Shiplife - Life of a Carnival Crewmember

[DJ Eddy]

Eddy, a generic security question for you. As a retired police officer, I am always drawn to the type of security officers on board ship. My take is that the typical security officer is Filippino and really has little or no practical law enforcement experience. True? Why doesn't the cruise line hire former police officers, retired officers, military veterans, etc. to provide security? In all honesty, the security officers I've seen in my 17 years of cruising usually couldn't whip their way out of a wet paper bag, much less provide adequate security.

 

Hmmm I don't do anything about what training or qualifications security on the ship go through but I will say that I have witnessed some trouble on ships (very very rare) and the security guards can handle themselves.

[DJ Eddy]

What, if anything, would you change about life on the ship?

Hmmmm what would I change..? Manners of some guests could be improved but this isn't really a shiplife thing, I would have thought that these people are just as rude back home than they are on the ship.

Another thing is good backup by carnival. If a guest goes to the pursers desk to complian and you're name gets mentioned then you can get an automatic visit to the staff captain and a warning. This I think is wrong, everybody has a right to tell their version of the story. This especially happens with crew, they get treated worse than staff or officers... sometimes like they aren't allowed to have opinions. That is 1 thing carnival needs to look at in its disciplinary procedures.

[billsrobb]

Why do say that slow songs will kill a floor. I suppose that you could be right but I personally like slow songs and I can't be the only person who does.

Robb

[DJ Eddy]

As a fellow DJ just like Eddy, one key component to any DJ regardless of how well they mix, is reading the crowd. If the crowd is dancing mainly to a certain type of music you keep it going for longer, if they are not taking to it, then you have to switch it up immediately.

 

BUT, and big BUT, you have to make the bar/club happy too. Sometimes you have to play a song that gets people off the floor and to the bar to spend some money. But this is usually a 2 or 3 minute snippett of a bad song to get people off the floor, and the very next song you play has to be something that will get everyone back on the floor.

 

Example of songs that get people dancing:

 

Electric Slide

YMCA

Conga

A lot of disco songs

and in Miami, a lot of salsa and merengue.

OR just any type of song the crowd is reacting to.

 

It can't be a slow song, you will really kill the crowd, but crowd reading is a big part of a DJ's skill set.

 

Yes, the above is true... especially on a cruiseship. Yes we do have a responsibility to clear the dancefloor at certain points so people buy drinks at the bar, afterall you cannot drink or smoke on the dancefloor.

 

To MistyRo76 & Scotto97

Yes I can see what you are saying and it depends what you mean when you say "a good DJ". Everybody has different perceptions of what a good DJ should be or should play. For me, nowadays a "DJ" exists in so many different guises...

 

1. A "radio DJ", the original form of DJing, now tends to be called a radio presenter more than a DJ. His/her job is to play records and talk in between. They have a responsibility to play tracks that are requested by listeners as well as brake new records given by records companies & executives and these new tracks will then be on the radio station's playlist.

 

2. A "club DJ", the now more modern from of DJing. A good club DJ should be playing a certain style of music and should have a certain style of blending tracks together, whether it be mixing (beat mixing), scratching, sampling or whatever. A club DJ should not necessarily take requests (good luck if you can get to a club DJ to request anything) but should be aware of what the crowd is wanting to hear and play that style. He/she should play popular tracks, some older tracks that people know aswell as breaking new records. Most people in the club will have paid an entrance fee and will have gone to the club to specifically hear a specific DJ or specific style of music played in that club.

 

3. A "cruiseship DJ", this is very similar to DJing at a wedding. Part of the job is to take requests but to fit them in where appropriate. Yes a DJ may seem to be playing "what they want" and not playing your request next. Does that make him/her a bad DJ..? To some people yes, to other no. If the DJ is playing something and as DJVyrus69 mentioned you need to see how the crowd is reacting to you and the music you are playing.

 

When I DJ I plan a set (in my head), if I am playing for example R Kelly Step In The Name Of Love, then I know that song is 95bpm (bpm = beats per minute) so I would then mix in a song around the 95bpm mark... I would have a mini-set (in my head) of about 3 or 4 songs to follow the R Kelly song. If the dancefloor is packed (as it usually is to R Kelly) then the crowd will go with what i'm playing. I will not then stop the R Kelly track and go into some Bon Jovi because someone asked for it to be played next. Why you may ask... because it won't blend well at all and it would kill my dancefloor... and who gets the blame & gets booed for this? Not the person who asked for Bon Jovi but me, the DJ... it's all my fault.

DJing in the disco on a ship is a very difficult job. It's a bit of a mixture of both the radio & club DJ. Yes you're there to take requests, play what people want to hear and make announcements etc on the microphone. I think it's important to do it in you're own style. If you play request after request after request (I know i've done it before on a ship) then 10 people may dance to 1 song, a different 10 to the next and so on but there is no real vibe or feel to the music, people are left wondering what is gonna be played next and you're dancefloor is empty. If this is what you like to hear, a DJ "mixing it up" then that's your preference, each to their own. I tend to find what works well if you play a mini-set of different styles of music. Maybe 30 mins of hip hop followed by an hour of 70's/80's music, then some latin etc. I'm still circulating the music but there is more feel & vibe to it and it keeps the dancefloor busier. Soem people expect to go into the disco, request a song and hear within the next 5 minutes, some even complain to me when they don't. I'm sorry but if you come into my disco and think that then you're mistaken. Once I am playing peak-time music and have a packed dancefloor, whether its hip hop, house, 70's, 80's, latin, country or whatever i'm sticking with that genre for a while. I will play you're request if I feel it will work and when I can fit it in... sorry folks but that's how I work and for 2 and a half years it works

[DJ Eddy]

Why do say that slow songs will kill a floor. I suppose that you could be right but I personally like slow songs and I can't be the only person who does.

 

Robb

 

I find a slow song doesn't always clear the floor but I always announce that a slow song will be played, if it is a popular slow song, a classic like Al Green or Let's Get It On then as long as it is played at the right time then it will work. I also announce it so that everyone knows that someone requested it and it aint my fault.

[jetskier]

it means you're a carnival crewmember

 

next question

 

To clarify for the OP, when a crewmember is amongst the guest, they have to have their nametag on.

Dave

[DJ Eddy]

To clarify for the OP, when a crewmember is amongst the guest, they have to have their nametag on.

Dave

We have to wear our nametags at all times in guest areas, whether on or off duty.

In crew areas if not wearing a name tag we have to wear our cruiseship ID & carnival lanyard

[scopewest]

Hmmmm what would I change..? Manners of some guests could be improved but this isn't really a shiplife thing, I would have thought that these people are just as rude back home than they are on the ship.

 

Wow, the crew notices this! :rolleyes:

 

Do the crew have their own complaint area onboard where they talk about the bad passengers on the last cruise? ;)

[DJ Eddy]

Hmmmm what would I change..? Manners of some guests could be improved but this isn't really a shiplife thing, I would have thought that these people are just as rude back home than they are on the ship.

 

Wow, the crew notices this! :rolleyes:

 

Do the crew have their own complaint area onboard where they talk about the bad passengers on the last cruise? ;)

 

Yep, in the crewbar at the end of our shift, drinking all those cheap drinks and laughing at some of the silly questions we get asked ;)

[Scotto97]

Yes, the above is true... especially on a cruiseship. Yes we do have a responsibility to clear the dancefloor at certain points so people buy drinks at the bar, afterall you cannot drink or smoke on the dancefloor.

 

To MistyRo76 & Scotto97

Yes I can see what you are saying and it depends what you mean when you say "a good DJ". Everybody has different perceptions of what a good DJ should be or should play. For me, nowadays a "DJ" exists in so many different guises...

 

1. A "radio DJ", the original form of DJing, now tends to be called a radio presenter more than a DJ. His/her job is to play records and talk in between. They have a responsibility to play tracks that are requested by listeners as well as brake new records given by records companies & executives and these new tracks will then be on the radio station's playlist.

 

2. A "club DJ", the now more modern from of DJing. A good club DJ should be playing a certain style of music and should have a certain style of blending tracks together, whether it be mixing (beat mixing), scratching, sampling or whatever. A club DJ should not necessarily take requests (good luck if you can get to a club DJ to request anything) but should be aware of what the crowd is wanting to hear and play that style. He/she should play popular tracks, some older tracks that people know aswell as breaking new records. Most people in the club will have paid an entrance fee and will have gone to the club to specifically hear a specific DJ or specific style of music played in that club.

 

3. A "cruiseship DJ", this is very similar to DJing at a wedding. Part of the job is to take requests but to fit them in where appropriate. Yes a DJ may seem to be playing "what they want" and not playing your request next. Does that make him/her a bad DJ..? To some people yes, to other no. If the DJ is playing something and as DJVyrus69 mentioned you need to see how the crowd is reacting to you and the music you are playing.

 

When I DJ I plan a set (in my head), if I am playing for example R Kelly Step In The Name Of Love, then I know that song is 95bpm (bpm = beats per minute) so I would then mix in a song around the 95bpm mark... I would have a mini-set (in my head) of about 3 or 4 songs to follow the R Kelly song. If the dancefloor is packed (as it usually is to R Kelly) then the crowd will go with what i'm playing. I will not then stop the R Kelly track and go into some Bon Jovi because someone asked for it to be played next. Why you may ask... because it won't blend well at all and it would kill my dancefloor... and who gets the blame & gets booed for this? Not the person who asked for Bon Jovi but me, the DJ... it's all my fault.

DJing in the disco on a ship is a very difficult job. It's a bit of a mixture of both the radio & club DJ. Yes you're there to take requests, play what people want to hear and make announcements etc on the microphone. I think it's important to do it in you're own style. If you play request after request after request (I know i've done it before on a ship) then 10 people may dance to 1 song, a different 10 to the next and so on but there is no real vibe or feel to the music, people are left wondering what is gonna be played next and you're dancefloor is empty. If this is what you like to hear, a DJ "mixing it up" then that's your preference, each to their own. I tend to find what works well if you play a mini-set of different styles of music. Maybe 30 mins of hip hop followed by an hour of 70's/80's music, then some latin etc. I'm still circulating the music but there is more feel & vibe to it and it keeps the dancefloor busier. Soem people expect to go into the disco, request a song and hear within the next 5 minutes, some even complain to me when they don't. I'm sorry but if you come into my disco and think that then you're mistaken. Once I am playing peak-time music and have a packed dancefloor, whether its hip hop, house, 70's, 80's, latin, country or whatever i'm sticking with that genre for a while. I will play you're request if I feel it will work and when I can fit it in... sorry folks but that's how I work and for 2 and a half years it works

 

Fantastic response !! Thanks for the great info

 

I myself was a DJ in high school (83 - 84) and back then DJs were mostly of the "radio" style even in clubs. I agree a mix between the modern "club DJ" and radio DJ is the best style for a cruise ship due in part to the wider demograph. I hope the DJ on the Spirit next week will keep this in mind and doesn't just spin all night to the 18 year olds.

[rob6465]

Eddy,

As a former NY Club DJ in the 80's and early 90's and a member of IDRC record pool you bring back so many good memories on your last answer on reacting to the crowd. I remember presenting new records that I had received from my record pool and seeing the crowd disappear and telling my record pool president.." That peech boys single will not work" and finding out later it was a hit. I would spend my time learning from the legend Larry Levan on the art of mixing a sylvester song.....Ahhhh that house music.

[DjVyrus69]

I find a slow song doesn't always clear the floor but I always announce that a slow song will be played, if it is a popular slow song, a classic like Al Green or Let's Get It On then as long as it is played at the right time then it will work. I also announce it so that everyone knows that someone requested it and it aint my fault.

 

 

LOL I used to do that a lot at private parties. I would usually get on the mic and say, "Don't be mad at me, the person paying me asked for this song."

[JennyJenn]

Great information! Thank you for your generosity in answering everyone's questions. I will be sailing my first Carnival cruise on a girls weekend on Sensation in November.

 

One think I love about cruising is meeting the staff and crew from all over the world. It seems that the cruise industry is one of few with a truly global force. I find very little US citizens working on a cruise ship---I've always wondered why that was. Any thoughts?

 

Also--do you see yourself working in the industry for long? I imagine it's difficult to build long term romantic relationships with the contract lenghts and long periods of time away from home base. Do many have families?

[yst347]

I find very little US citizens working on a cruise ship---I've always wondered why that was. Any thoughts?

 

In a word...taxes.

[RAVI360]

...

 

3. A "cruiseship DJ", this is very similar to DJing at a wedding. Part of the job is to take requests but to fit them in where appropriate. Yes a DJ may seem to be playing "what they want" and not playing your request next. Does that make him/her a bad DJ..? To some people yes, to other no. If the DJ is playing something and as DJVyrus69 mentioned you need to see how the crowd is reacting to you and the music you are playing.

 

When I DJ I plan a set (in my head), if I am playing for example R Kelly Step In The Name Of Love, then I know that song is 95bpm (bpm = beats per minute) so I would then mix in a song around the 95bpm mark... I would have a mini-set (in my head) of about 3 or 4 songs to follow the R Kelly song. If the dancefloor is packed (as it usually is to R Kelly) then the crowd will go with what i'm playing. I will not then stop the R Kelly track and go into some Bon Jovi because someone asked for it to be played next. Why you may ask... because it won't blend well at all and it would kill my dancefloor... and who gets the blame & gets booed for this? Not the person who asked for Bon Jovi but me, the DJ... it's all my fault.

DJing in the disco on a ship is a very difficult job. It's a bit of a mixture of both the radio & club DJ. Yes you're there to take requests, play what people want to hear and make announcements etc on the microphone. I think it's important to do it in you're own style. If you play request after request after request (I know i've done it before on a ship) then 10 people may dance to 1 song, a different 10 to the next and so on but there is no real vibe or feel to the music, people are left wondering what is gonna be played next and you're dancefloor is empty. If this is what you like to hear, a DJ "mixing it up" then that's your preference, each to their own. I tend to find what works well if you play a mini-set of different styles of music. Maybe 30 mins of hip hop followed by an hour of 70's/80's music, then some latin etc. I'm still circulating the music but there is more feel & vibe to it and it keeps the dancefloor busier. Soem people expect to go into the disco, request a song and hear within the next 5 minutes, some even complain to me when they don't. I'm sorry but if you come into my disco and think that then you're mistaken. Once I am playing peak-time music and have a packed dancefloor, whether its hip hop, house, 70's, 80's, latin, country or whatever i'm sticking with that genre for a while. I will play you're request if I feel it will work and when I can fit it in... sorry folks but that's how I work and for 2 and a half years it works

 

i often wondered if there was a method for DJ ing in the clubs on the ships because i have been on 6 cruises so far and out of the 6 the only club that stay crowded all 7 nights was the club on the triumph....Eddy

do you know if the DJ on the Valor (packs them in )...happy belated

[bychance]

In a word...taxes.

 

I was told by a crew member that it was because Americans were rude and intolerant with little patience. He said this in a polite way not to offend us. I have to agree. Because if I were treated as some of crew were on our last cruise. I would be fired in a minute. I would not be able to just stand there and take it!

[RAVI360]

...

 

3. A "cruiseship DJ", this is very similar to DJing at a wedding. Part of the job is to take requests but to fit them in where appropriate. Yes a DJ may seem to be playing "what they want" and not playing your request next. Does that make him/her a bad DJ..? To some people yes, to other no. If the DJ is playing something and as DJVyrus69 mentioned you need to see how the crowd is reacting to you and the music you are playing.

 

When I DJ I plan a set (in my head), if I am playing for example R Kelly Step In The Name Of Love, then I know that song is 95bpm (bpm = beats per minute) so I would then mix in a song around the 95bpm mark... I would have a mini-set (in my head) of about 3 or 4 songs to follow the R Kelly song. If the dancefloor is packed (as it usually is to R Kelly) then the crowd will go with what i'm playing. I will not then stop the R Kelly track and go into some Bon Jovi because someone asked for it to be played next. Why you may ask... because it won't blend well at all and it would kill my dancefloor... and who gets the blame & gets booed for this? Not the person who asked for Bon Jovi but me, the DJ... it's all my fault.

DJing in the disco on a ship is a very difficult job. It's a bit of a mixture of both the radio & club DJ. Yes you're there to take requests, play what people want to hear and make announcements etc on the microphone. I think it's important to do it in you're own style. If you play request after request after request (I know i've done it before on a ship) then 10 people may dance to 1 song, a different 10 to the next and so on but there is no real vibe or feel to the music, people are left wondering what is gonna be played next and you're dancefloor is empty. If this is what you like to hear, a DJ "mixing it up" then that's your preference, each to their own. I tend to find what works well if you play a mini-set of different styles of music. Maybe 30 mins of hip hop followed by an hour of 70's/80's music, then some latin etc. I'm still circulating the music but there is more feel & vibe to it and it keeps the dancefloor busier. Soem people expect to go into the disco, request a song and hear within the next 5 minutes, some even complain to me when they don't. I'm sorry but if you come into my disco and think that then you're mistaken. Once I am playing peak-time music and have a packed dancefloor, whether its hip hop, house, 70's, 80's, latin, country or whatever i'm sticking with that genre for a while. I will play you're request if I feel it will work and when I can fit it in... sorry folks but that's how I work and for 2 and a half years it works

 

i often wondered if there was a method for DJ ing in the clubs on the ships because i have been on 6 cruises so far and out of the 6 the only club that stay crowded all 7 nights was the club on the triumph....Eddy

do you know if the DJ on the Valor (packs them in )...happy belated

[yst347]

I was told by a crew member that it was because Americans were rude and intolerant with little patience. He said this in a polite way not to offend us. I have to agree. Because if I were treated as some of crew were on our last cruise. I would be fired in a minute. I would not be able to just stand there and take it!

 

The United States is a nation of 300 million people. While we have many rude, intolerant people with little patience, we have millions of citizens who are neither. On a cruise you will see zero Americans save a CD or someone else in management. While the crew member you spoke with may have believed what he was saying, I do not think it is a stretch to say his impressions of Americans are formed more by dealing with passengers sadly than by actually working with them. The reason Americans do not work on these ships is economic, not cultural.

[Glama]

Wow, what a cool post! I'll bet you have no idea how many questions you're going to get!

 

I've always been interested in crew life. Do you get to choose your cabinmate or are they assigned to you? What if you don't like them?

Do most crew love or hate their job??

[Drew B]

The reason Americans do not work on these ships is economic, not cultural.

 

 

I think it's both. You would be hard-pressed to find American workers who would work the hours that are required for the pay that they receive and do so with a smile upon their faces. The hours are way longer than Americans are used to, and the pay (at least based on the hours worked) is WAY, WAY, WAY lower than Americans are used to.

 

Many of the people from other countries who work aboard the ship, on the other hand, are able to suck up the long hours and hard work because the money is actually quite good compared to what they could make on average at home. It is for that reason (and not simply because Americans are rude, intolerant or impatient) that non-Americans make better cruise workers...

[DJ Eddy]

I think it's both. You would be hard-pressed to find American workers who would work the hours that are required for the pay that they receive and do so with a smile upon their faces. The hours are way longer than Americans are used to, and the pay (at least based on the hours worked) is WAY, WAY, WAY lower than Americans are used to.

 

Many of the people from other countries who work aboard the ship, on the other hand, are able to suck up the long hours and hard work because the money is actually quite good compared to what they could make on average at home. It is for that reason (and not simply because Americans are rude, intolerant or impatient) that non-Americans make better cruise workers...

Yes that is precisely it. there are USC's that work onboard. usually in the entertainment dept, a lot of the musicians in the showband and the entertainment technicans for the show are American... and they are always nice, polite people. I have come across guests who are rude but I also have a lot of friends who are American so in no way do I think all americans are dure, intolerant & impatient. It's not just in the US either, there are many people in the UK that are rude idiots... you find them in every country

[DJ Eddy]

Wow, what a cool post! I'll bet you have no idea how many questions you're going to get!

 

I've always been interested in crew life. Do you get to choose your cabinmate or are they assigned to you? What if you don't like them?

Do most crew love or hate their job??

I wish I could choose my roomate. You get a cabin key when you sign onto the ship. You will get a room wherever your department has an empty male bed.

The majority of crew enjoy their job, especially if it's not their first contract. If they hate it why come back and do another 6-9 months??

[bassclari]

Hi Eddy,

How was Becka doing on the Pride when you were onboard? She used to be the social host on the Holiday and is from Canada. You cant miss her as tall as she is.

 

Dave

 

 

There was a "Becka" from Canada, Social Host, on the Valor when we were on a few weeks ago. She was awesome! Really friendly, great sense of humour, and really nice to our kids. Her family is from the same area that we live in.

[Guest Mary49]

Hi DJ Eddy, I think you are very brave for starting this post; but a very interesting post it is! I noticed that you will be on the Freedom in August. Is this your first cruise over in Europe wow how exciting for you. Do you get time off to visit these countries? I hope so....

 

I would consider you part of the Entertainment Group along with the Piano Bar Entertainers and the Cover Bands. Do you guys from the Entertainment Group on the ship all hang out together on you off times or does everybody usually do there own thing? Thanks Mary49

[DJ Eddy]

Hi DJ Eddy, I think you are very brave for starting this post; but a very interesting post it is! I noticed that you will be on the Freedom in August. Is this your first cruise over in Europe wow how exciting for you. Do you get time off to visit these countries? I hope so....

 

I would consider you part of the Entertainment Group along with the Piano Bar Entertainers and the Cover Bands. Do you guys from the Entertainment Group on the ship all hang out together on you off times or does everybody usually do there own thing? Thanks Mary49

Yeah we hang out, or do our own thing... it depends really. On all the ships i've worked on it's always been a good team, never has to cause to complain about any of the ent staff... they're all top notch!