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    Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker
    Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker
    Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker
    Ebook150 pages2 hours

    Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker

    By Wolfgang Riebe

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Do you want work on a cruise ship?
    What’s it like?
    What types of contracts are available?
    What is expected of you?
    Ship life - what’s it all about?
    How much do they pay?
    How many shows do you need?
    What kind of accommodation do they offer?

    For
    Singers, Magicians, Comedians, Ventriloquists, Jugglers
    Classical Acts, Multi-Instrumentalists, Musicians
    Lecturers, Speakers, Dancers, etc.

    Everything you ever need to know about cruise liners.

    Inform yourself of all the ins and outs of this industry.
    Make the right choices.

    Plus ‘contact addresses’
    of cruise companies and agents.

    Chapters include: First things First! Ship Life, Ship Terminology, or Speaking Nautically, The Cruise Director, Types of Contracts, Entertainer/Cruise Staff Contract, Musician Contract, Singer and Musical Speciality Act, Guest Entertainer Contract, Speakers & Lecturers, Contract Duration, Cancellation Clause, Details of Work, Transport, Customs Clause, Medical Costs & Equipment Cover, Arrival and Departure Dates, Passports and Visas, Accommodation, Bar Accounts, Eating and Dining Rooms, Tipping, Salaries, Comment Cards, Stages - Various Sizes, Storage Space, Illusions/Props, Tools - Accessories, Dress, Laundry Facilities, Costumes, Who do I need to make friends with on board? Mixing with Passengers, Socialising with the Crew, Facilities on Board, Sea Sickness, Hospital & Mortuary, Communicating with Home, Planning your Day, Selling Your Products, Making Even More Money, Anecdotes & Experiences on Board, Ship Related Jokes, Contacts: Agent Addresses, Contacts: Cruise Line Addresses.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWolfgang Riebe
    Release dateJul 28, 2010
    ISBN9781458155023
    Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker
    Author

    Wolfgang Riebe

    Wolfgang began his career as a magician on British television on BBC & ITV, later traveling around the world as a headline act on cruise liners before tackling expeditions throughout the Arctic & Antarctic where he performed world-class illusions to thousands of international passengers.In later years he relocated to Cape Town from where he focused on the EMEA market combining strategically planned illusions with speaking in order to reinforce corporate messaging throughout Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He completed a thesis in Complexity Thinking and its affect on Innovation amongst leadership in multi-national organisations at the York St John university in the UK.In 2012 the National Speakers Association (NSA) awarded Wolfgang the CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation, which is the highest award given to any professional speaker in the speaking world. This designation is currently only held by less than 800 professional speakers globally.His passion is to share life truths and connect people through logical thinking and fun, as can be validated through his You Tube channel (inspiringtheworld) with over 1000 videos. In 2015 he appeared as a TEDx speaker and is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland where he focuses on the English Speaking meetings & events market and has performed in over 165 countries during the last 30 years.From symposiums, conferences, strategic planning sessions, cruise liners, television to expeditions, his vast variety of incredible life experiences make him the perfect host as your Keynote Speaker, Master of Ceremonies and Celebrity Comedy Entertainer, turning your whole event into an unforgettable sophisticated experience where creates Memorable Magical Moments for everyone.

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      Book preview

      Work on Cruise Ships as an Entertainer & Speaker - Wolfgang Riebe

      WORKING ON CRUISE SHIPS AS A SPEAKER & ENTERTAINER

      By Wolfgang Riebe

      Published by Mind Power Publications at Smashwords

      This book is available at

      www.mindpowerpublications.com

      Copyright © 2008 by Wolfgang Riebe

      Full revision 2018

      www.wolfgangriebe.com

      E-Book ISBN: 978-1458155023

      All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This E-Book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This E-Book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Disclaimer

      The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying on particular advice or statements made in this book.

      *****

      DEDICATION

      This book I dedicate to my wife Sonja, who has put up with so much of my entertainment lifestyle. Two weeks after we got married, she spent 11 months on a cruise ship with me... what a honeymoon!

      *****

      CHAPTERS

      Chapter Page No.

      Foreword

      First things First!

      Ship Life

      Ship Terminology, or Speaking Nautically

      The Cruise Director

      Types of Contracts

      Entertainer/Cruise Staff Contract

      Musician Contract

      Singer and Musical Speciality Act

      Guest Entertainer Contract

      Speakers & Lecturers

      Contract Duration

      Cancellation Clause

      Details of Work

      Transport

      Customs Clause

      Medical Costs & Equipment Cover

      Arrival and Departure Dates

      Passports and Visas

      Accommodation

      Bar Accounts

      Eating and Dining Rooms

      Tipping

      Salaries

      Comment Cards

      Stages - Various Sizes

      Storage Space

      Illusions/Props

      Tools - Accessories

      Dress

      Laundry Facilities

      Costumes

      Who do I need to make friends with?

      Mixing with Passengers

      Socialising with the Crew

      Facilities on Board

      Sea Sickness

      Hospital & Mortuary

      Communicating with Home

      Planning your Day

      Selling Your Products

      Making Even More Money

      Anecdotes & Experiences on Board

      Ship Related Jokes

      Contacts: Agent Addresses

      Contacts: Cruise Line Addresses

      Biography of the author: Wolfgang Riebe

      *****

      FOREWORD

      Welcome to the world of cruising.

      In this book I am going to try and cover all the important aspects of working on a cruise ship as an entertainer and speaker. Whether you are a singer, magician, comedian, dancer, professional speaker or lecturer, this book will give you the necessary insight so as to prepare you for your first contract.

      Even if you are just thinking about working on a cruise liner, this book will give you all the ins, and out’s, plus contact names and addresses to make your dream become reality.

      Not only will I be giving you tips on what to take with and what your life will be like on board, but I will also cover items such as the layout of the ship, and the different types of people you will come into contact with.

      As not all ships are the same, I will be covering many items in a general vein. I will also share first hand knowledge of situations I have come across, and ships I have worked on.

      To give you some background on myself, I spent four and a half years in the navy as a commissioned officer while studying my BA degree. However, I decided to follow my passion and dreams and became a full time magician. After numerous TV appearances in Britain and working in Europe, I received and offer to work on cruise ships, which I did for about 12 years, and will never look back at my decision. During this time I also managed completed post-graduate studies and focused on Innovation & change in the business world, using magic as a basis of my speaking and training.

      Since starting a family, and basing myself back on land, I have had many prime time TV series and now focus more on Keynote Inspirational speaking in the corporate market.

      In 2017 I tried a short stint on various ships as an entertainer and soon learnt that one should not try go back to something one did in the past. In 20 years the industry has changed phenomenally, and not for the better. Least to say I was disappointed at the lack of ‘family’ and ethics that now control the cruising industry. You are virtually a number and replaceable at a drop of a hat as cruise agents have become like vultures offering hundreds of acts.

      Hence, today I am back at sea as a Program/Cruise Director in a management position and enjoying this much more. At least I’m now a similar age as most of the passengers!

      My first contract on a cruise liner started the ball rolling with regards this publication. When I started in 1990, there were no books on the subject. The only one I eventually found, consisted of maybe 10 pages, and did not prepare me for what lay ahead. There were many small and very important things which, had I known of them before arriving on my first ship, my life would have been much easier, i.e. how much clothes do I take along?

      During my twelve years at sea I managed to work on many of the world’s top liners such as the QE2, Vistafjord, Crystal Symphony, Royal Princess, Sky Princess, Island & Pacific (The Original Love Boat), Gripsholm, Song Of Flower, Bremen, Hanseatic. During this time I made many good entertainer friends, plus spoke to, and researched everyone's viewpoints and opinions. This book is a summary of all this knowledge. No matter what field of entertainment you are in – you WILL find many practical and useful tips herein.

      I trust this book will be helpful, and everything you expect it to be. Above all, it will enable you to get an entertainer's point of view of a ship, and see what it is really like.

      As I have experience over three decades at sea, I will share differing views and highlight changes and try give you an honest, realistic and objective indication of this market. Please note at all times that all views expressed are my opinion and I claim my right to ‘freedom of speech’ in many things I say, as some cruise lines actually expect you to sign a contract in today’s times forbidding you to make any public comment on negative experiences on social media. Hence you will be hearing the good and the bad!

      *****

      FIRST THINGS FIRST

      You need at least 3 Acts of about 30 min. to 45 min. each. If you don’t have this, forget working on ships. Most of the time, you may only need to do 2 acts per contract, other times 3. These could be broken in 45-minute headline shows, or 30 minutes each. You could even be required to do a 10-minute spot in an opening or farewell night variety show. It all depends on the cruise line.

      Most importantly, your first act must be so slick and impressive, that it makes the passengers want to come back and watch the second show. Your second act must thus be better that the first act, and also make the passengers want to come back and see your third show.

      The third show must be the killer.

      If the cruise happens to be shorter and the configuration of your shows is different, i.e. only two shows, you have to adapt and change so that your second show is the killer.

      One thing cruising will teach you – versatility!

      Furthermore you will need to know the timing of your act and every element in detail. For singers and musicians it is easy as a piece of music has a fixed time. However, for comedians, impressionists and magicians this can become very difficult for the beginner acts that still need to refine their material. A word of warning - if the Cruise Director asks for 45 minutes and you go 10 minutes over time, you will be chastised and given a bad report. Other events have been arranged and this means you stole into the time of an activity or event of another performer, or even worse, an event in a public area where alcohol is to be sold and you just ‘stole’ revenue sales int hat venue and hence making it difficult for that department head to reach target figures. Some cruise lines even offer departmental heads incentives if they over shoot targets - so this means you just pissed off a senior person somewhere on that ship! Not good for repeat bookings!

      You are now entering a world where you are a small cog in a complex system and if you don’t understand and play the game, there are 500 other acts that can and will take your place!

      Some nights you will have a full house, other nights your first show will be on the first night of the cruise where half the passengers won’t arrive. Either they are recovering from jet lag, can’t find the show lounge, etc. You may waste all the material in that first show on maybe 50 people. It can happen! It has happened to me and there is nothing you can do about it. If half the people fall asleep because of delays and jet lag, or are in a bad mood because their luggage hasn’t arrived in their cabins, your show suffers - guess who gets the bad write-up from the Cruise Director? You! NEVER the staff onboard, no matter how bad they mess up! Remember this!

      *****

      SHIP LIFE

      So, what is ship life all about?

      That totally depends on your attitude!

      If you arrive on board with an arrogant attitude and think you are god’s gift to entertainment – you may very well have a problem. That’s not to say that you don’t get big egos onboard amongst the entertainers. I’ll never forget on one cruise we had a young 25-year old Australian singer who stuck his name on the outside of his door (in a passenger area). I won’t use his whole name. Hugh was his first name and he was a Male Guest Entertainer. He had such an attitude that even the cruise director and captain where to scared to tell him to remove the letters off his door. So one night I changed the last h of his name with an E, thus changing ‘Hugh into Huge." It took him two days before he noticed this, and the letters came off.

      Another time during a variety show a speciality act went 3 minutes over his allotted time, and

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