A TRADERS' FORTNIGHT AT SEA
Tips from a Two-Week Voyage on the High Seas
Over the next 12 months I’ll be slow-travelling around the world with my family while working and trading. I’m very grateful that our ‘job’ gives many of us the opportunity to do this, so I thought it would be interesting to note down some thoughts along the way, which may hold some nuggets for other traders. As always, reach out if you’ve got any questions, or you can unsubscribe here.
I’ve had a few questions re trading on the cruise, so thought I would backtrack with some thoughts on this.
While embarking on a family cruise as a trader might set some alarm bells ringing, it's definitely possible and a great (and cheap) way to kick off long-term travel. I recently spent two weeks sailing from Sydney to Singapore with the Mrs and the boys (aged 9 and 11) while simultaneously ‘working’.
Beginning our year-long adventure with a cruise was a no-brainer for us. Firstly, our kids were understandably a little sceptical of this whole thing, mainly due to leaving their friends. We knew how much they loved the cruises (ie kids club) we had been on previously, so was a nice way to have a ‘test run’ and manage the transition in a way that we knew they would enjoy. Secondly, I fucking love cruises.
Key Considerations Before You Book:
Cruise Line Amenities: Obviously if you have kids, the kids club is key. There were not very many kids this time around for our boys to hang with (given it was during school term), so they only found a small posse to roam the ship all hours of the day, but we still barely saw them the whole cruise….which was bliss! There’s also a casino, daily bingo, and poker tournaments for us gambling degens. Slides, Pools, Table Tennis Tables, Air Hockey Tables, and a decent gym also important for me. The last few cruises we’ve done have been just bogan P&O lines, but think we might splurge next cruise for all the extra kids activites provided on some of the more expensive cruise lines.
Time Zones: Your ship's time zone will obviously impact your trading schedule. Plan your strategy around which markets are open when you're awake and connected. Factor in crucial hours for your trading style (scalping, day trading, etc.).
Connectivity: Even ships with 'high-speed' satellite internet may experience spotty service. Prepare for lags and the occasional frustration. Apparently they’re now using Starlink, although I think my cruise may have puchased the budget package. Also be prepared for outages and have backup plans in place (like placing contingent orders before the day begins). Outside of alcohol, this is the main expense on a cruise. Looking at ~$30 / day per device. I purchased one plan and used it across devices, which was a bit of a hassle to connect / reconnect to each device, but I couldn’t bring myself to paying >$1000 on Internet for two weeks.
Broker Compatibility: Make sure your trading platforms work smoothly on the ship's wifi network. I had various issues at different times. Test different devices (especially if planning to rely on a tablet or phone).
Cruise Musings:
Cruise Line Itineraries: The most common thing I hear when the topic of cruises comes up from people that haven’t been on one is something like; “Yeah might be ok for you, but I couldn’t do that. Just sit on a ship all day with nothing to do. Pffft. Boring!” Anyone that has actually been on one knows to call out this bullshit. The major problem I’ve found on all 6 cruises I’ve been on is there’s too much to do. 100’s of activities like music gigs, trivia, sports, movies, and some pretty impressive nightly shows form the daily itinerary. Also regular theme nights like Back to School, Formal etc.My advice would be to highlight the highest priority activities the day prior, and work your eating / sleeping / trading around that
Family Time vs. Work Time: Strike a happy balance. Having a dedicated workspace (even if it's just a bench near the buffet) and clear 'work hours' keeps family time sacrosanct. My boys understood the schedule and enjoyed exploring the ship during my focused intervals.
The Rooms: I’ve done all types of rooms; Interior, Interior with Window, Balcony, Stateroom. It’s obviously nice to have the balcony or extra space, but you’re rarely in the room apart from sleeping, so unless you’re claustraphobic, for the price, interior is fine in my opinion.
Things to Take: Lanyards, decent instant coffee, gym gear, sunglasses, pair of brightly coloured DT’s.
Pack accordingly: 99% of the time bikini / budgy smugglers, a singlet and thongs are fine, but even tropical destinations can get chilly at night on deck. Pack a long sleeve, jeans and a jacket.
DON'T: Disregard immigration fine print like we did. For Indonesia, entering the waters means you’ve activated your Visa, and it’s likely a ‘Single Entry’. Try and re-enter at another time and you’ll be up for additional coin and a couple of hour wait in a dark room at Immigration.
DON'T: Pre-book excursions, in my opinion unless you’re planning a full day experience where you may run short on time. If something delays you and you book through the Cruise, the ship will wait. If you haven’t, they won’t.
Food:
Food, glorious food. The standard and quality of food has risen 100% in my experience since the first cruise I went on 20 years ago. The main buffet was open pretty much from 7am - 10pm every day, with stations for Indian, Asian, Mexican, Roasts, Seafood, and Desserts. I found the quality and variety of food a solid 7.5/10. There were also 3 other A La Carte Restaurants with rotating menu’s that were top quality as well, which you can easily book through the app and would recommend you book these every day a couple of days in advance, even if you don’t end up going.
There are other restaurants that are not included in the fare that you can book, but I didn’t bother with these.
Drink:
There was definitely no RSA when I used to cruise with mates in the old days. We would drink until we couldn’t stand anymore, and then they would service us more. I’m pretty sure that’s changed nowadays, but regardless the last few times I’ve drunk little. You just tend to eat too much food to fit anything else in. A beer at lunch and sharing a bottle of wine at dinner is all I could muster. Prices are expensive, but no worse than what you pay down the local in Australia these days. Full service drink packages are ~$80-$100, but wouldnt recommend unless you’re really planning on writing yourself off from breakfast each day.
Cost of Living:
If you don’t drink a lot of booze and you grab a sale fare, cruising is, if not the cheapest, then definitely the best value living on the planet. Previously we’ve paid $1,200 for a 7 night cruise, this time we paid $3,300 for our 14 night cruise for 4 people, obviously all food / entertainment included, and including a $200 onboard credit and $1200 worth of flight vouchers (which we couldn’t use as we were not returning from Singapore).
Safety:
Not applicable. No issues.
MUST-HAVE APPS:
Each cruise line will have its own native app, which is gold for booking restaurants, viewing the itineries, etc.
Final Thoughts:
Might be because I’m getting (very small) grey hairs, but I really enjoy cruising. Maybe not for everyone, but if you haven’t been on one, would recommend you at least give it a go. You might like it.
Cheers
Marto
