Day in the life of
Cruise Ship Musician – James Bullard
I was a musician on a cruise ship for 5 years.
I played bass for the in-house band. I worked 4-5 times a week, usually from 9 pm until midnight. I would wake up at 7, exercise, shower, get some breakfast, and take a walk on the outside deck. After that, I normally go back to the cabin to catch up on some emails, read a book, or play video games. Then it’s lunchtime. In the afternoon, I would go over the music for that night and just get myself ready for another shift. I’ll have dinner and then head on over to do the sound check with the guys before the actual show. Overall, it’s a very relaxed pace.
Whenever I can, like if it’s port day and I don’t have to work, I get off the ship and go sightseeing. If not, I would be at the gym working out or engaging in some other kind of sports-related activity. Life on the ship can be very isolating and restrictive so exercise has helped keep me sane.
The work really pays well (on average between $2000 and $3000) and you won’t have many expenses because food, accommodation, and transfers from your home to the port will be covered by the company. You do get to travel, see new places, and enjoy the ship’s amenities but all of these have to be done on a schedule.
When people go on vacation, they leave their sense of courtesy, their patience, their manners all at home. They’re on vacation mode. So you get a lot of rudeness, you get a lot of lack of common sense, self-awareness. On the ships, I worked on, there was always this party lifestyle among crew members. I’m not a heavy drinker so it wasn’t really my thing.
Pros
I was able to see so many different places, met many talented artists, and had plenty of memorable experiences. It’s also a great way to save because everything is taken care of [for your contract]. You don’t have to pay housing; they pay for meals. The only extra expenses you have are the things you want to do in port, and you do have to pay for internet on the ship.
Cons
On the other hand, it can be isolating and very limiting too. There are times when we’d go for a week without setting foot on land and that does take its toll. I also felt constantly homesick (and seasick when the sea is rough).
