I Don’t Want This to Happen to You…

It’s been a few years since I worked cruise ships myself, but I’m still deeply connected with the industry and with many of the performers who work in it. So while I may not be out there doing ships every month anymore, I still have a couple of fingers on the pulse of what’s happening, where things are going, what’s working, and sometimes, what isn’t.

Recently, a performer I know — and to be clear, someone who has never trained with me — went out on a couple of different cruise lines and did some shows. At first, they were getting weeks. Then the work started to taper off. Eventually, the performer began emailing their agent asking why there wasn’t more work coming in. When those emails weren’t answered promptly, the performer sent a follow-up suggesting that if the agent wasn’t going to get them work, they might have to look elsewhere for representation.

This was the agent’s response. I’ve anonymized it, but otherwise, this is the actual email. I haven’t changed it.

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Hi [Performer],

Thank you for your email, and for your patience while we worked through this on our end. You are right that the follow up on your show review took far longer than it should have after our exchange in July, and I am sorry for that.

In your email you mentioned that if this was no longer the right fit, you would take it as notice to look elsewhere. With that in mind I sat down with the team and looked closely at where things stand across your various relationships.

[Cruise Line A]'s booking team has cooled on bringing you back for new dates, and the feedback we have received from [Cruise Line B] has not been where it needs to be. We are glad to see that [Cruise Line C] have offered you a date at the end of this year and [Cruise Line D] in early 2027. Beyond that we do not see where we would be able to assist you with new opportunities and keep representing you the way you deserve.

Based on that review, I think the right path is for you to look for representation elsewhere going forward.

Please note this is not a reflection of your talent or the work you have put into your shows. I have always promised my acts proper fiduciary advice, and with that in mind, I feel you would be better served with another agent who might open doors we were not able to.

The team will continue to support you through the remaining two dates with [Cruise Line C] and [Cruise Line D], and as of today you are free to explore other opportunities for future bookings.

Wishing you all the best.

[Agent]

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There is a lot to unpack in that email, but the part I really want you to pay attention to is this: the problem wasn’t getting the first job. The problem was what happened after the first job.

The cruise industry is essentially the new Las Vegas for variety performers. You don’t just waltz in there. You don’t land there by accident and suddenly have a career. There are thousands of performers who would love to work in that environment, and the people doing the hiring have a lot of choices.

If you want to work that market consistently, you need to build yourself and your act specifically for it. That can take years. You need to be good enough that when you finally get your opportunity, you don’t just get through the week — you make the people who hired you want to bring you back.

And this is the part that I really want you to understand: sometimes getting your foot in the door too early can do more damage than waiting.

If you aren’t ready and you get on a ship anyway, you’ve now introduced yourself to an industry that may remember you for the wrong reasons. You may have been one year, or two years, away from having the kind of act that could have turned that first booking into years of work. Instead, you got there early, and now the people who saw you have already made their decision.

I don’t say that to discourage you from pursuing the cruise industry. Quite the opposite. I want you to pursue it when you’re ready.

But this is real business. You’re not going to get out on ships and lock in regular contracts for years to come simply because you got lucky enough to get your first booking. You have to be really freaking good. There’s no getting around that.

And that’s actually something I can help you with.

My goal isn’t to help you get a gig before you’re ready. My goal is to help you become the kind of performer who is ready when the right opportunity comes along. And if you show me your act and I don’t think you’re there yet, I’m going to tell you.

I’d much rather tell you to spend another year developing your act than watch you get your shot too early and lose the opportunity to build the career you actually wanted. Join my Patreon today, for just $5 a month you'll receive emails like this at least once per week, as well as unlocking over 300 other postings featuring content for the serious art'trepreneur. Click here to check it out: