TRIP REPORT – NORWEGIAN JADE. MEET THE CREW.

​It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Eril and Courtney, whom I met on the Norwegian Jade in February. 
 
This is the first in a series of blog posts about what it’s like to work in a theatre and in other venues on the Jade; what the work schedule is like, what the life style is like, what positions there are, women in the industry, the differences and similarities of working in a theatre on land and at sea, and advice to those who are interested in working in a theatre on a cruise ship.
 
In this first post we’ll explore what experience you need to work in a theatre on a cruise ship. Let’s meet Eril and Courtney…

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​Eril, from the Philippines, is the Show and Experience Manager.  Coutney, from Jamestown, NY, is the Theatrical Operations Manager.
 
Eril has been with Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2006, and Courtney, just in her twenties, has already been working for NCL for two and a half years.
 
I often have people ask me what experience do they need to have in order to get a job in theatres on cruise ships, and there’s no one set answer.  Eril and Courtney each came to their management positions – actually considered Officers on board a ship – from two very different pathways.
 
Eril’s first intertest in tech was when he was in high school in the Phillipines.  He and his cousins built a small sound system, and rented it out to earn some money.  Courtney also started in school, but in performance.  She started performing in elementary school, and was also in dance.  She did theatre – performance - all through high school.
 
FUN FACT:  Courtney grew up in the same town that Lucille Ball grew up in!  As a child she was in a dance and theatre program called the Junior Guilders at the Lucille Ball Little Theatre in Jamestown, NY.  There she learned about performance and the discipline that theatre requires, which inspired her to become more involved with her high school productions.  
 
After high school Eril started working in a recording studio, which is where he got his in-the-field education in sound production. He started out in the days of 24 tracks and open reels. At the studio a sound agent took him under his wing and taught Eril about sound recording. He was a fast learner, and it came to the point where the sound agent asked Eril why he kept looking to him for answers, because he already had the knowledge!  Eril had diverse training, and gained expertise in movie scoring, jingles for commercials, and night club production.
 
Courtney’s post-secondary education was at the State University of New York at Fredonia, near Buffalo, which has a highly regarded theatre program.  It was there that she took an elective Stage Management course.  Her high school was small, so they didn’t have much in the way of tech, so it wasn’t until then that she realized that stage management could be a career in and of itself. In addition, she was also majoring in business management, which she attributes to her capabilities in people management needed for her job on board ship.  She was then asked to be an ASM for an opera, and was hooked.
 
Around the time that Eril had finished his work and training at the sound studio, the work started to dry up as technology came into homes and businesses in the form of personal computers, and people were starting to do their own work. But by that time, Eril had enough expertise that he was hired as a sound editor at a hotel (still in the Philippines at this time).  He worked there for six years.
 
Courtney also had enough experience towards the end of her education, and before even graduating, was already doing jobs through USITT. After college she had the fortunate opportunity to do a summer PA internship at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in California.
 
And now, enter stage right, Norwegian Cruise Lines.
 
It was while he was working at the hotel that someone mentioned to Eril, why don’t you go work on a cruise ship.  Not really knowing anything about it, Eril decided to apply to NCL. Likewise Courtney, who had been looking for jobs during her senior year decided to send her resume to NCL, also going in blind with little information about what it was like.
 
A few weeks after Eril send in his application, he was interviewed by a technical manager, and was offered a position. Courtney received an email from NCL during her senior year, was asked to interview, and got the position several months later.
 
And they’ve both been with NCL ever since, albeit for different periods of time, and decades apart.  Eril’s first ship, which is no longer in the fleet, was the Norwegian Dream.  He’s been on several different ships since then – always with Norwegian – typically moving ships after one contract depending on the needs of the company, but this is his second contract on the Norwegian Jade.  (More on contract lengths and work schedules in a later post – be sure to check back!)
 
Courtney started her first contract as a stage manager on the Norwegian Getaway. She was running all of the smaller venues on the Getaway.  She was then moved to the Bliss where she was promoted to Theatrical Operations Manager.  She then went to the Gem and the Jewel, and is now on her first contract on the Jade.  Ironically, the Bliss is where I interviewed Joie, the ship’s Production Manager, and Abby, the Production Stage Manager – you can check out those posts at https://www.cruisetechies.com/cruisetechies-blog/category/norwegian-bliss  (hint:  start reading from the bottom, the first post is there, which sets the scene…).
 
So, as you can see, if you have a certain level of tech theatre experience – in the real world, or right out of school– you too could get hired by a cruise line!  Of course, you have to have some background in tech theatre, as both Eril and Courtney did, but if you have a decent amount of experience and are competent you too may be a good candidate for a job in theatres and/or venues on cruise ships!
 
Please check back.  In upcoming posts we’ll hear from Eril and Courtney about work schedules, lifestyle, positions, women in the industry, differences and similarities of working in a theatre on land and at sea, and learn what advice they have for those of you who are interested in working in a theatre on a cruise ship!
 
If you are curious about jobs in theatres on cruise ships, check out the Starboard Spotlight monthly newsletter, and visit the Blog archives. 
 
If you are serious about working on a cruise ship, consider at DISCOVERY CRUISE, where you too can have the chance to visit a ship’s theatres and venues in person, and learn about the lifestyle and career choice of a ship’s theatre technician!
 
Please Like and Comment – I’d love to hear about your experiences too!