Congratulations, you’re hired! Pretty exciting words after a
successful audition. In most cases
if you are hired directly by the cruise line, you should receive a specific ship
assignment upon being hired. The
amount of time between the audition and hiring and joining the ship can vary
greatly. In my case, I auditioned
in June of the year and my contract started at the end of August. A friend of mine who plays trumpet was
given 5 days. If you go through an
agency, they will work with the cruise line to determine the assigned ship and the starting date of your
contract.
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| My crew shore pass for Israeli immigration |
Timeframe
The reason for different lengths of time is because the ship
is due to the complex and ever-changing environment. Take Royal Caribbean for instance, a company with 21 ships
in its fleet. If each ship has an
average of 25 musicians onboard, that means there are currently around 525
musicians working onboard their ships.
Orchestra musicians and solo entertainers sign-on and sign-off
independently. Duos, trios, and
quartets all come and go as a group.
Sometimes a musician or band might ask to extend their contract by a
cruise or two, other times they might ask for one cruise less on their contract
because of some important event back home. Sometimes a musician just hates living on a ship far away
from family or a significant other and quits 2 months into their 6-month
contract. Sometimes a musician
might get fired for excessive drinking and get sent home 4 months into a
6-month contract. I’ve even see
musicians get hurt while off the ship and have to go home for medical
reasons. The most bizarre case I saw
was a tenor saxophonist who broke his wrist while snowboarding… in Dubai! But all of these examples mean that
even though there are standard contracts, it’s hard to determine exact needs
for too far in the future.
Paperwork
If you are about to go for your first contract, there will
be an agency that helps handle your new hire paperwork. Each cruise line has their own set of papers that must be completed before you arrive to the ship. There is a lot of paperwork to fill out
and even if the cruise line directly hires you, an agency will help the first
time. I was directly hired by the
cruise line, but an agency helped me with my paperwork. I’m assuming their
fees were paid by the cruise line because there was never a deduction to my
salary. The agent will go through
a checklist to make sure everything is 100% complete before you fly to get on
the ship.
Passport
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| Make sure to order your passport early |
One of the most important requirements for working on a ship
is to get a passport. Even if you
are an American citizen and are assigned to a ship that is based in a U.S.
city, you will still need to get a passport. With only one exception I can think of, all ship itineraries
contain at least one non-US port.
This is for lots of legal employer loophole reasons that I will discuss
in later posts. My recommendation
is to get a passport as soon as you start thinking about auditioning for a
cruise line. In the U.S.,
passports are good for 10 years so it won’t hurt even if it takes a while to
start your contract. It’s better
to have it in hand than be offered to leave for a ship but you have to decline
because you have to wait a few weeks to get a passport. Passports can usually be expedited but
during peak application times (i.e. summer time) it can take a while.
Visas
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| My crew visa to enter mainland China |
Along with passports, make sure to check the itinerary for
any countries that might require a visa.
Ask your agent or the cruise line about your specific itinerary because
some requirements are different because you arrive into the country on a
ship. Don’t try to just Google it
and figure it out for yourself because the information you find probably isn’t
applicable for crewmembers on a ship.
The requirements for air travel (the most common requirements you will
find online) can be far different than what is actually required. For example, if you fly into India
there is a long and complicated visa application process that must be completed
before flying, but as a crewmember arriving by ship, you only need a valid
seaman’s book and a crew shore pass that is given for free upon arrival. The same goes for Vietnam. If I had flown into Ho Chi Minh City, I
would have needed to get a visa from the Vietnamese Embassy before flying. But because I arrived as a crewmember
on a ship, I was able to walk right off the ship and explore the city without any
visa or fee. Check early and if a
visa is required then the cruise line or agent will be able to give
recommendations for visa services.
Make sure you allow enough time to get the required visas because it
will involve mailing your passport to an embassy because they have to
physically attach a visa or depending on where you live it might require a visa
interview. Also ask if the cruise
line will reimburse you for the cost of the visa. There are different sets of reimbursement guidelines and
requirements for each cruise line.
C1/D Visa
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| A crew shore pass for Mumbai, India |
If you are not from the United States and the ship you are
assigned to will port in a U.S. port, then you will also need to apply for a
C1/D visa. This is the visa to
allow a crewmember of a ship to enter the United States. This will require an interview at the
nearest U.S. Embassy and will take time so make sure you don’t wait until the
last minute. It will also take
coordination with your cruise line and/or agency to supply the proper paperwork
to be approved. If you are not a
U.S. citizen or permanent resident (a “green card” holder) then you will not be
allowed to work onboard a ship that visits the U.S. if you do not have a C1/D
visa. A B1 Tourist visa is not an
acceptable substitute because you not visiting as a tourist. Even if the ship only goes to one U.S.
port one time in your 6-month contract, a C1/D visa is still required. Waiting times for a visa appointment
can vary so schedule it early.
Seaman's Book
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| My Bahamian Seaman's Book |
Another document that might be required depending on your
country of residence is a Seaman’s book.
A Seaman’s book is a record book to log all service onboard commercial
ships. In some cases your home
country will issue it, unless your country does not provide such a document and
then they can be issued by the country of registry for your ship. In the Philippines, for example, all seamen,
including musicians working onboard a cruise ship, are required to obtain a
Philippine-issued Seaman’s book before leaving for their contract. But in the United States, there is
really no such thing as an American Seaman’s book. I had to wait until I was onboard a ship and because my ship
was registered in the Bahamas, I had to order a Bahamian Seaman’s book. Note that not all itineraries and
nationalities require a Seaman’s book, but it is easier to get one just in
case. Because the ship was going
to India where a Seaman’s book was required, the cruise line paid for my book
and it is valid for 10 years. But
before I went to India, I did 3 other contracts and never needed a Seaman’s
book.
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| One log page from my Seaman's Book |
Background Check
Another requirement for a first contract is to obtain a background
check. I remember being given the
option by the agency doing my paperwork to either get the background check done
myself, or pay them a small fee and they would do it for me. I just paid the fee and focused on all
the other required papers.
Medical Exam
A comprehensive medical exam is required to work onboard a
cruise ship. Warning: this is not
your average annual physical. The
medical clearance forms, referred to onboard as your “medical,” differs from
cruise line to cruise line and is at the expense of the crewmember. The cost can vary from $300 up to $700
or more depending on where the exam is given. They are usually valid for 2 years, except at older
ages when they are only good for one year. The exam is incredibly complicated, typically including chest
x-rays, drug tests and urinalysis, full blood work, and a physical exam. If the findings are above or below
normal limits, then sometimes the crewmember can be denied employment or can
require additional follow-up tests with a specialist. A friend of mine who plays lead trumpet successfully passed
an audition with Princess Cruises.
He’s an incredible player, but when it came to his medical his blood
pressure was high and his BMI (body mass index) was above the company limits so
he wasn’t given a contract. He
ended up working for a different cruise line and successfully completing
several contracts.
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| My crew shore pass to enter Jordan |
The reason for the strict medical is for a variety of
reasons. The most important reason
is that no matter what position you hold on the ship, from the Captain to a
cleaner to a musician, the primary responsibility is the safety of everyone
onboard. Everyone must be checked
and certified as fit for duty as a requirement for employment. In case of an emergency, all
crewmembers are required to fulfill safety duties and help guests to
safety. If a crewmember has
outstanding medical issues, there is a chance that if an emergency does arise
that they would not be able to fulfill those duties. The second reason is that once onboard, crewmembers have
100% medical coverage paid for by the cruise line. If a crewmember has a heart attack while working on the
ship, that crewmember will be taken to the nearest hospital and in most cases
the cruise line will cover all medical expenses from surgery, hospitalization,
and in some cases even the recovery and rehab processes. No matter where in the world, this can
be incredibly expensive to the cruise line so they want to make sure that all
crewmembers are fit and healthy before they step foot on the ship and become a liability
of the company.
Uniform Requirements
Beyond paperwork there is still more to check before
leaving. Be sure to check with the
cruise line or your agent for specific uniform requirements. Different cruise lines and different
ships have various uniform requirements, so it is important to ask. Some ships have 2 formal nights a week
where the musicians are required to wear tuxedos on those nights. Then other ships don’t have any formal
nights but then musicians are required to wear suits every night of the
cruise. I know some people who
travel light in order to reduce excess luggage fees and then prefer to buy most
of their uniform once they get to the ship. That might work, but also remember that it is difficult or
very expensive in some places in the world. I worked on several ships where we wore long-sleeved black
dress shirts on all non-formal nights.
One musician who came to the ship didn’t ask beforehand and only a few
short-sleeved black shirts and white dress shirts. The beginning of the contract is already the busiest with
trainings, learning the shows, meeting everyone, etc. and in between the
musician was trying to go out in port and buy the rest of his uniform. He could find decently priced dress
shirts in all colors except black and once he finally found a black one, it was
75 Euro (almost US$100)! 2 black
dress shirts and $200 later, it would have been much easier and cheaper to shop
at home before the contract.
Equipment
Check with the cruise line or ask to get a contact for the
Musical Director onboard your specific ship to ask about what equipment will be
available for you to use. It is better to make contact before you go so that there won't be any surprises when you arrive to the ship. If you are expected to provide your own equipment and you don't bring it, then you probably won't be staying onboard for very long. But on the other hand, nobody wants to ship equipment halfway around the world to find out that the ship has the same equipment for you to use already. If you need to bring your own equipment, check with the airline about baggage fees and limitations. Also, if you are a keyboardist and will be using the ship's keyboard, try and find out what model they use so you can try and familiarize yourself before you arrive. In most cases you will be performing the day you sign on the ship so you won't have much time to learn how to set patches, etc.
All horn players in the orchestra will need to bring their own instruments. Guitarists, bassists, violinists, violists, and cellists need to bring their own as well. Amps will be provided by the ship, but remember to bring any effects pedals as the ship will not provide those. Also make sure to check the power requirements for your pedals. Most outlets on the ship are 110 volts, so if your model only handles 220 volts then you will need to bring a voltage converter in order for it to work (also make sure the converter will handle the output wattage of your pedal as well). It is extremely important to note that a plug adapter is NOT the same as a voltage converter. A plug adapter just allows the prongs to fit into the outlet, it does nothing to convert the source to the proper voltage. Some power adapters handle both, just check the power supply to be sure. Look at the "Input" line and if it says 100-240V, then you can use it anywhere on the ship. If it says "Input: ~220V" or anything other than 110, 120, or 100-240 then you will need a converter.
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| This would need a voltage converter on the ship |
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| This would be OK to use on the ship |
Back to the equipment, a drumset will be provided. Before you go, ask about the quality of cymbals if you need to bring your own or not. Some drummers also prefer to bring their own bass drum pedal. If you play percussion in a Latin band, be prepared to bring your own as the ships do not usually provide congas, bongos, timbales, etc.
Don't forget to pack accessories and bring a supply of anything that will get used up (i.e. reeds, strings, drumsticks, etc.). This is one of the few areas where it is better to overpack because I've worked in some places in the world where it is near impossible to get quality equipment. There are options to order things to your ship, but plan on it taking weeks depending on where your ship is located. The Musical Director onboard won't care that the strings or reeds or sticks that you ordered are on their way. Just plan ahead and make sure you won't put yourself in a bad situation.
Flight and Hotel Information
One other important piece of information you will receive
before going to the ship are your flight details. In one of the many forms you will fill out and return, you
will give your home airport. The
cruise line will pay for your flights to and from the ship, so choose the most
convenient not the cheapest airport.
They will typically fly you to the port city one day in advance and then
pay for your hotel the night before you sign on. If in your contract you will be sharing a room onboard the
ship, then you will also share the hotel room the night before signing on. If you have a single cabin on the ship,
then you will have the hotel room to yourself. If you are sharing, just beware that you most likely won’t
be rooming at the hotel with another musician and always make sure to be aware
of your belongings. As for your
airfare, corporate travel is an expensive part of any business so they will
usually buy the cheapest fare, which is not always the most convenient. I’ve never had any horror stories
myself, but I have heard of some people getting really long layovers or flights
leaving very early or arriving very late.
Also, don’t ask the cruise line to fly you to a different airport at the
end of the contract. There are
company guidelines that they must follow and remember that this is business
travel, not personal. Years ago
there was more flexibility, such as staying a few extra days in your sign-off
city, or flying to a different airport at the end of the contract to visit
family or friends. But with budget
cuts come more rules and regulations and most cruise lines are pretty strict
about this now.
So that covers the basics between being hired and leaving
for the contract. There may be more requirements than what I've discussed so make sure you communicate with your agent or the cruise line. They will usually have a checklist to make sure that you don't skip a step. Once you
completely all of the paperwork then the next step is flying to the port city and
stepping across the gangway to sign-on the ship. It can be an exciting, yet scary time because most people
don’t know exactly what to expect.
My next post will be dedicated to what happens on that very first day of
your first contract.
