Believe it or not, entertainment companies that hire people to work on cruise ships are looking for “legitimate” voices to complement their talent pool. As an opera/musical theatre performer who recently completed six months on a cruise ship, I can attest that there are benefits to a seagoing musical career, as well as some drawbacks.
In April 2004, I completed a seven-month engagement with Jean Ann Ryan Productions, one of the most respected companies in cruise entertainment, performing for six months on board the MS Norwegian Sky of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). We started in San Francisco with a “repositioning” cruise through the Panama Canal, then toured the southern and eastern Caribbean islands.
The audition
It all begins with something familiar to all of us: auditions—but don’t expect the typical suits and dresses—it’s going to look more like an open Broadway audition. The important word is open—expect to be there for quite some time. My advice is to dress a little more casual than you would for a typical opera audition, spend your time going over your music, and keep out of the way of the dancers as they limber up.
The entertainment companies are looking for people who can sing, can move, and are easy on the eye. And since their shows include semi-operatic pieces from shows such as “Phantom” and “Les Mis,” as well as Broadway classics such as Carousel and Oklahoma!, they need singers with a strong delivery and a more traditional style. Don’t come in with “Largo” or “Vissi d’arte.” “If Ever I Would Leave You” and “I Dreamed a Dream” are more what they’re looking for. As always, sing what best shows you off.
Don’t expect to hear feedback soon. In the cruise entertainment business, you are being hired to fill an opening, not to stage a new production. The companies have a pool of singers, singer/dancers, dancers, and specialty acts they can choose from. If there’s an opening and you fill the criteria, you could be hired.
Before you ship out
The cruise company paid to put up our troupe in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. We were responsible for all other expenses, including phone calls, food, laundry, and the like. You should receive a per diem to offset these expenses, but you may not receive it until you ship out.
We learned four shows to perform on a weekly basis: a Broadway-style show (complete with glitzy-tacky costumes, dancing, and “showstopper” numbers), a dance-heavy show (singing involved everything from standards to Ricky Martin), and a Cirque du Soleil-style show where the emphasis is more on spectacle than singing. We also prepared a “welcome to the cruise” number. All this was memorized in three to four weeks.
As always, work begins with rehearsals, but even though the entertainment company hired you, you are contracted to (and paid by) the cruise line, and must pass a physical exam. It’s a good idea to get a thorough exam from your physician before you go, and bring a copy of your records, to be on the safe side. The cruise lines are very strict about drug use, so make sure they know if you are taking any medication, and have an explanation from your physician.
After the exam, rehearsals begin in earnest. This is not an AGMA or Equity house, and it’s going to feel like they’re running you ragged. Rehearsals can start at 9 a.m., go to noon or 1 p.m., break for an hour for lunch, and resume in the afternoon until 5 or 6, with the occasional night rehearsal thrown in as needed.
When they say you’ll be moving, they mean dancing—stage-style dancing. As a principal singer, you’re not required to dance as much as the other people in the troupe, but if you can move, you’ll be a step ahead. Get used to stretching before rehearsal. Most of the limbering-up is more akin to an aerobics class, so if you’re not in shape when rehearsals begin, you soon will be.
Prior to the rehearsals, I received CDs of the music and a book with my part and my part only—no piano-vocal scores here! If you’re a solid singer and a good musician (playing the piano helps), you may be able to make a few extra bucks as the group’s “music captain.”
On board the ship
In a post-9/11 world, expect security to be tight. After filling out a lot of forms, you will be given a crew badge (with your picture) and a nametag. You often need both to get on and off the ship at ports of call. If you lose these, life can get very difficult for you. Many of the ships use your crew badge as your room key, and it takes time to reproduce them. Shipboard security frowns on people who chronically lose things, and sometimes it can be grounds for dismissal.
Learn the rules on board and live by them. Remember that your job can be cancelled at any time for any major infraction (drug or alcohol abuse, absenteeism, rudeness to passengers, etc.), and you will find yourself in a foreign country, bags in hand, waiting for an airplane to take you home.
When you get on board, you finally see the space where you’ll perform, likely a concert-style stage seating anywhere from 200 to 600 people, depending on the ship. Some of the mega-ships, like the larger Royal Caribbean ships (or if you’re lucky, the Queen Mary II), have more traditional, proscenium-style theaters that seat more than a thousand. The stage on average-size ships is multi-purpose, featuring everything from bingo and other acts to group meetings.
The biggest thing to get used to: the ship is moving while you’re performing. Until you get used to it, you feel like you’re singing with a hangover. Depending on the weather and the ship’s speed, the movement can be anything from a gentle rocking to pitching and rolling that rivals a roller coaster. Believe it or not, it’s hard to stand still and sing while the ship is moving! If seasickness is a problem, the ship’s medical staff can furnish you with Dramamine or anti-sickness wristbands.
Backstage room varies per ship, but it’s usually small (the larger ships have an area where costumes can be stored). Be aware, however, that the sometimes lightning-quick costume changes will require you to strip to the bare necessities next to people you didn’t even know a month prior. If you’re someone who’s easily embarrassed, you’ll have to get over it quickly.
We did an introduction number (lasting about five minutes) in conjunction with a “welcome on board” show at the start of each cruise. Main performances lasted about an hour and were at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there were other acts, from singers (ranging from good to really bad), magicians, and comics.
Passengers don’t pay to see the shows, and cruise ships offer plenty of other things to keep them busy (such as casinos, mini-malls, other performers, and the constant array of food). I have seen a packed lounge empty to only 25 people as a performer “bombed.” So the shows are fast-paced, with no intermission, and segues you have to experience to believe. All the featured singers used mics during my tour, a requirement to cope with the sometimes overpowering accompaniment and the fact that the theater wasn’t the best for voices.
It is possible to do additional singing other than just the production shows (you are not paid extra for doing this, however—you are paid only for the work in the production shows). Your opportunity to sing solo may be anything from a few numbers in a piano lounge to a complete set in a small lounge/theater. Make sure you bring the music you’ll need.
Most of the pianists working on cruise ships are lounge pianists, and are usually not willing to spend time learning your opera arias, since opera is not their forte. Show tunes or standards are best, and the pianists will use their version if they know the piece. Know the keys in which you sing the songs, because lounge pianists work that way. If you want to sing with the show band (if one’s on board), you’ll need charts of your music for instruments. You’ll also need permission from the entertainment director (usually the head of the show band) and the cruise director.
NCL likes to have the entertainers available to the passengers, so don’t be surprised to find yourself “pressing the flesh” with people on an excursion on shore, or making some friends who’ll sit on the front row and cheer you on. Don’t expect to be “discovered” on board, however. Most of the passengers are not in the entertainment business, and rarely have any connection to opera. I will say, however, that I met some wonderful people on board who have attended some of my performances back in Chicago.
Ship accommodations
As a principal singer, you have your own cabin, but cabin size and availability varies from ship to ship. You should have a TV hooked up to the ship’s satellite system, but what you get depends on where you’re sailing. Expect a lot of international programming. Use your computer to pick up baseball and American football scores, if that’s your interest. It’s smart to bring a small stereo, or even better, a digital media device (like an iPod) and speakers—remember that you have to lug everything you brought (or bought) off the ship.
Bathrooms and showers on board cruise ships are notoriously small—imagine showering in a phone booth and you’ll get an idea of what it’s like! But you’ll have a steward to vacuum your cabin and change the linens. We made a habit of tipping them weekly—they don’t make a lot, and if you treat them well, they will help you out with such niceties as dry cleaning and delivering fresh fruit to your cabin each week (and letting you back into your cabin if you leave your key card in your cabin!).
You can either have the ship’s laundry do your laundry (it’ll cost you) or you can do your own, but be prepared for long lines. The “Sky” had just 11 machines for 900 crewmembers! Stay with your clothes—theft is not a problem, but having your clothes left in a wet heap on the floor is a common occurrence.
Ships are equipped with a crew bar and disco, where beer is served at a low price. Some cruise lines are more strict about alcohol use, and if an officer finds you having more than you can handle, you could be off the ship at your next port. Alcohol in your cabin is another no-no, although it’s a known fact that it’s not enforced much. Use your judgment and common sense, and you’ll be fine.
Principal singers are given passenger status to a point and can go anywhere on board a passenger can go at any time, including the ship’s restaurants, with the exception of the casino (if the ship has one). Singer/dancers and dancers are required to ask permission from the troupe’s on-board manager to eat at the restaurants. There is a chain of command, as in any organization, and the final say in all matters pertaining to entertainment ends at the cruise director, who is usually very amiable.
Staying healthy
You will find that you’re a lot more conscious about health than you’ve ever been before. A cruise ship is a closed society, and if someone gets ill, it’s likely that everyone else will get sick as well. You may have read about cruise ships being quarantined at ports, with most of the passengers and crew stricken by the Norwalk virus—fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea—it’s not a pleasant experience.
To fight shipboard illness, many cruise lines provide sanitizing wipes or lotions at the entrances of mess halls and buffet stations, as well as when you come back on board. It’s smart to carry some hand sanitizer, since you’ll be shaking hands with passengers who are thrilled to meet you. Stay well, and you’ll be happy.
Money managing tips
The big benefit of doing a “cruise gig” is the money. As a principal singer you can make more than $1,300 in two weeks (after taxes), depending on the company. If you plan on having money put in your account in the States, you’ll need a way to get access to it, so opening up an account with a local bank is a smart idea, or open one with a large international bank (such as Citibank) and have someone at home transfer money for you, so you can avoid ATM fees. It is usually less expensive to buy things on shore than on the ship; look for discount stores (such as Wal-Mart or K-Mart) at your ports of call.
Your time on shore is your own. If possible, take some shore excursions available through the cruise line. Usually, the company will offer you a discount for the excursion, or sometimes you won’t have to pay at all. Depending on where you’re stationed, you may be able to get some great deals on clothes, electronics, and liquor. But you won’t be able to enjoy any liquor you buy for a while—most cruise ships “bond” any liquor you bring aboard until the end of a cruise. That goes for passengers as well as crew.
Some drawbacks to consider
It sounds like a great life, doesn’t it? No rent, free food, free medical coverage, travel to places you never thought you’d visit, and constant performing, with the possibility of some solo work. Well, every “dream job” has its drawbacks.
One issue is age. Most people who work cruise ships are one to five years out of college and have plenty of wild oats to sow. Maturity is not a big selling point.
Another problem can be boredom—when you’ve already visited the ports and the restaurants, then what? This can be a good time to study roles, learn a language, and work on getting or keeping in shape (the crew has a gym, and as a principal singer, you’re entitled to use the passenger’s fitness facilities). The only practice room will probably be your cabin—the places on board with a piano are usually busy all day.
Another downside: missing your life at home. You’ll be out of the audition loop for the course of your tour. If you have a relationship, that can suffer, too. Your significant other might not be available when you need to talk, or sometimes the satellite setup won’t work, making instant messaging, e-mail and open cell for your phone unavailable. Most cruise lines make discounted cruises available to the crew, so you might be able to bring a guest on board for less than half of what normal passengers pay. (Sometimes those fares are available only for a short time, so your guest would need to hop a flight to your homeport with only a few day’s notice, which isn’t always possible.)
For those who can live the lifestyle, working cruises can be a great way to work. I met some singers who have been working cruises for more than 10 years, with a post office box as a permanent residence and their belongings in a storage locker. If the company that hires you finds you are willing to do another cruise, they may have another job waiting for you within a month of finishing the one you’re doing. It won’t lead to the Met, but it’s a great way of getting out of debt—or, if you’re burned out with the audition scene, trying something new.
Resources:
Jean Ann Ryan Productions
308 SE 14th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
www.jeanannryanproductions.com
(954) 523-6399
One of the premier production entertainment companies in the cruise business, JAR works with Norwegian, NCL America (you must be a U.S. citizen to work with NCL America), SilverSea, and other cruise lines. JAR holds auditions around the country; you can send materials with a videotape directly to the company.
Stiletto Entertainment
Casting Department: P.O. Box 45348
Los Angeles, CA 90045
www.stilettoentertainment.com
(310) 957-5757, ext. 412 (hotline number)
Stiletto handles entertainment for Holland America cruises. Its website has forms and “tracks” available for download. The company recommends you have the tracks down “cold” for auditions, which it holds around the country. You can send video demos to Stiletto.
Contact the following cruise lines directly and ask for the Entertainment Department:
• Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines:
http://royalcaribbean.hire.com/index.html
• Carnival Cruise Lines:
http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Fun_Jobs/Shipboard-Entertainment.aspx
• Celebrity Cruise Lines:
http://www.celebrity.com, go to About and look at Careers
• Cunard/Seabourn Cruise Lines:
http://www.cunardseabourn.hcareers.co.uk/
• Princess/P&O Cruise Lines:
http://employment.princess.com/employment/job_shipboard.html#Entertainment
Also check out this site for more information on cruise line entertainment:
www.cruiselinejob.com
