FACE PAINTING HYGIENE

This would be interesting to look into as to the "bottom line" for the painter, because it doesn't sound too bad so far. I'm in the same boat (ha ha, pun intended) as LW, in that I wouldn't be able to afford a cruise on my own.

So, how much of the cruise would you be expect to work? Do you receive tips? Do you provide the paint?

I've never been on a cruise, how much do you generally pay out in tips?

Go to Sixth Star and check it out. You provide your own paints and supplies. You and 1 guest pay $30/day plus gratuities. You work on average 2 hrs per each day of the cruise. You aren't allowed to ask for tips, but can discreetly accept them if offered. You can dress cruise casual or in costumed attire.

I would like to try one to see if I like it, but with kids still young and no nearby relatives to watch them will likely need to wait.

The daily fee really bothered me. I felt like Sixth Star was double dipping. I know the cruise line pays them to provide entertainment, so why are they charging us (the facepainters) a fee? Do they charge the other entertainers a daily fee? And since the painters aren't really allowed to accept tips (and everyone else on the boat, does) why are we expected to tip out? Seemed like too much money was leaving my pocket, and not enough entering it.

Here is the website for Sixth Star which is the agency that books the face painters for cruises... the information is all there

http://www.sixthstar.com/index.php

I haven't checked out the link yet, but...wow. What with the fees etc, t's almost better to just work on one!

(Plus, with the 2hr/day minimum...when you think that there are port days, and depending on what your itinerary is, there won't be people around until 6pm - you might have to make up your minimum on another day and just lump it all together so you have your port days off to enjoy - and lose your sea days!)

I worked with a cruise line for a couple of years as Seasonal Youth Staff - fun/cheap way to travel, but pay is bunk ($1200USD/month) (so we make just a little more a day than they charge you to fp...haha), and you do have to work....maybe 8-9hour days depending on the group you're with - but at least you don't have to pay! And since I was Seasonal, most of the time I'd get a passenger room (the crew rooms are MINISCULE - seriously, stand in the middle with my arms out and I can touch the bed, closet and bathroom door, and nearly the door.).

I really enjoyed it, though, and wanted to go back for American Thanksgiving this year, but decided to see if holiday stuff here works out...

Kristal wrote: (the crew rooms are MINISCULE - seriously, stand in the middle with my arms out and I can touch the bed, closet and bathroom door, and nearly the door.)

Hey... I PAID for that cabin!!! LOL... the shower was sooo small you soaped the walls, then stepped in and turned around and wiggled to wash as you couldn't raise your arms.

The beds were sofas during the day and there was just enough room between them to slide in sideways to sit down.

Honestly, when we cruise we take the inside, lower, aft cabins - the cheapest and the smallest - who the heck is planning to do anything but sleep, change and wash in there anyway??

And it is only 2-hours a day while at sea...

Haha. Even those 'luxurious' passenger cabins = way nicer than crew! I've fallen out of the bunk beds once or twice...but that was because I hated the ladder and preferred to step on the desk to get down...One crew cabin I was in REEKED of smoke - you'd take a shower and old nicotine would fill your nostrils...ugh.

Ahaha I HATED those showers. Every time I got back home I didn't know what to do with all the space! (I'd always try my darndest to not touch the walls in the ship showers...I'm sure they're fine, but my head deems otherwise, haha)

My parents are going on a cruise tomorrow - mom was complaining about how they had one on the lowest passenger deck (usually 4) - and I was like, seriously? Are you going to hide in there? GO explore the ship!! (Plus at least if you're on the passenger decks, you don't wake up every morning to the sound of the anchor being dropped )

Yeah, 2hrs a day isn't bad - but I'm saying if you want to enjoy port days etc, you'll have to move that days hours over to somewhere else...

A day WHILE AT SEA Kristal.. face painting is NOT scheduled while in port.

Now they just raised it to 40$ a day! I thought it was high to begin with...

Just to compare: the cabin on board is around four times as big as the crew ones. I didn't know what to use all that space for *lol*

Shannon Fennell wrote:A day WHILE AT SEA Kristal.. face painting is NOT scheduled while in port.

Whoops...allow me to beat my head against the wall. Have I mentioned I'm illiterate?

Yes. Just as LoneWolf said above, today they raised it to $40 a day. Hmmmmmm now I have to get out my calculator and figure this all out..... and see how I might be "affected".


Sixth Star Entertainment & Marketing Announcement
Face Painters
Affective immediately, the Sixth Star Adminstration Fee for the Face Painters has been increased to $40.00 per night of the cruise.

This will apply to cruises booked from today onward.

Thank you!

Kind regards,

But let me see if I get this straight...
Lets say I book a cruise, it's 4 days.

I will be required to pay $160 for me and my husband to have a room.
I will be required to paint for 8 hours of that trip, while at sea, at my convience?
I will be required to bring my own paint and follow the extra rules.
I am on my own for tips, travel to the boat, booze, and excursions. Food and entertainment comes with the cruise.

Please correct or add to anything I have wrong/fuzzy.

You will not be able to paint at your convenience. They schedule hours for you to paint, and they TRY not to schedule them while you are at port, but they make no promises.

SO if you don't tip the staff...will they send the 'tip' police after you?

Well, maybe if I was younger, single, no kids..... maybe not.

Darn, that is ridiculous! You're are working for ... what?! To see the world?! I might be better treated as a passenger.

Rubbing alcohol, not on my brushes. I contact every dept of health & dept of cosmetology for every state I am going to paint in. Not one, yet, has said to use rubbing alcohol. All but one requires soap (of some sort) and water which means, yes, I have A LOT of brushes to allow enough time for drying and A LOT of sponges as they need to be disposable. (Kansas has no regulations at all).

I thought about this same thing seeing how some people go crazy about how unsanitary face painting can be. I'm thinking about having the person I'm about to paint either wash their own face with a wet wipe first, or at least the area about to be painted. Does anyone else practice this?

This thread is close to 4 years old now....  

A lot of us wipe faces before painting them. Some put out "clean up" areas for the parents to clean the kids in line. But that's to have a clean face to paint - not for hygiene specifically.