How do I get on Cruises

[Christopher]

I would like to know how to start performing on Cruise Ships and know who to talk to. Can anyone help me? Please e-mail me or call. 909-556-9368 (Cell)

[Guest]

Buy one of the Cruise Ships for Magicians books, and find an agent that represents entertainers that are on cruise lines, the have list in them. Your'll need a portfolio, head shots, and a video unless your David Blaine and have a couple tv debuts.

My agent was out of NY and I lived in FL, how weird....

[Guest]

I assume you saw the other thread related to cruises. There is a lot of good information on it. Of course you should be very good, and have a lot of material. Cruise Lines have been burned so much by acts saying they have an hour of material when they don't. Now, they expect to see a videotape with that full hour, performed live in front of an audience. Seriously, don't try to get on ships before you are ready. There are plenty of other venues on the ladder to success.
Mark

[Guest]

Another thing to think about is, can you spare 3-6 months of your life to simply dissapear and try to come back to the states to rebuild your client base.

Alot of people don't realize, unless you do the college circuit, or comedy clubs already, when you get off the ship you just missed 3 months cold calling, responding to emails, your answering machine and basically keeping up with old clients upcoming events unless you have a wife or girlfriend who would keep up with all that for you.

And of course you don't or you wouldn't want to take off on a cruise for 6 months straight and be burdened day after day by hot single women or handsome men (remember Sigfried met Roy on a boat), and forget coming home to someone, gigs, oh and your old magician friends look at you differently, and they either think your now a snob, or bug the hell out of you wanting to get on the boats.

[Guest]

Cruise Ships may seem glamourous but are NOT for everyone. Some find it an adventure for a while but it grows stale pretty quick for many. The BEST source for info on prep. for cruises, the prelim., the booking of and the actual cruise, is Fred Becker's book (available directly from Fred or Stevens Magic carries it). I cannot recommend this any higher as THE book to have on the subject. Fred even includes a "question" sheet to ask while booking so that you have all your angles covered and since Fred is one of the best in the cruise field, he knows his stuff. Before you even begin to try to venture into cruise ship entertainment, get Fred's book.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/Abstagecraft

[Guest]

In reality, unless you have a stand up act and can get booked for a couple weeks at a time, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Entertainment gets treated like guests, you come and go as you want, if you get hired as a magician/cruise staff which is what they often want as they can get the most work for less $$$, you will MC every event, run ever onboard bingo, change movies if they have an online theater, get ice for the limo's when you reach port, and lastly have to wear some logo and a nametag like gopher and represent the ship everytime you leave your cabin, and be sentenced to your cabin at 12:30 every evening to avoid late night interaction with guests.

Also any contract your agent gets you on land for amenities doesn't hold one you get in international waters. And if you miss a launch from your destination port, you pay for the airplane ticket back to the states to collect your stuff.

[Guest]

I take Magic Guy's point about not having a chance to do cold calls or respond to e-mails or do any marketing on board.

I think this sounds rather a plus. Any excuse not to do that type of thing sounds absolutely wonderful.

[Pete Biro]

First get your flu shots!!!

[Guest]

While I agree with you Pete, it doesn;t always help as the shot is only good for the virus they expect. I get mine every year and am still fighting the damned flu anyway.
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/Abstagecraft