Let’s Take a Peek into a Day in the Life of a Cruise Ship Stage Manager
Ever wondered how it’s like working on a cruise ship? Today, I’ve got something special for you – a whole day in the life of a cruise ship stage manager. Buckle up, because this 24-hour ride has its highs and lows!
Let’s start with a typical day at a port:
By 8:00 AM, I’d be either snoozing or wandering around the port. I check my emails before noon. At 3:00 PM, there’s a rehearsal with the cast or a guest star. At 5:00 PM, it’s email check again, some paperwork here and there, plus I create the schedule for the following day. At 6:45 PM, I ensure everything’s ready before we open the auditorium doors. Shows start at 8:00 PM, and another one at 10:00 PM after which we dismantle the current show setup and prepare for the next one. I usually wind up in the bar around 1:00 AM. Yes, exploring a port can be rough!
On a typical day at sea, it works a bit differently:
My morning starts with a Travel Guide Talk at 9:00 AM, followed by a Port Shopping Talk an hour later. At 11:00 AM, it’s game time, or more precisely – BINGO time! Midday, we’ve got a rehearsal planned for the evening show. Yes, cruisers do love their BINGO, so we have another round at 4:00 PM. Rest of the day follows the same timeline as the port day with shows, setup changes and ending up at the bar around 1:00 AM.
However, life at sea is not always an easy cruise. There are bad and ugly days too:
Imagine this – it’s 5:30 AM, and the phone rings. The Chief Housekeeper informs that the house lights in the main lounge are out. If I can’t fix it in 15 minutes, they won’t clean our lounge. And of course, this starts a chain of Murphy’s Law – everything that can go wrong, does! The panic-laden calls, sudden brownouts, the nagging question of why all guest lecturers seem to have the type of laptop you’re least familiar with. The show must go on, after all, and it does, thanks to a team that’s always on its toes!
So, there you have it! A day in the life of a Cruise Ship Stage Manager. It’s rewarding, challenging, frustrating at times, but never boring. The best part? Every 24 hours bring new experiences. It’s not just a job; it’s an adventure on the high seas!