Emily Brown
Millions of tourists enjoy brief vacations on cruise ships every year, but 44-year-old Christine Kesteloo has made the ocean her home.
Now a content creator and business owner, Christine got used to life at sea while she was working as a Cruise Director onboard the Holland America Line.
It was there that she met her husband, who works as Staff Chief Engineer, and after Christine lost her job during the pandemic she decided to start documenting the couple's lives at sea, where they spend at least six months of every year as her husband works on cruises.
Christine now regularly entertains more than one million followers on her TikTok page with insights to her life at sea, and she's broken down her regular 'day in the life' of someone who lives on a cruise full time.
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Speaking to UNILAD, Christine explained that while her life does feel like a 'vacation', she does keep much busier than the average tourist who just wants to kick back and relax.
She explained: "Not only do I work in social media but I do marketing for two international jewelry businesses and I also have a female run shared business called Dune Travels with my friend Holly of which we do 4 group cruises every single year. I have a lot going on!"
With that in mind, Christine explained that her days at sea usually start with her sleeping in until around 9am or 10am in the morning, while her husband gets up to work at around 6am.
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In the morning, she starts filming content or answering messages and emails, taking a break when she needs to to go and grabbing food from the restaurants on board the ship.
She explained: "I can always go upstairs and get food whenever I want. I can also order room service. My audience loves my room service videos so I try to order at least once a week."
After a break when her husband comes back at lunch, Christine typically continues with her business before heading up to the dining room or buffet with her husband for dinner at around 7pm. After that, the couple head back to their room to watch a movie.
While it might sound a lot like a regular work day, Christine pointed out that life on board a cruise ship has its everyday perks, saying: "I don't have to pay for petrol, food, make my bed, do my laundry or clean my room."
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That being said, there is one thing Christine wishes she could change when it comes to living on a cruise ship.
She said: "I really wish I could have a cat. I just love animals. So does my husband. In our spare time we watch a lot of funny animal videos in our cruise ship cabin. For now the sea animals are my friends."
But while she has to go without a pet for now, Christine praised the ship for allowing her to travel to 109 countries, which she can visit when the ship is docked.
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These 'port days' quite different to those at sea, as Christine explained: "My husband's schedule of 7am-6pm stays the same. Now [for me] it depends on where I am in the world. Currently I'm in Alaska for 3 months.
"I will get off when the ship docks and go into the jewelry store I do marketing for and hold a meet and greet... It is very important that I spend time meeting my social media friends who are so supportive. After I get done with my meet and greet my husband will frequently meet me and we will go to dinner together or walk around town."
Christine and her husband are facing a 'busy' couple of years with long cruises already lined up, but she anticipates her husband might retire in a couple of years, at which point they'll start getting used to their new lives on dry land.