Serwyn_

The biggest difference is that the shows are mainly catered towards an older audience. So mostly songs from the 50’s-70’s

I just started my contract after Covid had started to die down. There were still heavy safety restrictions in place though. So the whole crew had to wear masks all day and the guests would have to wear them in certain ports. The crew were tested monthly for Covid and any sort of symptom quarantined you for 5-10 days. It slowly loosened over time. The most interesting thing I noticed that was when they took away the mask policy, the guests became so so much nicer to us instantly. I think maybe they viewed us less like human beings when they couldn’t see our full faces. Also it was so weird how I never saw the bottom of people’s faces for 7 months into a contract where you’ve been seeing the same people all day every day. Then suddenly one day everyone took them off and it was seriously weird. I had imagined some of the bottom of their faces so differently in my head 😅

What I have learned about cruise ships is that you either love the lifestyle or hate it. It provides amazing opportunities to travel and see the world, as well as interact with people from countries that I would never have been able to meet otherwise. On the other hand, it has a strict hierarchy, rules, days of homesickness and frustration with language barrier/culture clashes. You have to be prepared for your schedule to change on a dime, to do duties you didn’t sign up for, and to just be patient with people overall.

I, myself, have worked on one cruise line but two different ships. I don’t get to choose where I go. The casting department puts me where they need me to go. I don’t think that there is necessarily a better or worse cruise-line for singers, just what the individual prefers. For example, I work on a smaller ship so I don’t perform every night but instead I do other entertainment duties such as hosting games during the day like golf, table tennis, etc. On bigger ships you would most likely not have any other duties but to perform, but you would do two shows a night.

I have definitely noticed that some groups of guests are easier than others and some cruises you really click with more than others. There are always amazing people and, yes, always assholes too. Luckily more of the former than the latter. It think specifically because we are a luxury line, sometimes the guests can be a bit snooty.

Yup same exact scenario just happened at the beginning of my contract and we were without a pianist for 2 months. It sucked. Unfortunately alcohol is very cheap on ships but even a little bit can send you home if you’re breathalyzed.

There was a woman in the string quartet who allegedly slept with a guest and she just disappeared one day. We have a LOT of people go home for breathing over the limit on random alcohol tests. I’ve heard a few stories about people who missed the all aboard time and the ship sailed without them. That’s an automatic bye bye too

It’s truly awful how the other departments are worked and how little time off they get. I know firsthand because I met my boyfriend who I met on ships and works in the bar department hardly can get more than a few hours off at a time when he isn’t sleeping. I don’t think that it should be legal to work people like that in my opinion. I definitely know how privileged I am to have such an amazing job when I am surrounded by people who are not as fortunate and are mainly just trying to get money for their families back at home.