Samantha Martin, a publicist, wraps up her workday by sending one last e-mail, shutting her laptop — and heading up to the lido deck, where she’ll recharge, poolside, while her co-workers finish up in their Midtown office.
The 46-year-old is one of many New Yorkers who’ve discovered the joys of living and working on a cruise ship, for weeks or months at a time. Contrary to the stereotype of cruise aficionados being retirees, people in their 20s, 30s and 40s have embraced this lifestyle as a way to see the world and take a break from NYC’s crushing cost of living.
“I run my own company, so I can check in with my office once or twice a day to put out fires,” said Martin. “When I’m at sea, it’s similar to when I’m at the office. I call into a conference call, and a client won’t know I’m thousands of miles away.”
She said it also boosts work-life balance. “I [used to] see so many people [on trips] on their laptops — and think, ‘How sad.’ Now I think it’s great. It’s a reality of our lives that we’re never able to fully disconnect. So why not combine work and fun?”
So far, she and her husband, Andre Neyrey — a restaurant consultant who is also able to work remotely much of the time — have taken 10 multiweek cruises and have a four-month, around-the-world voyage planned for the fall.
Although a global trip carries a luxe price tag (tickets for a 119-day cruise on MSC Cruises World Cruise start at $17,000 per person), it’s not pricier than staying at home, if you’re working.
In Manhattan, the average cost of a two-bedroom rental is nearly $4,000 a month, or about $133 a night — and that’s before gym fees, Seamless delivery and happy-hour meet-ups. A luxury cruise costs $142 a day, with food and entertainment included.
John and Heather Widmer, both 35, have spent 84 days on ships in the past two years. The married couple now consider themselves “digital nomads” — they travel nonstop and do not have a permanent address — and work remotely with clients all over the country on market research strategies. They’ve found that life on a cruise ship can be less expensive than even a hostel.
“Last year, we cruised across the Atlantic for $159 each [total] for a 13-day trip that even included alcohol,” said John.
Enterprising New Yorkers — or at least those willing to bend the rules — can make money by renting out their city homes while on the high seas. Actress Jennifer H., 31, sublet her East Village one-bedroom last summer when she cruised from Manhattan to Nova Scotia. (She requested her last name be withheld because her landlord forbids such subleases.) “The cost of the cruise was about $65 a day for [me and my boyfriend], but we charged $200 a night for our apartment.”
Martin and her husband, who own an Upper West Side townhouse, are in the process of renting out the pad for their future extended trip. “It’s going to save us money, and we’re going to see the world,” she said.
Many new cruisers report that passenger age is dropping. That’s partially due to bargains, but also because ships are expanding Wi-Fi capabilities and offering millennial-friendly extracurriculars, including skydiving, nightclubs playing hits from the 1990s and spin classes.‘It’s the perfect antidote to New York life.’
- Samantha Martin
Even young families are in on the trend. The Facebook group, Home Schooling on a Cruiseship, has almost 200 members who swap tips for educating kids on sea voyages.
John Widmer warned there are potential drawbacks. “The Wi-Fi is often expensive, and it’s not always fast,” he said. “So I’ll save work that doesn’t require an [immediate] Internet connection — spreadsheets and data analysis — for the cruise.”
As for Martin, the plan for her upcoming, around-the-world voyage is to check in with her office twice a day, then relax.
“My favorite is when the ship docks somewhere I’ve already visited,” she said. “One time, we were on a ship that docked in Rome. I’ve been there a million times. So everyone else gets out, and it’s just me and my husband on the ship. It’s the perfect antidote to New York life.”