In college, I kept denying that I should be in show business. My major was undeclared. I'm a very practical person with a strong business sense, and I felt a theatre major would be too frivolous. However, once I began performing as the lead in musicals, I chose theatre as a major and minored in a combination of disciplines; consumer psychology, marketing, advertising and graphic design. I wanted to know how to promote myself.
I graduated with a theatre major and marketing/promotions minor from the University of Wisconsin, and was fortunate to have Wile Denson as my college advisor. I wasn't sure where to go from college. Wile said, "Why don't you get on a cruise ship?" With my promotions and advertising experience, I prepared a promotional package with a ten minute audio tape. This demonstration tape showcased my singing accompanied by a pianist I sent my promotion to all the cruise lines.
Carnival Cruise Lines hired me with my "Sinatra" singing act. My first contract was for a month as a ship board "in-one" entertainer. There are two types of shipboard entertainers; the headliner or "in-one" act is an entertainer with a self-contained act; their own show. You could be a comedian, juggler etc. The production entertainer will be a dancer or production singer in an existing show. These are the two slots for shipboard entertainers. Many people come aboard as a production entertainer.
I learned to customize my performance for Carnival's audience; the "baby boomers" just were not digging the Sinatra. I expanded my act to include humor and singing and began to get standing ovations. Carnival's audiences may be as large as 1,200 people - ifs the ideal "television audience" - you perform for every income level, age range, families, seniors, people from Idaho, people from New York City.
A cruise ship is a great place to build your own act Aim for a self-contained show; a strong performance with your own arrangements. Create a beginning, middle and end, complete with humor, music and songs. I developed my own arrangements so that I could rehearse once with a band and go right on stage to do a half or one hour show.
I've chosen Orlando as my base of operations and one venture I'm involved with is Michael Andrew Orchestras. The orchestra caters to the corporate convention market with sophisticated entertainment; big band, swing, jazz, and humor. We've built up a good following, and perform in several configurations with a six or ten - piece band or a twenty-piece orchestra appropriate for Walt Disney World and other tourist venues.
"As my business became established, I contacted Carnival and promoted myself as a fly-in entertainer. I enjoy my relationship with Carnival. The cruise line flies me to whatever port the ship is in; I perform the next night and fly back to my business from the next port."
Always "pushing the envelope," Michael continues to work with Carnival family ships (Holland America, Windstar, Carnival and Sea bourn Cruise Line) He recently wrote the script and lyrics; composed and arranged musical scores; produced and starred in the popular musical Mickey Swinger head and the Earth girls, which played to SRO audiences in Orlando. Mike is currently performing with his Retro-Swing Band at Disney World's leader," says Mike. "He told me to write him when I was twenty years old." Six years later, in his sophomore year of college, Mike wrote the dive master and asked him for a job. He landed his first cruise line job as a Zodiac driver aboard the Lindblad Explorer.
In his senior year of college, a month before graduation, Mike was promoted to a dive master position in Indonesia. Mike has done a lot of traveling with Society Expeditions. He has driven Zodiacs in Norway and explored the Amazon, Antarctica, the South Pacific and South America. At age twenty-seven, Mike had visited over one hundred and twenty-five countries.
(Stories on Dennis, Sabina and Mike provided by Eric Elvejord, Manager, Public Relations, Wind-star Cruises)
FOOD SERVICE/RESTAURANT & BAR
Restaurant and bar staff originates primarily from Africa, Asia/Pacific, Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Europe, Central and South America. Positions mirror those that you would find in a fine, expensive restaurant or resort. Master Chefs, sous chefs, maître d' and other leadership positions are held by people with extensive experience, training and knowledge. Cruise lines prefer substantial restaurant experience, hospitality and/or food and beverage training and skill. As with all shipboard positions, there is a hierarchy of experience and skill.
Food and beverage/Dining staff positions include (but are not limited to): food and beverage director, chef, sous chef, cook, food prep staff, maître d', dining room captain, bar and wine steward/bartender, head server, server, assistant server, busboy, dishwasher. Food and beverage/provisioning management positions are hired directly by cruise line personnel department/shipboard operations manager. See International Directory of Concessionaires-Food & Beverage.
MICHEL ROUX, MASTER CHEF, CULINARY CONSULTANT, AUTHOR
Master Chef, Michel Roux began his career at age 14, as an apprentice to M. Loyal of Paris. He later became head chef to society hostess Mme. Cecile de Rothschild. In 1967 Michel opened the Waterside Inn in the English village of Bray and starred with his brother Albert in a BBC TV series. Roux has guided British Airways' Concorde and First Class food service for 13 years. His eight year collaboration with Celebrity Cruises continues to bring the line superlative ratings for its cuisine and special food services. (1994 Best Culinary Recipes International Cruise Ship Recipe competition, Five-stars, Fielding's Cruises, Five-stars, Berlitz)
SEVERINO SURACE, FOOD AND BEVERAGE DIRECTOR
After completing his education as an accountant in Genoa, Italy, Severino went to sea as a Junior Provision Master. 28 years later, he directs food and beverage operations with Princess Cruises. His responsibilities include supervising and training hundreds of crew members and upholding U.S. Health service standards. The Chef and Maître D' report to Severino and together they coordinate the activities of the galley and dining room staff. When he's not traveling the world; Severino lives in Calabria, Italy with his wife and two beautiful daughters.
All in a day's work: Dining Logistics
Cruise lines pride themselves on memorable dining experiences - made possible in part by careful selection of dining partners. Dining staff consider passenger's choices of first or second seating, smoking/non-smoking; traveling companions' family, friends, children; age, language, number in party. This complicated seating procedure serves 1,000 to 3500 passengers per week!
