A 43-year-old spends half the year on a cruise ship, checking off 109 countries as she sails the world – and the best part is that she gets the entire cruise life experience for free thanks to this one perk
Most of us dream about escaping it all and setting sail into the sunset – but for Christine Kesteloo, it’s just another Tuesday. The 43-year-old has swapped school runs and supermarket queues for sunsets at sea, white sandy beaches, and room service – and she’s not looking back.
Christine spends half the year living on a cruise ship – and best of all, she doesn’t pay a single penny for it. “It’s a pretty sweet life,” she admits. “Some might judge it, but I know it’s a privilege to enjoy the world this way.”
Christine, who is originally from Vlissingen in the Netherlands, lives on board for six months of the year as a “wife on board” – thanks to her husband’s job as a chief engineer.
His three-month-on, three-month-off schedule means she gets to tag along, all expenses paid, while he works below deck.
And it’s not exactly a rough life. “I never have to cook, clean, or make the bed,” Christine wrote in an essay for Business Insider. “It feels like a permanent holiday.”
Of course, there are some downsides – from tiny living quarters to the odd bout of seasickness.
“Our cabin is small – but no smaller than some New York studio apartments,” Christine says. “The bathroom is tight and the layout’s a bit odd. I even have to climb over my husband to use the loo at night!”
Still, the couple – who’ve been married for three years – say the close quarters have only brought them closer. “We’re together all the time, but we’re okay with the constant closeness.”
With a passport stamped in 109 countries, Christine’s adventures have taken her everywhere from the Amazon River to Alaska and French Polynesia.
The former ocean liner director never has to cook dinner, do her own laundry or make her own bed.
But while it might sounds like a dream to most people, she admits cruise life isn’t always smooth sailing. “One of the hardest things is keeping track of the days,” she says.
“I label them by what port we’re in – Barcelona Day, Naples Day, that kind of thing. But sometimes I even miss birthdays because of the time zone changes.”
Christine has turned her unique lifestyle into a full-time gig, documenting life at sea for her 135,000 Instagram followers – and nearly a million fans on TikTok.
From behind-the-scenes looks at cruise ship life to mouthwatering food tours and ‘day in the life’ vlogs, her content offers a window into the glamorous – and sometimes gritty – reality of life afloat.
She adds: “It’s not for everyone,” she says, “but for me, it’s heaven.”
