Tequila! Social Control of Guest Movement by Live Music Performance on Cruise Ships

Abstract

Live musical performance forms the core of the cruise ship entertainment product, contributing to the constructed cruise experience. However, unlike much of the cruise experience, musical performance does not directly generate income. Such performances instead act as semiotic guides informing them, for example, that the afternoon may be spent lazing by the pool, or that evenings are constructed as high-class theatrical events, or as party time in the disco. Further, such musical performances encourage guests to attend spaces that generate income (such as bars, lido deck, and casinos) and dissuade them from attending spaces where income is unlikely to be generated (such as their cabin). This research considers the implementation of musical performances on cruise ships using two data sources. Qualitative data is drawn from ship programs describing the actual placement of music. Quantitative data is drawn from interviews with industry personnel describing the intentions of music placement. It finds that periods when guests are on board, such as evenings and sea days, engenders most of the musical performance. This produces revenue that reverts to the ship. Certain genres occur at different times on different days, such as Caribbean/Latin American-themed music occurring on sea days, or cocktail piano occurring in the evening, further acting as semiotic guides. This constructed artistic product attracts people to undertake a cruise, makes a cruise memorable, and informs their experience of the cruise ship tourism product.