AnonymousCM5
Member
Company: Silversea
Ship: prefer not to say
Contract: 6 months (+/- 1 month)
Position: Production Cast Member
Salary: $5500 as singer, $3000 as dancer
Silver Sea reimburses for all medicals, vaccines etc
Living conditions: as a dancer or vocalist you share a cabin with 1 person (from the cast or other entertainment member). Size depends on ship. The newer ships (post RCCL) have small cabins with minimal storing space, some of the older ships (pre RCCL) have roomier 4 people cabins. Mini-fridge, relatively big TV and carpet floor in the cabin. You're allowed a limited amount of alcohol in the cabin, which must have been bought in crew bar.
Food: generally very good, but really depends on the ship and who is in charge. Entertainment get to eat in the officers mess (on newer ships it feels more like staff mess). Massive crew dinners appr once per 1-2 months (Xmas, Easter etc).
Crew bar: SS is not generally the ships for crazy crew parties. My impression is most crew have worked on ships for years and sometimes come to SS for a "slower pace of life". Wine, beer and a few selected liquors like Malibu and Kahlua, around $1. Very small selection of chocolates, chips and necessities like stockings, tooth paste etc. Can order bigger quantities once per 3-4 weeks through slop chest.
Crew bingos and crew parties normally 1-3 times per cruise.
Work: Productions shows
One production show per night. 7 shows altogether so on short cruises you have a show almost every night, on longer cruises every 2-3 days. Most cruises are between 8 and 16 days long.
Full tech runs on every show day, typically in the afternoon.
Rehearsals when needed. A lot at the start of the contract, then less and less.
Singers also do their own cabaret show once per cruise or every second cruise.
Dancers also do dance classes on rotation.
Entertainment staff duties
on rotation like golf putting, table tennis, shuffle board etc up to 3 hours per day (most of the time 30-60 min per day).
Scheduled socialising with guests, normally 15-30 min per day.
On nights with no show, greetings at the door for the other shows.
Non-entertainment duties
like passport distribution, shore pass distributions etc when needed.
2-3 hours of embarkation duty every embarkation day.
IPM:
Vary from ship to ship. One ship had 7-9 people in each group, another ship had only 4-5.
Itineraries and exploring:
Opportunity to get off the ship almost every day you don't have IPM.
Generally really good itineraries, mostly nature and culture. Quite often overnights, depends on ship. All crew can take the free shuttle bus, most guests go on excursions so there is always plenty of space in the bus.
Cast members can sign up to escort guest tours and therefor get to go for free (1 crew per tour). Tours vary from kayaking, wine and food tours, museum etc etc.
Access to guest gym. Access to guest area only when working or socialising with guests. Allowed wine in the bars if you are already sitting with guests, soft drinks if you are not. Allowed to eat in guest restaurants if you are invited by guests or hosting a table, but you have to adhere to strict rules. Strict dress codes.
In general a good company to work for. Big differences from ship to ship depending on management, HR etc etc. I had one experience where it all just felt like a big family where everyone just wanted everyone to have a good and peaceful life (best contract of my life), then another (more typical?) cruise ship environment with strict unnecessary rules, management with anger issues, unnecessary drama etc etc. It is not the most social of ships out there as a lot of people keep to themselves and live their own lives, and there is not a lot of entertainment for crew, but if you enjoy a calmer lifestyle and want to see some great destinations only small ships can access then it might be for you.
Ship: prefer not to say
Contract: 6 months (+/- 1 month)
Position: Production Cast Member
Salary: $5500 as singer, $3000 as dancer
Silver Sea reimburses for all medicals, vaccines etc
Living conditions: as a dancer or vocalist you share a cabin with 1 person (from the cast or other entertainment member). Size depends on ship. The newer ships (post RCCL) have small cabins with minimal storing space, some of the older ships (pre RCCL) have roomier 4 people cabins. Mini-fridge, relatively big TV and carpet floor in the cabin. You're allowed a limited amount of alcohol in the cabin, which must have been bought in crew bar.
Food: generally very good, but really depends on the ship and who is in charge. Entertainment get to eat in the officers mess (on newer ships it feels more like staff mess). Massive crew dinners appr once per 1-2 months (Xmas, Easter etc).
Crew bar: SS is not generally the ships for crazy crew parties. My impression is most crew have worked on ships for years and sometimes come to SS for a "slower pace of life". Wine, beer and a few selected liquors like Malibu and Kahlua, around $1. Very small selection of chocolates, chips and necessities like stockings, tooth paste etc. Can order bigger quantities once per 3-4 weeks through slop chest.
Crew bingos and crew parties normally 1-3 times per cruise.
Work: Productions shows
One production show per night. 7 shows altogether so on short cruises you have a show almost every night, on longer cruises every 2-3 days. Most cruises are between 8 and 16 days long.
Full tech runs on every show day, typically in the afternoon.
Rehearsals when needed. A lot at the start of the contract, then less and less.
Singers also do their own cabaret show once per cruise or every second cruise.
Dancers also do dance classes on rotation.
Entertainment staff duties
on rotation like golf putting, table tennis, shuffle board etc up to 3 hours per day (most of the time 30-60 min per day).
Scheduled socialising with guests, normally 15-30 min per day.
On nights with no show, greetings at the door for the other shows.
Non-entertainment duties
like passport distribution, shore pass distributions etc when needed.
2-3 hours of embarkation duty every embarkation day.
IPM:
Vary from ship to ship. One ship had 7-9 people in each group, another ship had only 4-5.
Itineraries and exploring:
Opportunity to get off the ship almost every day you don't have IPM.
Generally really good itineraries, mostly nature and culture. Quite often overnights, depends on ship. All crew can take the free shuttle bus, most guests go on excursions so there is always plenty of space in the bus.
Cast members can sign up to escort guest tours and therefor get to go for free (1 crew per tour). Tours vary from kayaking, wine and food tours, museum etc etc.
Access to guest gym. Access to guest area only when working or socialising with guests. Allowed wine in the bars if you are already sitting with guests, soft drinks if you are not. Allowed to eat in guest restaurants if you are invited by guests or hosting a table, but you have to adhere to strict rules. Strict dress codes.
In general a good company to work for. Big differences from ship to ship depending on management, HR etc etc. I had one experience where it all just felt like a big family where everyone just wanted everyone to have a good and peaceful life (best contract of my life), then another (more typical?) cruise ship environment with strict unnecessary rules, management with anger issues, unnecessary drama etc etc. It is not the most social of ships out there as a lot of people keep to themselves and live their own lives, and there is not a lot of entertainment for crew, but if you enjoy a calmer lifestyle and want to see some great destinations only small ships can access then it might be for you.
