Hi Gabe, nice video, your candor, honesty, and willingness to be open about the ships is appreciated. I did it on and off for two and a half years as a bass player in the orchestra. If it's the comedian it must be Wednesday. If it's the Broadway show it's either Tuesday or Friday. Boat drill - so hard to do while hungover and you just went to bed three hours ago, then you're up for the rest of the day, and it's usually an "at sea" day. Plus I just loved it when the passengers are going back inside the ship then they just stop and block anyone else from getting back inside. I would stay up all night and catch breakfast as my midnight buffet. It was fun; you meet people, crew and passengers, from all over the world, and in my case, my soon to be wife who was from the Philippines. Many cruise ship musicians end up marrying girls from the Phil's, and one friend of mine married a British gal. He went on a heroin addict, went cold turkey for the first week, and got clean and sober on the ships. Hard to do, but he did it. I would wake up just in time to grab tacos or hot dogs on the Lido deck, and some of the other musicians would be right behind me with their bloodshot eyes and bedroom hair. One formal night I ended up in a passengers cabin, spent the night, then the next day was a sea day, so everyone saw me at 10:00 am still in my tux with my hair sticking up... Fond memories... I had the chance to back up Shirley Jones, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Ben Vereen, Patti Andrews, Marni Nixon, and many other very famous people that I've forgotten at this moment. If you are a young person, fresh out of college and at a crossroads in your life, call a contractor, do an audition and get on board! It's a very valuable lesson in life on how to get along with others, building your musical resume, and as in my case, you meet your marriage partner!
Great info. I have a great day job, so I wouldn't need to work a ship for money. I suppose it could be good for the experience. I suspect it's more difficult to get hired as a vocalist. Seems to me I'd want to use my spare time at sea to write songs and record scratch tracks or even better. An iPad would probably be perfect for that. You could record guitar tracks almost silently with a solid-body. Do musicians need to bring their own amps?
Matt BenDaniel Yeah, it might be more challenging to be hired as a vocalist but I'm not sure. It probably depends on if you are part of a band that's being hired on as a unit or you're auditioning as a single vocalist for the Vegas-style shows. I can't remember if amps were provided for the show band members. If you're one of the other bands on the ship I'm pretty sure they have to supply their own.
I enjoyed the band called "music Unlimited " 4 times on my carnival cruises..i am again booked for july departure on the Splendor how I wish "music Unlimited was performing on the Splendor. hope the band on the Splendor will be near as enjoyable.
This sounds about right. I did cruise ships (carnival) for about 5 years. I stopped in 2007. Yup, I fell you man. I am an introvert and it is hard. Muster stations is what I remember them calling the place where passengers gather. Boat drill was the worst.
Hey Gabe, how are you? Tks for sharing your experience! One question, as a solo artist, acoustic guitar and voice, could I play my own tunes or just famous songs?
Great video! Thank you very much! I'm from Argentina. I'm waiting for my first contract on a cruise. Do you know how pianists do for practicing? Are they allowed to practise on a piano or generally they do with a keyboard on their cabin? Many thanks for you answer!
I would imagine it's probably easier for pianists to practice on a ship. You should be able to go to the show band area (when no one's using the room) and practice there - you could also put on headphones if it's an electric keyboard. There are also other pianos around the ship usually. I remember one in a dining room that people would use later at night. So, just figure out when those are available. But if you have a keyboard in your cabin that would be great. At least you can put headphones on or turn the volume down!
Just finished watching your video. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I think everything you said resonated with me as to exactly how I experienced it. As a bassist, it was much easier for me to practice as I could go ampless. I used to practice in the dressing rooms around 12:00am - 2:00am where I wouldn't be bothered. I also remember all of the people that developed drinking problems because of the cheapness of alcohol. Fortunately, I didn't become that as I didn't drink that much. I too am an extreme introvert and found that extremely difficult. Like you, I became very depressed, especially at the end of my 6 month contract. In fact, I cut my contract 2 weeks short because I was at my absolute finish point. I lost my free cruise (haha) but at that time, the last thing I wanted to do was cruise. I think it left a lasting impact on my emotional well-being, but I'm glad I did it as it was a great learning experience. The time off in Cozumel was very nice though and I sometimes find myself missing that aspect (and only working like 3 hours a day. lol). I just recently took a cruise with my significant other on the Carnival Pride, and I've got to say that it's much more pleasant as a passenger. Strangely enough, there was no show band. They had a lounge band that was made up of a variety of musicians. They were fun, but they all had blank looks on their face. I immediate thought "Oh, I'll bet they're at the end of their contract." I had the opportunity to speak with one of them and predictably, they had 4 weeks left and they were burnt out. I have friends on Facebook from that period in my life and some of them are still doing it! I can't imagine still doing that 15 years later. Do you remember Jimmy and Mel from the country lounge band? They're still quite active. I can't even imagine.
+Jason Kirby So cool to hear from you, Jason :)... (I should check my comments more often!) So interesting to see how your experience was so similar to mine. I felt like the odd man out in our group because of my attitude about everything. Although... we did have a guy we nicknamed "The Time Bomb" because he'd been on for almost a year without a break and he was just waiting to blow! I did enjoy the ports and do miss them from time to time. Funny how you mostly remember the good things. I did get my free cruise but never went on it :). I'm still connected with at least one of my band-mates from that time. He's a good friend. I ended up so down after those 7 months that it really moved me to get my spiritual life back on track. There really was no other choice for me than to spend some serious time focusing on that. I did and it REALLY helped. I should probably make a video about that, eh? A few questions... Did you back up Roger Homefield? Philly the comedian? The comedian who sang "Blue By You"? I imagine some of those same performers would've still been around. Anyway... nice chatting :).
I remember backing up a comedian, but I can't remember his name. I remember that he was in bad shape and had an online gambling addiction. lol. He used to hang out in the Internet cafes and gamble his paychecks away. We also backed up a juggler who was French. I believe his name was Pierre. Really nice guy and married to the show singer.
Jason Kirby I don’t know you guys but I enjoyed hearing your story and point of view. All the best for you guys! Rodrigo from Brazil. I’m thinking of going on a cruise ship as well :)
I guess it depends... In my experience the sea was only really rough 2-3 times and we weren't doing a show then. The times when it was rough... it wouldn't have made sense to play because the equipment would be sliding around. Other musicians can comment on this... I'd love to hear the stories :). But, really, it wasn't much on an issue on my contracts.
I have a couple questions: Q1: Did you have to bring your own gear or does the ship provide that? Q2: Where did you Store gear when you’re not playing and is it easy to access for practice?
As far as music gear goes... All they supplied for me was a music stand and a chair to sit on - lol. Oh, and mics, etc. I'm not sure about drummers. It's possible that some ships might supply some gear for them. Like you might just have to bring cymbals - not sure about that. Some ships may supply amps for bass and guitar. I can't really remember how that went for those guys in the band. Glad I never had to deal with that stuff! - For horn players, we just take our stuff to our rooms back and forth. There was a locker that we put all the music and mics in. I'm pretty sure the amps and drum set were always on the stage. I was in the show band in the main lounge. The other bands around the ship had different routines and I think they had places to store their gear. It's possible that the ship provided speakers, mics/mic stands and monitors for them.
Hi Gabe- i am a jazz saxophonist, i am looking to possibly get a cruise ship gig. I went to school for music education (graduated last year) and am now in a masters program for jazz- i am in no rush to get my masters so I may take some time to go do something like this- What is the audition process like? I also do some doubling on clarinet and flute- not amazing but I am good enough to play most of the parts in a musical (i also do a lot of pit work) I am not sure what level of doubling they are looking for which makes me a bit nervous for the audition. Any info you can give me would be super helpful, thank you!
+Kyle Hill Sorry I'm only just seeing this. It sounds like you're more than qualified. In my experience, Carnival was the easiest cruise line to get a gig with... and that's where I worked. I play flute very poorly (and don't play clarinet at all) and I was worried about that... but it wasn't really a problem. There were very few parts that needed a flute and I guess if there were clarinet parts I just played them on my tenor sax. Believe it or not, our Las Vegas production style shows were played with a back-up track. So... the flute parts (that I could barely play) were already in the mix. I mostly just held up the flute to make it look like I was playing (so pathetic, I know). Of course, I played the sax parts for those shows but we all wondered, "Does it really even matter? There's a fricking recording!" It felt like we were just there for looks. We played all-out for the other nights, though. I've heard stories about other cruise lines that are tougher to get a gig on. That's where your doubling skills would matter more. Back in good ol' 1999 the audition process was to send in a cassette tape (HA!) with some examples of your playing. I think I played with an Aebersold recording and also sent some tracks of me with different bands. I had a simple phone interview after that. They guy never heard me play flute. I just told him the truth and that I would practice. I know that at different times of the year, different lines will hold live auditions around the country. I would just check their websites and see... things could have changed since I was in this game. Good luck!
Hi Gabe, did you apply through an entertainment agency or directly to the cruise line ? I play alto sax flute and clarinet but I don't have a tenor sax. Are woodwind players usually required to bring alto and tenor saxes to the ship ?
I applied directly to the cruise line. In the band I was in there were three saxes (Alto, Tenor, Bari). You were basically majoring in one of those three. I don't see why you'd need to bring an alto and a tenor but you could if you wanted. If you play alto, flute and clarinet you should be fine.
Thank you for this video. I want to ask about charts. Before you go on the ship do they send you charts ? I have 5 days left and nobody sent me charts ? What is your experience with that? Thank you
I didn't receive any charts before arriving. I had a little grace period at the beginning to figure things out. Be ready to test out your sight reading chops. If there are tough sections to work out you might want to get together with someone in the band who's been there a while. They can tell you the songs that usually get called, typical trouble spots, etc.
Thanks man, i mean i am very confident with my sight reading, i was practising like crazy whole last year. Maybe you know how many tunes aproximatly you played for first night, and are the tunes hard, i am a guitar player, ive heard that on cruise they want you to play chords mostly. My only fear is that they can give me like 20 tunes to learn in few hours, i mean i can do that maybe but not perfectly, without mistakes. Thank you so much, i subscribed to your channel these videos are very helpful for musicians that are about to go on ship. Bless
Do u need to be able to read music to play on the ship? Also, as far as repertoire, do you find out what repertoire u'll be doing when u get on the ship or before? Also, as far as free time, is it possible to study or are there courses on the ships? A friend of mine was trained to do IT (he works in that department). Thanks alot bro!
+YOHAN HENRY MUSiQ If you're in the show band you definitely need to read music. I didn't know what tunes I'd be playing before I got there. But it's standard big band jazz tunes mostly so I was pretty familiar already. If you're in one of the other bands around the ship that wouldn't be a requirement... mostly because the other bands get hired as a unit... so they work out their repertoire before joining the ship. There are no courses for the staff. I suppose if you wanted to help out in a department (or something) for free they might let you learn that way. I say grab some books (or whatever you need), make the most of the time, and study on your own.
+Gabe Turner Thanks alot for the info! I have a few friends who have worked on ships playing music, & they can't read, lol... Btw, is there good internet connection aboard the ships? Perhaps I could study online,
+YOHAN HENRY MUSiQ I was on the ships in 1999-2000 so the only way I accessed the internet back then was to go to an internet cafe at the ports. I had to pay by the half-hour! So crazy. I don't know what it's like now... but I imagine there's some kind of internet available onboard.
Great! Thanks for the info Gabe. I know that guest and employee romantic interaction is a no no, what about employee hook ups? 6-12 month is a long time lol.
When I was working on ships it seemed like most people (in the show bands I was in) had contracts that lasted about 3 months at a time. They'd go home for a few weeks (or longer) and start a new contract. That's just my experience. I'm sure it varies depending on what cruise line you're on, etc.
+La Lupe Yes, I agree :). The reason it came out that way was because in my cruise ship experience the production singers and the show band musicians were two totally separate entities. The singers were only in the Las Vegas style shows twice a week (and not in the band) so I just happened to refer to them as "singers." Everybody on board knew them as the stars of the big show or..."the singers."
Hi Gabe, nice video, your candor, honesty, and willingness to be open about the ships is appreciated. I did it on and off for two and a half years as a bass player in the orchestra. If it's the comedian it must be Wednesday. If it's the Broadway show it's either Tuesday or Friday. Boat drill - so hard to do while hungover and you just went to bed three hours ago, then you're up for the rest of the day, and it's usually an "at sea" day. Plus I just loved it when the passengers are going back inside the ship then they just stop and block anyone else from getting back inside. I would stay up all night and catch breakfast as my midnight buffet. It was fun; you meet people, crew and passengers, from all over the world, and in my case, my soon to be wife who was from the Philippines. Many cruise ship musicians end up marrying girls from the Phil's, and one friend of mine married a British gal. He went on a heroin addict, went cold turkey for the first week, and got clean and sober on the ships. Hard to do, but he did it. I would wake up just in time to grab tacos or hot dogs on the Lido deck, and some of the other musicians would be right behind me with their bloodshot eyes and bedroom hair. One formal night I ended up in a passengers cabin, spent the night, then the next day was a sea day, so everyone saw me at 10:00 am still in my tux with my hair sticking up... Fond memories... I had the chance to back up Shirley Jones, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Ben Vereen, Patti Andrews, Marni Nixon, and many other very famous people that I've forgotten at this moment. If you are a young person, fresh out of college and at a crossroads in your life, call a contractor, do an audition and get on board! It's a very valuable lesson in life on how to get along with others, building your musical resume, and as in my case, you meet your marriage partner!
Thanks bud. Good to hear these perspectives. I'll be doing my first contract soon!
Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Glad you liked it :)
Thanks for making this!! Are there opportunities to work out on the boat?
Very respectful and informative. Thank you.
Great info. I have a great day job, so I wouldn't need to work a ship for money. I suppose it could be good for the experience. I suspect it's more difficult to get hired as a vocalist.
Seems to me I'd want to use my spare time at sea to write songs and record scratch tracks or even better. An iPad would probably be perfect for that. You could record guitar tracks almost silently with a solid-body.
Do musicians need to bring their own amps?
Matt BenDaniel Yeah, it might be more challenging to be hired as a vocalist but I'm not sure. It probably depends on if you are part of a band that's being hired on as a unit or you're auditioning as a single vocalist for the Vegas-style shows.
I can't remember if amps were provided for the show band members. If you're one of the other bands on the ship I'm pretty sure they have to supply their own.
I enjoyed the band called "music Unlimited " 4 times on my carnival cruises..i am again booked for july departure on the Splendor how I wish "music Unlimited was performing on the Splendor. hope the band on the Splendor will be near as enjoyable.
This sounds about right. I did cruise ships (carnival) for about 5 years. I stopped in 2007. Yup, I fell you man. I am an introvert and it is hard. Muster stations is what I remember them calling the place where passengers gather. Boat drill was the worst.
Hey Gabe, how are you? Tks for sharing your experience! One question, as a solo artist, acoustic guitar and voice, could I play my own tunes or just famous songs?
Great video! Thank you very much! I'm from Argentina. I'm waiting for my first contract on a cruise. Do you know how pianists do for practicing? Are they allowed to practise on a piano or generally they do with a keyboard on their cabin? Many thanks for you answer!
I would imagine it's probably easier for pianists to practice on a ship. You should be able to go to the show band area (when no one's using the room) and practice there - you could also put on headphones if it's an electric keyboard. There are also other pianos around the ship usually. I remember one in a dining room that people would use later at night. So, just figure out when those are available. But if you have a keyboard in your cabin that would be great. At least you can put headphones on or turn the volume down!
Gabe Turner Thank you very much for your answer! Greetings from Argentina!
Wow! I was on the Carnival Celebration in 2001 so I just barely missed you. I'm a bassist. Good times (and bad. LOL)
Just finished watching your video. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I think everything you said resonated with me as to exactly how I experienced it. As a bassist, it was much easier for me to practice as I could go ampless. I used to practice in the dressing rooms around 12:00am - 2:00am where I wouldn't be bothered. I also remember all of the people that developed drinking problems because of the cheapness of alcohol. Fortunately, I didn't become that as I didn't drink that much. I too am an extreme introvert and found that extremely difficult. Like you, I became very depressed, especially at the end of my 6 month contract. In fact, I cut my contract 2 weeks short because I was at my absolute finish point. I lost my free cruise (haha) but at that time, the last thing I wanted to do was cruise. I think it left a lasting impact on my emotional well-being, but I'm glad I did it as it was a great learning experience. The time off in Cozumel was very nice though and I sometimes find myself missing that aspect (and only working like 3 hours a day. lol).
I just recently took a cruise with my significant other on the Carnival Pride, and I've got to say that it's much more pleasant as a passenger. Strangely enough, there was no show band. They had a lounge band that was made up of a variety of musicians. They were fun, but they all had blank looks on their face. I immediate thought "Oh, I'll bet they're at the end of their contract." I had the opportunity to speak with one of them and predictably, they had 4 weeks left and they were burnt out.
I have friends on Facebook from that period in my life and some of them are still doing it! I can't imagine still doing that 15 years later. Do you remember Jimmy and Mel from the country lounge band? They're still quite active. I can't even imagine.
+Jason Kirby So cool to hear from you, Jason :)... (I should check my comments more often!) So interesting to see how your experience was so similar to mine. I felt like the odd man out in our group because of my attitude about everything. Although... we did have a guy we nicknamed "The Time Bomb" because he'd been on for almost a year without a break and he was just waiting to blow!
I did enjoy the ports and do miss them from time to time. Funny how you mostly remember the good things. I did get my free cruise but never went on it :). I'm still connected with at least one of my band-mates from that time. He's a good friend.
I ended up so down after those 7 months that it really moved me to get my spiritual life back on track. There really was no other choice for me than to spend some serious time focusing on that. I did and it REALLY helped. I should probably make a video about that, eh?
A few questions... Did you back up Roger Homefield? Philly the comedian? The comedian who sang "Blue By You"? I imagine some of those same performers would've still been around. Anyway... nice chatting :).
I remember backing up a comedian, but I can't remember his name. I remember that he was in bad shape and had an online gambling addiction. lol. He used to hang out in the Internet cafes and gamble his paychecks away. We also backed up a juggler who was French. I believe his name was Pierre. Really nice guy and married to the show singer.
Jason Kirby I don’t know you guys but I enjoyed hearing your story and point of view. All the best for you guys! Rodrigo from Brazil. I’m thinking of going on a cruise ship as well :)
Does the band still plays when the sea is very rough?
I guess it depends... In my experience the sea was only really rough 2-3 times and we weren't doing a show then. The times when it was rough... it wouldn't have made sense to play because the equipment would be sliding around. Other musicians can comment on this... I'd love to hear the stories :). But, really, it wasn't much on an issue on my contracts.
I have a couple questions:
Q1: Did you have to bring your own gear or does the ship provide that?
Q2: Where did you Store gear when you’re not playing and is it easy to access for practice?
As far as music gear goes... All they supplied for me was a music stand and a chair to sit on - lol. Oh, and mics, etc. I'm not sure about drummers. It's possible that some ships might supply some gear for them. Like you might just have to bring cymbals - not sure about that. Some ships may supply amps for bass and guitar. I can't really remember how that went for those guys in the band. Glad I never had to deal with that stuff! - For horn players, we just take our stuff to our rooms back and forth. There was a locker that we put all the music and mics in. I'm pretty sure the amps and drum set were always on the stage. I was in the show band in the main lounge. The other bands around the ship had different routines and I think they had places to store their gear. It's possible that the ship provided speakers, mics/mic stands and monitors for them.
Hi Gabe- i am a jazz saxophonist, i am looking to possibly get a cruise ship gig. I went to school for music education (graduated last year) and am now in a masters program for jazz- i am in no rush to get my masters so I may take some time to go do something like this- What is the audition process like? I also do some doubling on clarinet and flute- not amazing but I am good enough to play most of the parts in a musical (i also do a lot of pit work) I am not sure what level of doubling they are looking for which makes me a bit nervous for the audition. Any info you can give me would be super helpful, thank you!
+Kyle Hill Sorry I'm only just seeing this. It sounds like you're more than qualified. In my experience, Carnival was the easiest cruise line to get a gig with... and that's where I worked. I play flute very poorly (and don't play clarinet at all) and I was worried about that... but it wasn't really a problem. There were very few parts that needed a flute and I guess if there were clarinet parts I just played them on my tenor sax. Believe it or not, our Las Vegas production style shows were played with a back-up track. So... the flute parts (that I could barely play) were already in the mix. I mostly just held up the flute to make it look like I was playing (so pathetic, I know). Of course, I played the sax parts for those shows but we all wondered, "Does it really even matter? There's a fricking recording!" It felt like we were just there for looks. We played all-out for the other nights, though. I've heard stories about other cruise lines that are tougher to get a gig on. That's where your doubling skills would matter more.
Back in good ol' 1999 the audition process was to send in a cassette tape (HA!) with some examples of your playing. I think I played with an Aebersold recording and also sent some tracks of me with different bands. I had a simple phone interview after that. They guy never heard me play flute. I just told him the truth and that I would practice. I know that at different times of the year, different lines will hold live auditions around the country. I would just check their websites and see... things could have changed since I was in this game. Good luck!
Thanx for the Vid! do you know if cruise lines offer short term contracts out of the LA - San Diego area?
or even booze cruz for booze cruz contracts.? .. for solo guitar singer? thank you for any help
Hi Gabe, did you apply through an entertainment agency or directly to the cruise line ? I play alto sax flute and clarinet but I don't have a tenor sax. Are woodwind players usually required to bring alto and tenor saxes to the ship ?
I applied directly to the cruise line. In the band I was in there were three saxes (Alto, Tenor, Bari). You were basically majoring in one of those three. I don't see why you'd need to bring an alto and a tenor but you could if you wanted. If you play alto, flute and clarinet you should be fine.
Thank you for this video. I want to ask about charts. Before you go on the ship do they send you charts ? I have 5 days left and nobody sent me charts ? What is your experience with that? Thank you
I didn't receive any charts before arriving. I had a little grace period at the beginning to figure things out. Be ready to test out your sight reading chops. If there are tough sections to work out you might want to get together with someone in the band who's been there a while. They can tell you the songs that usually get called, typical trouble spots, etc.
Thanks man, i mean i am very confident with my sight reading, i was practising like crazy whole last year. Maybe you know how many tunes aproximatly you played for first night, and are the tunes hard, i am a guitar player, ive heard that on cruise they want you to play chords mostly. My only fear is that they can give me like 20 tunes to learn in few hours, i mean i can do that maybe but not perfectly, without mistakes. Thank you so much, i subscribed to your channel these videos are very helpful for musicians that are about to go on ship. Bless
Nice 👍🏽
Do u need to be able to read music to play on the ship? Also, as far as repertoire, do you find out what repertoire u'll be doing when u get on the ship or before? Also, as far as free time, is it possible to study or are there courses on the ships? A friend of mine was trained to do IT (he works in that department).
Thanks alot bro!
+YOHAN HENRY MUSiQ If you're in the show band you definitely need to read music. I didn't know what tunes I'd be playing before I got there. But it's standard big band jazz tunes mostly so I was pretty familiar already. If you're in one of the other bands around the ship that wouldn't be a requirement... mostly because the other bands get hired as a unit... so they work out their repertoire before joining the ship.
There are no courses for the staff. I suppose if you wanted to help out in a department (or something) for free they might let you learn that way. I say grab some books (or whatever you need), make the most of the time, and study on your own.
+Gabe Turner Thanks alot for the info! I have a few friends who have worked on ships playing music, & they can't read, lol...
Btw, is there good internet connection aboard the ships? Perhaps I could study online,
+YOHAN HENRY MUSiQ I was on the ships in 1999-2000 so the only way I accessed the internet back then was to go to an internet cafe at the ports. I had to pay by the half-hour! So crazy. I don't know what it's like now... but I imagine there's some kind of internet available onboard.
Great! Thanks for the info Gabe. I know that guest and employee romantic interaction is a no no, what about employee hook ups? 6-12 month is a long time lol.
How many days a year are you away from home?
When I was working on ships it seemed like most people (in the show bands I was in) had contracts that lasted about 3 months at a time. They'd go home for a few weeks (or longer) and start a new contract. That's just my experience. I'm sure it varies depending on what cruise line you're on, etc.
Cool. I was thinking of playing the drums on a cruise ship. Sounds like fun.
Being in the cruise ship sounds amazing. You have a gym, you can read, you can get ripped for free!
called Muster.
Do most of the musicians have degrees in music?
In my experience I would say maybe 50-60% have had some kind of college music training.
wow - could have been 5 min long
They pay you in cash so you spend it on the boat. It's all in a days work.
When you began to speak about the food you said "the musicians, the dancers, the singers.." Singers ARE musicians.
+La Lupe Yes, I agree :). The reason it came out that way was because in my cruise ship experience the production singers and the show band musicians were two totally separate entities. The singers were only in the Las Vegas style shows twice a week (and not in the band) so I just happened to refer to them as "singers." Everybody on board knew them as the stars of the big show or..."the singers."
Sounds like a glorified prison sentence.
I'm researching cutting costs on cruises and found a great resource at Carls Cruise Cutter (check it out on google)