Becoming a cruise ship musician?

I have just returned from a great holiday on the Independence of the Seas and there was a great band there called 'Rock The Boat'. They were not a one-off act, they are actually employed there.

How would you get a job like this and what qualifications would one need to get in order to do it?






Answer :
Royal Caribbean has a great web site for it jobs. They actually have a web link for people who are interested in employment in entertainment on the ship: https://jobs.rccl.com/jobs/rccl_jobs.nsf…
When you go to this web link be patient as it takes a while to load.

This is also from RC's web site:

"Q: How can I audition to become a singer or dancer onboard?
A: If you are interested in becoming a part of Royal Caribbean's In-House Production shows, please visit us at Royal Caribbean Productions. "

This is the web link: http://www.royalcaribbeanproductions.com…






Answer :
Just like any other musician you need to have a booking agent who can get you to audition for these gigs. I have done this job in the past and I didn't like it. Working on a cruise ship sucks. You are confined to your own level with the rest of the workers and you really don't get to mingle with anyone else. The money is OK, but not what you would think. You need to be able to perform in front of a lot of people who just want to get drunk and dance. Everyone is a critic, of course, and
the dress code sucks.






Answer :
Through the years I got acquainted with many of the "guest" musicians and performers who appeared on Cunard ships, and they all said that they enjoyed Cunard the best -- they got private cabins in the crew-only area, and were allowed the run of the entire ship, so when they weren't rehearsing with the ship's orchestra or performing they were at the casino, at the pub, at the pools, etc. enjoying the ship. They were allowed to eat meals in either the crew-only area or in the buffet -- just not the formal dining rooms. However, a couple enjoyed dining with the officers in the officers' dining room. They said that on other ships they were confined to crew-only areas and given poor cabins. These were the performers who would be flown in somewhere to meet the ship, stay on board for one day of performing, and then flown back home, so they were generally on board for several days but only performed two evening shows on one day. A couple of others were flown in to perform every day -- like at the pub (light piano) or at high tea (harp) -- for a week or perhaps a month and then flown home. All said that Cunard treated them very, very well, and that was a very pleasant change from most other cruise companies. Guest lecturers for Cunard are treated similarly, and two of them told me they almost felt guilty about being paid . . .

As to getting a job as a cruise performer, you need to decide whether you are going for a "guest musician" spot or a "crew" spot. Then, have your agent get together all of the audition tapes, videos, written reviews, photos, etc., and contact the home offices of the cruise companies. If you pass muster as a performer then they will proceed with the usual employment stuff.