I've done a couple of parties on the Spirit of Chicago. It was cool and different meaning it was away from the club scene.

They can be a lot of fun, but when the boat starts to lean a bit cuz of rough weather, it's very hard to dj haha. I had to have my boy standing to the side ready to put his hands up in case I was going to fall back while scratching at certain points in the night. No skips at all cuz I was on the cdj's that night.

The funniest shit is when the entire dancefloor sways to the left or right when the boat moves.

Gamble
www.djgamblemusic.com
www.myspace.com

I worked for Holland America For about 3 yrs - going out for 2-3 weeks at a time. That isn't how it works though- usually you sign their contract, and you sign on as an employee for 6-9months at a time. That's how it is. I got lucky and they booked me at a time when they really needed me, so I was able to get them to sign my contract making me a contractor not an employee. I basically had passenger status, I had a passenger cabin etc etc. The only thing I couldn't do was gamble in the casino.

The way it works now, you sign on for a about 6 months to a year and you work as an employee- when you ain't spinnin, you're working library duty or shuffle board duty or whatever. You're working about 6 days a week, and you share a cabin with at least one other employee down in the bowels of the ship.

I wouldn't do it unless I could have it the same way I used to have it. BTW 2 weeks at a time out at sea was plenty for me. After 2 weeks, I was always more than ready to come home and chill.

bump

Damn...did I scare you away from cruise ships?

Nah, not scared. Shuffle board duty though? Catch that shit up... I was under the impression that entertainers were exempt from those kind of duties.
I think I would have to swing some passenger status to make it worth my while.
Again, I don't treally need to do it and I only have a 2-3 month period of uncertain work.
Still, no point replying to you anyway... you're BANNED. lol

Anyone else who has worked as crusie ship DJ, care to share their experiences?

yea, its great! I've done it since May 2003. Its no where near what it was though, the cheap flights have killed the job off.

I used to work with another DJ doing a constant 2 week on, 2 week off, it worked well. The contract we had was drawn up by an agent who was a bit too happy to help, so we ended up doing little things like checking passports, and being sound/light engineers/slaves/operators during the caberet show's, but it was nothing major - if anything, it helped get to see what crowd you would be playing to later.

I can recommend doing it for the fun aspect alone, and the life at sea is cool - it takes a certain kind of person to be able to bob up and down constantly! :D

im's too scarily

Watchwww.youtube.com

Watchwww.youtube.com

Watchwww.youtube.com

Watchwww.youtube.com

Damn, i never realized it was that bad... I hope they provide the equipment.. i wouldn't want my needled boucing up and down in that shit.. Not that I'd be playing during a storm anyway but you get the point.

you cant use record decks on a ship - when there is bad weather the suspension bottoms out and jumps/shakes the entire ship - you would be replacing needles constantly.

and you do still play during bad weather, alot of passengers will go to bed, but more often than not, you'll find a lot of drunk die-hard party animals not bothered about the movement due to the alcohol and someone has to be around to keep the party going - those are hard nights!

My boss started out with Norwegian, spinning cruises. I'd really like to try it, but I'd only do it on my terms and NOT as an employee.

^^ Damn, and I know the pay aint good.. Fuck that! It must be for the experience.

I DJ for Carnival Cruise Lines.I'm on vacation at the moment but going back for 5 months starting april 19th. If you want to DJ on cruise ships, do it for the expierence, not the money (cause its not a lot of $$$). Ffor the guys who are scared and think there is bad weather all the time, your wrong. These ships are huge and can blot thro anything. You feel the movement sometmes yes, but your body gets used to it.
As far as the job itself... You are pretty much the 'resident dj' of the ship. The 'disco (club)' is your office. You work everynight from 10 until ??? if its packed then around 3-4ish if its dead 1:30-2am.... All your days are off and you are free to get off in every port and do whetever you want. passengers can be dicks at times, but thats everywear.
I personally love it. I have met so many great people from all over the world. I also like the fact that I can wake up, be on the beach in Costa Rica drinking beer day, get back on the ship, have a nap, then do what I love to do which is DJing.
If anyone doses choose to do it, be prepared to drink a lot, party everynight, meet chicks left right and center, and party some more.
If anyone has any questions, let me know and I will be more than happy to answer.
Take Care All
Brent

yeah I've done it. not as a job tho. my entire family (30 something of us--we're all big partiers) went on a cruise a few years back and i was always walking around with my headphones on listening to music. within a couple days I was known at the passenger that's a 'real' DJ (the ship DJ wasn't much of a dj. more like a human jukebox). the third night we were on the boat we were all drinking upstairs and the cruise director came and started chatting me up...next thing you know I was in the daily program for the next 3 nights as the highlighted entertainment upstairs in the 'Skybar'. It was dope. Them cruise ship employees really know how to make their guests feel welcome. as far as the weather, it was only bad the second day of the trip.....but it was really bad. Several of the crew actually told us it was the worst crossing they'd ever been through on that ship. Glad I couldn't see the helicopter views of that one because from inside the ship it looked a lot like a couple of those videos.

Thats cool man. Never heard of that before as I know thats a big no no with Carnival at least (let someone else DJ besides the ships DJ). Sounds cool tho..

lot of the ship DJs suck tho, i know what your saying.

Reason being, they start off working on the ships as a chef or some really shitty job, Then, once onboard, they see how easy the lifestyle of a ship DJ is and think "I can do it, all you do is play songs.. really easy and I get paid more," then they "play music" at a crew party, they then tell the Cruise Director who dosent know the first thing about DJing that they want to be a DJ, next thing you know, they are DJing on one of the ships.. its a frekin joke.

One guy who took over for me used to work in the grabage room on ships... he came and tried to mix and it was the WORST mixng i have ever heard.. sounded like a stampeed of horses running down the street... couldent bleieve they let him be a DJ..
crazy, anyhow, sorry if i wrote too much and im sure not a lot of ya care but thought I would share my stories and info..
again, if anyone has any questions about ship DJin, ask away!
take care all
B

thanks batttlefunk & brentduncan18.

Im actually considering it because I really would like to travel, and get paid to do what I love. 5 months away at sea is a long time. Id have to find someone to watch over my apartment.

yikes..

whats the average pay per night?

^^ Not worth it if you want money..

Never worked as one, however when I was on a cruise about a year ago, the DJ at the on-board "night club" had a four year back catalog of PO Urban Radio discs, and a pair of CDJ-1000 mk2s. He wasn't mixing or anything (he was just some college kid working as a part time job, I think), but we got to talking, and in almost no time, he let me get behind the decks. I ended up playing for the next three nights. He was like "whoa, how are you making the songs go together like that?!" ... haha, it was pretty fun though.

How does one go about working as a Dj for Carnival or any other Larger company? Do they allow canadians?
Ive worked for a day cruise line for the summer in toronto for the past couple of years and have enjoyed it ... nice change of pace from the night clubs and other mobile gigs.

Fellow Spinners, I just got hired by Carnival and I report to the "VICTORY" on 15 May. I have been reading DJ forums over the course of the last week. I have read both good and bad reviews, regarding spinning aboard ships. My problem is this, I was informed by the Entertainment Director that I was NOT allowed to report to my ship with music and/or equipment. I thought that was strange because as a retired US Marine, you don't go into battle with an untested or unfamiliar weapon! My weapons of choice as a DJ are the Pioneer CDJ1000s w/Rane 57 Serato killer mixer. I HAVE A PLATOON of each....ooh rah! Anyway, I have been spinning as long as I have been protecting this great country of ours. I inquired about the equipment that they have aboard ship, and I was informed that the Allen & health zone mix 464 and tascam cdx-1500 cd players are used! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Don't mean to knock the gear but....it seems pretty basic to me from what I can see on line. Can you mix/scratch with this? Anyway, Carnival Cruise DJs, can you help me out here? Is it true that you are not allowed to use your personal tools of the trade? Not only that, but my cds are in top notch condition/organized/diverse and up to date! I won't even go into the various/diverse joints I have on my MAC! It seems a waste that I can't use the tried and tested tools and tunes that have garnered me riches over the course of the last 20 plus years. Any detailed info would be most appreciated. Plz email me at ronaldcherry@hot mail .com with any info. Thanx and One Luv

this is where an sl1/3 comes in handy, you can hide it out of sight and run the laptop to one side

I reckon it'll be down to insurance that you cant take your gear

Looks like you'll have to re-learn some new kit!

wouldn't enjoy the tascam cd players but the allen & heath xone 464 is a brilliant mixer....might not be ideal for scratching but one of my favourite mixers to play on.
Brilliant filters as on all A&H mixers and sounds absolutely great!

How'd you go about applying for this job? For that matter how did any of you guys get jobs on cruise ships? Did you have to take the cruise first, and inquire while on board?

I ask because I graduate from college in May :) and wouldn't mind kicking back on a cruise spinning for a bit while I charge my mental battery

can't bring your music? haha, i'd run a mile!!

464 is a good mixer but it ain't much fun spinning on twin deck CDs either.
The mixer isn't great for scratching but you can't scratch on those CD players anyway.....

www.google.com

www.hcareers.com

it's decent if you get someone to sublet your apt, and keep in mind you don't have to pay for food or lodgings the entire time you're gone.

But if you break it down to an hourly rate, yea - it's a terrible wage...

great info guys. something i'd be interested in cuz im young right now and school's almost over.

that's crap on how you can bring your own gear!

i went on a carnival cruise trip in january 2010 and i started chatting with the "resident dj" dude was going on and on about how scratch live is unprofessional and how he sticks with only cds. but i guess that was expected coming from a guy who played empire state of mind 3x a night for each night on the ship haha

cannot bring your own gear****

that's not neccesarily true, i went on a royal carribean cruise a few yrs ago and the dj had his own equipment he was using turntables a TTM57 and a laptop. Even chatted with him and talked to him about serato. He was mixing video but wasn't very good at it. I think it all boils down to how cool the music director is or the boss man. I would just stress very highly that you are comfortable using your own equipment and it would be much easier for you. If they don't let you then fuck em. I think you'll have more pull with Carnival to be honest. Royal Carribean you have to be at stations other than just dj'ing. Carnival u pretty much rock the club and can go wherever you please when the ship is at their destination.

a lot of us do it:
roli rho
fat fingaz
get live
etc.
all I had to do was bring my laptop and music... they provide everything else...basically every ship has 3 sets of equipment..sometimes 4.... I always have a good time.

That must be german for pussy??

yes...it means you DJ, and you can look at all the women in the world..but you can't touch them....

.....so just like any of my current gigs lol DOH!!!!!!!!!

I thought if you were the "resident" dj on the ship but you were a "featured entertainer" or something like that you could bang guests??

Dosent matter for me either way, mobile just lost their deal with the cruise ships

it really depends on the cruise line...but the 1 thing the agency stressed was guests were hands off...

reading between the lines: bang the guests discretely, the crew you can bang in front of anyone

so do you have to "apply" online on their websites

or do you have to "know" somebody that is in charge of the music program on the ship?

DS, the agency I work with handles the booking of most ships now. call me later I'll put you in touch with the events director.

2 rotations before mine, they left the DJ at the port in Barbados...why? b/c there's cameras EVERYWHERE, every 10 feet, and they're ALWAYS being monitored.... he tried to get it in with a guest....and in 5 minutes..security at the room...shut it down and bye bye....off the ship..find your own way home.

some serious danger lovin goin on there!!!!

so if I got this right, Norwegian is the best to work for, then Carnival, and Royal Caribbean kind of sucks? I never thought about working cruise ships b4, but this thread has me kind of curious...

Not from personal experience but If I was single I would do it. Don't knock it till you try it. Some will be 4 month-6 month contracts. You'll be able to travel all over the world. You may get sick of being on the ship all the time but everythings payed for. But hey you won't have to pay any bills!! You won't even need car insurance. All that money will just be getting stashed in the bank if you budget wisely.

tecniq hits it.... you don't pay for jack while you're on board... it's like your regular hospitality rider on roids....
get in with the shore excursion people and they'll put you on all the dope sh** to do for free... plus if you're a golfer...you can play some dope courses for the price of a regular county course.....the pay is kind of questionable but hey it's a paid vacation.

I met a the DJ on a cruise in the South Pacific over New Years and can tell you he wasn't just the DJ, he had to do the daily events stuff, and he didn't get paid much unfortunately. It didn't sound particularly glamourous.

I want in yoshi need a contact. but really how do you sign up.

I also think that the cruise line you would want to work on is depending upon your age. Royal Caribbean is more family oriented while I think Carnival is more party oriented. So some cruise lines are probably looking for basic mixing skills while others are looking for party rockers. From the 4 cruises I did on RCCL as a passenger, the dj's weren't great at either. They actually were posting flyers for cruise employees to try their hand at being a dj at events and nightclubs.

Here's how to apple for carnival..Now I will say this when you submit your application/demo keep resending it to them. They have a enormous amount of of others that are trying to apply. So if you don't get an email just keep sending it out. They will know how serious you are about working for them. My uncle works for Disney cruise lines and that's one thing he stressed is to keep sending in your application. They go thru thousands! Good luck

www.carnivalentertainment.com

apply*

And of course apply for the "disc jockey" position if you are serious about it. I must of emailed my resume bout 10 times when I applied last yr lol..got old after awhile. Then again I wasn't taking it to seriously. Most american cruise lines could care less if your a "mix" dj or not. They just want you to entertain the ppl on board and have a good variety of music. That is key!

Nice tips Tecniq...

Man, if I ever got hired to do a 4-6 month tour I'd prolly come back stateside gaining about +200 lbs haha

agency is the best way....they'll keep you booked on several ships across different cruise lines for as long as 6 months of the year... yes the $ isn't all that......I think when it was all said & done

my schedule was pretty easy:
on sea days:
12pm - 2pm were my pool parties.. we did stupid contests... but that's your most mixed genre to open up...and connect with the passengers.
11pm - 12AM (ship DJ would play, but I'd go to hear what he played and what was working that night)
12Am - whenever (normally 3AM) open format

port days
CHILL on whatever island you're on
6pm board
10-11 (novelty set...latin..rock..reggae...classics...funk etc)
11-2 open format

Hey Yoshi...got any contact info for this AGENCY?

i need a serato script that just saves EVERYTHING yoshi writes to a file for me to read later so i dont miss anything, you could publish his SL postings as a book lol

+1,000,000,000

My boy DJ Abel is on one of these right now. 4g's for 4 weeks all expenses paid. Sweet gig

I DJ sometimes for Princess Cruise Lines.

For princess you're a "Guest Entertainer." When I've done it I've only had to work nights...10pm to whenever the bar closes, which can be between midnight and 5am. Otherwise I'm free to do whatever. They say you aren't supposed to hook up with passengers, but it's all politics...if you're cool with the cruise director, you can do whatever, if he doesn't like you any little thing will get you in trouble.

1k a week is about right...I just brought my serato box and laptop...most of the ships have a djm800 and cdjs...which makes more sense than turntables if it's rocky, which it can be sometimes.

Minimum contract for princess is usually 1 month, though sometimes they hit me up to fill in for a couple weeks, usually if someone gets fired mid contract.

Man I wish I could go DJ for a cruise liner well a good one that is. I already know wifey is not gonna be cool with me working a cruise ship for no length of time. My ship has sailed on this ever happening...lolv

Yoshi, Tecniq and MB with some incredible information. A lot of my homies have DJed the cruise ships. One thing they stressed that a lot of DJ's dont understand is having a wide (and I mean this in the most literal sense) wide wide range of music. 100% of us have the club stuff on lock, No problem. Hip Hop, R&B, Funk, Latin, Uptempo, Club... Good... There is also everything else out there. 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s... The age ranges are real huge on these ships at times and you get all sorts of crazy requests (CAN YOU PLAY "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and follow it up with some ABBA?). I dont know how many DJ's these days got ABBA in their Serato crates. It is something to consider. If your musical spectrum isnt really wide, You might not be fit for the job. I had a lot of the DJ homies ask me for latin music selections, just in case. Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Rock En Espanol. I am not saying that is it mandatory to have these genres but you never know who is on the boat. For carribean/atlantic cruises, You will hit up a lot of latin ports.

signed up for carnival cruise and got a email asking for more info. havent heard back from them yet.

Yes, good point Audio1...Here's what I did...

First, I have a pretty good knowledge of motown (My did listened to little else while I was growing up) 80s (my brother was a new wave head) and classic rock (I played guitar in high school) so I had my bases pretty well covered to start. I made playlists for 80s, motown, sinatra and friends, rock (spanning from the 50s to current) and pop that was appropriate for a cruise atmosphere.

I would have the cruise director put a theme for the first 2 hours of the night each night in the daily newsletter the passengers got, and I would stick to that format...so Monday night might be 80s night, tuesday might be 50s and 60s rock, wednesday sinatra and friends, etc. During those 2 hours, I'd get requests that weren't in my playlists, and if I had the songs, I would add them...if not I'd make a note to get them. After a few cruises my playlists are pretty stacked and I don't have many requests that aren't already in there.

One thing about being a DJ on a cruise...don't paint yourself into a corner and think you have to beatmatch every song. Especially with some of those genres you just play the whole song and then bring in the next one.

I also whipped up an hour long mix of each of those genres for nights when the club was slow/empty. I'd just throw the mix on for the correct theme of the night and sit around til people showed up.

sounds like my worst nightmare. but i see why people do it

yea, it's a single man's game... my wife gets antsy when I go tour for longer than 2 weeks these days...

now if i was married, i'd be on that boat inna heartbeat, lol

Honestly...I like a lot of that music way better than today's top40 garbage. Give me a choice between listening to power106 all day and motown, funk, disco, sinatra, etc? The choice is easy.

i thought that kind of goes without saying...

Yes.

Ive been trying to beat this point into my head for months now and it just wont sink in

I hit up carnival since they have a port in mobile......then carnival backed out of their contract and left mobile (real story)


...i dj so bad... :(

my brother A1... he's stressing great points... on breaking down my nights most of the 12Am - 3am was the top 40 club bangers...
BUT there are request sets where you need to have whatever they ask for...b/c wifi on a boat? it's like 2G service...
1 night I had to do a 1 hour rock and classic rock set
1 night a 1 - 2 hour latin set (merengue, bachata, cumbia, salsa... and don't think you can get away with playing reggaeton as part of your latin set)
1 night was strictly motown (my fave night...but was more of a lounge back vibe around the pool)
1 night was caribbean (2nd fave night)

it's a great experience and you're getting paid to travel, eat, drink, go on excursions, build relationships with guests (2 who just happened to be exec directors for 2 companies that I'm negotiating tv deals with)..... and party.. you CANNOT mess with guests... you'll be booted.. and when I say booted.. pack your sh** up, you're off on the next port and you find your way home...

A few words: when you're building your demo package... don't cater to 1 genre...
and EVERYONE that has hit me up asking for the hook up.. please don't take offense to it... but I won't cosign someone that will jeopardize my relationships b/c he/she isn't versatile enough or are approaching me on some this is my 1st time to DJ in front of ppl sh**.

do quick little 5 minute mix sets per genre...and then a 20 minute set open format incorporating everything...
do come correct with at least a one sheet... not some bio that you wrote and isn't presentable..
think about it this way... if you're pitching to your boss or the board of directors for a promotion, you wouldn't give them a word doc hand out.. you'd come with a power point presentation at least...
My designer can knock your one sheets out in 2 days.... his company handles almost every major record label's cd covers, artist packages, promo tools etc... they can write the copy for you based on a q&a sheet that they provide.
lastly.. if I hook you up and you do get a call back... all I need is a simple thank you.

I won't name the guy's name...but he's on some next one sh** where he didn't even say thank you.... I put him on b/c his manager asked me for a favor.... when it came time to pay out his manager.... crazy talk saying he did it himself... so a simple thank you and maybe a post card of you pimpin with the hot crew members would suffice!

if you have any questions just email me..... p.s. Audio 1.... we're working out dates for me to come out to your hoooooooddddd! was just with someone from the 49'ers... me, you, e*rock, jazzy jim?? 9'ers game?!

lmfao, ive gotten to the point where any time i see yoshi post i close out all other windows, take off the headphones and pull out the notebook and 2 #2 pencils just in case one breaks...RIIIINNNGGG RIIIINNNGGG class in session!!!!!!

Sounds like a plan. Holler with some dates. Are you working with Jets or Giants?

I'm with the Jets.... and loving it...their general playlist was basically rock and a touch of hip hop... trying to open them up to more genres but it's also opening me up and expanding my musical knowledge and playability... before this year I never thought about dropping Black Betty during a prime time set...
I'll have the dates as soon as we finalize the rest of my out of town dates (only down part is I basically give up the Saturday before the games... as you saw in my tweet... 6AM at the stadium and I went straight from the club... I couldn't think after kick off)

inherent problem: when playing that stuff, you generally have the same issue that you do with new music, most(cruise ship guests, not music buffs that sit in dank rooms to hear good music) people still only know 2 or 3 songs by those artists and still want to hear the same classic singles and not album cuts. thats what kills me about top 40, i could play the new song by the same artist, or an album cut that is equally kool, dancey, whatever, and the crowd still not respond with any reaction.

Good stuff Yoshi, some nice stuff to build on! will def. get back into the lab and work on some things.

if you're ever in SD, drinks or whatever are on me!

Yoshi speaks the truth. You cant put on a price on professionalism and packaging yourself in such a way where you can be sell yourself to any company. Yoshi your giving up way to much info IMO but you can lead a the camel to water but you cant make him drink.

In my experience ive found you can give out great info all day, most wont utilize it and the ones that do would have figured it out anyway

I'm with bezzle on this one... I bookmark every thread Yoshi drops some knowledge in. Fuck a "how to" marketing and promo guide lol.... His advice is worth a thousand of those books.

y'all are buggin. but I will be starting a self-motivational pod cast & how to make it as a DJ book. hahaha JUST JOKES

ADD TO CART...CLICK

lol

Just came off a Carnival Cruise, the DJ sucked.. He put no effort and just couldn't mix.....

My friend did and he lost 3 years of his life to drinking and got herpes. He regrets it deeply.

I'd blame that on personal decisions, not on the actual job. But that's just me.

lol @ this, ya if he would have just stayed on land im sure none of that would have happened

i hear that sea herpes is the worst!

DJYoshi always gives good information, dropping the knowledge!

+1 on Dj-M.Bezzle quote

The worst story of life I've heard at sea

no way i would miss my dog and my life too much

Apparently the pay is shitty and you are crazy bored all the time. They let you keep a bar tab and take it out of your paycheck. Lot's of slutty chicks looking to party while on vacation. depending on your priorities in life it could be heaven or hell.

my pay was decent but I had a good time and it was a good building/branding experience

^^ THIS!

It sounds like you had a much better contract than my friend did.

Not bad Yoshi. Not bad at all.

Just coming home after a 7-day Carnival cruise! There were 2 djs there. One guy seemed to be the "main dj", where as the other seemed to not a have a whole lot of experience. The main dj I really didn't care for, but he did know what to play when it came to latin/caribbean & mainstream for the deck/pool parties. Actually, the cruise director was more the party starter, because that dude was a true entertainer & he really knew how to get people up & involved! When it came to the niteclub, they had their moments, but both djs struggled with urban music! A lot of the mixing was bad & they played the same old songs every night like clockwork! But rather than standing around being focused on them & their lack of skill, it was really a time have some drinks & meet new people! Lot of hot women in there! But yeah, u do have to play a wide variety, because there is a wide variety of people from everywhere on the ship! But, I must have heard Cupid Shuffle, The Wobble & dance songs w Fatman Scoop in them about 10 times a day, lol!!

Hey guys, my name is Eddy from England, and I have been DJing for 12 years, working on cruiseships for 6 years. I did 4 years on Carnival (and worked alongisde brentduncan18 who posted earlier in the thread), and the last 2 years I have worked for Princess Cruises.

The thing with working on cruiseships, you have to be a request DJ and it's like working at a wedding. You may get some passengers that are 18, some that are 80 and you need to cater to "the majority". This means knowing what will get people moving, aswell as taking requests and fitting them in where appropriate.
Working on Carnival, you get a younger clientele & 9 times out of 10 all "the majority" want to hear is the latest top40, rap stuff... and that's ALL they want. The general public don't care if you can mix or scratch up a storm, they just want to dance to the Cupid Shuffle or "shufflin" to LMFAO. Another thing on Carnival is that they supply all the music on CD format. They receive "Promo Only" CDs every month (but are usually 2 months behind with the delay of posting them to all ships from Carnival head office) and it is all clean radio edits, you need to play this music & ONLY THIS MUSIC, otherwise you can lose your job.

Onboard Princess I am classed as a "Guest Entertainer", which doesn't mean diddly-squat to me, i'm still a DJ and there to do a job. On Princess I am responsible for providing all the music, I use Traktor Scratch Duo, and I have DJ subscriptions to mymp3pool in USA & CD Pool Digital in Uk for top40 stuff, aswell as using Amazon, Nowmusic.com & I-Tunes for older stuff. All the music I have is legally obtained (even as much as ripping my parents old Beatles & Elvis vinyl) and although I am providing all the music I still have adhere to playlists & all music MUST BE CLEAN/EDITED.

The main thing you need to realise when working on a cruiseship is you need to appeal to a broad age range, and have a little bit of everything in your collection. I personally prefer this, and like working on Princess over Carnival... for 1 the pay is better & 2 I play more variety of music... believe me us DJ's get equally as sick of hearing Black Eyed Peas/Lady Ga Ga/Rihanna/David Guetta every night. I have had many passengers come up in my face and say "you suck, you're the worst DJ i've ever heard"... and it used to bother me & i'd argue back. Now it goes over my head. People have opinions on music, everyone has their own taste and 1 person coming up and saying "hey man, play this song and it will get everyone on the dancefloor" is their opinion... and if I haven't heard of the song, and haven't played it previously... then the likelihood is that the majority of the crowd haven't heard it either.

Working on a cruiseship you are a human jukebox in a way, because you are appealing to the masses... so don't expect to play some underground club music or an hour of Skrillex... coz it aint gonna happen.
Us cruiseship DJ's may "suck", but if we actually use our skills & musical taste then nobody would like it... so i'll keep on sucking, smile & wave and do my job, that's all i'm doing at the end of the day!

Andrew "Eddy" Edwards
Professional Disc Jockey

DJ EDDY pretty much hit it on the nail. Don't go looking to DJ on a cruise expecting to drop all your latest electro mashups. 9 out of 10 times, People wont fucking care. Play "Cupid Shuffle" = YOU ARE THE KING OF ZAMUNDA!

I just want to walk around with my ipod listening to I'm on a boat while enjoying the scenery on a cruise (ignoring old people)

this thread is gold!

any DJd for Costa Concordia?

www.cnn.com

^ you DJ so bad...

I just spent my entire morning catching up on this thread, thanks for the great advice guys. I had the opportunity to work on a cruise line a couple months ago but dropped the ball because I didn't have a passport :/ But thanks for the advice, I'm definitely going to try shooting for one next year possibly, or this summer if I get really lucky

As am I GARE...check with Yoshi...real personable guy and know a ton on it...Im in the process of doing my research on my 40-70's stuff now...

Two questions, what about tips? And is it true that all DJs for Carnival are being taught by this DJ Irie?

(I'm a club DJ with 35 years experience....maybe too old??

I've actually done 3 ships for Norwegian Cruiseline as a "Celebrity Guest DJ" (Epic, Gem & Jewel) and about to do my fourth one next month... I can honestly say it's a great experience to travel the world for free and meet good hardworking people from all over the world...I've traveled to places that I don't think I would ever go to on my own...(Cozumel, Costa Maya - Mexico/Roattan, Honduras/Great Stirrup Cay/Nassau, Bahamas/Puerto Rico/Halifax, Nova Scotia/Canada)

A couple of tips that can help some first timers:
-Make friends w/ the Cruise Director, Equipment/Sound Crew, Entertainment staff, Bar staff and Maids, they'll make your experience much more enjoyable.
-Be sure to hook up some CDs and music on a USB stick to most of the crew. They all rely on the barter system, and they're used to being on the ship for many months and have no real connection to the real world when it comes to current music. They'll love you for this and trade you w/ food, drinks, movies, porn (lol), etc...
-By being friends w/ the crew, they know exactly where to go on Port days and the best spots for entertainment, food, parties for crew, etc.
- My contract is for 4 months at a time so you can get bored, that's why I usually bring my MPC and use my time productively...I just copped my new APC40 and actually going to implement the Bridge next month on my next ship.
-I highly recommend for DJs that have residencies at their home, make sure you provide a backup DJ that is up to par to handle your job while your away so that way you can come back to it...(This shows your venue that you're not leaving them high and dry and by you DJing on a cruise for a couple of weeks can also help promote their club/venue as well.)
-Another perk I didn't know until my last cruise is that you can obtain guest passes for any port to bring on your friends/family on for free for that day until you sail away... I've done this in NYC, Port Canaveral, Puerto Rico for some friends and fam and we had a blast! Eating for free, touring the bout, swimming, etc.
-Just keep in mind that you're there to work and represent your company... so like the other DJs said above....don't get caught hooking up w/ the drunk girls on board! It could ruin your reputation as well as your Company's...also it's really not worth to lose that kind of contract/money/experience for some drunk chick that you can hook up w/ onland....lol

I just started the process of getting a job with carnival.
1. you will need some persistence.
2. you will need a 7-10 min video of you mixing most important part about this is some crowed interaction. they want to know you can use the mic.
3. a 20 min mix of the music you would play. keep in mind the diversity of the crowed.
4. This is where the persistence comes into play! you will get an email from an entertainment directed they will let you know they got your stuff but they get LOTS of them and it could take weeks for them to get a chance to see yours. so keep on them i asked once a week where things were at.
5. this was an interview with a DJ he's going to ask you questions about your mix and try to find out your DJ background as well as tec questions. you need the ability to use manny different systems. (it sounded like they had some really bad DJs that sliped through at some point so the screening is pretty thorough.
6. i then got a shit load of paper work to fill out and send back to them you will need to set up a Doctor apt and have a fiscal.
when i talked with my contact he told me they are rolling out a new program all DJs will be given a laptop with all the music they need and a NS7 or NS6 depending on the ship.i was encouraged to bring my laptop so i assume they will just give me a hard drive.

NS6/NS7.. wow your good then i own an love my NS6

I assume you meant "physical"?

haha yeah.

Wow, late to the party.

Jon

You seem to be very up to date as to the whats and whys of DJ'ing on a ship. I was a fairly well known and respected one about 20 years ago and I'd like to do this on ships now that I don't have to make a great ton of money to be happy. Give me a place to sleep and food to eat and I'm pretty golden IMO.

My question for all of you guys is how hard do you think it would be to get back into the groove considering I come from the age of 1200's and the original Denon CD players? (no bull I actually had to buy two CD players for the club I worked in before the owner saw the logic.

Funny story. About a year after I quit and went to work for a promotion company we had an event in a club one weekend and I had a meeting with the manager. I got there and got delayed by 45 minutes because they were having a 'crisis'. Turns out that their DJ for the dance club got arrested for DUI and they were freaking. I told them I'd do it for drinks if we could get our meeting out of the way.

Had a great night and that was the last time I spinned. But it's in my blood and I'd love to do it again. Just a bit behind on the music and tech if you know what I mean.

Cruise ship Dj'ing is like my dream job! I mean seriously would this even be considered a "job"?!?!?! lol

Oh I have no doubt it's hard work. You're dealing with a very eclectic clientele and I'm betting that most of them are in their mid 30's and up to 60's at the very least. So I would think you'd have to dial back some of the 'artistry' that most DJ's love and play to the crowd more than the music.

But yes, I think it would be an awesome job. Hard, long hours, and exhausting. But damn well worth it when you hit a night dead on :)

I just have to get up on the modern technology and music.

Rock on DJ D. Good luck to you sir.

+1000000 I was almost in when carnaval left mobile

Has anyone ever worked on Celebrity Cruises???

I was just given confirmation that I am going to set sail here soon and was wondering if anyone has any experience working with this cruise line...

Holla when you get to Grenada!

i aint getting on a boat,period , my fat ass cant swim

get up to date with you music is the biggest thing you can do. next start working with serato thats what most ships will make you use. if you can beat match you have a leg up (and i mean real beat match with out seeing the BBM) the tec you can figure out with youtube and a trip to a music store like sam ash or the guitar. i start a contract soon so let me know if you need help

JUst work on you music library after that it will come back in 3-6 months as it did for me. make a 10 min mix and send it to me ill help you and i can send you some of mine if you want to make this happen i have 7 days till im out on a new ship so you got to hustle good luck bro hope to help to see you soon lets live the life

don't get it twisted... it is work! Certain cruise lines have requirements: ie teaching sessions, theme nights, etc. For the most part it's chill & fun, but don't think that all you do is eat, drink, travel, etc. BUT it's a great experience.

Yoshi......................you ARE the father of 2 year old Desiree

might have to try this once i finish rebuilding my crates

Check out this article 1 of 2 that DigitalDjtips.com asked me to write up.
www.digitaldjtips.com

Thats a good look for you Ollie, knew it was you soon as I saw the pic. Holla @ you couple times @ @ $2 Tuesdays Glo Lounge.

damn now i wanna do it...

damn, didn't realize so many brunswick djs are on here... might head over to glo tonight to check you out (nh/nm)

Here's part 2 of 2 of my article on DJing on a Cruise Ship from DigitalDJTips.com www.digitaldjtips.com

^^^ nice... ^^^


odd question can i hook up with staff??
Do ladies i meet on land count as guest if we go back to my room on board the boat??


sad to say i dont see my self making it months on a ship full of half naked/nude chicks or the dj groupies & not do any thing

You are allowed to hook up with staff, however, people who are not part of the staff or passengers on the ship cannot board the ship, so you can't take girls you meet on land back to your room.

KOOL...

+1!

This sounds like instant trouble after psycho mode commences, where can you run?

...and that is why you don't mess around with people you work with and have to see everyday.

Truth. What's that old saying...don't sh*t where you eat? Great words to live by.

That's the one right there.

You dont dip your pen in the company ink.

That's a good one too.

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all the helpful tips. I am leaving to Brisbane Australia with P&O (Princess Cruises sister line) for about 6 months on the pacific dawn. I have a pretty good variety of music on my laptop but was wondering if you guys know what kind of music i'll be expecting to play and times I have to play them. I'm good with reading crowds but have no idea what to expect, especially if they want me to play country for 5 hours (means i'll be doing a lot more country downloading haha). Any advice would help. Thanks in adavnce

The best tip I can give you is to ask the Cruise director on what kind of guests they're expecting onboard... They usually know ahead of time of what kindof guests are coming onboard due to the seasonal vacation time from your particular port where the Pacific Dawn is leaving from... I actually asked my Cruise director prior to every week to get a better understanding of what to play... I would also concentrate on your genres that you think you would lack in... For me at the time, it was Zouk, Haitian, and Indian/Bollywood... Thats the thing with cruises, having International/World music can really boost your experience & reputation, because most DJs have the Top 40 and/or Popular music...

Hope that helps... Have a good Cruise bro!

Ollie

lol true




from earlier post here don't they give you the music you need, like the must play ish & top hits from the places your guest are from?

just found out that they got age limit...first time at least 35 years of age

I've been on a cruise where a large enough group booked together so that they were allowed to bring there own DJ! MSC. Great latin music, My wife and I followed him wherever he was playing onboard.

been sending my cv to all the cruiselines..but till now no reply..so i guess im stuck with the age limit..lol

i worked on cruise ships for 4 years i never herd of an age limit i worked with people who were 50.... i will tell you it may take 6 months to here back they get 100 apps per day.

Iam also a Dj on Cruise Ships when you need some Information we can stay in touch.
kind regards.

Since this thread go revived whats the pay like on these cruise ships? Can you still pay your mortgage and car note or is it more for DJs who dont have many bills just curious?

The Pay is differently from 2000-5000 Euro with or without TAX you have to arrange it by yourself. ;)

is that a month or for the entire tour?

like 2700 for carnival thats per month

thanks.

so maybe its only applied to this hiring partners here in asia..:)

Hi guys...does anyone have links to cruise jobs...currently looking for a job on one...will be grateful for any help

Traveling DJs

You're welcome

any link to a website for applications would be welcome

I'm on the Queen Mary 2 so great for around the world cruises.

Worked for Cunard on and off for 5 years now. We was in the news today for rescuing a sailboat in distress while crossing to Canada.

www.allcruisejobs.com are one of the best as they cover all the main brands.

P&O Australia are always looking for them. My flatmate used to DJ for them.

I'm actually going on a P&O ship tomorrow for 5 days, will inevitably end up chatting to the onboard DJ and seeing what he thinks of it.

P&O Australia? Which one? many of my friends are on there as ends staff.

My old flatmate is a cruise director there and the other one is another friend!

Will be on the 'pacific eden' - just a 5 day run for a festival in Tasmania.

Ahhh.

Pacific explorer and Pacific dawn they are on.

Enjoy!

Of course id anyone wanted to work on a ship...

Just get on the NCL Epic for www.holyship.com

Watch the official recap videos at the link and party in Nassau!

Of course if anyone wanted to work on a ship...

Just get on the NCL Epic for www.holyship.com

Watch the official recap videos at the link and party in Nassau!

Thanks, I'm just tagging along with family- I'm not much of a fan of cruises if I'm honest.

The Holy Ship cruises do look crazy, would be fun to check out.

Turns out I'm actually on the Pacific Dawn- who do you know on that ship?

Willie Lee is the entertainment director. He's a bald guy from the UK.

I lived with him for 5 years and have known him since 1999.

He's a good guy.

Would you suggest doing it if you're a part time dj and you want to make some $ on the side?

I'm asking because my regular job is working at a hospital as a radiation therapist.

Is it possible to do this part time as a way to get a little bit of $ on the side? I'm asking because my regular job is working at a hospital.

If you do it then it's usually for a four to six month stint.

I'm currently on leave add I work for Carnival Corp and will return early March in Sydney (Aus).