[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Cruise ship gigs

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi all:  Thought you would get a kick out of this post and the reply by 
a local piano player who apparently took a gig with them and found it 
to me much different than his regular schmaltzy gig.

Cheers,

Tom

Cruise Ship Gigs available:


   We are hiring the following musicians to perform onboard a 5-Star 
Cruise Ship...

  *Guitarist/Vocalist
  *Harpist
  *Party Band
  *Piano Bar Entertainer
  *String Quartet

  Contracts are 6 months CONTINUOUS
   Destinations include the Caribbean, Hawaii, Alaska, Mediterranean, 
Transatlantic
  Free Room/Board/Travel
  Excellent Status...no extra duties

  If you are interested, please contact us TODAY

 --------
Sounds like this young whipper snapper  just does not understand 
anything  about a real musicians job, especially in this kind of market 
place, apparently he is experienced only as bar or hotel lounge 
entertainment piano bar player.    A cruise ship is really not much 
more than a floating Hotel, and the gig is a gig which includes room 
and board, and so you play in split shifts situation, that is designed 
to break up the monotony of all those long hours at sea with nowhere to 
go.   Nothing wrong with that you just have to adjust to it and pay 
attention to the job description.

  This kid sounds like a wimp who only wants to get high and get laid 
and get free food and booze and not serious about being a WORKING 
Professional Musician at all.   He is no doubt a legend in his own mind 
already. :))

 Cheers,

 Tom Wiggins




  RE:Now Hiring----Cruise ship musicians---WORST GIG EVER! (ingleside / 
SFSU / CCSF)
  Reply to: see below
  Date: 2006-06-21, 3:43PM PDT




   This guy is looking for people to work on CELEBRITY CRUISELINES,and 
having worked there before I feel it is my duty to warn people who are 
considering to go on a cruise ship to AVOID THIS GIG!

  Some of the reasons;

   1)You will perform 14-21 days w/o a break--Days off are at the 
"Discretion of the Cruise Director.In other words,you work almost every 
day.

   2)You will be scheduled across the WHOLE day---an hour here,an hour 
there,instead of the traditional 4-5 hour block of time.

   3)You will have to pass a drug test and an EXTENSIVE medical exam,and 
you will have to pay for it yourself.

   4)You will have many extra duties and have to go to "Training 
classes"--"Ethics training","Sexual harrassment 
training","Environmental training","Safety training","Security 
training"--All baout protecting themselves from being sued.


  5)The cruises are LONG=OLLLLLLDDDD PEOPLE!(Need I say more?)

   6)You're a hetero guy?--Not only are all the cruisers "Grandmas 
age",but the Ratio of women who work on the ship to the men who work on 
the ship is about 1 to 5!

   So the chances of you getting laid the whole time you're on the ship 
are next to zero,unless you're willing to go looking for a hooker,and 
then of course you have to worry about the cops!


   7)Heres a big one---The main reason we go on ships is to make $ 
right?But even if you're a piano bar entertainer,CELEBRITY does NOT 
allow you to use a TIP JAR!!(Piano guys know what a big difference that 
makes)

  8)ITS VERY DIFFICULT getting on and off the ship!
   And because CELEBRITY only stays at most of the ports for a very 
short duration,and because you will have to wait for the guests to get 
off first,you will not be getting off the ship much!

  So much for seeing the world!

   Not to mention that the food sucks!(You WILL get DIARRHEA!)and its a 
VERY RESTRICTIVE environment!
   You will be watched everywhere you go,and checked up on EVERY 
SET,EVERY DAY!
  You will have MANY BOSSES.


  Sound LIKE FUN?

   I hope that helps anyone who is even considering to work on one of 
these "Slave ships"to CHANGE THEIR MINDS!!





________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email 
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.