Cruise ship gigs - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

frosty · #1 01-29-2012, 01:29 AM

Anyone know about them? Have a musician friend who got one. Didn't really get a chance to ask her much about it, but I understand it's a contract thing. It sounds like a dream job as she gets to cruise to different places such as Hawaii, Alaska, Panama Canal, etc. I think all food and boarding are paid. Sounds like a dream job since she's doing what she likes (music) and she gets to travel. Qonder how stable it is though since it appears to be a contract thing.

aklim · #2 01-29-2012, 01:46 AM

As long as the boat stays afloat, life is good. If not, learn to swim or have a vest handy and know the lifeboat locations and be ready to run to them at the first sign of trouble.

Jim B. · #3 01-29-2012, 01:26 PM

Back in 1998 I talked my wife into going on one, all over the Caribbean on a Royal Caribbean (supposedly one of the best ones there, back then) cruise.

I was not impressed that much actually. You had to forfeit ALL the booze you brought on board only to have it returned at the end of the cruise: THIS apparently is to prevent budget conscious passengers to NOT drink their OWN booze or buy any ashore during the course of the cruise, and instead buy it at ths ships's on board liquor store where the mark-ups are staggering.

Or buy the ships excellent mixed drinks at $9.00 each. Over and over (you were approached about every 5-10 minutes at the shows if you did not have a drink in your hand. Or if you were on deck trying to enjoy a sunset. (which is a TOTAL romance-breaker by the way).

I had selected a more inboard room (giving up the view) so the rocking of the ship could not be felt. But it was the tiniest space I have ever been in, all you could do was lie down in the bed, not even stand up 3/4 height. Like a jail cell; this to reinforce the idea that you should only be there to sleep bathe, wash up or use the toilet. I would guess jail cells are much much bigger.

The musicians at one of the shows on this trip was a rock band that was "HOT" back in the 1950's that I thought was long buried and forgotten.

It was the "Coasters" so we were treated to their rendition of "Little Egypt" over again, in my case 40 years later, something I could have done okay without.

The american mid westerners simply adored the food. Residing in San Franciso, though, where TRUE great food is available, my wife and I were singularly UNimpressed.

We thought that at best it was EXCELLENT cafeteria food.

The servers were all hired from awful 3rd world shyteholes like Pakistan, Croatia, the Phillipines, and India (shown on their badge nameplates) so they could be hired to work for cheap I guess on the "rationale" that they were being offered a standard of living they could not get elsewhere. (I heard THAT one all the time from wealthy and upper middle class Peruvians when I used to go to Peru a lot in those days).

The middle of the cruise ship had a huge gambling casino there, It was a new boat but the carpets were already filthy in the casino area, and probably this was because they had designed the ship so that you could NOT traverse it at all without going through that casino. (Talk about sledgehammer subtlety!)

Also you just about choked to death because in that Casino, it was so thick with cigarette/cigar smoke. It was awful.

And ALL the employees (except the waiters and cooks) had their hands out for tips. Always. That was terrible. But it is evidently de riguer and accepted.

One the last day you were given a final "BILL" and you had places to check off to give
Tips to just about EVERYONE that worked on the boat, it seemed. even for people and things you had never seen nor heard of. The rationale for all this tipping I believe is from the tradition that people who woked in jobs that required tipping is because their wages were so meager. This reinforced that idea. But if you tipped liberally to all those that expected it, and on the final bill, I think the cost could easily double for your cruise ship experience..

So if you believe the ads everywhere about what bargains cruises are, any such notion will be made hash of when you disembark for the final time. Or if you got stuck with the dreaded "single supplement" - which alone could double the bill.

..And on the first day of the cruise, we had learned that ALL our luggage had got sent to Puerto Rico.

I hope it had a good time.

TheDon · #4 01-29-2012, 02:20 PM

A few friends of mine have done entertainment gigs on Disney Cruise Lines. Very enjoyable is all I hear about it.

cmbdiesel · #5 01-29-2012, 02:50 PM

As long as you have no other irons in the fire, are properly located, don't mind a heavy workload (relative of course) and are comfortable living in close quarters, doing cruise ship work in entertainment can be loads of fun. The talent does need to perform everyday, sometimes multiple shows, they also (depending on the contract) may need to perform other non-entertainment duties aboard ship, which is not always to their liking. Living quarters can range from a very small single berth (the lucky ones) to very small group rooms... often the schedule has you out for 4~6 weeks at a time, then one week off. This is detrimental to people who have other gigs, and, excepting for the lack of driving, can be as rigorous as a touring schedule. Most cruise lines require that people get themselves to the port of departure on their own dime, so if you do not live close it is easy to rack up considerable travel expenses trying to get home on down time.
I have done a couple Jam Cruises as an audio engineer (working for talent, not jamCruise or the cruise line) , and was approached later by a couple cruise lines to come on board (pun intended

) It was not a good fit for me, as I was already beyond the scope of work and remuneration that they were able to offer. Had I been 15 years younger and newer in my career, I would most likely have signed on for at least a 6 month or a year contract. The simple fact that cruise lines go to cool places around the world is a huge enticement, and getting paid to do it is even better. certainly can be a fine stepping stone for people trying to transition from local work to regional or national work, whether they be artist or tech.
Food and board are included while onboard, and as long as people like what you are playing, and you don't rock the boat (again...), the stability is there. The new batch of passengers has no idea that the band they are seeing has played the same room for the last year...

sfloriII · #6 01-29-2012, 03:43 PM

A buddy of mine has been working cruise ships for about 15 years now. He loves it and has been all over the planet. But keep in mind that he's also single and will probably stay that way with the career he's chosen. If having a wife and family is important to you, I'd stay out of this line of work.

MTUpower · #7 01-29-2012, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

Back in 1998 I talked my wife into going on one, all over the Caribbean on a Royal Caribbean (supposedly one of the best ones there, back then) cruise.

I was not impressed that much actually. You had to forfeit ALL the booze you brought on board only to have it returned at the end of the cruise: THIS apparently is to prevent budget conscious passengers to NOT drink their OWN booze or buy any ashore during the course of the cruise, and instead buy it at ths ships's on board liquor store where the mark-ups are staggering.

Or buy the ships excellent mixed drinks at $9.00 each. Over and over (you were approached about every 5-10 minutes at the shows if you did not have a drink in your hand. Or if you were on deck trying to enjoy a sunset. (which is a TOTAL romance-breaker by the way).

I had selected a more inboard room (giving up the view) so the rocking of the ship could not be felt. But it was the tiniest space I have ever been in, all you could do was lie down in the bed, not even stand up 3/4 height. Like a jail cell; this to reinforce the idea that you should only be there to sleep bathe, wash up or use the toilet. I would guess jail cells are much much bigger.

The musicians at one of the shows on this trip was a rock band that was "HOT" back in the 1950's that I thought was long buried and forgotten.

It was the "Coasters" so we were treated to their rendition of "Little Egypt" over again, in my case 40 years later, something I could have done okay without.

The american mid westerners simply adored the food. Residing in San Franciso, though, where TRUE great food is available, my wife and I were singularly UNimpressed.

We thought that at best it was EXCELLENT cafeteria food.

The servers were all hired from awful 3rd world shyteholes like Pakistan, Croatia, the Phillipines, and India (shown on their badge nameplates) so they could be hired to work for cheap I guess on the "rationale" that they were being offered a standard of living they could not get elsewhere. (I heard THAT one all the time from wealthy and upper middle class Peruvians when I used to go to Peru a lot in those days).

The middle of the cruise ship had a huge gambling casino there, It was a new boat but the carpets were already filthy in the casino area, and probably this was because they had designed the ship so that you could NOT traverse it at all without going through that casino. (Talk about sledgehammer subtlety!)

Also you just about choked to death because in that Casino, it was so thick with cigarette/cigar smoke. It was awful.

And ALL the employees (except the waiters and cooks) had their hands out for tips. Always. That was terrible. But it is evidently de riguer and accepted.

One the last day you were given a final "BILL" and you had places to check off to give
Tips to just about EVERYONE that worked on the boat, it seemed. even for people and things you had never seen nor heard of. The rationale for all this tipping I believe is from the tradition that people who woked in jobs that required tipping is because their wages were so meager. This reinforced that idea. But if you tipped liberally to all those that expected it, and on the final bill, I think the cost could easily double for your cruise ship experience..

So if you believe the ads everywhere about what bargains cruises are, any such notion will be made hash of when you disembark for the final time. Or if you got stuck with the dreaded "single supplement" - which alone could double the bill.

..And on the first day of the cruise, we had learned that ALL our luggage had got sent to Puerto Rico.

I hope it had a good time.

What a bigoted post.

sfloriII · #8 01-29-2012, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

...Or buy the ship's excellent mixed drinks at $9.00 each. Over and over (you were approached about every 5-10 minutes at the shows if you did not have a drink in your hand. Or if you were on deck trying to enjoy a sunset. (which is a TOTAL romance-breaker by the way)

Reminds me of a Carnival Cruise I took years ago. The mixed drinks were served in a "souvenir" Carnival Cruise glass. The drink may have only been $3.00, but the glass they served it in was an additional $4.00 or so. Hence the high cost of the drinks. The cruise line knows full well that you'll probably be able to pack three or so glasses max at the end of your trip and the leftover glasses get recycled back to new customers!

G-Benz · #9 01-30-2012, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

Back in 1998 I talked my wife into going on one, all over the Caribbean on a Royal Caribbean (supposedly one of the best ones there, back then) cruise.

I was not impressed that much actually. You had to forfeit ALL the booze you brought on board only to have it returned at the end of the cruise: THIS apparently is to prevent budget conscious passengers to NOT drink their OWN booze or buy any ashore during the course of the cruise, and instead buy it at ths ships's on board liquor store where the mark-ups are staggering.

Or buy the ships excellent mixed drinks at $9.00 each. Over and over (you were approached about every 5-10 minutes at the shows if you did not have a drink in your hand. Or if you were on deck trying to enjoy a sunset. (which is a TOTAL romance-breaker by the way).

I had selected a more inboard room (giving up the view) so the rocking of the ship could not be felt. But it was the tiniest space I have ever been in, all you could do was lie down in the bed, not even stand up 3/4 height. Like a jail cell; this to reinforce the idea that you should only be there to sleep bathe, wash up or use the toilet. I would guess jail cells are much much bigger.

The musicians at one of the shows on this trip was a rock band that was "HOT" back in the 1950's that I thought was long buried and forgotten.

It was the "Coasters" so we were treated to their rendition of "Little Egypt" over again, in my case 40 years later, something I could have done okay without.

The american mid westerners simply adored the food. Residing in San Franciso, though, where TRUE great food is available, my wife and I were singularly UNimpressed.

We thought that at best it was EXCELLENT cafeteria food.

The servers were all hired from awful 3rd world shyteholes like Pakistan, Croatia, the Phillipines, and India (shown on their badge nameplates) so they could be hired to work for cheap I guess on the "rationale" that they were being offered a standard of living they could not get elsewhere. (I heard THAT one all the time from wealthy and upper middle class Peruvians when I used to go to Peru a lot in those days).

The middle of the cruise ship had a huge gambling casino there, It was a new boat but the carpets were already filthy in the casino area, and probably this was because they had designed the ship so that you could NOT traverse it at all without going through that casino. (Talk about sledgehammer subtlety!)

Also you just about choked to death because in that Casino, it was so thick with cigarette/cigar smoke. It was awful.

And ALL the employees (except the waiters and cooks) had their hands out for tips. Always. That was terrible. But it is evidently de riguer and accepted.

One the last day you were given a final "BILL" and you had places to check off to give
Tips to just about EVERYONE that worked on the boat, it seemed. even for people and things you had never seen nor heard of. The rationale for all this tipping I believe is from the tradition that people who woked in jobs that required tipping is because their wages were so meager. This reinforced that idea. But if you tipped liberally to all those that expected it, and on the final bill, I think the cost could easily double for your cruise ship experience..

So if you believe the ads everywhere about what bargains cruises are, any such notion will be made hash of when you disembark for the final time. Or if you got stuck with the dreaded "single supplement" - which alone could double the bill.

..And on the first day of the cruise, we had learned that ALL our luggage had got sent to Puerto Rico.

I hope it had a good time.

I did Caribbean Cruises a few years ago. 99% of what you described is pretty accurate (our luggage showed up in our rooms)

Did Carnival last year. Less stuffy than Caribbean, but they had more available for the teen crowd. Food was a notch lower though, and while Caribbean had full combo musicians, Carnival was mostly one or two musicians with pre-sequenced tunes...kinda like "paid Karaoke singers".

There was a pretty decent band on Caribbean that played at the lounge at the extreme end of the boat, so the crowd was sparse most nights. They joined our table during breaks, and by the next evening, they asked me to sit in...FUN!

davidmash · #10 01-30-2012, 12:54 PM

Perhaps it depends on what line you cruise with and where. I have been to Alaska twice and it was phenomenal. I'd go again in a heart beat. The crew was great. Our cabin was very nice. The food was quite good and had good variety.

Caribbean cruises tend to be family events and tend to be cheaper so it seems there is a greater likelihood to end up with folks who are closer to the Wal-Mart end of the spectrum. My sister went on a Northern Europe cruise and loved it as well.

Cruising is not for everyone. I definitely enjoyed my experiences. I have heard quite a bit about Carnival. Most of it has not been favorable. They seem to cater to the first time/cheap cruise/younger crowd. Not my cup of tea and I would not cruise on them. So far I have been on Cunard and Holland America.

Will_w202 · #11 01-30-2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTUpower

What a bigoted post.

I found it pretty amusing, and if the .05% of my "a cruise might be cool" got the better of my 99.5% "I have never wanted to go on a cruise and never would," Jim just made my decision. lol

I suspect the cruise industry is suffering for a reason.....

Jim B. · #12 01-30-2012, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmash

Perhaps it depends on what line you cruise with and where. I have been to Alaska twice and it was phenomenal. I'd go again in a heart beat. The crew was great. Our cabin was very nice. The food was quite good and had good variety.

Caribbean cruises tend to be family events and tend to be cheaper so it seems there is a greater likelihood to end up with folks who are closer to the Wal-Mart end of the spectrum. My sister went on a Northern Europe cruise and loved it as well.

Cruising is not for everyone. I definitely enjoyed my experiences. I have heard quite a bit about Carnival. Most of it has not been favorable. They seem to cater to the first time/cheap cruise/younger crowd. Not my cup of tea and I would not cruise on them. So far I have been on Cunard and Holland America.

Your remarks are also generally in line with what I have heard - though not yet personally experienced.

And am certainly not going to try with Carnival cruises. That one is the "PAR-TAY!!! crowd" cruise ship line.

davidmash · #13 01-30-2012, 01:12 PM

The cruise lines are suffering for the same reason the airlines and hotels and anything else that is travel related. The economy sucks and people are watching their money. There are cheap cruise lines and there are ones that are not. To a degree you get what you pay for. To make a judgement on one experience or worse yet, the experience of someone else is foolish ion my opinion. I have two cruises that were great and I am looking forward to another. My sister has been on a few and they were great. I have some friends who are cruise whores and they love it. The pretty much only cruise Princess and take about 5 cruises a year. They are in their 30's/50's

davidmash · #14 01-30-2012, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim B.

Your remarks are also generally in line with what I have heard - though not yet personally experienced.

And am certainly not going to try with Carnival cruises. That one is the "PAR-TAY!!! crowd" cruise ship line.

If you want a good cruise try Alaska. In my experience it is one of the most incredible experiences. The sights are magnificent and the crowds tend to be more upscale/mature but not in the spoiled sense. If you shop around there are some deals to be had especially end or beginning of the season.

Jim B. · #15 01-30-2012, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidmash

If you want a good cruise try Alaska. In my experience it is one of the most incredible experiences. The sights are magnificent and the crowds tend to be more upscale/mature but not in the spoiled sense. If you shop around there are some deals to be had especially end or beginning of the season.

Thanks, that sounds pretty ok.

I have heard that on some Alaska cruise ships, while you are on deck near Glacier Bay (?) or someplace like that, the cruise ships sometimes blow their huge horns and you then get to watch huge pieces of the glacier break away, and then cascade and tumble into the sea!