People ask me all the time how I manage to cruise so often without taking weeks off from work. The answer usually surprises them.
I don’t stop working when I cruise. I just work smarter.
After years of writing from cruise ships, I’ve figured out a routine that lets me stay productive, meet my deadlines, keep my social media active, and still spend the rest of the day enjoying everything the ship has to offer. By lunchtime (sometimes by late breakfast), I’m usually finished working while everyone else is just deciding whether to head to the pool or grab a second breakfast.
Here’s exactly how I make it happen.
I Treat Cruise Mornings Like My Office
I’m an early riser. Always have been. It’s from years of working in the coffee business. As a manager, I loved being FIFO (first in, first out – just like the milk in the walk-in) with my shift starting at 6:00 am. So, while most passengers are still asleep, I’m already dressed and heading for coffee.
Some mornings I wander down to the ship’s coffee shop, find a quiet corner with a view of the ocean, and open my laptop. Other mornings, especially on lazy sea days, I call room service and order a pot of coffee so I can work from the desk in my pajamas. Once in a while, I’ll take it out onto the veranda, but I tend to get distracted (plus, I need a table or desk to work at or my neck will be screaming at me).
It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of cruising.
The ship is peaceful. The ocean is calm. There are no meetings. No ringing phones. No interruptions except maybe the occasional waiter asking if I’d like another cortado (they know my order by heart).
I’ve discovered that I’m actually more productive on a cruise than I am at home.
I Have a Routine, and I Stick to It
One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to work while traveling is thinking they’ll “fit it in later.” Later rarely happens.
Instead, I give myself a simple schedule.
Every morning:
- Coffee first.
- Laptop open.
- Email.
- Writing.
- Social media.
- Then vacation.
Because I do it in the same order every day, it becomes automatic. There’s no debating whether I feel like working. I simply get it done.
I Only Pay for WiFi on One Device
Cruise WiFi isn’t cheap. The cruise lines I travel on often include one WiFi device as a loyalty perk (it comes with the territory when you cruise or gamble often staying loyal to one or two lines). Rather than paying for a second connected device, I keep my laptop connected to the ship’s internet because that’s where I do the majority of my writing.
That single-device strategy has saved me hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the years. At the same time, it created one problem. I still need my phone. When you have a one-device plan, you have to switch back and forth between your phone and computer, turning one off if you’re using the other. After having to deal with 2-factor log-ins that had texts sent to my phone while the phone was off (or if I switched, I’d lose the site that I was logging in to), I realized that needing both was a must. But it wasn’t an extra $224 per week problem. That’s a LOT for the use of an extra phone.
My Secret Weapon Is OneRoam
This is where OneRoam completely changed the way I work while traveling. I keep my laptop connected to the ship’s WiFi and my phone connected through OneRoam.
OneRoam uses eSIM technology, which means there’s no tiny SIM card to swap out. You simply purchase your plan, install the eSIM digitally (FYI, I’m 72 and if I could do it, so can you), activate it when your trip begins, and you’re connected. The service is designed to work across both land and sea, offering unlimited data plans in more than 150 destinations and on over 210 cruise ships, so you don’t have to juggle different services as you move between ports and countries.
One of the reasons I’ve become such a fan of OneRoam is that it takes all of the guesswork out of staying connected. Instead of hunting for local SIM cards, worrying about surprise roaming charges, or figuring out what happens when the ship pulls into another country, I simply know my phone is ready to go. OneRoam is designed specifically for travelers, whether you’re crossing international borders, spending days at sea, or hopping from one port to the next. The setup takes just a few minutes on an unlocked, eSIM-compatible phone, and then it’s one less thing to think about while you’re traveling.
That means I can be writing an article on my computer while simultaneously:
- checking Instagram messages,
- responding to texts,
- uploading Stories,
- answering WhatsApp,
- fact-checking something online,
- or posting on social media from my phone.
It feels exactly like working from home, and for someone whose business depends on being connected, that’s a game changer.
I also love that OneRoam uses a simple pay-by-day pricing model. I only pay for the days I’m actually traveling, which makes budgeting a whole lot easier. And because I travel so often, the Roam Rewards loyalty program is a nice bonus that gives frequent travelers even more value over time.
Even better?
I don’t just use it for work. When my husband travels with me, OneRoam keeps him connected too. He’s not working on vacation. He isn’t carrying around a laptop. He simply wants to text Ben to find out about the game the night before if the ship didn’t carry it on the TV, check the weather, pull up Google Maps in port, look up a restaurant, or check on his one and only grandson who’s the love of our lives.
OneRoam is perfect for that. Whether you’re a cruise passenger, business traveler, digital nomad, or someone who simply wants reliable service wherever your trip takes you, it’s an easy way to stay connected without adding another travel headache to your vacation.
Meanwhile, I need both my laptop and my phone running all morning. It truly is the best of both worlds.
- To sign up or learn more go to OneRoam.com
I Make Sure My Readers Know I’m Still Traveling
Social media doesn’t stop because I’m on vacation. If anything, people want to see cruise content while I’m actually on the ship. So, I try to publish at least one social media post every single day.
- Sometimes it’s a Reel.
- Sometimes it’s an Instagram carousel.
- Sometimes it’s just a beautiful sunrise from my balcony with my morning coffee.
Posting daily keeps my audience engaged, keeps the algorithms happy, and reminds readers that I’m out there experiencing destinations in real time. Plus…let’s be honest. It’s hard not to take pictures on a cruise.
I Write Every Morning
No matter what.
Even if I only have one hour.
Some mornings I’ll finish an entire article before breakfast. Other days I’m researching, outlining, or polishing something that takes two or three mornings to complete. Writing doesn’t have to happen all at once. Progress is still progress. By showing up every morning, those articles eventually get finished without me ever feeling like work is taking over my vacation.
I Don’t Feel Guilty About Working
This is probably the biggest mindset shift I’ve made.
People sometimes assume I’m “working on vacation.” I see it differently. I’m taking my office somewhere far prettier. Instead of staring out my home office window, I’m watching dolphins race alongside the ship. Instead of hearing traffic, I hear waves. Instead of fluorescent lights, I have Caribbean sunshine. It’s still work. It’s just work with a much better view.
By Mid-Morning, I’m Done
The beauty of being an early riser is that my husband usually wakes up just as I’m wrapping up. By the time he’s ready for breakfast or to explore the ship, my emails are answered. My article is written. My social media is scheduled. My deadlines are met.
Then I close the laptop.
The rest of the day belongs to us. We wander the promenade, explore ports, relax by the pool, watch shows, enjoy dinner, and do everything everyone else on board is doing. The difference is that I never spend the entire cruise wondering how much work is waiting for me when I get home.
There isn’t any.
My Biggest Secret Isn’t Technology
Yes, having the right connectivity makes a huge difference. Between the ship’s WiFi for my laptop and OneRoam on my phone, I can stay productive without paying to connect every device I own. But the real secret isn’t JUST the technology. It’s consistency.
A simple morning routine. An hour or two of focused work. Then permission to enjoy the rest of the day completely guilt-free.
That’s how I’ve managed to cruise again and again, keep my business running, meet every deadline, and still experience every sunset, sail-away party, and unforgettable port along the way.
Because the best office I’ve ever had just happens to float.
