There are definitely a lot of great things about working on cruise ships. But the truth is, reality doesn't stop just because you're working on a cruise ship.

It may be a different form of reality, but it's still reality!

I worked as a Musician, Band leader and Assistant Conductor on 4 different cruise ships over 2 years, so I will cover some of my experiences over several articles in the hopes of making your cruise ship career more pleasant and rewarding.

See The Sights!

One of the greatest things about working on cruises is getting paid to travel all over the world! I've been to so many beautiful places. I've traveled through Alaska and the Arctic Circle during their summer, and what a lovely, surprising experience it was to be on deck in a light pants and sweater! I thought I'd have to wear a parka!

On the flip side, I can remember touring the Caribbean islands from about January to April. I was getting so used to it that I couldn't understand why the Canadian news said it was snowing in my hometown during March! Duh!

I've been to so many exciting and vibrant cities, including:

• St. Petersburg, Russia,
• Oslo, Norway,
• Helsinki, Finland
• Istanbul, Turkey

I've toured exotic, and picturesque countries like:

• Italy
• Romania
• France
• England

I've explored ancient biblical cities like Ephesus, and strolled the thoroughfares of the legendary city of Pompeii. I felt like Indiana Jones.

Sorry, now I sound like I'm bragging! But I will always have these adventures to cherish, no matter what.

Investigate Beforehand

I would recommend buying a few good tour and travel books, way ahead of time. That way, you will have time to go through them and make out a list of what you really want to see. Get the most current editions, because things are always changing. If you use older editions, you may disappointed to find an interesting restaurant or shop or something that you planned to visit is no longer there, for example. Watching travelogues is a pretty good idea, too.

Remember that you are usually only in a given port for one day. Of course, because you are working on the ship, and the circuit you are traveling tends to repeat itself every 7 or 10 days (normally), you will be in that given port almost once a week, so you can try and spread out your touring plans.

When I was in St. Petersburg, it was an overnight stay, but initially we only got there once a month, then later on it was about once every two weeks.

Volunteer As A Tour Escort

You can, of course, go wandering off by yourself (but not alone…I wouldn't recommend that…always travel with a group for safety), but one of the most effective and safest means of touring is to volunteer as a Tour Escort with the Shore Excursions department.

Basically, you are required to "babysit" the passengers on tour, make sure that they are ok and no one gets lost, perhaps answer questions if you can, etc. I had a knapsack filled with supplies like wet naps, Kleenex, bandages, etc. that was given to me by the Shore Excursions Dept.

Just remember you are NOT a doctor or tour guide! Tour guides know the places you are visiting like the back of their hand; that is their job. Sometimes passengers will ask you the ancient history of the land…how are you supposed to know that?

However you are an ambassador of a sort for the cruise line…so be polite, and give people a good impression of you. You may not have to wear your uniform while on tour, but you still have to wear a name tag. I never had any trouble during my experiences.

You may also have to fill out a report form, basically giving your opinion and rating of the tour. Kind of like being a judge on American Idol!

Try to find out as early as you can about volunteering…there is usually a waiting list for the really popular tours, and also a seniority thing going on. Those who have been working on the ship longer than you, or are perhaps more "important", will probably have first choice. Put your name in anyways, because you never know.

Being a Tour Escort is a great way to be part of a professional tour, one that has been researched and planned by the cruise ship, so you may get to see things in a way that you wouldn't if you just went off by yourself (again, which I wouldn't recommend doing alone).

Hope this was helpful for you! I will have more articles, so check in often!

It may be a different form of reality, but it's still reality!

I worked as a musician, band leader and assistant conductor on 4 different cruise ships over 2 years, so I will cover some of my experiences over several articles in the hopes of making your cruise ship career more pleasant and rewarding.

Cabins:

Unless you are very important or very lucky, chances are you will be sharing a cabin with someone. Space is very limited on a cruise ship. Getting your own cabin can depend on the job you are doing. For example musicians like myself, casino staff, shop attendants, crew and most other departments are required to share cabins.

But the Cruise Director, Assistant Cruise Director, Music Director, Beauty Salon Manager, Tour Manager, and of course the Captain, usually have cabins all to themselves. There are other departments too numerous to list here. I was extremely-and I mean extremely-lucky on one ship to have my own cabin.

The reason was that there was only one female in the band, and so she had gotten her own cabin. After she left, I was the most senior person in the band, so I got her cabin. It was an unusual circumstance, but very lucky for me!

However, at all other times I definitely had to share a cabin, and let me tell you, your cabin mate can really affect your on-board experience.

Cabin Mates:

Remember the rules of respecting each other's space, privacy and belongings. Keeping your area clean is a good idea too. On the ships I worked on, we had stewards who would come in every day and make our beds, clean our bathroom, and generally just tidy up. Sometimes I had left clothes thrown on the bed, only to come back later and find them neatly folded by the stewards!

However, stewards are extremely busy people, so have a little consideration for them, and don't be a slob. Be forewarned that surprise inspections by the Captain are also a part of the cruise ship experience!

Unfortunately, there was one time I had a really lousy cabin mate. He was immature, and really did not understand the concept of common courtesy and respect. He did quite a few moronic things, but one small example is the time I came back to the cabin to find that he had "borrowed" some of my CDs. I was a fairly neat person and usually kept all my things in their proper place (also because I wasn't too keen on those surprise inspections)!

Anyways, he had actually gone into one of my drawers, took out my CD case, took the CDs, and left the case on my bed. Then I guess he went off to party. I'm pretty sure he would have been upset if I had done the same thing to him. It is not good to just assume that someone "won't mind" if you do this or that, especially if it involves invading their private space, which is in very small supply on a cruise ship.

If you feel there are issues that need to be addressed, see if you can discuss them with your cabin mate rationally and calmly.

I remember sometimes walking down the hallways to hear cabin mates engaged in rather heated discussions. Just remember that cabins are small, and that even though you are on a cruise ship, you are still a working stiff, and you will get tired and stressed. Usually there is a lock on the drawers, closet etc. So lock up your stuff if it is a concern for you.

None of this is to scare you! I'm just giving you advice for possible problematic situations based on my own experience.

Life on a cruise ship can really be a lot of fun. I also had great cabin mates who I got along with famously, and that just made the good times even better! And I believe it is more often the case you will share a cabin with someone who you will get along with just fine.

However, if you are unfortunate enough to have a lousy cabin mate, talk to your department director (in my case the Music Director) about the situation, and about the possibility of changing cabins. People come and go on a regular basis, so you may be able to switch cabins at some point.

Hope this was helpful for you! I will have more articles, so check in often!