The End of a Cruise Ship Contract
By GhostWriterSo here I am, just about five months into my contract, and doing my first transatlantic crossing. They have warned us to make sure we have ways to kill time…
Should I Bring a Bass Amp On My Cruise Gig?
By GhostWriterWe have a question this week from Ryan, who asks:
What kind of amps have you seen bass players use? I was thinking of using my Acoustic Image Clarus with…
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Airline Travel with Musical Instruments
By GhostWriterSo here I am, third day on the cruise. Today, we are tendering in Mykonos, Greece. It doesn’t look like I will be able to get off today; had a long day of training, and the rhythm section is supposed to maybe have a rehearsal (yeah, the musicians here are just as unorganized as anywhere else).
Before I start on my experiences so far, I figure it would be best to talk about traveling with your instrument.
I am a multi-instrumentalist, so I have had experiences with a few different instruments. On this trip, I brought two electric basses and my euphonium — with almost no hitches. If I was inexperienced, I can pretty much guarantee that my euphonium would be sitting in the corner of my cabin right now, completely unusable.
First and foremost, it’s important that you NEVER ask an airline worker what’s best – just do it. Look like you know what you’re doing, and keep a professional look about you. When asked, just speak in a calm, polite tone (and I can’t stress that enough) that you fly on a regular basis due to the nature of your job as a musician, and you are sure it will fit. Say something like “this is a 747, right? Yeah, it will fit.” NEVER get angry or testy. That’s all they need to either not let you on the plane, or worse: to doom your baby to an early grave.
New Music Director (…finally…)
By GhostWriterDave was right.
It’s the second day of this cruise, and we are already seeing improvements. The old MD is back, and H. is a lowly sax player again, and…
Instrument Maintenance and Repair Overseas
By GhostWriterGhostWriter is working in the show band on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean. A few weeks ago he had some trouble with his bass and writes us today with…
Overworked Musicians in the Mediterranean
By GhostWriterRight now we are leaving Kusadasi and heading towards Rhodes. Tonight is a show that’s done every cruise, either after leaving Kusadasi on the 10 day cruise, or the night…
Book Review: The Inner Game of Tennis
By GhostWriterThe Inner Game of Tennis
By W. Timothy Gallwey
This book was very helpful to me. This book, along with Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner, was required for a…
Beginning the Gig: Arrival in Rome
By GhostWriterOn Sunday afternoon, I made it to Rome. I was to meet with my ship in Civitavecchia the next morning.
I was put up by the company in the Airport…
Dealing With a Difficult Music Director
By GhostWriterSo, I really wanted to write about the positive aspects of being a cruise ship musician. So far, I can’t. I just finished my first cruise. It was really rough.…
