Merry Christmas

Snowmen on display in Cozumel, Mexico

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

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

A Santa in sunny St. Maarten

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

A 5 story Christmas tree on display

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

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

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

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

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

Santa at a mall in Alexandria, Egypt

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

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

A display at the entrance to the main dining room

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

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

 Enjoy the holidays!

A Kinder advent calendar I bought one year in France

Sign-On Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My  

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

Another cabin I had as Musical Director.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You're Hired!

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

This would need a voltage converter on the ship

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.

Band Advice

We’ve covered the basics of band musicians and how to prepare for a ship contract.  Now I will focus on some advice for bands once they get to the ship.  There are many things needed for success, but here are some tips based on my experience as a Musical Director who supervises the bands.

Split Responsibilities:

A Caribbean-themed band onboard a Royal Caribbean ship

Although there is a bandleader for each band, some of the responsibilities should be shared amongst all band members.  Yes, the bandleader does receive higher pay due to increased responsibilities but it should still be somewhat of a team effort.  Nobody likes working for a dictator and in my experience a bit of democracy can go a long way in keeping morale high.  Being a musician is about creativity and expressing yourself through your art and being given a set list every day without the chance to give any input will eventually cause problems.  Involve all the members of the band when developing repertoire and set lists.

Another thing that should be shared are the vocal responsibilities.  People do get sick and it is nearly impossible to go up to 8 months without needing to take a day off.  While bands typically get about one day off per week, depending on the ship’s management, there is no guarantee of a day off.  Most bands perform around 4 to 5 hours each day, so you can imagine that one person singing 4-5 hours per day, 6-7 days a week for 8 months spells disaster on the vocal cords.  It is common to develop a cold when first boarding a ship, I think it must be due to the closed environment and living in a world with few windows and fresh air in the crew areas.  Also realize that by working with 40+ nationalities and guests coming and going each cruise, the crew are exposed to lots of different germs.  Bands have different instrumentation; it is common for bands have all 4 members playing instruments (keyboard, guitar, bass, drums) and one person being given lead vocals and other members singing background vocals.  Some bands have a dedicated lead singer with 3 playing instruments (keyboard or guitar, bass, drums) and sharing background vocals.  But in any case, I highly recommend that lead vocals are not just assigned to one person.  What happens when that one person loses their voice?  It puts a serious strain on the Musical Director and Cruise Director when a band cannot perform their sets because somebody is sick.  The set still has to be covered so it takes some creative scheduling and the other bands must work extra sets to cover.  Trust me, another band does not want to give up their day off or run to cover your sets during their band’s breaks and pull double duty.  This could all be alleviated if the band can perform songs with other people singing lead vocals.  Also have some instrumentals in the repertoire just in case the band gets sick together.  Crew members live in small spaces together, so more than likely if one has a sore throat the rest of the band will too.  The band should also have backup plans to be able to perform missing one of its members just in case.

The band Hi-Lux, onboard a Carnival ship

Another unfortunate reason to split lead vocal duties is due to the fact that musicians do sometimes get fired.  I will go into the top no-no’s in a future post, but I have seen musicians fired for excessive drinking (ships have a blood-alcohol limit), drugs (zero tolerance), sleeping with guests (also zero tolerance due to the legal liabilities), stealing (on a ship you can’t run very far!), and other reasons.  During one of my contracts as Musical Director, we had a Latin trio and the only member who sang lead vocals was fired for being in a guest’s stateroom in the early hours of the morning.  He was fired by the Captain, but his two bandmates remained onboard because they did nothing wrong and it was nearing the end of their contract.  It turned out that the other 2 band members couldn’t sing at all and they struggled nightly.  Luckily their contract only lasted a couple more cruises, but it was quite painful to walk by and hear them struggle each night.

I have also seen a band have their bandleader fired after a late night drinking session.  He was the type of bandleader who made every decision himself and sang lead vocals on every single song night after night.  After a night of heavy drinking, he was fired and sent home by the Captain and the band’s agent sent a replacement bandleader instead of replacing the other musicians who followed the ship’s rules.  I didn’t know how it would go with the band losing their bandleader and the person who sang all of the lead vocals.  The band had been together for a few years and didn’t think about this scenario.  There were also cultural differences as the 3 remaining members were from Eastern Europe and the replacement bandleader was from Indonesia.  Well, it turned out that the replacement bandleader was the best thing ever for the band.  The replacement bandleader was very laid back and knew he had a better chance of keeping peace by involving the members as a team instead of making every decision himself.  All of the members began sharing lead vocals and all helped make the set lists each night.  The usually straight-faced band started to have smiles on their faces every night and began playing better as well.  It was just a shame that it took having their dictator-like, lead-vocal-hogging bandleader being fired for it all to happen.

Be a Team Player:

A band performing onboard a Norwegian Cruiselines ship

Another piece of advice is to work as the band that you would want to work with.  Be a team player with the rest of the department.  Everyone is there to do a good job, but sometimes it takes some effort to see how all the pieces best fit together.  One of my main responsibilities as a Musical Director was to put together the music schedule in every lounge of the ship for every night of the cruise and I can tell you that there is a lot to consider when putting together the schedule.  I have worked with some bandleaders who complain about working too many hours, not having enough days off per week, or not having their preferred port off.  While every Musical Director would love to give each band a perfect schedule, in reality nothing is going to be perfect.  It all comes down to trying to produce the best product for the guests.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be able to stand up to yourself and ask the Musical Director a question.  If every other band is getting 2 days off per cruise and your band only gets one and this goes on cruise after cruise, then you have the right to ask why.  But if your band’s day off is in Jamaica and you really hoped to have Grand Cayman off, just remember that you are there to work.

I would suggest working closely with the onboard ship management.  This means developing a good working relationship with the Musical Director, the Cruise Director, and even the Hotel Director.  Most of the times the onboard ship management stays on the same ship for a number of years so they are experts on that particular ship.  They know the typical guest needs, their complains, and the little things specific to that ship.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions and seek their advice.  It doesn’t mean that you are weak; it means you are committed to providing outstanding entertainment.  If you feel like you your band is not connecting with the guests, then ask the Musical Director for advice.  Be open to change if necessary.

Change in Times:

Something I will cover in a later post is to understand the typical cruise ship guest in today’s cruising industry.  The cruising industry has a long history and many stereotypes exist about cruise ships.  Gourmet food, live music, dancing, elaborate entertainment, and pampering are all a part of the cruising stereotype.  Now when it comes to music, you have to realize that over time things will change.  Traditionally there was a lot of big band and jazz music onboard cruise ships.  Some still have it, but others are starting to change.  If you think about the Big Band era, the last period of time when jazz was “popular music.”  To all the jazzers out there, please know I am not trying to say anything negative about jazz music, I graduated from a very jazz-heavy school.  I’m not saying it doesn’t have its place in the music world.  But this is about the general population and pop culture.  To give you an idea just look at social media.  One of the most famous current ambassadors of jazz music, Wynton Marsalis, has just over 57,000 followers on Twitter.  As a comparison, Katy Perry has just over 48,000,000.  Again, I’m not saying one is better than another, but obviously one is more recognizable by the general public.

A band performing onboard a Carnival ship

Now what does this mean to a band coming onboard?  Use this information to your advantage.  Being able to adapt will allow you to be successful in connecting to the guests and drawing higher ratings.  According to industry research the average age of guests is 50 years old, meaning they were born long after the end of the Big Band era.  Those average guests were born in the 1960s so it pays to learn songs from the 70s and 80s.  Continue to include jazz, but take a look around and see how it is received.  Also don’t forget the ballroom styles and people will always want to dance.  But if you want to connect to your audience, play music that they can relate to.  Going back to my last post, ask your agent or cruise line about your assigned ship and itinerary.  If you get assigned to a ship that does 3 or 4-day cruises to the Bahamas, then the typical crowd with be younger and want to party.  If you are assigned to a ship that does 14-day cruises in Europe or 7-day cruises in Alaska, you will see a completely different kind of crowd.  Use that information and plan accordingly.

Originals vs. Covers:

People who are on vacation want to listen to something familiar, something that they can sing along to.  To put it bluntly, cruise ships are not the place to perform your original music.  Bands are hired as cover bands onboard ships and this should be understood before accepting the contract.  If playing covers is not for you, then playing onboard a cruise ship is also not for you.

This doesn’t mean that you have to leave songwriting behind when joining a ship.  If you are a songwriter then use your free time onboard to write new songs.  Even if your band works every day there is still a lot of downtime.  One of the major reasons that some musicians don’t enjoy their contract is because they are bored. Having a hobby or project to complete helps keep downtime productive, so write as much as you can.  The environment is incredibly diverse and within a music department of 20-25 musicians you might have as many as 10 or so nationalities.  This can make for some interesting and rare collaborative opportunities.

Supplement Your Income:

A band performing in a lounge onboard a Carnival ship

Every ship has a gift shop where they sell various items from sunscreen to clothes to alcohol.  Some cruise lines will allow the bands and entertainers onboard to sell their CDs in the gift shops.  There is protocol to follow and it will take advanced planning on your part.  The CD   But please make sure to do it the right way.  Do no hide them and try and sell them in secret from the bandstand on breaks or after your sets.  You can be fired if the management finds you are not going through the proper channels.  Typically the ship will take a cut, but you will get a lot of exposure, as guests like to stop by the gift shop on sea days and do some shopping.  The CD must be approved by the cruise line’s corporate office to make sure the quality is up to their standards- both sound quality and packaging and appearance quality (usually shrink-wrapped). This is a great opportunity to supplement your band’s income by selling your CDs during your contract.

Be sure to ask the Musical Director if the ship allows the band to take tips for playing.  The policies vary between cruise lines and ships so make sure to ask first.  If you are allowed, then just make sure that you follow all the rules.  Since there are few expenses to working on a cruise ship, just a little bit of extra income can go a long way.

One other way to make extra income is to sign up for side jobs around the ship.  I will cover side jobs in more detail later, but there are some jobs that are filled by crewmembers with extra time and are looking for some extra cash.  This can be from helping with art auctions to working various jobs at a private destination.  These jobs pay by the hour and pay in addition to your salary as a band member.  But make sure you get the approval of your Musical Director and always remember that you were hired to play music first and that any side job comes second.  Do not sign up for a side job that you know will conflict with your normal music schedule.

These are just a few tips for bands based on my own experience.  Up to this point I’ve now covered the major positions for musicians onboard an international cruise ship.  My next post will cover what happens between being hired and joining the ship.   Sometimes that gap can be a couple of months, like in my case, or it can be as little as a couple of days.  But there is quite a bit of paperwork and appointments that will be necessary for that first contract.