Rachelle Hampton

Exactly. So fair. Like, yeah, I've seen the Titanic, you know, and so has our girl Josie, who was also initially very skeptical of cruises, not just because of the Titanic, but because she's a hot young thing. She's not a retiree. Yes. And like most people in creative fields, at the beginning of her career, Josie had really big dreams. Aww.

Exactly. So fair. Like, yeah, I've seen the Titanic, you know, and so has our girl Josie, who was also initially very skeptical of cruises, not just because of the Titanic, but because she's a hot young thing. She's not a retiree. Yes. And like most people in creative fields, at the beginning of her career, Josie had really big dreams. Aww.

She went to Berkeley, the music school in Boston, not the one in California. She was going to be on Broadway. She was going to travel the world on the Lion King tour. But then she graduated and started working shows in Boston and realized that working your way up in the theater world is both hard and expensive. And she also kind of hates Boston. It's cold and snowy and full of racists.

She went to Berkeley, the music school in Boston, not the one in California. She was going to be on Broadway. She was going to travel the world on the Lion King tour. But then she graduated and started working shows in Boston and realized that working your way up in the theater world is both hard and expensive. And she also kind of hates Boston. It's cold and snowy and full of racists.

Yeah, yeah. And Josie, she had this feeling that if she really wanted to make it, she needed to move to New York. But she doesn't come from money. She has loans from Berkeley. And bartending while waiting for callbacks is barely covering her rent. Do you have any experience in a field like this? No.

Yeah, yeah. And Josie, she had this feeling that if she really wanted to make it, she needed to move to New York. But she doesn't come from money. She has loans from Berkeley. And bartending while waiting for callbacks is barely covering her rent. Do you have any experience in a field like this? No.

Exactly. Well, the thing is, one day a few years after graduating, Josie is bitching about her situation. Yeah. As one does. Of course. But that day was different because the person she was bitching to was a professor at Berkeley that she was still close to. And this professor let her in on a secret way of making money while still pursuing her musical dreams.

Exactly. Well, the thing is, one day a few years after graduating, Josie is bitching about her situation. Yeah. As one does. Of course. But that day was different because the person she was bitching to was a professor at Berkeley that she was still close to. And this professor let her in on a secret way of making money while still pursuing her musical dreams.

So I did some research about how much cruise performers make. And the starting rate is around $2,400 a month. Ooh. You're not paying any rent. Okay. You don't have any food costs because every meal is paid for. Uh-huh. You get free transportation to and from Port of Call. Okay. So all you have to do is get yourself to an airport. And your health insurance is free on board.

So I did some research about how much cruise performers make. And the starting rate is around $2,400 a month. Ooh. You're not paying any rent. Okay. You don't have any food costs because every meal is paid for. Uh-huh. You get free transportation to and from Port of Call. Okay. So all you have to do is get yourself to an airport. And your health insurance is free on board.

Exactly. You can just save money. And to a struggling recent college grad, it sounds like a pretty sweet life. Yeah. Right? Some might say a sweet life on debt. No, no. Get out. So you're Josie. Okay. You're 24. You're spending down your savings. You're second in line for an understudy role in a Boston production of Jesus Christ Superstar. And you kind of think Andrew Lloyd Webber is a hack. What?

Exactly. You can just save money. And to a struggling recent college grad, it sounds like a pretty sweet life. Yeah. Right? Some might say a sweet life on debt. No, no. Get out. So you're Josie. Okay. You're 24. You're spending down your savings. You're second in line for an understudy role in a Boston production of Jesus Christ Superstar. And you kind of think Andrew Lloyd Webber is a hack. What?

Your professor has already passed your resume along to a director of a cruise that's shipping out in a month. The first stop, it's in the Bahamas. Ooh! What do you do?

Your professor has already passed your resume along to a director of a cruise that's shipping out in a month. The first stop, it's in the Bahamas. Ooh! What do you do?

Unfortunately, our girl Josie is like, sign me the fuck up. She finds a subletter for her room in Jamaica Plains and ships out. And for the first few cruises, the ships are a little rinky dink. They're a little rundown. Think the kind of cruise you might get a Groupon for. Everything costs a little extra. The Spirit Airlines cruises. No, no, absolutely not. Like, no, no.

Unfortunately, our girl Josie is like, sign me the fuck up. She finds a subletter for her room in Jamaica Plains and ships out. And for the first few cruises, the ships are a little rinky dink. They're a little rundown. Think the kind of cruise you might get a Groupon for. Everything costs a little extra. The Spirit Airlines cruises. No, no, absolutely not. Like, no, no.

But the thing is, Josie's actually really good at being a cruise employee. Importantly, most cruise contracts are at least four months in length. But if you're a performer, you can spend 11 months with your cast and musical director, two months in rehearsals, and nine months for the actual cruise. You have to be a really particular kind of person to thrive in these sort of environments. Okay.

But the thing is, Josie's actually really good at being a cruise employee. Importantly, most cruise contracts are at least four months in length. But if you're a performer, you can spend 11 months with your cast and musical director, two months in rehearsals, and nine months for the actual cruise. You have to be a really particular kind of person to thrive in these sort of environments. Okay.

Like, not only are you surrounded by water in every direction, you're stuck with the same people for nearly a year. There's no escape. Everyone knows everyone who knows everything. You are basically kind of on a floating prison. It's like a floating prison or like the Big Brother house without cameras, right? Exactly. And cameras if you're on below deck. Oh, no. But Josie thrives.

Like, not only are you surrounded by water in every direction, you're stuck with the same people for nearly a year. There's no escape. Everyone knows everyone who knows everything. You are basically kind of on a floating prison. It's like a floating prison or like the Big Brother house without cameras, right? Exactly. And cameras if you're on below deck. Oh, no. But Josie thrives.