Cruise ship employment is a great path to take for the entertainers of the world with a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world. Each and every cruise line has many entertainment jobs available throughout the year as providing entertainment to guests while at sea is a very important part of the cruising experience.
Pianists will be thrilled to learn that there are opportunities to play the piano in shows, during meals, and during smaller functions such as parties and celebrations aboard a ship. Cruise jobs for pianists often include the opportunity to be part of a ship band that might play for special events in the evenings, or a pianist might find that they are the perfect fit for a cruise job that lets them entertain passengers on deck throughout the day.
Cruise line jobs vary with each company. One way to go about looking for pianist jobs on cruise ships is to visit individual cruise line websites and review job listings. Visit the Ships and Cruises Directory for official listings for cruise lines and web addresses. Once you have a list of cruise lines you would like to work for, visit the official website and search around for job postings. Most cruise line websites have a career center or job postings page.
Another approach is to find a company that specializes in helping musicians find cruiseline jobs.
Landaumusic (www.landaumusic.com), MOne Studios (www.monestudios.com) and ProShip Entertainment (www.proship.com) are three popular companies that specialize in helping pianists and other entertainers find jobs on cruise ships. These companies offer musicians the ability to learn about and apply for open positions on cruise lines. They are also an invaluable resource in learning about life on a cruise ship, the chain of command, and what a typical day, week or month might look like for a ship performer.
Whatever your desire, pianist jobs on cruise lines offer plenty of opportunities to see every corner of the world from Polynesia to Australia to South East Asia to India. You will also meet a wide variety of people as most cruise lines that hire entertainers are large and they cater to thousands. You will also have the opportunity to do what you love and enjoy great benefits along the way. Cruise jobs include meals, accommodations, air travel to and from the ship, and discounts on services aboard the ship as part of the employment package. Vacation time and time off are also included and pianists will often find that they will not need to work as much when the ship is in port. This is because most entertainment is performed when a ship is at sea. Of course, there are rehearsals and such, but in most cases, there should be plenty of time to see the world.
Contracts usually run 3-6 months and can often be renewed if a company and its performers want to continue working together. Medical is usually included and the pay for working on a cruise line is often quite good. Pianists on cruise ships can expect to earn anywhere between $1,600-2,400 U.S. per month. Between rehearsals and daily/nightly performances, working days can be long. However, time off between shows becomes a truly unique experience when traveling the open sea.