A woman who spends half the year living on a luxury cruise ship says Christmas at sea beats Christmas at home for one key reason.
Mollie works as a guest presenter on high-end cruise liners, splitting her time between life on the waves, travelling the world and short stints back home.
The 38-year-old says she gets to tick off bucket-list destinations while paying “almost zero expenses”.
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And while the festive season can be exhausting for people on dry land, Mollie says Christmas onboard is a breeze.
“I have spent many, many Christmases onboard and I love it,” Mollie, from Seattle, Washington, told Need To Know.
“The ship is beautifully decorated for the holidays.
“Santa comes onboard for the kids, there’s a holiday crew show for the guests and a tree lighting.
“Plus the ships are usually in places like the Caribbean – so sunshine for Christmas is different than the cold back home in Seattle.
“I love it because back in America I find holidays to be a bit exhausting and overwhelming with all the excess.
“Onboard it is more light and relaxed.
“It’s not so much about presents – maybe teams might have a little gift exchange – and Christmas is over in a day.
“Then it’s on to New Years.
“On December 31, there is a huge party on the outside decks for guests and officer staff.
“We have a live band, a countdown and fun hats.
“New Years crowns are passed out to guests and crew.
“There is great music and dancing, and everyone dresses up.”
Mollie has worked in a string of cruise ship roles since 2011 after deciding a traditional nine-to-five life was not for her.
She said: “After finishing college and getting an education degree I felt stuck on the idea of going into the ‘real’ world.
“The education system and the politics in the US didn’t motivate me to become a teacher anymore.
“I was 22 at the time and all my friends were applying for corporate jobs, getting married and saving for mortgages.
“Something inside of me felt like…wait, is this it?
“Is this how life is supposed to go? College to job to house to family?
“Just work, work, work, retire, then travel, then die?
“That didn’t fit for me.”
Instead, Mollie followed a family member’s suggestion to apply for cruise ship work and quickly landed a job teaching computer lessons to passengers.
She said: “I applied and they hired me right away.
“Before I knew it I was on a plane to Fort Lauderdale to start a 10-day Panama Canal cruise through the Caribbean.
“That was 2011.
“I’ve been working on ships ever since.”
In 2016, Mollie met her now-husband, a maritime engineer, and the pair tied the knot in 2023.
Because both work at sea, the couple often take turns sailing and sometimes live onboard together, even when one of them is not officially working.
Mollie said: “When the pandemic hit I lost my job, but he didn’t.
“I sailed onboard with him as ‘wife onboard’ until I was re-hired as a guest presenter in 2024.”
Now she works contracts lasting three to four months, sailing to dream destinations around the world.
Her husband joins her before returning to his own contracts.
Once her cruise ends, Mollie spends a few weeks back home, catching up with friends and family, before joining her husband’s ship as a ‘wife onboard’.
She said: “When his contract is finished we leave the ship together in June and live out the summer months in the Netherlands until September when he goes back onboard.
“We will join the ship together and I will sail as a wife onboard until his contract ends in December.
“From December to January, we spend the winter holidays either in Koh Phangan, Thailand or on the island of Curacao until my contract starts again after the new year.
“We go from his ship, to my ship, to his ship, to The Netherlands, to his ship, to Curacao or Thailand, then do it all over again!”
One of the biggest perks, Mollie says, is having “almost zero expenses”, with food, accommodation and bills all covered.
She said: “Each day you’re in a new place or have new location to explore.
“There’s always something to do and you meet new people from all over the world.
“You can book speciality dining onboard for an additional fee – there are really great, high quality restaurants to choose from – you can participate in onboard activities, and you can order room service 24 hours a day.”
But life at sea does have its downsides.
Mollie, a self-confessed “huge dog lover”, says missing out on having pets is tough, while some routes can start to feel repetitive.
She said: “When me or my husband work, there are no days off – it’s an everyday job while onboard.
“You may also have to miss big events like weddings, funerals or births due to being away at sea.”
During her 14 years working onboard ships, Mollie has visited 103 countries.
Her favourites include Moorea in French Polynesia, Amsterdam, Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, Koh Phangan in Thailand and the Seychelles.
She said: “This is the most asked question I get – but I find every place is very uniquely different in its own ways.
“It’s always about what you’re doing and who you’re with – that’s what makes a place extra memorable.”
