While lots of people get to spend time on board a cruise ship, there aren't many who get to go along free of charge, but Christine Kesteloo does because her husband is Staff Chief Engineer on board the big boat.
'Scariest' thing on cruise to Bermuda
Credit: TikTok/ang.macleod
Going by the name @dutchworld_americangirl on TikTok, Christine not only gets to go on board the cruise but also has some of the benefits that paying passengers don't get.
Getting to sail on board the cruise ship and eat for free is pretty damn good as she lives the life of a guest, but since she's also sort of counted as crew she can 'do almost everything the crew can do', and pretty much everything guests are allowed to do with a handful of notable exceptions.
It's a pretty good life, but there were four things she couldn't do on board the vessel which she laid out for her followers.
There are four things that she can't do onboard (TikTok/@dutchworld_americangirl)
First and foremost she is not allowed to gamble, the cruise ship has casino facilities, but given how she's no ordinary guest, she has to stay away from the slot machines.
"It would look a little weird if I, as the wife of the Chief Staff Engineer, won like, a big Jackpot," she explained.
Makes sense.
She revealed that she is allowed in crew areas as well as guest areas, but has to clearly show her crew pass while in restricted areas as guests can't enter.
Being counted as crew means the second thing she can't do is disembark at the same time as the passengers, as she revealed she has to get off the cruise ship an hour after guests do at destinations.
"So if we dock at one, I get off at two," she explained.
Third on the list of 'don'ts' is that while she can use the pool, gym and spa, there are restrictions for her depending on how busy they are, so she has to keep an eye out for available spaces and not use what's on offer if it'd be denying a paying passenger.
First and foremost she is not allowed to gamble, the cruise ship has casino facilities, but given how she's no ordinary guest, she has to stay away from the slot machines.
"It would look a little weird if I, as the wife of the Chief Staff Engineer, won like, a big Jackpot," she explained.
Makes sense.
She revealed that she is allowed in crew areas as well as guest areas, but has to clearly show her crew pass while in restricted areas as guests can't enter.
Being counted as crew means the second thing she can't do is disembark at the same time as the passengers, as she revealed she has to get off the cruise ship an hour after guests do at destinations.
"So if we dock at one, I get off at two," she explained.
Third on the list of 'don'ts' is that while she can use the pool, gym and spa, there are restrictions for her depending on how busy they are, so she has to keep an eye out for available spaces and not use what's on offer if it'd be denying a paying passenger.
Not a bad view for a free cruise! (TikTok/@dutchworld_americangirl)
Christine said: "I always play it with the rule of thumb. If the pool is packed, I make sure to get up and give the guests a seat."
She also revealed that she was once a Cruise Director, with it not being the best look if a crew member takes their seat.
As a bonus Christine revealed that she only pays half price for drinks, while getting discounted internet rates, discounts at the spa and at the shop.
So it's not all free!
Finally, she states that it is essential for her to have international travellers' insurance.
This one isn't that big of a shock though, as most people would have this.
Viewers of the TikTok shared their thoughts in the comments, with one saying: "New dream job: wife of a cruise ship engineer".
Another commented: "This is a pov I never knew I needed".
And a third humorously said: "How do i meet a cruise ship engineer?"
Woman shares cruise ship payslip
Valid points made, because based off this video - Christine is living THE life.
Woman who lives on cruise ship for free shares the four strict rules she has to follow
She lives on a cruise ship, but doesn't get it all her own way.
A woman who lives on a cruise ship has revealed there are four rules she needs to follow while on board that big old boat.
You might have heard of the people who decided to quit the life of a landlubber and just go live on the high seas because at this point it's actually cheaper than dry land.
This is not one of those times as Christine Kesteloo lives on board a cruise ship because her husband is the staff chief engineer, so she gets to come along for the ride too.
She explained that she gets to live the life of a guest while on board 'but also as crew', so while she can do whatever the guests are getting up to, she's also able to get herself wherever the crew can go as well.
Christine gets to live on the ship for free and can eat in any of the on-board restaurants for free as well, while if she wants to buy anything, she gets a big discount.
Christine said: "I always play it with the rule of thumb. If the pool is packed, I make sure to get up and give the guests a seat."
She also revealed that she was once a Cruise Director, with it not being the best look if a crew member takes their seat.
As a bonus Christine revealed that she only pays half price for drinks, while getting discounted internet rates, discounts at the spa and at the shop.
So it's not all free!
Finally, she states that it is essential for her to have international travellers' insurance.
This one isn't that big of a shock though, as most people would have this.
Viewers of the TikTok shared their thoughts in the comments, with one saying: "New dream job: wife of a cruise ship engineer".
Another commented: "This is a pov I never knew I needed".
And a third humorously said: "How do i meet a cruise ship engineer?"
Woman shares cruise ship payslip
Valid points made, because based off this video - Christine is living THE life.
Woman who lives on cruise ship for free shares the four strict rules she has to follow
She lives on a cruise ship, but doesn't get it all her own way.
A woman who lives on a cruise ship has revealed there are four rules she needs to follow while on board that big old boat.
You might have heard of the people who decided to quit the life of a landlubber and just go live on the high seas because at this point it's actually cheaper than dry land.
This is not one of those times as Christine Kesteloo lives on board a cruise ship because her husband is the staff chief engineer, so she gets to come along for the ride too.
She explained that she gets to live the life of a guest while on board 'but also as crew', so while she can do whatever the guests are getting up to, she's also able to get herself wherever the crew can go as well.
Christine gets to live on the ship for free and can eat in any of the on-board restaurants for free as well, while if she wants to buy anything, she gets a big discount.
It sounds like a pretty cushy life, but before you update your Tinder profile to say you're really looking for cruise ship staff who can bring partners on board, you might want to hold your proverbial horses.
That's because Christine has rattled through four main rules she's got to follow while on board the ship.
No gambling
The first rule is a strict 'no gambling' policy, as she explained it'd look bad if the partner of a crew member was raking in a jackpot at the slot machine.
She said: "It would look a little weird if I, as the wife of the staff chief engineer, won a big jackpot. So I am not allowed to gamble on the ship."
Badges must be worn
Another big rule was that she had to wear a badge whenever she was in crew sections of the ship so nobody thought she was a passenger poking around the place.
"I am allowed in crew areas and guest areas but with that said when I am in crew areas I always have to wear my badge visible so they know I'm 'one of them' and allowed down there," she explained.
Sorry to those of you who love gambling and hate wearing badges who'd always dreamed of living on a cruise ship.
The customer comes first
As for rule number three, this wasn't so much an official one as it was Christine figuring out for herself that having the run of a cruise ship has got to have its limits.
While she's allowed to do pretty much anything on board, she knows the customers have to come first.
She said: "If the pool is packed I make sure to get up and give the guests a seat, it's just the right thing to do.
"I used to be cruise director so I totally understand how to give guests the best time."
She also explained that when passengers disembark at a destination, the crew have to wait an hour, and while she was technically both, she had to wait too.
Insurance is key
Fourth and finally, and this one sounds more like life admin than anything, she's got to make sure she's insured to travel round the world.
She said: "When I'm on the ship travelling with my husband I do have to at all times have international travellers insurance, medical, if something were to happen.
"Because we live in the Netherlands we have coverage there, my husband holds it on me and we just pay a little bit extra every single month."
Honestly, those rules sound pretty easy to live with in exchange for a free cruise.
Passengers who spent up to £680,000 on world cruise that still hasn't left port share inside tour of ship
Couple Johan and Lanette bought a cabin on a ship which is guaranteed for 'at least 15 years'
Passengers who have spent an eye-watering £680,000 on a world cruise that still hasn't left the port have given a tour of their room on the ship.
Couple Johan Bodin and Lanette Canen have boarded onto the Odyssey by Villa Vie Residences, which is set to become their new home for the next 15 years.
The cruise liner will take them to 147 countries, 425 destinations, 7 continents, and 100 islands every 3.5 years.
Other perks of the Odyssey are all-inclusive amenities like restaurants, bars and lounges, a pool, and a golf simulator.
But while the founder and CEO of Villa Vie Residences, Mikael Petterson, insists the ship will travel from Belfast, Ireland, 'any day now', he said it's 'impossible to say which day exactly'.
Petterson claims that the three-month hold up is down to waiting for 'the green light' from the DNV, a certification and risk assessment firm.
Meanwhile, Johan and Lanette sold their car rental business in Maui, Hawaii, to embark on this costly journey.
Taking to their YouTube channel 'Living Life on a Cruise', the couple have shown off what the ship, and more importantly what their room, looks like.
Acknowledging that their living space is a little small, they are still delighted with it.
"But yeah, the room looks pretty good," Johan said. "There's some laundry and stuff we gotta take care of, but yeah, most of our stuff are in the closets."
He added: "This cabin is just way too small to have visitors in overnight, but our visitors, friends and family, will have their own cabin when they come, so it's gonna be good for them as well."
On the delay, Johan told Business Insider that Villa Vie has sent them on some short trips in the meantime, to the likes of Italy, Croatia and Slovenia.
He said: "We understand there are hiccups.
The couple have given a room tour (YouTube/@livinglifeonacruise)
"They're schmoozing us a bit to keep us happy.
"They're almost being too serviced-minded. I don't need to be pampered all the time.
"Some people maybe think we're naive, but Villa Vie has our support 100 percent.
"We would be kicking ourselves if we didn't take this opportunity and go for it."
Amid some of the negative comments, people seem to love what they're doing, as one person wrote: "Wow, what a great idea! No cooking, no cleaning, no need to drive.
"Decent sized bedroom and an absolutely huge living area, a.k.a. the rest of the ship!! Have fun, bon voyage."
Another added: "Now I get it wow, it's basically a floating apartment block, everybody on board is doing the same as you, it's not a company run ship with a few live aboards, it's a complete village, cool."Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Living Life on a Cruise
Expert explains how world's largest cruise ship is able to float after it left people baffled
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas has a 248,663 gross tonnage, so how does it not just sink?
An engineering expert has explained exactly how cruise ships such as Icon of the Seas are able to stay afloat.
Ever since Royal Caribbean International's megaship came into service earlier this year, people have been left baffled by the sheer size and height of the boat.
Measuring 364m (1,196 ft) by 48m (159 feet), the Icon is the world's biggest cruise ship and boasts of seven (yes, seven) swimming pools as well as an ice skating rink, wave simulator and over 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges.
Now of course, the first thing you or I would think when seeing a photo of the Icon sailing the seven seas is less likely to be awe and more likely 'how the f**k does that thing stay afloat'.
While I'm sure the ship's quite frankly bizarre appearance is easily forgettable once you're onboard and spending your time at the waterpark or playing mini-golf, anyone on land will almost certainly be left shocked by its size.
So, how does the Icon of the Sea stay afloat?
In past couple of weeks, a video of the ship arriving in all its ginormous splendour at the Port of Miami began to do the rounds on social media - which of course had viewers asking the same question.
"Somebody tell me how does this thing manage to float," one person wrote, while another added: "How the s**t does this thing float?"
Curious as to how Icon of the Seas doesn't sink or tip over in the face of choppy waves or strong winds? Don't worry, we have the answer.
Responding to everyone's confusion over the subject, an engineering student realised it was their time to shine and shared a relatively straightforward explanation of Archimedes' law of buoyancy.
"The water is pushing up on the ship with a force equal to the weight of water it pushes aside. Because the ship is so big, it pushes aside a lot of water, creating a strong upward force," they wrote.
"They're schmoozing us a bit to keep us happy.
"They're almost being too serviced-minded. I don't need to be pampered all the time.
"Some people maybe think we're naive, but Villa Vie has our support 100 percent.
"We would be kicking ourselves if we didn't take this opportunity and go for it."
Amid some of the negative comments, people seem to love what they're doing, as one person wrote: "Wow, what a great idea! No cooking, no cleaning, no need to drive.
"Decent sized bedroom and an absolutely huge living area, a.k.a. the rest of the ship!! Have fun, bon voyage."
Another added: "Now I get it wow, it's basically a floating apartment block, everybody on board is doing the same as you, it's not a company run ship with a few live aboards, it's a complete village, cool."Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Living Life on a Cruise
Expert explains how world's largest cruise ship is able to float after it left people baffled
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas has a 248,663 gross tonnage, so how does it not just sink?
An engineering expert has explained exactly how cruise ships such as Icon of the Seas are able to stay afloat.
Ever since Royal Caribbean International's megaship came into service earlier this year, people have been left baffled by the sheer size and height of the boat.
Measuring 364m (1,196 ft) by 48m (159 feet), the Icon is the world's biggest cruise ship and boasts of seven (yes, seven) swimming pools as well as an ice skating rink, wave simulator and over 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges.
Now of course, the first thing you or I would think when seeing a photo of the Icon sailing the seven seas is less likely to be awe and more likely 'how the f**k does that thing stay afloat'.
While I'm sure the ship's quite frankly bizarre appearance is easily forgettable once you're onboard and spending your time at the waterpark or playing mini-golf, anyone on land will almost certainly be left shocked by its size.
So, how does the Icon of the Sea stay afloat?
In past couple of weeks, a video of the ship arriving in all its ginormous splendour at the Port of Miami began to do the rounds on social media - which of course had viewers asking the same question.
"Somebody tell me how does this thing manage to float," one person wrote, while another added: "How the s**t does this thing float?"
Curious as to how Icon of the Seas doesn't sink or tip over in the face of choppy waves or strong winds? Don't worry, we have the answer.
Responding to everyone's confusion over the subject, an engineering student realised it was their time to shine and shared a relatively straightforward explanation of Archimedes' law of buoyancy.
"The water is pushing up on the ship with a force equal to the weight of water it pushes aside. Because the ship is so big, it pushes aside a lot of water, creating a strong upward force," they wrote.
Icon of the Seas, aka the floating city, leaving the Port of Miami. (n to build, has 20 decks, and can hold a maximum of 7,600 people. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images))
They continued: "The ship only needs to sink a little bit into the water to float. You can see the waterline - everything below that is pushing water out of the way, creating the upward force that keeps it afloat.
"While parts of the ship (like the hull) are very dense, the overall density of the entire vessel is less than water due to its largely hollow design. This lower average density is what allows such a giant structure to float effortlessly on water."
Still confused? An explainer article from Cruise Nation says a large ship is able to stay afloat 'as long as they can displace an equal amount of water to their mass'.
Cruise passengers who spent £75,000 on world cruise that still hasn't left port break down £3,500 a month cost
It's supposed to sail around the world for three years, but it hasn't set off yet
A cruise ship that was supposed to set sail in May and spend three years journeying around the world is still stuck in a Belfast dock months later.
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship is set to visit 425 destinations across 147 countries but various issues including with the gearbox and rudders mean it is yet to actually depart.
Passengers who plan to go on the ship are being put up in Belfast at the cost of the cruise ship company, though some have taken the time to have a few holidays of their own.
Among these are couple Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, who've joined YouTube to chronicle their journey after buying one of the cabins on the cruise ship.
People can spend up to £680,000 to outright buy a cabin for the three year cruise around the world, but while the Villa Vie Odyssey has been undergoing repairs in Belfast, they've been heading off to places like Croatia and Sweden.
They continued: "The ship only needs to sink a little bit into the water to float. You can see the waterline - everything below that is pushing water out of the way, creating the upward force that keeps it afloat.
"While parts of the ship (like the hull) are very dense, the overall density of the entire vessel is less than water due to its largely hollow design. This lower average density is what allows such a giant structure to float effortlessly on water."
Still confused? An explainer article from Cruise Nation says a large ship is able to stay afloat 'as long as they can displace an equal amount of water to their mass'.
Cruise passengers who spent £75,000 on world cruise that still hasn't left port break down £3,500 a month cost
It's supposed to sail around the world for three years, but it hasn't set off yet
A cruise ship that was supposed to set sail in May and spend three years journeying around the world is still stuck in a Belfast dock months later.
The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship is set to visit 425 destinations across 147 countries but various issues including with the gearbox and rudders mean it is yet to actually depart.
Passengers who plan to go on the ship are being put up in Belfast at the cost of the cruise ship company, though some have taken the time to have a few holidays of their own.
Among these are couple Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin, who've joined YouTube to chronicle their journey after buying one of the cabins on the cruise ship.
People can spend up to £680,000 to outright buy a cabin for the three year cruise around the world, but while the Villa Vie Odyssey has been undergoing repairs in Belfast, they've been heading off to places like Croatia and Sweden.
It's supposed to be going round the world for three years, but it hasn't set off yet due to technical issues. (Villa Vie Residences)They're allowed onto the ship during the daytime but aren't permitted to spend the night there, and the YouTubing couple have been giving viewers tours of what's going on aboard the boat.
While it's cost them a pretty penny to buy their cabin on board the ship, they do have to spend some money while on board.
The plan is to keep going around the world every few years, and while they said their cabin cost $100,000 (£75,771) up front, they do have to also pay $3,500 (£2,650) a month.
They told their viewers that for this they get access to a doctor, medication done at 'international pricing' so it's cheaper than the US, while food and a couple of free alcoholic drinks with their midday and evening meals will be supplied.
For that amount of money, they can basically keep living on the ship in perpetuity, as long as it doesn't break down again, and they can keep going on successive three-year cruises around the globe.
Lanette Canen and John Bodin outright own one of the cabins on the cruise ship, though they do have to spend a monthly fee. (Lanette Canen)
Fortunately for them, it shouldn't be long before they can set sail as Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mike Petterson as said that the round-the-world cruise will launch by the end of next week.
He told the BBC: "When you're the first at doing something, you will run into hiccups, but we're definitely getting there, and although we are late, we will launch."
The ship itself is more than 30 years old, and used to be a ship called the Braemar.
Here's hoping they can set off soon.
Fortunately for them, it shouldn't be long before they can set sail as Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mike Petterson as said that the round-the-world cruise will launch by the end of next week.
He told the BBC: "When you're the first at doing something, you will run into hiccups, but we're definitely getting there, and although we are late, we will launch."
The ship itself is more than 30 years old, and used to be a ship called the Braemar.
Here's hoping they can set off soon.
