Family’s unconventional life aboard a cruise ship

In a world where cruise ships are synonymous with family holidays, one family is taking the concept to new heights by actually raising their child on board.

TikTok user Chelsea has captivated audiences by sharing her unique lifestyle, living part-time on MSC cruise ships with her husband and their young son, Mattia.

Chelsea’s husband is employed by MSC Cruises, allowing the family to reside on the ship for eight weeks at a time.

The family is able to live in the cruise ship living quarters free of charge, with the main challenge coming in the form of attempting to keep everything neat and tidy, even with a toddler running around.

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Young mum Chelsea has documented her part-time life on a cruise ship. Picture: @chel.at.sea/TikTok

Life with a toddler can be a struggle, even if the food is free. Picture: @chel.at.sea/TikTok

They also get the same food privileges as passengers, meaning they can eat for free at many restaurants, but they would have to pay if they wished to visit a specialty dining venue.

In general, they get all the same privileges as other cruise ship passengers, such as access to the kids clubs, on-board activities and so on.

Another huge bonus for the lifestyle is that her and her family get access to a free laundry service, taking a big burden off her day to day.

Chelsea says it’s a great way for her husband to not have to miss the younger years of their son growing up, and that there are some other families on-board that she’s befriended.

“Exactly why we do it! He would miss so much if we didn’t go visit all the time! And because I worked on ships I don’t find the life hard!,” she shares on TikTok.

“I have a few friends now who are also officers wives/girlfriends, one just went home.”

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Life aboard offers the family to spend more time together. Picture: @chel.at.sea/TikTok

Cruise ship life also offers plenty of kid friendly entertainment. Picture: @chel.at.sea/TikTok

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As for some of the other logistics, Chelsea explains that she has an inflatable bath that gets store in the shower, which she inflates to bath Mattia when she has to, and that Mattia sleeps in a portable travel cot in the corner of the room.

While stories are often shared of people retiring on cruise ships or up-ending their lives to go live at sea, Chelsea’s story offers a different perspective for what it can be like to live on a ship.

Cruise lines try to help in situations like these so that dedicated crew members can still regularly spend time with their family, and show their family the wonders of life at sea as well.

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