Title: My Sea Adventure During the Pandemic: Lessons from Being at Sea for 100 Days
Author: Mel @BrokeGirlRich | Date: June 24, 2020
Hi friends, I’m thrilled to bring you a story from my friend Iris, who happens to be a fellow sea survivor, dating back to our cruise ship days. While I’ve since moved back to solid ground, Iris now lives her life at sea, having married a sailor. Amid the pandemic, she’s been enduring the difficulties of being stuck in the ocean. If you’re curious about her unique experiences and travel tales, check out her lovely blog – Life of Iris.
What 100 Days at Sea Taught Me
The COVID-19 crisis has affected individuals in different ways. Some have lost jobs or experienced reduced work hours, while others have shifted to remote work. Money management saw new trends too, with some folks saving more because of fewer outings, while others turned to online shopping, causing their expenses to mount.
Stuck aboard a cruise ship in Manila Bay, Philippines, I have nowhere to go and hence, have saved a fair bit. It’s been 100 days since my last terrestrial day, and ironically this also corresponds to my upcoming journey back to the states!
My husband and I were on board this cruise ship together. But changes in the policy are causing my forced disembarkation. Alas, he isn’t free to join me. His status as an “essential worker” binds him to stay until governments grant visas and permissions for cruising staff to take over.
Stuck in red tape, my husband’s stuck at sea, well beyond his contract’s ending. But, admittedly, he’s not alone in this predicament.
I must mention that I’m mostly unemployed, depending on my husband’s salary for the majority of my living expenses. Our friend Mel, BrokeGirlRich’s founder, knows my struggle of transitioning from juggling multiple jobs to occasional work. To spend more time with my husband – given his job – I opted to step back, prioritising his career, which offered higher income and better retirement benefits.
When the pandemic struck, I found myself on his workplace, this cruise ship, sailing around and trying to drop off crew members at their respective countries.
After a journey from Australia to South Africa, through Malaysia and Indonesia, we’re now in the Philippines. The irony of our situation never fails to strike me. Yes, being stuck on a ship sucks, but it also means that my husband still holds a job and brings in a paycheck – something we heavily rely on.
As much as we’ve sacrificed for our finance’s stability, this experience made me realize how vulnerable we were, depending much on a single income, just like a trust fall. Making a safety net for ourselves has done wonders for our peace of mind.
Stuck on a cruise ship isn’t entirely dreadful. In fact, we’ve managed to save quite a bit. Our online spending has taken a nosedive with no packages or mail in sight. Our purchases extend only to the essentials. My husband’s worn-out socks being a testament, mended by my needle to last till our next shopping spree.
As things start to open up on land, we remain isolated with limited amenities open, but no living expense like food, electricity, tissues or toilet paper. My major outlay being the annoyingly expensive internet plans and occasional splurges on beers and a $3 Cosmo.
Life onboard is pretty mundane but has had its advantages. Sure, it’s the same people every day, the repetitiveness being draining, yet it’s also brought us all closer, carving a family out of us all.
Everyone’s experience during this pandemic is unique, and so is their financial journey. I’m grateful for my husband’s job security and our financial safety net that we diligently built. For us, the financial strain hasn’t been a significant issue, but rather the mental toll of being stuck at sea.
Here are a few hard-learned pearls of wisdom from my 100-days sea experience:
1. An emergency fund imparts unparalleled peace of mind.
2. Financial security often demands sacrifices: Essential job means being stuck on board, away from family, but it also guarantees a paycheck.
3. Saving can be as simple as repairing clothes, limiting unnecessary purchases or eating out less.
4. My threshold for entertainment has drastically simplified. Books, sewing and walks now are more than enough to keep me content.
With everyone holding a different pandemic narrative and financial story, all we can really do is buckle up and ride through this unique yet challenging time at sea!