Comments on: Overworked Musicians in the Mediterranean http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/overworked-musicians-in-the-mediterranean/ The Community for Working Musicians Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:18:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: going down with the ship http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/overworked-musicians-in-the-mediterranean/comment-page-1/#comment-355 going down with the ship Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:46:27 +0000 http://www.musicianwages.com/?p=475#comment-355 amen, let 'em burn. every time i go out the musicians get shittier, causing more and more good ones to say fuck it. that's why a union will never work, the office has no standards. they're used to being called, and now that no one's coming back they're not changing anything. they're just lettin em be empty, and watching md's squirm to do their job for them and try and find musicians. so i help a desperate md friend of mine out (aka drank face and played up to the current level of mediocrity) for 2 weeks, then had to get back to real life, guess what? no replacement again, rendering what was supposed to be a 7 piece band (once 11 piece!) a quartet -- closer to the trio they got rid of than an actual show band. this was by no means an old boat either. hate to be a pessimist, but every rumor i hear on these gloomships comes true. the showband is on life support and doctors are giving it less than a year to live. hey bob, we got orders for 100 more player pianos from them there circus cruises, better git to work! if i ever decide to hit the waves again for a long period of time, you can be sure i'm not working for anyone appending their name with the word "corporation," and i am surely not alone in this sentiment. amen, let ‘em burn. every time i go out the musicians get shittier, causing more and more good ones to say fuck it. that’s why a union will never work, the office has no standards. they’re used to being called, and now that no one’s coming back they’re not changing anything. they’re just lettin em be empty, and watching md’s squirm to do their job for them and try and find musicians.

so i help a desperate md friend of mine out (aka drank face and played up to the current level of mediocrity) for 2 weeks, then had to get back to real life, guess what? no replacement again, rendering what was supposed to be a 7 piece band (once 11 piece!) a quartet — closer to the trio they got rid of than an actual show band. this was by no means an old boat either.

hate to be a pessimist, but every rumor i hear on these gloomships comes true. the showband is on life support and doctors are giving it less than a year to live. hey bob, we got orders for 100 more player pianos from them there circus cruises, better git to work! if i ever decide to hit the waves again for a long period of time, you can be sure i’m not working for anyone appending their name with the word “corporation,” and i am surely not alone in this sentiment.

]]> By: Carl Robinson http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/overworked-musicians-in-the-mediterranean/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Carl Robinson Thu, 30 Oct 2008 02:27:20 +0000 http://www.musicianwages.com/?p=475#comment-56 I think it's time cruise ship musicians all joined the musicians union and stopped the cruise lines from having their say with things. I just quit Carnival Cruise Lines, they won't pay for transportation costs, they have instituted 5 hour work days, which is only performance time, not any of the inservices, or practicing or anything else. The show band musicians practice but it doesn't count toward the 5 hours. They do the show and a jazz and blues set, respectively. Carnival has cut the Jazz Trios, Classical Trios, and Supper Club Duo's and, it is my belief, they feel the musicians can fill in for the time that is vacated by the downsizing, but without compensation for the extra time. Oh, and they want 7 days a week. Our Music Director said he was not going to enforce the 7 days a week, he has worked for Carnival for over 13 years and this will be his last contract with them. I know a lot of people feel they have a great deal working for the cruise lines, but I am not going to ruin my voice trying to sing five sets of music. I was very highly rated on both the ships I was on, I was told by the hotel manager on the first ship I increased bar sales by 75% and on the other ship was told they never, ever had that big a turnout. The wait staff were making great money in tips, which is all they get paid. If Carnival is an example, and they are all the same, then the cruise line industry is morally and ethically bankrupt and they shouldn't be supported by musicians, customers, etc. Carnival has the crew members who are waitresses, bar workers, and stewards all pay for their own uniforms, all their own travel costs, and they work for tips. Carnival's defense is, "they're making better money than they could make at home." That is no reason to exploit people. It's no wonder other countries hate the US and the people here. These cruise lines should be paying the employees, pay for their insurance when they go on vacation, their uniforms, and their transportation, at the very least. I will never work for another cruise line and will make a video and post it on YouTube about what I've seen go on. I think it’s time cruise ship musicians all joined the musicians union and stopped the cruise lines from having their say with things. I just quit Carnival Cruise Lines, they won’t pay for transportation costs, they have instituted 5 hour work days, which is only performance time, not any of the inservices, or practicing or anything else. The show band musicians practice but it doesn’t count toward the 5 hours. They do the show and a jazz and blues set, respectively. Carnival has cut the Jazz Trios, Classical Trios, and Supper Club Duo’s and, it is my belief, they feel the musicians can fill in for the time that is vacated by the downsizing, but without compensation for the extra time. Oh, and they want 7 days a week. Our Music Director said he was not going to enforce the 7 days a week, he has worked for Carnival for over 13 years and this will be his last contract with them.

I know a lot of people feel they have a great deal working for the cruise lines, but I am not going to ruin my voice trying to sing five sets of music. I was very highly rated on both the ships I was on, I was told by the hotel manager on the first ship I increased bar sales by 75% and on the other ship was told they never, ever had that big a turnout. The wait staff were making great money in tips, which is all they get paid.

If Carnival is an example, and they are all the same, then the cruise line industry is morally and ethically bankrupt and they shouldn’t be supported by musicians, customers, etc. Carnival has the crew members who are waitresses, bar workers, and stewards all pay for their own uniforms, all their own travel costs, and they work for tips. Carnival’s defense is, “they’re making better money than they could make at home.” That is no reason to exploit people. It’s no wonder other countries hate the US and the people here. These cruise lines should be paying the employees, pay for their insurance when they go on vacation, their uniforms, and their transportation, at the very least.

I will never work for another cruise line and will make a video and post it on YouTube about what I’ve seen go on.

]]> By: Jeff Watkins http://www.musicianwages.com/cruise-ship-musician/overworked-musicians-in-the-mediterranean/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Jeff Watkins Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:05:11 +0000 http://www.musicianwages.com/?p=475#comment-54 Interesting and honest! Thank you. My specialty is piano bar w/vocals. I'm working in Branson currently but thinking about shipping out. Interesting and honest! Thank you. My specialty is piano bar w/vocals. I’m working in Branson currently but thinking about shipping out.

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