A woman lives on a cruise ship for free during the season: how she organized it

Christina lives on a cruise ship for free. What is it like to be a “wife on board” and how much money is needed for an “eternal vacation”, reports Insider.

Photo: Shutterstock

Christina has been living on a cruise ship for six months.

Some might say that she lives like she's on vacation every day - and that's how she feels. Every day she finds herself in a new place, and her most important decisions are whether she wants to go to a tea party, lie in the sun, or taste some wine.

Here's some background: Christina is a former director of cruises and travel, and her husband is a chief engineer. She has been sailing for almost 12 years, and her husband has been sailing for 30.

On the subject: California family buys cruise ship apartment so their 'kids can see the world'

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Christina lost her job due to organizational changes. She now sails with her husband as a “wife on board” (WOB). When the family is not living on the cruise ship, they live in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.

Not all crew members can send their halves to sea for free, a privilege that is often reserved only for high-ranking officers. Prior to the pandemic, Christina's husband enjoyed this privilege as a "husband on board" while she worked 12-hour days.

Here's what her week looks like and what she spends her money on:

“I pay $20 a week for Internet access. As I write this, I look out over the ocean as we sail off the coast of California,” Christina says. “Crew members on board, including my husband, can use WhatsApp for free, but I pay for unlimited internet access.”

$10 a week goes to tip their steward.

“I try to keep our room clean, but we also have a wonderful steward who comes every day. He vacuums, changes the sheets, dusts, cleans our small bathroom and leaves us fresh towels,” says Christina.

A steward is a privilege for high-ranking officers on a ship, and Christina and her husband always leave tips.

“We usually give him $10 a week. Sometimes we pick him up at the port or give him an extra $20 if he comes ashore for lunch,” Christina says. — The tipping culture on ships is completely different. I would say my husband and I are considered generous tippers when we tip our teammates.”

Another advantage is free laundry every day and laundry service.

Every morning around 7:30, after Christina's husband goes to work, their steward checks to see if they have anything to wash. Christina simply puts the soiled clothes in a cloth bag and writes down what's inside on a piece of paper.

There is also a laundry room for personal belongings and a free laundromat for crew members.

Meals are free, but they spend extra money on specialty restaurants and room service.

“Most of our food on board is free, and I'm full. There is a wide selection, including a buffet, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and sushi - basically everything you can dream of, says Christina. — We only pay for food if we decide to dine at one of the ship’s signature restaurants. Lunch typically costs between $20 and $50 per person. We typically tip between $5 and $10.”

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“Room service is free on the ship, and we usually tip $2 to $5 each time. Overall, a typical week of this lifestyle costs us less than $100,” says the woman.

“We typically spend $20 on Internet access, about $27 on tips and $40 on specials, for a total of $87,” she concluded.

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