Homeless at 50: I quit my job to live on cruise

A woman who ditched her desk job in her 40s to chase a more exciting life on the high seas says she is saving thousands of dollars a year by living full-time on a cruise ship.

Bettyann Chun doesn’t pay a mortgage and she doesn’t pay rent since quitting her office job in marketing to pursue life as a professional chef and, a few short years later, a cruise and travel director for Holland America Line.

Ms Chun spends about nine months per year at sea, dedicating her time on land to time with family.

“Upon accepting the job with Holland America Line, I came to an arrangement with my family regarding my living situation when not on a ship,” she said.

“My family understood the length of my contracts meant I would only be at home for three to four months a year.

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Bettyann Chun lives and works on a cruise ships for nine months of the year.

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“So I live in one of my family’s homes when not on a ship. This has allowed me to save on expenses and put those savings towards investments for the future.”

The US resident was working in marketing analytics when she made the leap to night classes at culinary school.

She had started working in San Francisco restaurants when she saw an ad for Holland America Line.

“I became a professional chef and worked for some Michelin starred restaurants,” she said.

“Then one day I came across this job posting that said, ‘Hey, are you a professional chef? Do you want to travel the world?’ And it was a job doing cooking shows on Holland America Line.

“And that’s how I ended up working on cruise ships going on eight years now.”

Ms Chun submitted two audition videos with the help of a friend who had previously worked for Pixar and Lucasfilm before suddenly finding herself in the middle of the ocean running cooking demonstrations.

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Bettyann Chun lives and works on a cruise ships for nine months of the year.

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After three years of running cooking sessions Ms Chun transitioned into her current role as cruise and travel director.

It’s a career change Ms Chun never saw coming.

“I never thought I would end up working on cruise ships,” she said.

I graduated from UCLA with a dual degree in history and political science intending to become a lawyer.

“I did go to law school but left early because it just wasn’t for me. Then I ended up going to business school and got my MBA in global brand management.

“I worked in marketing analytics after graduating and while working my way up the corporate ladder, I found myself wondering if this is all I really wanted to do.”

Ms Chun said the days at sea can be long and hard – sometimes 11-hour shifts at time – but she has loved every moment.

“Both the beauty and the reality of working on a cruise ship is that you live and work with your co-workers for months at a time,” she said.

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Bettyann Chun lives and works on a cruise ships for nine months of the year.

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“You see the good, the bad, and the ugly sometimes.

“For someone who works on land, it’s difficult to understand the dynamics that happens over time.

“The beautiful part is you develop some great friendships and sometimes your co-workers become like family at sea. Which makes it easier to be away from family for so long.”

Bettyann’s story comes as more and more people are choosing life at sea to beat the cost of living crisis.

Some have even sold their homes to hit the high seas.

One US woman went as far as buying a $2.9 million apartment on a bespoke residential cruise ship.

Others choose to cruise-hop by securing deal after deal on conventional holiday cruise ships.

Another woman, also from the US, has detailed how she lives aboard cruise ships full-time for as little as $3350 a month.

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