a lot of kids.  I remember at the end of summer and seeing the worn out youth staff ready for the school year to begin.  Having a large number of kids also holds true for other school breaks: spring break (which is different from school district to school district and high school to university, so that season is more spread out), Thanksgiving, and winter break.

3) The more expensive the cruise, the fewer children onboard.  The last contract I did was on a small (600 passengers), "luxury" ship and there were hardly any kids onboard, ever.  We didn't even have facilities for them.  The cruise fare was also considerably more than the average 7-day, mainstream cruise in the Caribbean.  Because of that, people didn't want to pay a huge amount to take their kids along with them.  The more kid-friendly, mainstream cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Norwegian) will usually have some amount of kids year round, as opposed to more upscale cruise lines (Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn, Regents) where kids are not as common at any time of the year.

A restaurant in Grand Cayman giving shots
to what I'm pretty sure where underage kids

4) The itinerary will impact the passengers onboard.  Imagine how many 25-year-olds are waiting in line to take a cruise to Alaska.  While some might, it is generally an older crowd for Alaska season.  Europe and Asia usually see a mix of ages as it is a more itinerary-driven group of passengers who are there to get off the ship and see the sights.  Then the Caribbean can be just about everything from the older people who want to escape the cold, to the younger crowds who want to head down to the beaches and party.  Other factors to consider are the ease of traveling to the home port and the visas required throughout the cruise.  When I was sailing out of Dubai as a home port, we had more British guests than American guests as there were easy, direct flights from the UK compared to the many hours of flying and connections from the US.  Caribbean itineraries will be dominated by passengers from North America looking for fun in the sun.

Do you see separate children's facilities?
Then expect to see kids onboard.

5) The ship will attract a certain demographic.  Stand-up surfing, basketball courts, rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks.  Those features are divisive items on cruise ships.  Some people would never cruise without them, some never cruise with them.  There is a ship for everyone.  Ship layouts are available online, so check them out and it will give you a hint to expect.  See children's facilities, then expect to find kids.  If you see basketball courts and ice skating rinks, expect to see families and an overall younger crowd.  Ships built for people with active lifestyles will attract more active people.


So what does all this mean if you are going to work on a cruise ship?  Do your homework beforehand and be prepared.  Cruise itineraries are available on each cruise line's website, so once you get an assignment, go look up where you will be going.  It will help not only with your performance, but also in knowing what to pack for your contract.  It is far easier to expand your repertoire at home where you have every resource at your fingertips (internet, music stores) than reacting after you are already on the ship where you may not have access to fast and unlimited internet and a good music store.

As a lounge entertainer, there are always songs that you will be asked to perform on a nightly basis (think Piano Man in the piano bar).  Those are hits that can be performed all over the world and can guarantee a connection with the audience.  But if you can learn some go-to songs to hit the specific passenger demographics, you can quickly become the hit of the cruise.

My next post will take a closer look at some suggestions to determine repertoire for a contract.

A staple of the mainstream cruise lines: the bellyflop competition.

Advice to Future Musicians and Music Majors

Now that I am on vacation, I was asked to speak to a group of high school students about life as a professional musician and also what it took be to a music major in college.  It made me reflect back on my own experience and also the last several years of being a musical director and working with musicians from all over the world.  Here ten pieces of advice for anyone thinking about majoring in music or pursuing music as a career:

• Learn to read music as fluently as possible.  Music is a language and it is impossible to communicate professionally if you are not fluent in that language.   I know professional musicians who are able to earn a living and they don't read, but they admit they have been limited because of that fact.  In certain situations, like becoming a music major or certain professional settings such as an orchestra, learning to read is simply not an option, it is a fundamental requirement.  The most successful musicians I have worked with are great readers.  Having good ears is important as well, but being able to read sheet music gives common ground to all the musicians in the room.  I have worked with musicians who could not speak English and I could not speak their native language and we got by without a problem through the language of music.
• Play as much as you can and gain experience in as many genres as possible.  Audition for bands, find other musicians and play together.  Look for community groups (theater, orchestra, etc.) because those will help as well in the future.  When I was studying classical percussion, I was taught to be very particular about the sound I was creating; that drive continues to help me whenever I play drumset because I am more aware of the sound I am producing around the set.  When I was in high school I joined a reading band (meaning a band that rehearses but doesn't gig) that met once a week in the basement of an orthodontist's house.  For most of the time I was the youngest person there and one of the few that was pursuing music as a profession.  I didn't make any money from it since we didn't gig, but I did gain a lot of experience.  We read through 10-15 different charts each week and there are still times, 20 years later, that I am familiar with a song because of that band.
• Actively listen to as much music as possible. I hate when people ask me what is my favorite kind of music or who is my favorite artist because I don't really have an answer.  They assume that because I am a musician that it is easy to name one, but I think it is because I am a musician that it becomes impossible to chose one.  When I was in 8th grade, my band director gave me recordings of great drummers and that completely changed the way I looked at a drumset.  The first recording she gave me was Dave Weckl's solo album, "Masterplan," and I literally wore out the cassette tape from playing it so much.  That one little effort from my band director pushed me to find more good music.  I went from being a passive listener to being an active listener trying to break down the playing styles of world-class drummers.  Don't just throw on music in the background; instead, listen and analyze what it is you are hearing.  Listening to music kind of fills up this musical reserve that we all have and then we draw from it every time we play.  Learning to transcribe is a valuable skill.  I don't mean playing it back note for note, but I am a better funk drummer because I listened to David Garibaldi and Tower of Power and I am a better rock drummer because I listened to John Bonham and Led Zeppelin and so on.
• Learn how to practice.  Ok, this sound obvious, but it isn't always a skill that advanced younger musicians develop.  The problem lies in the fact that natural talent can only take a musician so far; eventually they will hit a wall.  Now when they hit that wall is different for each individual, some in high school, some in college, and some out in the working world.  But it will happen and if the musician hasn't learned how to practice at an earlier age then it will spell disaster.  Even if the music you are currently playing is easy for you, continue to develop the skills of how to practice because at some point they will be needed.
• Find information.  We live in a world inundated with information.  It's both a blessing and curse.   I wish I had access to so much information when I first started learning to play drums.  Must be nice to be able to pull up any drummer through a YouTube video.  But all of that information is nothing if we don't know how to use it.  I can't read a medical textbook and call myself a doctor just like I can't read a drum method book and call myself a professional drummer.  Find a private teacher, somebody who can guide you through books.  Plus, unless you are recording every single practice session, you need somebody to listen to and evaluate your progress.  Seek out people who are experts at what they do and have more experience than you.  I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to watch a lot of amazing drummers perform at shows, clinics, and conventions.  9 times out of 10, those famous musicians that younger musicians idolize are actually really nice people who remember what it was like to be starting out.  Chances are they will take a moment to answer questions.  Find professionally gigging musicians in your hometown and find out how they do what they do.
• Don't be afraid to try something new.  I remember being absolutely terrified of Latin styles when I was younger.  The independence required made me not even want to try.  It just seemed like something I wasn't meant to do!  Same goes when I enrolled in a basic jazz improvisation class and I had to play piano, an instrument I never had played before.  But I learned so much in both of those experiences and I am so glad I didn't let my fear stop me.  When I was in high school, I broke my foot which meant I couldn't play drumset, even though I was enrolled in my school's jazz band.  I took the opportunity to learn more about hand drums and starting playing congas when it fit.  Again, that drive to create a good tone made me think more critically about the sound I created on the set with sticks.
• Push Yourself.  You never know your true potential until you push yourself to your limits.  This is true about music and life in general.  How far can you run?  You never know until you run until you can't run any more.  I remember growing up in Cincinnati and thinking I would attend a local college because it was close to home and it was familiar.  But luckily my band director encouraged me to visit other programs and it turned out that I found a great music school at the University of North Texas.  The music school and percussion program greatly shaped me to what I am as a musician and I am so thankful that I made the decision to go there.  The program is demanding and it was never easy.  There are so many excellent musicians and it takes constant practice for lessons and rehearsals, but it all made me a better musician and a better person.
• Set goals and know what it is you are working towards.  This can always change as you are growing and developing as a musician, but continue to set goals and go after them.  Imagine just getting into your car and driving without any particular destination in mind.  Doesn't sound very efficient, right?  Same thing for wanting a particular career path but not setting goals on how to get there.  Goals don't have to be these lofty things that sound great but are next to impossible to reach.  You can have those as well, but make sure you have goals that you can reach; they can even be on the way to those bigger goals.  Going back to the driving metaphor, if you are taking a cross-country road trip from New York to Los Angeles, those aren't the only points on the map.  Instead, there are place in between, the points along the drive to make sure you are going to end up exactly where you want in the end.
• Learn when to take a break.  It is easy to get burnt out in music or in any career really.  Set aside time for other things.  Take up a hobby, and it is better if that hobby is something completely unrelated.  If you are a performance major and your hobbies include arranging music, listening to music, and attending music concerts, that's not really ever taking a break from music.  Instead, learn how to paint or write, watch a movie, attend a sporting event, or spend time with friends discussing things that aren't music.  Make friends that are outside of your professional or college major.  For me, my break is in getting out and visiting places, especially with my wife.  I like to take photos.  I also enjoy keeping up with my favorite sports teams and watching in person when I can.  Knowing when to get away is important.  There are times when spending more time practicing or more time writing starts to become counterproductive and a waste of your time and energy.  Instead, know when to walk away for a bit and take a breather.  That way when you go back to it, you come back refreshed and maybe with a different perspective.
• Always remember that music is a business.  Yes, it can be a fun and rewarding business, but it is still a business.  Return phone calls, emails, and texts and be professional.  Do not be late and have a good attitude while you are there.  The music world is a small one and word travels fast, both good and bad, so just because you think you will never play with a particular musician again, you never know who that person knows.  And just as with any other kind of job, there are probably little parts that you may not enjoy (paperwork, driving, setting up and tearing down equipment), but don't blow them off just because you don't enjoy it because it will come back to bite you later.  Whenever a bandleader is hiring, they will chose people they enjoy playing with, which may or may not be the most talented people.  Music is about interaction and collaboration on stage, in the studio, or wherever the music is happening, so don't make it a miserable experience for the other musicians.

This list is not meant to be an all-inclusive list, but just as a bit of advice.  Feel free to comment at the bottom and add your own pieces of advice!

Headed to Dry Dock

What a crazy week this has been.  One week ago we were docking in Tokyo for an overnight.  Because our ship is smaller, we were able to dock very close to downtown, only a 20-minute drive to the busy Ginza district.  But as we were docking, they received a few warning lights signaling unusual vibration on one of the ship’s propellers.  Unknown to even most of the crew, the company hired technical divers to assess the situation and take photographs of the propeller in question.  It turned out that the propeller sustained some heavy damage to the propeller shaft as well as several of the seals.  Their guess is that the ship struck some debris along the way, which caused the damage.  When the technical divers went to check the area, they found metal wire wrapped around the damaged propeller.

As we left Tokyo the following day, the Captain announced to everyone onboard that the damage was severe enough that the ship would be operating with just one propeller on our trip from Tokyo to Osaka.  Later that night it was announced that the cruise would have to be cut short, and instead would finish in Osaka instead of a few days later in Shanghai as scheduled.   The ship would also require going into dry dock for necessary repairs.  Our next voyage, scheduled for March 3 from Shanghai to Hong Kong would also be canceled.

The guests had 2 days in Osaka to stay onboard the ship and go on tours.  Many people, myself included, went on tours to historic Kyoto.  But then 2 days ago, all guests disembarked and the ship and crew left for Gwagyang Shipyard in Jeollanam-do, South Korea.  We are currently on our way and scheduled to arrive there sometime tomorrow.  The dry dock will take 4-5 days and then we will go slowly to arrive in Hong Kong on March 17 to start our next scheduled cruise.

Ending a cruise early and canceling a cruise is a last resort for a cruise line.  The logistics alone are staggering.  The company flew a “Go Team” of over 20 people from all over the world to help with the logistics.  The cruise line had to arrange and pay for all guests to fly from Osaka to Shanghai.  Because they would arrive one day earlier than scheduled, the cruise line also purchased 300 hotel rooms at the Hyatt Shanghai in the Bund district.  Guests were given a partial refund for missing the final 2 days of their cruise.  They were also given a gift certificate that can be applied for any future cruise, the amount was worth 25% of what they paid for the shortened cruise.

Canceling the next cruise will also prove costly for the company.  All guests were given a full refund and in addition were given a future cruise gift certificate worth 75% of what they had paid for the canceled cruise.  Because the cruise was to originate in China and was canceled only days before it was to begin, I would imagine there were a number of people who were already in Shanghai spending some time in the city before the cruise was to start.

This situation has been interesting and stressful for some members of the crew.  The day when one cruise ends and another begins is also a day with turnover for the crew.  Some finish their 6-9 month contracts, while others will begin theirs.  Flights had to be rescheduled and ground transportation would also have to be changed.

My wife and the next cast of singers and dancers were scheduled to arrive in the middle of the next cruise (the one that was canceled) in Busan, South Korea.  When they announced the cruise would be canceled and we would head to dry dock, we didn’t know what would happen.  We didn’t know where the dry dock would be, if new crewmembers could sign on while the ship was being repaired, or if they would just decide to keep the cast in Miami where they had been rehearsing.  Despite numerous rumors along the way their sign on will proceed as scheduled on March 6.  They will just be joining at a shipyard instead of a cruise terminal.

The dry dock experience will be interesting.  Most dry docks are scheduled years in advance and usually are set to revitalize and update the entire ship.  A lot of things from carpet to furniture are replaced.  But this was an emergency, unscheduled dry dock so they will only be focusing on the required propeller repairs.  This is important because the ship must be back to Hong Kong in less than 2 weeks to start the next cruise.  Every canceled cruise means a total loss of revenue so it is important to remain on schedule.  Because the propellers sit under the water line, it requires the ship to be out of water (which is why it is called “dry: dock).  The ship will enter a bay area, then the water will be drained out so that crews can reach the necessary areas without having to be underwater.  Once repairs are finished, the water will be added into the bay and the ship can exit and go on its way.

This has been my second emergency wet/dry dock experience.  2 years ago when we experienced the engine room fire, the ship had to go to a wet dock (the ship stayed in the water as usual because repairs were onboard, inside the ship) in Singapore.  The cruise line is under the umbrella of a much larger corporation, but this specific brand only has 2 ships.  Although this ship is not the ship where the fire occurred, there are a few of us who were onboard for both incidents.  Luckily this one was not life threatening.

So for now we are just awaiting our arrival to South Korea.  Me personally, I’m excited that I get to see my wife in less than 2 days.  I’ve already moved into our new room and I tried to claim a little bit of closet space before she arrives!

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.

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.