‘I quit my boring job and now get paid to travel the world earning £3k a month’

A plumber from Devon quit his job to become a musician on a cruise ship and has since seen his bank balance thrive.

Jack Nolan, 33, turned his back on the “dull” daily grind for a life at sea, becoming a musician on a cruise ship and has since earnt more money and accumulated more passport stamps. He branded his old job as “boring” and “unfulfilling”, and since setting sail in 2016, he’s been pocketing £3,315 every month.

Opening up about his sea-faring lifestyle, Jack shared insights into the live-and-work balance aboard the vessel. As a singer and guitarist, he performs most evenings but then enjoys whole days to himself, savouring each new port of call without the pinch of paying rent or bills, as his accommodation and meals are all part of the cruise package.

From exploring ancient ruins at Greece’s Acropolis, marvelling at Rome’s Colosseum, diving into the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the charming Shire at Hobbiton in New Zealand, to unwinding in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, Jack’s adventure list is impressive. The Exeter lad expresses gratitude for such a job, he said: “Not many jobs will let you see so many countries and experience so much culture.”

Jack added: “We also don’t pay for rent or food which is great – as they are two of life’s biggest expenses.”

Before setting sail on his cruise career, Jack earned a university degree and had gained trade skills. He recalled how he fitted bathrooms for three years and slogged in a plumbing shop, living just for the weekends.

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But now, Jack enjoys his weekends as much as the weekdays. “I was burned out and ultimately knew I didn’t want to do that job for the rest of my life,” Jack shared.

In 2016, Jack received a call from a friend he had previously collaborated with at a wedding. His friend, a drummer, was inquiring if Jack knew any guitarists for a band he was forming. Jack said: “I told him I’d love to do it, and from there we recorded a promo video in sent it to agents, and we landed our first gig on a ferry in 2016.”

He continued: “We then found another agent who found us a real cruise contract. After that, we were offered more jobs on different ships and I was so excited. The ships went to places like the Caribbean and I had never been.”

Jack revealed that some cruise-workers also run their own “side-hustles” – such as hairdressing and barbers. He earns an additional £20 per hour conducting his own art auctions on board the ship, as well as performing in the band. Often, he’ll spend an afternoon in one country before heading to another by noon the next day.

“I loved the ancient Acropolis in Greece and the Colosseum in Rome,” he commented. “Visiting Vancouver, Jamaica, and bungee jumping off the Auckland bridge, were some other highlights. Today we are in Palma, Mallorca – tomorrow we could be in France.”

“Each day we wake up in another country,” he added.

Jack revealed relationships between colleagues aren’t prohibited – and are actually “very common”. But they can cause a lot of crew tension – and he said working there is sometimes like living in uni halls.