Ship Life
“A ship in a harbor is safe, but thats is not what ships are built for”
AHOY!
As many of you already know, I work throughout the year performing on Carnival Cruise lines as a Piano Bar Entertainer! I love my job and am so blessed for all the different countries I get to visit, meeting amazing guests and crew members every contract & also getting performing in some of the coolest piano bars on the high seas. Last year I got to travel to 33 famous destinations and sang 6 nights a week whilst on board……a dream come true to be singing so much!
A lot of you guys have sent me many emails with questions on what its like to live & work at sea and so I thought i’d put together this blog with all the answers! If you have any more just leave a comment below and i’ll reply to them as soon as possible.
What’s it like to perform on a ship compared to a gig? (Missy Crowley)
Performing on a ship is completely different to any other gig i’ve done before. The show are 4 hours long and are completely performed by myself so i’ve had to build up a lot of vocal stamina! Thankfully I haven’t had a sore throat or lost my voice once all year and have really learnt how to rock my voice whilst taking good care of it! The piano is surrounded by a bar where the audience can sit right up beside me as I sing and chat to the crowd which means theres loads of laughs and questions in between songs! This is one of my favorite features of the gig! The audience also request what songs they would like to hear me perform which is cool as I never know from one show to the next what my set list is going to be!
Whats your favorite part about being on a cruise? (Missy Crowley)
Seeing so many different countries and meeting different audiences with every cruise!
Do you get much free time? (Beth O Keefe)
I get so much free time! My shows are in the evening so the day time is pretty much all mines! Usually I go exploring whatever port I’m in or if i’m at sea ill write some new music…and drink a lot of tea and coffee with a good book ;)
Do you ever get sea sick? (Robin Taylor)
I haven’t gotten sea sick all year thank god! Must be all the years I spent hanging out on my dads fishing boat!
Do you often get to meet the same crew members again on the next cruise with the same route? (Petra Perbandt)
Yes! This is one of the coolest things about working as a crew member on ships! When I find out what ship i’m going to be on next I LOVE emailing all the crew members to see if were gonna be working together or if our ships will dock together in a port along the way. Im meeting a friend from a previous contract tomorrow in Mexico!! Its a small world when your a crew member :)
Do you usually get your own cabin? ( Karen Caprio Flynn)
Yes! Luckily piano bar entertainers get their own cabin! My cabin is perfect and has everything I need! Nice comfy bed, bathroom, tv, fridge, wardrobe & mirrors! I spend most of my time in ports & attending all the cool events happening round the ship most of the time and am barely even in the cabin!
Can you take part in the excursions they offer? (Karen Caprio Flynn)
Yes! I LOVE excursions and try to do as many as I can. Crew members also get a discount on tickets which is awesome! My favorite excursion this year has probably been a catamaran sail & snorkel around the Piton Mountains in St Lucia! The Pitons are a world heritage site and the boat trip to visit them was amazing!
What is your favorite place you’ve travelled so far? (Missy Crowley)
Ah such a hard question!!! Ive genuinely loved all the destinations i’ve been to this year and count myself so lucky to have been there, but the few that really stand out in my mind would be Guatemala, Columbia, Mexico & St Lucia!
I hope these answers help build a better picture for you guys on what Shiplife is like for a piano bar entertainer! Any more questions just leave them below in the comments space!
Rebecca x
