Create a professional actor's resume. Include your contact information and physical traits. (height, weight, hair and eye color, and voice type). List your performing experience, training in performance arts, special skills such as dialects or athletic abilities.
Have a professional headshot taken. Bring several different looks to the photo shoot, ensuring a great photo. For cruise ship jobs it’s advisable to have some full body shots taken, as most producers are adamant that their singers and dancers be in good physical shape.
Purchase the industry trade paper called “Backstage.” Find cruise ship auditions listed in the “Non-equity Stage” section. If you primarily sing, look for the call time for singers. Conversely, look for the dancer call time if you are primarily a dancer. In either case, you will be called upon to do both.
Prepare your best 16 bars of an up tempo song and a ballad. Be sure to choose songs in a style best suited to your voice. If you work in a cruise ship show, you will be required to sing many different styles of music. Therefore, a good rule of thumb is to bring many styles with you, especially musical theater and pop.
Wear your smart casual outfit if you are a singer, and your dance wear if you are a dancer. Try to get to the audition an hour before your scheduled audition time. Find the holding room and sign in. When you name is called as a singer, enter the audition room, and immediately give your music to the pianist and inform him of your desired tempo if necessary. If the monitor has not given your headshot and resume to the audition panel, give it to the person sitting in the center of the panel as you greet them. Stand on the "x " in the center of the room. When everyone on the panel is looking at you, nod to the pianist to begin your first song. The panel will let you know what to do next and what if anything else they need to hear. "Thank you" is your cue to exit. They may tell you to return at a designated time, to dance, called a callback audition which is a good sign. If you are a dancer, you may be asked to return to sing.
Return for the callback audition with enough time to change and stretch if you are dancing. Wait in the holding room until you are called into the audition room again. Follow Step 5 if you are returning to sing. If you are dancing, stand as close to the front of the group as you can in order to both see the choreography being taught, and to be seen by the audition panel for as long as possible. The choereographer will put dancers in small groups to perform the combination for the panel. Smile, and dance your heart out, even if you are unsure of the steps. Give it all you've got! The panel will again let you know what else they may need from you. Wait for a phone call and prepare for the trip of a life time!!