TRIP REPORT – NORWEGIAN STAR. PART 2

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​Last month you read all about Josiah’s impression of his Discovery Cruise that he took in December. 

Now read what Josiah found out about Ed
who lives, and works as a theatre technician,
on the Norwegian Star.

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Photo courtesy of Josiah.

What is Ed's position?
He is responsible for the all tech on the ship.
 
How long has he been working on shipboard theatres?
He's been working on cruises for 30 years.
 
How long is his contract, and how long has he been on the ship this time?
His contract is 6-8 months.
 
What sorts of venues does the NCL Star have on board and which ones does Ed work in?
One main theater, the Bliss lounge that has a smaller thrust stage, and the Atrium performance area that mainly for musicians. Ed oversees all of them.
 
What are his usual work hours?
They work a maximum of 10 hours per day. They also don't work while at port.
 (Lyz's note:  By maritime law, cruise ship employees may work no longer than 14 hours a day, and most do (on port days and sea days)! Theatre technicians tend to have shorter work days.)

What does he do in his time off? Does he get to go on shore?
He said you can, but he he doesn't anymore since he's been doing it for so long.
 
What benefits or 'perks' do ships' theatre technicians get?
There's a crew only bar for all crew on the ship. Entertainment staff get port days off and don't (usually) work more than 10 hours.
 
What advice did Ed give you about working on a cruise ship?
He said it's a lot of work and super fast paced and he misses his family a lot, but it's worth it if you can commit to it.
 
Based on your Discovery Cruise experience, do you think you'd be interested in working on cruise ships?
I think I would like to work on a cruise ship for about 2-3 years. It seems like it would be a lot of fun, you get to travel and it seems like a great work environment. But, I'm quite the social person with my friends and family, so I would eventually want to work closer to home. But, overall I think it's a great way to gain experience. There's no better way to learn on your feet than to be at sea miles away from the nearest supply store.
 

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 like Josiah did, where you will get a 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!