Mum who lives on a cruise ship with a toddler says she enjoys free laundry and childcare
If you thought raising a toddler was tricky, imagine what it'd be like if you lived on a cruise ship.
A Scottish mum has documented her life living aboard a cruise with her fiancé and her almost two-year-old son.
Sure, they get free laundry and childcare. But in their tiny crew cabin, space is an issue.
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Chelsea lives in a cruise ship crew cabin with her toddler and fiancé. Tiktok
In a video shared to TikTok, Chelsea showed off the small cabin they live in on board the ship where her partner works as a second safety officer.
She says the biggest struggle is keeping the room clean and tidy, while making sure baby Mattia has enough room to play and explore.
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His travel cot takes up a lot of their floor space. "Even though Mattia sometimes comes in our bed, some nights… the reason we have this [travel cot] is because at least we can have some part of the night where we're not all crammed in the bed," Chelsea shared.
She then showed off the tiny bathroom that the three of them share, with a shower, toilet, and Mattia's inflatable tub crammed in too.
The family live at sea part time. TikTok
Despite the space constraints, Chelsea says she loves living at sea - she used to work on ships, too, so doesn't find it too tricky to get used to.
She explains that crew are allowed to bring their family on board for a set amount of time.
"I come on board for eight weeks at a time," she says, "which is the family and friends limit."
"We could split that up, or we can do it consecutively." Chelsea and her family chose to do an eight-week consecutive stint on board, as the ship is based out of Miami and she doesn't want to fly back and forth from Italy, where they live.
The family live at sea for eight weeks at a time. MSC
The main issue, she says, is trying to keep all of Mattia's toys organised, as he tends to strew them all over the cabin no matter how many times she picks up after him.
Also, the tiny bathroom cabinet doesn't have enough space to store all their toiletries.
In the comment section, many other cruising parents shared their tips and tricks.
"I know many people who bring along back-of-the-door hanging organisers for their bathroom items that could help you get your extras off the floor," one person wrote.
They also recommended that Chelsea get some pop-up crates for the little one's toys.
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Chelsea is showing her son the world via cruise ship. TikTok
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Another said that magnetic hooks saved them while on a cruise, helping them to manage mess and clutter.
Though they have a home in Italy, the family of three spend eight weeks at a time on board a luxury ship, in this small crew room.
After one of her followers was curious about how she manages to stay sane in such a small space, Chelsea uploaded this nearly ten-minute video for her followers.
She admits that they don't spend too much time in the cramped quarters, choosing to enjoy the ship's amenities like the pools, playgrounds, restaurants or outdoor sun decks.
"I feel like a pro now. I feel like I know what I'm doing," she concluded her video.
