A man who spends months at a time living on a cruise ship has opened up about the pros and cons, including the one ‘daily struggle’ he has to put up with.
Jack Nolan works as a house musician onboard a cruise ship and spends 10 months of the year on the vessel.
Jack shares glimpses into his life onboard the ship on his TikTok account, where he posts under the handle @jackcruisesaround - and in a recent post he insisted that his job is one of the best in the world for a number of reasons.
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First up, it’s a great way to save cash, with Jack explaining: "I can easily save thousands each month because two of life's biggest outgoings - rent and food - are totally free.
"Even the flights are paid for! And because these bases are covered, it allows for more creative time and energy into other things like, I don't know, making TikTok videos!"
Sounds good to me - apart from the bit about making TikTok videos, because I’m too lazy for that.
As you may have guessed, the travel opportunities are another big bonus for Jack, who explained that he’s managed to see a lot of the world and visit some incredible places all while keeping his job.
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And thirdly, Jack loves the fact that he gets to meet people from all over the world.
However, before you assume life onboard a cruise is all glamour, Jack explains that the reality can be far from it.
For a start, you’re either put in a ‘very, very small cabin’ by yourself or - more likely - in a shared cabin with other members of crew.
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He explained: "Depending on the company and your position, you might get your own very, very small cabin and that's if you're lucky.
"Most crew sleep in bunks and share cabins that look like this and it's not fun, trust me.”
Not only that but some people struggle to adjust to the fact that where they work is also where they live.
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"We live where we work - we're all in this big floating tub together and sometimes it can feel like there's no getting away from work like you would in a regular land job,” he added.
But, Jack says it’s actually poor internet connection that is one of his biggest bugbears, branding it a ‘daily struggle’.
“The WiFi on ships isn't the best," he said. "In fact, it's a daily struggle! To my knowledge I do work for the only cruise line that offers completely free WiFi to everyone on board and I don't just mean WhatsApp.
"This is great, but don't expect to be downloading videos anytime soon."
Claire Reid