For most individuals, a cruise is every week or so trip after which it is again to actuality. For Greg Brockman, a cruise is extra like his second home.
He spends roughly six months onboard Royal Caribbean ships, reserving a sequence of cruises in a row in a kind of “binge” to remain onboard for weeks at a time earlier than a quick return house.
Naturally, folks have questions on how he can handle to do that. Greg is not retired and nonetheless works.
Right here’s what Greg says in regards to the actuality of dwelling at sea for months at a time, together with the perks, the drawbacks, and the methods that make it attainable.
Do you get bored with visiting the identical locations?
Royal Caribbean ships are likely to repeat the identical itineraries usually. Whereas the cruise line welcomes repeat cruisers, the sailings aren’t designed for somebody to successfully dwell onboard.
“Relating to touring onboard ship, after a number of weeks, it feels extra like house than dwelling in a floating resort room,” Greg says.
He picks a ship primarily based on what it provides to maximise his time onboard, “You search for leisure choices, eating choices, and native actions which are interesting and align together with your pursuits.”
Even when the ports repeat, the expertise adjustments. “Though the ports is likely to be the identical, consecutive cruisers can attest, there generally is a dramatic distinction within the expertise primarily based in your fellow passengers. Some crowds are extra energetic and outgoing than others.”
How Greg pays for all these cruises
You is likely to be questioning how he can afford to pay to cruise for half the 12 months, and the on line casino is his secret weapon.
You’ll be able to earn complimentary cruises by playing sufficient in Royal Caribbean’s on line casino, and he maximizes that perk.
“The on line casino performs an enormous position in my means to journey as a lot as I do on the funds I set for myself,” he explains.
“I took 100% of my cruise fare as my funds for the on line casino and I performed simply sufficient to earn a complimentary inside cabin. Then I cease taking part in.”
From there, he makes use of “Pay Now, E-book Later” to lock in future freeplay, then books consecutive cruises.
“It’s cheaper to pay to improve to a balcony than play the factors, until I’m on an enormous successful streak,” Greg says.
Based on Greg, the on line casino loyalty program has let him cruise “30+ sailings a 12 months for normally far lower than 50% of the cruise fare.”
The on line casino does require 200 factors on comp cruises to maintain the provides coming, however Greg has even “earned the cruise certificates utterly on their cash and spent none of mine.”
Working from a cruise ship
Since Greg is not retired, he nonetheless must put in work and he does it from onboard.
For the final three years, Greg has labored as an actual property coach and coach. Since most of his job may be carried out remotely, he is capable of take Zoom conferences and cellphone calls from the ship.
He will get free web packages from each his Pinnacle standing and on line casino perks, which not solely retains him related however reduces the out of pocket prices.
Typically, he even works from unconventional spots: “Often, I used to be in a position to make use of vacant rooms within the convention middle in a pinch, with visitor providers approval.”
Greg believes cruise traces might take this additional: “With an increasing number of careers providing distant work choices, Royal might get a leap on ‘Distant at Sea’ to accommodate a rising variety of distant employees.”
Do you get sick of the meals?
“The meals may be difficult, however there are such a lot of choices,” Greg explains. He cycles between specialty eating, the Important Eating Room, Windjammer, and different eating places like Cafe Promenade, or Park Cafe.
“With extra cruises come extra Crown and Anchor factors. I’m lucky to have Coastal Kitchen entry on Oasis, Quantum, and Icon Class ships,” he says.
He claims the cooks typically even go off-menu for back-to-back friends: “They’ve provided some customized dishes and meals they don’t usually make.”
Over time, his consuming habits shift, “After 7–10 days onboard, I’m much less all for breads and the pizzas, however discover I’m consuming extra usually however far smaller parts.”
“It’s been a couple of days since anybody has starved on a cruise ship, and I discover I’m skipping the cookies for a banana, kiwi, pineapple, or different contemporary fruit possibility.”
The drawbacks of cruising a lot
It isn’t all rainbows, unicorns, and Sorrento’s pizza if you cruise for an prolonged time frame.
One draw back is making an attempt to steadiness his social life at house versus onboard, “I’ve land mates that by no means cruise, after which I’ve fellow vacationers who I see onboard. This may pressure relationships with each over time in the event you don’t work to attempt to preserve each.”
Cruise friendships, he says, are “essentially the most forgiving for not staying in contact straight.”
Being aside from his canine can be a unfavorable to how a lot he travels, “I’ve a canine at house — Sasha, named after a Royal Caribbean ice skater I met on Liberty — a 6-year-old Samoyed that I depart with mates whereas I’m gone. That can be why I break up my journeys into 3–6 week blocks so I can spend time along with her.”
And identical to his mates at house, cruising means being aside from household, “My sister and husband have visited me on numerous ships, together with the latest 8-night Northern European Cities crusing on Independence on June 19, 2025. My mother stayed on with me for the subsequent two. My brother and his household joined me on Ovation for an Alaska crusing.”
Crew members matter much more if you’re onboard so usually
Being on a cruise ship for such a protracted time frame has afforded him the chance to get to know lots of crew members, and he values these friendships.
“The bonus on prime of the wonderful journey adventures are the friendships I’ve with crew,” Greg says. “Some even play a task on which ships I guide as a result of I do know the Resort Director or the Cruise Director onboard.”
He’s additionally a self-professed Royal Leisure junkie, “In November/December 2024, I spent 6 weeks on Attract and watched virtually each exhibiting of Mamma Mia.”
When he boarded Independence of the Seas this summer time, “I used to be acknowledged by 3 crew members I’ve sailed with up to now. There’s a full feeling of leisure if you see a well-recognized face.”
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