A woman who lives on a cruise for free for half the year has revealed all the perks that come with it – and the one “weird” thing she can’t do.
Christine Kesteloo, who is originally from the US and lives in the Netherlands when she’s not sailing, has visited a whopping 109 countries and counting.
The 44-year-old doesn’t cook, clean, make her bed, do laundry or pay for food, and it’s all thanks to her husband Pete’s role as a chief engineer for the Holland America Line cruise company.
Christine, who documents her life at sea for her almost one million TikTok followers, revealed crew members’ spouses can stay on-board for free.
Perks include a 50% discount on extras such as soda, alcoholic beverages, on-board shops and the spa, and a discounted rate on internet access, according to UK publication the Mirror.
Christine, a former a cruise director herself, has taken 110 Alaskan cruises to date, revealing she absolutely loves life at sea.
“Our cabin on the ship essentially comes with my husband’s job — he’s a chief engineer who works three months on board and three off and I sail as a ‘wife on board’,” she said in an article she wrote for Business Insider in 2023.
“When we aren’t living on a cruise ship, we’re at our home in Vlissingen, Netherlands.”
The veteran cruiser has spent 12 years at sea.
“Luckily, living at sea isn’t very new to me as I used to be a cruise director. I lost my job early on in the coronavirus pandemic and have since pivoted to full-time content creator.”
Since launching her TikTok page, she has accumulated 32 million likes on her clips, giving viewers a sneak peek into her life at sea.
Cabin life
Christine explained she and Pete always stayed in the same cabin, which is assigned to Pete’s position on the ship.
She said while the cabin was quite small, it was no tinier than some studio apartments in New York City.
“Our bathroom is super tight and our space has a weird layout — at night, I have to climb over my husband to get out of bed to use the rest room,” she told Business Insider.
“Fortunately, we also have a balcony on the bow of the ship that’s perfect for filming sunsets and sunrises from.”
‘It will look a little weird’
Christine told the Mirror she lived on the cruise ship as both a guest also as crew, clarifying that she had nearly the same privileges as both guests and crew, with a few exceptions.
One restriction for Christine is that she’s prohibited from gambling on board.
“I am not allowed to sit at a slot machine and play my heart until I win because it would look a little weird if I, as the wife of the chief staff engineer, won like a big jackpot. So I am not allowed to gamble on the ship,” she told the publication.
She also explained that despite her privileges, she let guests to enjoy facilities such as the pool, gym, spa, and sun loungers before she used them herself.
“If the pool is packed, I make sure to get off and give the guests a seat, it’s just the right thing to do,” she said.
“I totally understand how to give guest the best time and I don’t think a crew member taking their seat is the right thing to do.”
She said one of the greatest perks was not having to prepare meals or do dishes.
“I have sit-down meals in the ship’s dining room for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I don’t feel like doing that, I can go to the buffet or get pizza or hamburgers and fries whenever my heart desires. I have to pay for my own drinks, though I get a 50 per cent discount,” she explained in Business Insider.
“I also love being in a new place every day, which is especially helpful for a content creator always looking to post something new. I have to wait until guests have gotten off at a port before I disembark, but I still get plenty of time at most stops.”
She said, however, when it came to getting work done on the ship, she encountered some difficulties.
“I buy internet on board at a discounted rate since my husband is a staff member but the service isn’t always the best,” she said.
She said, for example, while in the French Polynesian Islands, they went eight days with no internet connection on the ship.
“Living in a small space also means my husband and I are used to being together all the time,” she said.
“Some couples might not prefer this but we’re only going on three years of marriage and we’re OK with the constant closeness.”
She said another drawback was they couldn’t pets, “but I’m lucky to be surrounded by nature often”.
When it comes to motion sickness, it’s not something that bothers her as much anymore.
“Pete has been at sea for 30 years and I’ve been at sea for 12 years and after all that time I literally don’t need to adjust to land legs vs sea legs, I don’t feel the difference. It doesn’t bother me anymore,” she told the Mirror.
In one clip she explained they spent six days at sea before docking in Hawaii, adding the swells were so intense, they reached 4m to 5m high.
“The motion in the ocean is no knew thing to me as I live on the ship half the year. We are once again dealing with 15 to 18 foot (4.5 to 5.5 metre) swells.”
She said she doesn’t film guests to give them their privacy but if she did, “you would see a lot of people falling.”
“Plates and glasses and chairs making noises cause they as well were falling,” she said in the December 2024 clip.
“Tomorrow is our last day at sea and then we will be in Hawaii. It takes six sea days to get to Hawaii and of course the Pacific Ocean is unpredictable – it can be smooth or rocky as it has been.”
Christine, who has enjoyed free food and accommodation every day for over 10 years described it as a “pretty sweet life that some might judge.”
“But I know it’s truly a privilege to get to enjoy the world in this way.”
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