I lived on a cruise ship – we got no days off but you did get free food and didn't have to pay tax or rent

Scottish Sun

5 hours ago

Scroll down to find out what Anaya thinks is "literally insane" about living on a cruise ship
OCEAN OVERTIME I lived on a cruise ship – we got no days off but you did get free food and didn't have to pay tax or rent
A TRAVEL fan has revealed what it was really like to live and work on a cruise ship.
Anaya Daisy, who is currently exploring Thailand but was previously working on a cruise ship in the shore excursions department, claimed that during her stint on the ship, she never got any days off.
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A young woman has revealed all about living on a cruise ship
Credit: TikTok/@anayadaisy.travels
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Anaya Daisy expressed that she didn't get any days off during her time at sea but did get free food
Credit: TikTok/@anayadaisy.travels
Despite this, she revealed the benefits to living on a cruise ship and explained that not only was the food free, but she didn't have to pay any rent or tax either.
Posting on social media, the brunette got candid on cruise ship life, as she said: 'Do you get days off while working on a cruise ship? Now, this is a question I get asked quite a lot, both by people off the ship and then guests that are actually on the ship, but the answer, unfortunately, is no, we don't get any days off.'
Anaya explained that 'most of the crew' don't get any days off, as it is 'an unwritten rule' that you work the entirety of your contract.
The content creator, who doesn't have to pay tax whilst on board, acknowledged that contracts can range from anywhere for three months up to nine months.
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She added: 'Because the cruise is running nearly every day of the year, we can't have any days off because obviously, we're gonna have passengers, and who's gonna look after the passengers if everyone's having days off?
'Yes, this does sound like a lot, and yes, it sometimes does feel like a lot, but even though we're working seven days a week, that doesn't necessarily mean that you're gonna be working all of the entire day.'
Anaya then expressed that rather than having a day off, many departments will get the middle of the day off to relax and explore the cruise ship.
Her hours vary, but she never works more than 10 hours a day.
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But Anaya, who gets free food onboard and is allowed to eat at the crew buffet, isn't bothered by never having a full day off, as she claimed that there are 'so many perks of working on a cruise ship.'
In particular, for Anaya, who lives in a 'basic' but free shared accommodation with bunk beds, waking up in a different country every day is something she finds 'literally insane.'
I 'live' on a cruise ship with my son & fiancé - the food's amazing, there's childcare & our laundry's done for free too
Not only this, but she then continued: 'Although that's not a full day off, you're still getting time to actually enjoy the ports that we're going to and enjoy the countries that we're visiting.
'It might sound kind of crazy that we don't have any days off, especially if you have a really long contract, but you just get used to it after a bit and I suppose it's the price you pay for seeing the world, so, yeah, I really don't mind.'
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Social media users react
Anaya's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @anayadaisy.travels, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 94,300 views, 3,220 likes and 107 comments.
Social media users were stunned by Anaya's full on work life on the ship and many were eager to know more about life on board.
It might sound kind of crazy that we don't have any days off, especially if you have a really long contract, but you just get used to it after a bit
Anaya Daisy
One person said: 'Up to nine months without a day off is crazy!'
Another added: 'Love the ship content.'
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A third commented: 'That sounds so full on, sounds amazing though.'
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.
Meanwhile, one user asked: 'Genuine question because I want to work on a cruise but how do you see the world if you don't get a day off?'
To this, Anaya confirmed: 'Because sometimes we have breaks off in the middle of the day and I work in the excursions department so I spend a lot of time on the trips and seeing the places that way.'
At the same time, someone else questioned: 'What happens if you get really sick?'
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Setting the record straight, Anaya explained: 'You would see the medical centre if you were ill. If they thought you were too sick to work then you'd get 'signed off'. If you've not been signed off by medical then you'd still have to work.'
Not only this, but one person wondered: 'How common is cheating?'
Anaya then confirmed: 'Hmmmm, VERY!!'
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