We get asked a lot about how we actually manage work on a cruise, not just the WiFi side of it. Truth is, the WiFi is the easy part. The planning is what makes it work. We plan everything months in advance. We will look at the itinerary and break it down properly, sea days, port days, time zones, and then closer to the cruise we’ll check our calendars and meetings and start mapping out what each day realistically looks like. Sea days are where we get most of our work done. They are proper working days for us. We will usually do more than a normal 8 hour day, probably closer to 10, but not in one go. We break it up, move around the ship, and still fit in things we want to do onboard. Port days are completely different. We don’t have strict rules, but 90% of the time we are off the ship early, go and explore for a few hours, then come back onboard in the afternoon and do a bit of work. It just keeps everything ticking over without missing out on the destinations. The time zone side of it is the bit people don’t think about. At the start of the transatlantic we were starting work around 4am ship time to stay on UK hours. As we got closer to Europe that shifted to about 8am starts, which felt a lot more normal 😅 We also structure our calendar around it. We will avoid putting things in on port mornings, push calls into the afternoon where we can, and Kev batches his meetings rather than spreading them across the week. It does mean some longer days, but it gives us more control overall. The biggest thing though is flexibility. Your routine on a ship is never going to look like your routine at home, and if you try and force it, it probably won’t work. What surprised me most is I actually get more done, not less. Especially on the transatlantic with all the sea days and slower pace, it was probably one of the most productive periods we have had. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments! Or check out our free guide (linked below) https://360cruising.com/cheat-sheets/remote-working

We have just done 15 days working remotely on Odyssey of the Seas, and I can confidently say that’s just not true. In fact, we probably got more work done than we would at home. No life admin, no distractions, no “I’ll just quickly do this”… just proper focused blocks of work, with a sea view which definitely helps. We started this cruise in New York, so time zones were the biggest adjustment. At the beginning we were starting work around 5am ship time to match UK hours, which was not ideal 😅 but as we sailed closer to Europe it got much easier and more normal. Our routine ended up being pretty simple. In the mornings we left the cabin and worked out on the ship because it was so quiet with most people still asleep. Odyssey actually worked really well for this. Two70 was a great space for getting work done, although one thing to note is sockets are limited there so portable chargers were a must. Then in the afternoons we would usually head back to the cabin. On port days we normally took the mornings off and then did a couple of hours of work in the afternoon. WiFi is the big one we get asked about constantly, we had zero issues the entire trip. Calls, meetings, general work, all completely fine. That idea that you cannot rely on cruise WiFi just has not been our experience on this sailing. What actually makes the difference is not just WiFi, it is how you set yourself up. We made everything fully portable so we could pack up and move our “office” in seconds. We also made sure we scoped out working spaces and plug sockets early instead of trying to figure it out five minutes before starting work. And we did not confine ourselves to the cabin all day, changing environment makes a big difference. The biggest misconception is that working on a cruise is harder. For us, it has actually been easier. You take away cleaning, cooking, daily life distractions, and suddenly you have proper time to focus. If you are thinking about doing this, it is 100% doable. But the difference between it being stressful or smooth comes down to preparation.

Whilst we have been onboard Odyssey of the Seas… our house sale officially went through. So right now, we are officially working remotely, living on cruise ships, and travelling full time. Which sounds a bit mad when you actually write it down 😅 But here is the honest part… Working from a cruise ship isn’t just: “Take your laptop and log on” What actually makes it work: – Reliable WiFi setup (we don’t rely on ship WiFi alone) – Planning around time zones – Knowing where you can actually work onboard – Choosing itineraries that fit around work It has been a big shift for us, but we have learned a lot quickly, with mistakes in between! We get asked a lot of questions, so I am in the process of creating a downloadable cheat sheet. In the meantime, I have built a full classroom detailing everything we have learned! You can access it here. Of course, any questions happy to help. We are travelling back to Scotland today to stay at my mums for 6 days then we are off the Malaysia. Slightly worried we won’t get home though as major strikes across Spanish airports… we are flying from Barcelona airport.😅 wish us luck!

After the whole sea pass drama and missing our excursion in Ponta Delgada, I won’t lie… it took a bit of a reset mentally. At the time it felt like a big deal, especially when you’ve been at sea for days and you’re really looking forward to getting off the ship. But one thing cruising keeps teaching us over and over again is this… Not every day goes to plan, and that is okay. Fast forward a couple of days, and we have now had two completely different port days in Lisbon and Cádiz, both done entirely on our own, and both reminders of why we actually prefer doing ports this way. Lisbon This was a bit of an unusual one straight away, gangway didn’t open until 11:30am, which changes your whole day. We still got up early though, purely to watch sail in, and if you ever get the chance to sail into Lisbon… do it. Going under the bridge is one of those moments that just feels different. We had no excursion booked and decided just to walk the city. Ended up being out for about 4 hours, no real plan, just taking it all in. That’s honestly when cruising feels at its best for us, when you are not rushing between “must-see” spots and just experiencing the place. We debated the hop-on hop-off buses right at the port, but the weather made the decision easy… just walk. Back onboard, we did the North Star (free version). This is one of those things that used to be fully free, now it’s a mix of free and paid depending on the experience. We wouldn’t personally pay the $45pp for the extended version, but the free one still gives you great views. Cádiz Completely different pace, and probably one of our favourite stops so far. This is the kind of port where you don’t need to overthink it. You can walk straight off the ship and you are in it. We headed along the coast first and ended up at the Castle of San Sebastián, which is completely free and just a really nice walk with views the whole way. From there we made our way back towards the Cathedral of Cádiz, grabbed some breakfast and coffee right outside it, and just sat taking it all in.

We arrived into Ponta Delgada after 5 sea days and had a Royal Caribbean excursion booked, the Sete Cidades Hike. It was one we were both really looking forward to. We did everything right, or so we thought.😆 Up early, coffee, breakfast, checked into the Royal Theatre, got our group number and sat waiting. I nipped to the bathroom, our number got called, and as we were walking off the ship I realised I didn’t have my SeaPass card. I had used it for Starbucks and to check in, so I knew I had it earlier, but it had disappeared somewhere between those moments. I ran back to retrace my steps, nothing. Straight to Guest Services for a replacement, but by that point it was too late and we missed the excursion. It is one of those things that sounds small, but on a port day it completely changes your plans. Always double check you have your SeaPass card before your group is called, not when you are walking off the ship. If you anre anything like me, it’s easy to assume it is in your bag or pocket because it usually is. Today proved that one small miss can cost you a full day. Also worth knowing, Guest Services can reprint your card quickly, but they can’t hold excursions for you. If your group goes, it goes. We still made the most of the day with a walk around the town and had Izumi booked for dinner, which saved it slightly, but it was definitely a lesson learned. Simple one, but one I won’t be making again. Has anyone else had a small mistake like this that ended up ruining a plan? Always good for others to learn from it.