I was wondering how similar the musician life on a cruise ship is to a sound tech's life on a cruise ship...I just got a job offer to work as a sound tech on a cruise ship and I've never even been on a cruise. This blog has been helpful, but just curious about the differences between musician life and sound tech life....thanks!
Hi Claire -
It's pretty similar - but techs tend to work a lot more than the musicians. You have to run the A/V on the whole ship. That includes bingo, karaoke, meetings - as well as all the entertainment.
what about the rooms? Do sound techs get those small crew cabins, or do they get passenger rooms?
Yeah, unless you get really lucky somehow, you'll be in a crew cabin below decks. You might get a single cabin though (no roommate) - but I'm not sure about that.
It's really only guest performers and some officers that end up with passenger cabins in my experience.
As to the differences a sound tech has on a ship vs. a musicians life, they are MARKEDLY different. If it were just showing up at show time, checking a few lines, pushing a few buttons, sliding some faders and calling it a night, more people would be signing up for that job. You are part of the A/V that handles all the equipment transporting on stage. Sound tech helps set the stage for each night, checks levels of not only mics but of background track equipment as well. Usually, ANY event in the theater that requires sound, you are the one that has to provide it. From the 8AM lecture, to the 12PM rehearsal, to the 3PM lecture, to the 4:30 Bingo game, to the 2 nightly shows, and a possible bingo game in between. Based on the schedule, you might have to set up for all or some of this, including bingo or bringing out the podium for a lecturer. And then you have to make sure any and all mics being used work, have battery power if they are wireless, etc.
If you have sound issues, you need to be able to solve them quickly and efficiently. There is usually one mixer in FOH of the theater, and it handles everything, FOH as well as monitors. Any issues you come up with usually have to be resolved by you in the quickest way possible. The learning curve has to be short. If things are not sounding right rather quickly, it will be difficult if you have to rely on people to help bail you out. You have to do considerable self-bailing. Mixing shows is almost the LAST part of being a sound tech. It is rewarding, it is hard work that pays off not just in money, but in musicians, singers, guest entertainers, putting on great shows that the guests love and come back for more and more.
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