By now, most musicians know that it has gotten much more difficult to get a job on a cruise ship simply because the demand is smaller than the supply. Knowing how to keep your job is thus more important than ever before. Some of the bands that don’t get re-hired may be puzzled as to why they’re not offered a job, after they have “successfully” finished several contracts. The answer may not even be related to the quality of the band. Some of the best-sounding bands may not be the most successful bands on ships.
The answer may lie in the fact that “successful” may mean something different to the band than it does to the cruise line. more info
I think it’s safe to say that most musicians are naturally driven to play as best they can. No one in their right mind would go on stage and embarrass themselves on purpose. We thus practice individually and rehearse in groups, to get the overall music to sound as good as possible.
However, tangible factors such as amount of practice or talent, and the experience of the individual are not the only ones affecting a musician’s performance. A much more unlikely factor may have a much bigger impact on a performance than we would like to acknowledge sometimes. The musician’s confidence level. more info
Let’s face it, being or becoming a good musician is tough. Theory, harmony, arranging, ear training, composing, history, sight-reading, instrument related technical skills, embouchure, stylistics, improvisation, ensemble playing… the list seems endless. One can spend several lifetimes and still not perfect all aspects of music. And I don’t believe that it is necessary to be perfect. Most, if not all of us, have weaknesses in some areas, and thus we practice and continually strive to get better.
However, I believe that there is one important aspect that a lot of us neglect, even though it may very well be a deciding factor in determining the success of your career. I’m talking about a professional attitude.
To work on a cruise ship you must pass a medical exam. How detailed this exam is depends on the cruise line that has offered you a job. Some include detailed blood analysis, drug tests, chest x-rays, detailed medical questionnaire and more. Some cruise lines require that your Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 35.
Being in good general health is thus important and we want to make sure our clients are aware of this policy so they won’t be surprised later.
Some musicians are asking whether they can get a medical exam done before they are offered a job. This, however, does not make much sense since all of these cruise lines have different medical exam procedures. Wait until you’ve been offered a job to get a yours done. At that point we’ll be able to give you detailed instructions and provide you with the correct forms.
Once completed, the medical results are typically valid for 2 years.
It’s also important to note that the exams are at your cost. Some cruise lines reimburse a part of the costs to you once on board the ship, some don’t.
If you have any questions about medical exams, let us know.
Here’s another question we get asked a lot. When should I apply?
You should apply as early as possible. Most cruise lines book several months in advance to make sure they’ve got all their entertainment needs filled. Cruise gigs are in high demand at the moment. There are way more musicians applying than there are jobs for. So, if an opening comes up, doesn’t mean you’ll get it. So, a couple of months may pass before a gig is assigned to you because you’re the next best guy on the list.
It’s pretty typical to have to wait several months before you’ll get a gig.
Once you’ve successfully passed your audition, you’ll on the roster of musicians or groups that we consider for placement, and that doesn’t change unless you tell us you’re no longer looking for work. Take your time to make sure you’re properly prepared for the audition, this ensures that you put your best effort forward. Then, go ahead and audition, even if you’re not planning to head out for a cruise gig for several months.
For groups, it’s important to update your information with us while you’re waiting for a job. Considering that it can take several months before you get a gig, the lineup of your band may change, or you may put together a better video. If that’s the case, make sure you get this information to us so that we also show the cruise lines your latest and best material.
As we’re heading into the new year, we are working hard on updating your records to make sure we know who’s looking for work and when they are available. So, if you read this message, send us a quick note to info@oceanbound.com to let us know what’s new.
Also, if you have updated photos, videos and repertoire lists of your project, send it to us.
Background checks are one of the items on your list of paperwork to be completed before you embark on a ship.
What seemed to be a sporadic procedure is now pretty much a standard amongst all major cruise lines. For some that means having to sign a consent form, giving authorization to a third party company that specializes in background checks. For others it means getting a police record at your local police station. We will be able to tell you more exactly what to do, once we know which cruise line you’ll be working for.
These background checks have to be fairly recent, so you couldn’t use one you have laying around from several years ago. We get asked fairly often what kinds of entries on your criminal history will prevent you from getting a job. This is, unfortunately, not something we can answer as these decisions are made by the lawyers at the cruise lines.
This information is provided simply to make sure you won’t be surprised later when you’re asked for this background check.
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