'I live on a cruise ship for free and don't pay for food – I'm always on holiday'

Christine Kesteloo lives on a cruise ship and does not pay a penny to remain there – she additionally will get free meals day by day, and solely spends cash on wifi and suggestions for workers

Have you ever ever wished to reside day by day such as you’re on vacation?

Nicely for half the 12 months, that is precisely what Christine Kesteloo does – as she spends six months of yearly residing in luxurious on a cruise ship for utterly free.

Christine, who’s initially from the US, beforehand labored as a cruise and journey director earlier than dropping her job when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and he or she now sails along with her husband – who works on cruises as a employees chief engineer – as a “spouse on board”.

The lady, who now lives in Vlissingen, Netherlands, when she is not residing on a cruise ship, insisted that not each crew member will get to benefit from the free journey perk for his or her companions, however as a result of her husband is a “high-ranking officer”, she will get to tag alongside and reside with him on the cruise ship at no additional value.

Get the information you need straight to your inbox. Join a Mirror e-newsletter right here.

Sharing her story with Insider, she mentioned: “Some would say I reside like I am on trip day by day – and I do. On daily basis, I am in a brand new place and my greatest selections are whether or not I need to go to teatime, lie within the solar, or do a wine tasting.”

And whereas residing on the cruise ship is free, Christine does have a couple of prices she takes on every week, equivalent to paying $20 (£15) every week for limitless web entry in order that she will hold her TikTok followers up to date on her journeys at sea by means of her account, @dutchworld_americangirl.

The lady does not should pay for meals on the ship, but when she decides to dine at one of many ship’s “speciality eating places” then she does should foot the invoice herself – which may value between $20 and $50 (£15 and £38).

She will be able to additionally select to have meals delivered to her room through room service, and whereas that is technically free, she all the time suggestions the crew member who brings her meals between $2 and $5 (£1.50 and £4).

Christine additionally does not pay to have her laundry taken care of, as her soiled garments are whisked away by her room steward day by day at 7:30 am to be cleaned free of charge.

However the lady notes she does tip her room steward, who additionally takes care of tidying her room – together with vacuuming, altering the sheets, dusting, cleansing the small rest room, and leaving recent towels.

Christine says having a room steward is one other perk of her husband being a high-ranking officer, and insists she and her partner all the time tip him $10 (£7.60) every week.

She added: “Typically, we’ll decide him up objects in port or toss him an additional $20 (£15) if he is going ashore for lunch.”

All in all, a typical week for Christine when she’s residing on the cruise ship prices her lower than $100 (£76.50).

She defined: “Often, we spend $20 on web entry, about $27 on suggestions, and $40 on speciality eating for a complete of $87.”

Do you will have a narrative to promote? Get in contact with us at [email protected] .