I ‘live' on a cruise ship with my son & fiancé – the food's amazing, there's childcare & our laundry's done for free too
Chelsea spends months at a time on the ship with her husband-to-be and their little boy Mattia, on a "friends and family" basis.
7
Chelsea spends up to two months at a time "living" with her fiancé while he works as an officer on a cruise ship
Credit: tiktok/@chel.at.sea
7
She shares a double room with her other half and their son, so there's not a huge amount of room
Credit: tiktok/@chel.at.sea
7
They have a little inflatable bath for their almost two-year-old, which is stored in the shower when it's not in use
Credit: tiktok/@chel.at.sea
7
And Chelsea has done her best to make the most of the cupboard space in the room - using one shelf for Mattia's toiletries
Credit: tiktok/@chel.at.sea
While her man works as an officer on board the boat, she and the tot are able to make the most of some of the benefits, including amazing food and free
They share a room with Chelsea's Italian fiancé Domenico, which means they don't have to pay for it - although it's a tight squeeze thanks to the travel cot Mattia sleeps in.
They also have an inflatable bath that they store in their shower when it's not in use, and Mattia's nappies and wipes take up almost an entire shelf in the wardrobe.
In
Read more Cruise stories
However, Domenico's assignments mean he can spend up to nine months at a time on a ship.
So during that time Chelsea and Mattia split their time between the boat, Scotland - where she's originally from - and south Italy, where they have a house.
"I say 'living' because we're not actually living here," she explained in
"We're still passengers, but we are family and friends cruisers.
Most read in Fabulous
"But when we do really long cruises it's basically like moving our life for that duration to be here."
"And it means we can obviously be together for part of the long contract away from each other," she added.
One of the Largest Cruise Ships in the World
While Chelsea's hands are full looking after Mattia, she is no stranger to life on board a cruise ship - as she used to work on one as a dancer.
And she knows about the best perks of temporarily relocating to the ship - including the amazing food.
She and Mattia are treated like any other passenger with the food that comes included with their "friends and family" tickets, which means they have to pay for drinks or if they want to dine at one of the speciality restaurants for a change.
There's also a kids' club on board, and that's free too - although Mattia isn't a fan.
Pros and cons of going on a cruise ship
Whether you're considering a long holiday, working remotely or even living on board a cruise ship for a few months or years, here are the pros and cons from a former cruise shipper.
Pros
Travel the world, learn and experience new cultures
Meet new people
Don't have to think or worry about room cleaning, or food
Cons
Internet connection can be painfully slow and expensive
Limited luggage allowance so have to wear the same clothes on rotation
Having no control of where the ship would go next and the possibility of visiting the same ports
Having the same onboard entertainment, on-demand movies, and little choice of TV channels
No fresh newspapers or new books unless someone adds them to the library
Relatively the same food week after week unless major menu changes occur seasonally.
Occasional rough seas, bad weather and viral outbreaks while inboard.
"The baby care and club is completely free for everyone on board but it's baby care 10am-1pm (no parents you leave the baby with the staff) , then you can use the area to play freely with your baby 1pm-5pm, while 5pm-8pm is baby care!" Chelsea explained in response to another comment.
"But my little one doesn't like baby cafe they always call me after like 10 mins!"
Another benefit of joining Domenico on the ship is that Chelsea gets her and Mattia's laundry done for free.
Domenico gets his done for no cost thanks to his job ranking, while Chelsea and Mattia are included in that too.
7
The room even has a sea view, thanks to a little porthole in the wall
Credit: tiktok/@chel.at.sea
7
She also revealed she and her son get their laundry done for free, with an itemised sheet coming back along with the clean washing when it's finished
7
Chelsea and Mattia split their time between their house in south Italy, the ship and Scotland, where she's from
Credit: Getty
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
My fiancé hates his greys so decided to try Just for Men – it was a total fail… we had to shave him from the neck up
A MAN who tried to dye his hair to cover his greys was left regretting his decision after it backfired dramatically. He had a wedding coming up, so thought he'd treat himself to some Just for Men for an extra confidence boost. Advertisement 6 A man who wanted to cover his greys ahead of a wedding was left regretting his decision to dye his hair and beard Credit: tiktok/@ 6 He'd opted for a 'dark brown' dye but it ended up coming out a lot darker than he thought Credit: tiktok/@ 6 Once he realised the issue, he attacked his face with a scouring sponge Credit: tiktok/@ 6 But the dye had ended up staining the skin beneath - meaning he had to shave all his hair and his beard off Credit: tiktok/@ However, he quickly realised that he'd made a mistake when he saw how dark the dye came out. At that point, he tried to get it off - scrubbing vigorously at his face. But his attempts were unsuccessful, and his hair and beard were left an extremely dark brown, verging on black. His fiancée Charlie had to step in and lend a hand, but they ended up shaving his hair and beard off completely. Advertisement Read more Hair fail stories The problems didn't stop there though - as the dye had stained the skin beneath too. So he ended up being covered in facial bleach as they attempted to return his skin to its normal colour. "The Hair Dye Disaster: Before vs. After," Charlie captioned the video on the And unsurprisingly, the comments section was filled with people left in hysterics by the video. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous "Same colour I done and it's black not brown," one wrote. "I just let it grow out though!" Woman issues urgent warning to check the codes on hair dye bottles, after a shop swap left her with grey locks "What was wrong with the 'before' that you thought needed correcting?!" another asked. To which his partner replied: "He wanted to cover the greys for the wedding. Advertisement "There was nothing wrong!" "I've watched this 5 times, about to watch it is the funniest before and after I've ever seen," a third giggled. "It's killed me off!" Charlie admitted. "It's the scrubbing with the sponge!" the person replied. Advertisement How can I fix dye damaged hair? Have you taken the dye too far? There are some ways to fix this WITHOUT chopping the whole lot off. Give it a trim: we're not saying you have to cut the whole lot off, but you should trim the worst offending split ends. Ditch the heat products: stop straightening/curling your hair immediately. Stop dying your hair: step away from the bleach, and starting using ammonia-free semi-permanent dyes for now. Switch to sulfate free: use kinder, sulfate-free shampoos and conditions to repair your damaged hair. And don't shampoo more than twice a week if possible, because this strips damaged hair and makes it brittle. Treatment masks: use one of these hair treatment masks, listed below, to rejuvenate your locks. Sun protection: cover your damaged hair when sunbathing or swimming in a chlorinated pool, to prevent further damage. Eat your hair healthy: make sure you drink lots of water, eat Omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds, and green veg like spinach, kale, carrots and avocado. Some pre-natal supplements also promote hair growth. "Ohh noooo!" someone else said. "I did the same to my husband TWO WEEKS BEFORE OUR WEDDING!!!" another exclaimed. "You have to use the colour to remove the colour from the skin," someone else advised. "You don't wash the colour off - you add a little bit of water to the colour on your face and hair and rub it into the skin. Advertisement "And it lifts the colour off your skin." "Or nail polish remover and a towel and scrub!" another suggested. "Didn't line the edges with Vaseline!" someone else said. "Though the worst mistake was using Just for Men. Superdrug's own brand is way better." Advertisement 6 He looked unimpressed as he showed the results of the disaster Credit: tiktok/@ 6 He was then covered in facial bleach in a bid to reduce the staining Credit: tiktok/@
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Bath mats are gross & a certain tile is a nightmare for grout – cleaner lists 5 things she'd NEVER have in her bathroom
A PROFESSIONAL cleaner has revealed the five things she would never have in her bathroom. So if you want a home that looks great and is easy to clean, you've come to the right place and will need to take notes. 6 A cleaner has shared the five things you would never find in her bathroom Credit: Tiktok/@sparklenshinecleaning 6 Not only has she ditched bath mats for good, but she also shared her candid thoughts on acrylic shelves Credit: Getty 6 The cleaner described bath mats as "gross" Credit: Getty 6 She also believes that hexagon tiles are a faff to clean Credit: Getty A cleaning business owner from Ohio has claimed that not only are bath mats 'gross', but a certain tile is an absolute nightmare where And that's not all, as the founder of Sparkle & Shine Cleaning, also got candid on why she wouldn't have acrylic shelves or storage above her First things first, the Not only this, but she also confirmed: 'Open Read more Fabulous stories Next, the content creator got candid on bathroom mat sets, as she claimed: 'Usually gross. Just adds an extra step to your Following on from this, the cleaner explained why hexagon tiles are a no-go for her, as she explained: 'So many grout lines to scrub. Looks so bad if not taken care of.' And that's not all, as the woman then shared her thoughts on adhesive shelving in showers, as she warned: 'If you ever move, have fun removing these. Takes so long and just not worth it.' Finally, if you want a Most read in Fabulous The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ It's also amassed 16,000 likes, 231 comments and 2,546 saves. I'm a mum-of-12, I swear by £1.15 bathroom cleaner and £3.25 mould cleaner in our busy house Big divide But social media users were left totally divided by the cleaner's clip - while some couldn't agree more, others were eager to disagree. One person said: 'YES! These all seem so common sense, but never thought about!!!' But if I don't have a bath mat, how do I not slip when I get out of the bath? TikTok user Another added: 'I hate the bathroom mats! They're gross, especially if you have pets and kids! I'm sorry… that's a big NO NO!' A third commented: 'These are all true.' Cleaning hacks and tips Here are some tips to help you clean your home like a pro: How to Keep on top of How to Here's how to get rid of that nasty You're Clean your If you haven't Steps to This is how to Keep your Give your Did you know your However, at the same time, many were particularly bothered by the woman slamming One user snapped: 'Bathroom mat keeps my feet from freezing while I do my business. Plus, you can throw it in the washer.' A second chimed in: 'I need the bathroom mats. I can't stand walking barefoot on anything other than a rug or carpet. Plus my feet would always be cold on tiles.' Whilst someone else questioned: 'But if I don't have a bath mat, how do I not slip when I get out of the bath?' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 6 Storage above toilets is a huge no in her books Credit: Getty 6 While she believes adhesive shelving in showers is "not worth it" Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
My grandma is 91 & ‘flawless' – she washes her face with 5p baby wipes instead of tap water & her other top tip is FREE
A 91-YEAR-OLD grandmother has revealed the advice she swears by for 'flawless' skin. Not only does she never Advertisement 2 A 91-year-old grandmother has revealed the secrets behind her "flawless" complexion Credit: tiktok/@ 2 Not only does she never wash her face with tap water, but she also demonstrated a free hack she swears by for a lifted look Credit: tiktok/@ Posting on social media, Ava Stanley, a content creator from Ireland, introduced her followers to her 91-year-old grandmother and eagerly showed off her 'perfect skin.' Her stylish grandmother moved towards the camera, as Ava beamed: 'Look at how healthy your skin is - come close, show them how beautiful your skin is.' The pensioner then shared her first piece of advice for those wanting youthful skin, as she recommended: 'Don't wash your face with soap and water.' This grandmother expressed that to combat ageing, she will never use tap water on her face, as she instead advised: 'No, just cream it and then get a damp sponge or baby wipe and just gently [wipe].' Advertisement Read more beauty stories If you've been washing your face with tap water and want to follow this woman's baby wipe advice, you'll be pleased to know that you can buy a 46 pack of As well as this, Ava's grandmother also swears by a tapping technique for a lifted complexion. Instead of using Demonstrating her lifting technique, she stressed: 'Keep doing the tapping [on your cheeks] and outwards and up. Not down, never down - up and out.' Advertisement Most read in Fabulous Ava then revealed a hack she was told by a ' Ava acknowledged: 'Safe to say grandma rates the Biofresh Skincare Rose Water too.' I'm 50 next year & don't have a single wrinkle thanks to a product from Boots or TikTok shop - I've never had Botox Beaming with her family member's complexion, Ava gushed: 'You look gorgeous, but, yeah, that's the The TikTok clip, which was posted just 14 hours ago under the username @ Advertisement Biggest skincare trends for 2025 1. Exosomes Exosomes are the buzzword for 2025, taking advanced skin regeneration to new heights. These micro-messengers signal skin cells to repair damage, boost collagen, and accelerate recovery, and they're a gamechanger for targeting ageing. 2. Streamlined Skincare The age of 12-step routines is fading as consumers shift to more intentional, multi-functional products. Streamlining skincare not only saves time but also reduces the risk of overloading your skin. In 2025, we'll see a rise in hybrid products that combine active ingredients for simplified, effective results. 3. Vegan Collagen Plant-based collagen will dominate the skincare world this year, providing a sustainable, ethical alternative to traditional animal-derived collagen. Expect vegan collagen in everything from moisturisers to serums. 4. The Rise Of AI AI is revolutionising the beauty landscape, making it possible for consumers to get truly personalised skincare solutions. In 2025, we predict a dramatic shift towards AI-powered tools that help people understand their skin on a deeper level. 5. Hair Loss Solutions - Hair loss is an issue that affects more men than we often realise, and it's no longer just something we're talking about behind closed doors. This year, expect to see a continued rise in demand for treatments that not only tackle hair loss but also nurture overall scalp health. Not only this, but it's also amassed 8,599 likes, 79 comments and 539 saves. Social media users eagerly raced to the comments to share their thoughts on the grandmother's 'fantastic' and 'flawless' skin. One person said: 'Amazing woman. She is so beautiful.' God bless her, great skincare tips TikTok user Another added: 'My lord she doesn't look over 50, what a beautiful lady.' Advertisement A third gushed: 'She looks so young omg!!!' At the same time, one beauty fan beamed: 'God bless her, great Whilst one content creator gasped: 'Stop it she is GLOWING.' Meanwhile, someone else wrote: 'My mother says the same thing and her skin is amazing.' Advertisement Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
