How Much Do You Make? The REAL Salary of a Cruise Ship Musician

[@johnraemusic]

Nice David. Couple of things I noticed during my time on ships (I was what you call a 'pit' musician). As mentioned before, US citizens had to pay tax. All the rest of us didn't so on average we got 20% more money, cash in hand. I also noticed a difference in pay for those who got the gig via an agent and those who went direct with the cruise line. In my case I always got more money through the agency than musicians doing the same gig but through the cruise line. In my humble opinion cruise ship work can be good for a musician but! If you make it your career, It can also kill your career outside the ships and eventually will drive you crazy lol

[@Aaron-Qman]

I'm really glad to have stumbled upon your videos! Thanks so much for sharing your insights on the cruise musician life. It's much appreciated. As a fellow gigging musician it's great to hear experiences of different music professions!! 🎵

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

@@Aaron-Qman thank you so much! I’m happy that you’ve gotten some value out of what I’ve put out into the world. Keep rockin’! It’s literally all that separates us from those who “didn’t make it”

[@bobsexton6705]

Great video David! Super interesting.. Can't wait to see you guys again.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thanks Bob! We really loved getting to meet you on the Islander! Stay in touch, and we will meet again soon!

[@danieldsouza4528]

Good one David.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thank you Daniel!! Miss you man! How have you been? Are you on a ship now?

[@tarkheenameyer5499]

Really missed having you on Prima. We just debarked from her and we we were not as impressed with the duet they had there.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

We miss you here on the Viva! Sorry it wasn’t the same, but we are so grateful for the complement! It means a lot! Hopefully we see each other again on the seas real soon!

[@rockybalboa8932]

​@@DavidPaigeMusic Hi David.. How are you?.. I wanna ask you. Is there an age limit for working as a musician in cruise ship? I'm 50 y.o..Thank you so much..

[@FraserAtSea]

This is so interesting - thanks for the 'behind the scenes' view to this aspect of cruise ship life. I've actually always wondered how much cruise ship entertainment make, so thanks for this!

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thank you for watching! I have a whole bunch of videos about our life onboard! I’ve been watching your channel too, so it’s really great to see you popping up here!

[@FraserAtSea]

@@DavidPaigeMusic oh, sweet - hi hi! 👋🏼

[@TheWanderfullLife]

We are from Chicago too and just missed you guys. We sailed the Viva the end of January. Hopefully, we’ll see you on another cruise in the future! Just subscribed. 😁

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

I'm sorry we missed you guys! We were here August 4, 2023 through January 7, 2024 and then just signed back on in March! It was a small window, but we missed you by just a few weeks on either side!

[@sharkshaaayy]

Awesome video. Found your channel through Reddit. Do the cruise lines you work on recruit Indian musicians who play western music?

[@michaelking42]

Great video thanks mate. I used to work on cruise ships 20 years ago, what a great experience. The numbers you cite seem inline with what they were 20 years ago. I was the art auctioneer on board and met my wife on a cruise. I'm not sure if you mentioned it, but US citizens pay tax I believe when on the ships, so you don't see many working onboard. I'm Australian and did not pay taxes so the money was good and unmolested by politicians. I tell you, they were some fun times onboard.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thanks for checking this video out!! I love that you and your wife met onboard! What an incredible life! It makes me so sad that the wages haven't changed much over the past 20 years, but that's not just this

[@michaelking42]

@@DavidPaigeMusic Yes it is a shame about the pay, but the way I used to look at it was that the money was savings, not pay. Meaning, I didn't have to spend a dime if I did not want to, and 100% of the money could go to savings. And as you say, with the exchange rate for most staff, the money was incredible. Not too many Americans on board working, but lots of pretend Americans, or American Light....Canadians. I need to go on a cruise again, I sure miss it.

[@BarbaraAnnLittle]

Very helpful David, thank you!

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thank you for watching! I’m glad you found this helpful 🤘🏻

[@camerondunbar1738]

G'day David, nice honest video. An insight for those interested in the ship life. Which company are you working for? I have worked with Princess since 2018, they have their pros and cons of course. You mentioned that soloist guitar is paid quite well and offered privileges with your company? On Princess we have actually been down graded (SOLO guitar) In light of assistant music managers taking priority, over solo cabins. Anyhow, hope to hear back from you. And wishing you a great contract ! Cheers, cam

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate that! We are currently on Norwegian, and have also worked for Carnival in the past. Both of these companies have a little bit better situations for the soloists than for the bands and duos. For Carnival, the soloists got a nicer room, while all the musicians had the same privileges. On this particular ships, the soloists got the same type of room as the rest of the musicians, but they did get higher privileges. I believe both companies starting rates were a little higher for the soloists, as well.

[@shakkalomusic]

Great video! Just wondering. Do you change sets at every show? How big of a setlist did you have beforehand to be able to change up a little bit the show each time (I'm talking more about the lounge music)?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked this one! I talk exactly about this question in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYjQg5VpeJyJmtksi=VEH6xoZ_ydlZZYfX It’s a fun watch if you’re interested. If not, the short answer is “yes, we have unique sets for each performance”

[@shakkalomusic]

@@DavidPaigeMusic Thank you so much! I just watched it, it was very helpful ^^

[@Swan1manband]

I hear from most entertainment directors and musicians that you need a great live video for your audition submission but I’ve also seen some musicians just shoot at home and now they’ve got a cruise ship gig. What exactly would they like to see?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

I can’t say exactly what a casting director will want. What I can say is that the link below is the video that has landed us 3 consecutive contracts. We recorded it live in our living room: David & Stephanie Promo Reel 2022 kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4G0YZypptubpaM

[@Swan1manband]

@@DavidPaigeMusic I appreciate that. Thanks

[@Ray9s]

Great video and thanks for sharing such useful info. I'm a solo musician and looking into playing cruise ships but my wife does not play or sing. Have you seen any musicians bring their spouse along? I'm thinking perhaps she could get some other kind of job on board.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thanks for watching! It’s. Great his, so I’m glad you’re considering it! The only way would be to have your spouse onboard is to have them get a job with the same company on the same ship. Either that or they can purchase a cruise and you can see them when they’re onboard. We know some people who have jobs on the same ship but in different departments, so it’s possible, but I don’t know much about the logistics

[@DSA.Productions]

Are there any cruises that accept french horn players, or even trumpets? Brass is my go-to but I cannot for the life of me find any opportunity that calls for a horn player other than extremely selective orchestras that I have no shot at getting in

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps certain show orchestras would need horns, maybe a jazz ensemble. I did a quick google search and found something called musicians for cruises (dot) com. Maybe that will help?

[@nestor.valentino]

Is there demand for Sinatra style singers (crooner type music)? Thanks!

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Absolutely! You'd likely be looking to join a jazz ensemble on board, or you could even put together a crooner guest entertainer show. I don't know that you'd be the right fit for a rock band or a mainstream act if crooner style is your focus and what makes you feel musically fulfilled, but I am sure that you've got the chops for it as crooner styles are quite technical!

[@nestor.valentino]

@DavidPaigeMusic Right! I'd like to offer a different type of music to people. Variety is the spice of life, after all! Thanks for your encouraging response, I appreciate it.

[@bassfacebass3497]

Love and Miss You Guys!!!

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Love and miss you guys too!!

[@MB-en3vx]

Thank you for the info! It’s really helpful. I have never done anything remotely close to this and I really want to embark on such an adventure. How do I even go about signing up for this? Do I need an agent? Is there a specific website where I can apply?

[@phuquoclivemusic4348]

Yes , i just checked a week ago on Disney cruises website

[@michaelvitale4029]

Interesting. Something I’ve always wondered is what do you do when you’re not performing ?? And a musician doesn’t play all day, right ? Surely you aren’t doing the usual crew activities, aside from emergency training/responsibilities.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

I made this video about our first contract. While some things have changed with a different company, much is still the same. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXjdaXZ5gKiIbMksi=Ob3pdf5z4dtQthmb

[@juniorhervecastille9963]

Great videos 🔥🔥can you recommend where to apply as a cruise ship Musician ?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

@@juniorhervecastille9963 thanks for watching! I recommend you try everything you can. Find every cruise ship music agency and apply. You’ll need to have done a bit of research to know what kind of musician job you’re applying for. For instance, as an individual- are you applying to be part of an ensemble? Are you looking for a soloist gig? Or are you trying to bring on an existing act? Knowing what the ships offer is the first step and then being able to find your place in there is helpful for the agents to do their jobs. Honestly, send your promo reel, your resume, and your song list to AS MANY agencies as possible, but in order to not burn any bridges, make sure you know what you’re offering is ready to go on ships. Feel free to message me on instagram if you need more direction @davidpaigemusic

[@MHSMagicLuver]

Saw you on elation back in December 2022 (I’m from Jacksonville). Yeah those pay seem low but then I remember you get free room and food. When I was younger and went on cruises it was my dream to work in the kids clubs on a ship. I never did and now I’m a medical provider but it would have been interesting. I’m also a dancer (well from 3-18) and it would be cool to be a dancer on a ship but most likely not good enough for what they would want :p.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

There is a medical team onboard as well! Not sure about those jobs but they exist! There are opportunities in the kids club and as a dancer as well! I know that the dancers are usually highly trained and conditioned. I don’t know your background, but it may be possible to dust off the old character shoes and get a gig! Also, those starting rates aren’t the rates one should accept. Negotiate up for sure.

[@hlimpuia7229]

Hello! I want to ask if it would be difficult for Indians to get a party band contract?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

It shouldn’t be any more difficult for a band to get the gig because of their country of origin. I’ve seen party bands from South Africa, Philippines, Colombia, and Brazil. I’ve also met musicians from Ecuador, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Spain. If you have the right promotional material and your band plays the right songs, you’re just as hirable as musicians from anywhere else around the world!

[@SSN706]

Are there ever any opportunities for cover bands or original music bands? Maybe for just a few weeks to a month contract?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

There are! …kinda… So there are opportunities to participate in festivals at sea (not a trademarked name or anything. Just music festivals that happen at sea). These will usually just be a long weekend or a week long cruise. Definitely not a month long. From time to time, production companies will charter out cruise ships and there are opportunities for original bands to get booked or to buy you way onto the festival (just like real-life!) I believe that these opportunities are very much ticket sales based. So if you can sell a lot of cruise tickets, you may make some money, but this is hearsay as I don’t have any direct experience with this. Another option is to get booked at a convention at sea. Again, this is a chartered out situation, but a friend of mine just had his band booked for a nursing convention that chartered out a Carnival ship. They got paid a decent chunk of money, had their flights taken care of, and had guest entertainer status for the sailing. Yet another option is to chase the elusive guest entertainer gig. You’ll need an agent to work those out for you. There are agents who specialize in this. You can look into these opportunities and find yourself a nice gig!

[@SSN706]

@@DavidPaigeMusic Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Appreciated. Quick follow up: Is your friend's band an original band or do they play covers? Or mix? Curious what kind of entertainment a convention cruise looks for.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

@@SSN706 they are a cover band called Fueled by Emo. The convention wanted that specific niche for the entertainment

[@ryandaihatsu165]

Did cruise ship allow us to bring starlink

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

So, Starlink is a satellite internet provider. I don’t know a lot about it, but I assume it’s kinda like xfinity back in the states. I cannot provide my own xfinity, I have to purchase internet from the provider. The question may be beyond my ability to answer, because I don’t know anything about it, but if you have the ability to receive internet from the Starlink satellites without the ship’s help, then I have no idea what the answer is. If you are asking about the ship, then I can tell you that the ship does have Starlink internet that it provides for its guests and crew and that internet on ships is expensive

[@ryandaihatsu165]

@@DavidPaigeMusic thx man for ur answer

[@alemon22]

no experience or qualification and having good voice is still acceptable to sing? they will ask u to record to check out ur singing or sing there? many thanks and i'll appreciate ur reply

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Experience and qualification are absolutely required… My wife and I both have music degrees and extensive performance careers. In order to audition for the job, a resume is required. While a degree is not necessarily required and a combined 40 years of professional performance experience is not necessarily required - the statement “no experience or qualification” is inaccurate. And the cruise line won’t hire you and fly you out hoping you can sing. That is determined several months before you ever step foot on a ship.

[@MRkeys1234]

Do you get paid for 12 months of the year? So you’re getting paid for the 6 weeks or so pto that you have built up?

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Wouldn’t that be nice! No, we get paid for the time we are on the ship. During “vacation” we are unemployed. No income unless you get a temporary job somewhere else.

[@markimuzik]

Hello David I watched your vlogs .. help me to join onboard im from Philippines im playing Music 15years i have experience 4 years abroad I can engage audience i have a wide repertoire im a solo guitar/voclas pleas help me

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

Thank you for watching my videos! It is great to hear about your experience, but unfortunately I cannot personally help you with joining a cruise ship. I am not an agent and I do not have personal ties with the people who make hiring decisions at the different cruise lines. What I can tell you is that you need to find an agency that is trustworthy, and Google can REALLY help you find a lot of options for agents. You'll need a really good looking and sounding performance reel, a professionally formatted resume that highlights your experience, and an extensive song list. I wish you the best of luck!

[@pillowfighter86]

2,300-2500 a month each seems so low --- is that net or gross?

[@darrellq6954]

Not bad for 4 hours a day….beats busking at a coffee shop…😂

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

It certainly beats busking. Not denying that at all. I’m also not necessarily complaining about it. However, the 4 performance hours a day are not all of the work that goes into this job. That’s a pretty big misconception. There are rehearsals, department meetings, individual practice, time spent creating and developing set lists and unique shows, time spent learning new material. Not to mention the training and practice that put a musician in a position to be able to land the gig. There is a lifetime of dedication to a craft that goes into getting a job like this. I’ve worked in a restaurant before and on my first day, I was taking tables. I’m not saying that is an easy job, but there is no previous training or experience required for many jobs on ships outside of entertainment and the bridge.

[@darrellq6954]

@@DavidPaigeMusic I took the NCL Encore last summer to Alaska from Seattle.....So beautiful....you are much appreciated when I hear music flow nightly

[@anorsegoddess9797]

So you make the same as me. Not crap

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

@@anorsegoddess9797 it’s not bad. It’s manageable. It takes planning and budgeting, but it can work!

[@johnnynick3621]

Get rid of the background music. I couldn't watch past halfway through because the music is just too distracting. Background music does NOT add to the professionalism of this kind of video.

[@DavidPaigeMusic]

@@johnnynick3621 ok man lol 😂