A mother of two has swapped her life on land for permanent residence on a cruise ship, raising her young children at sea for six months at a time — and says her son and daughter have absolutely no idea their upbringing is anything out of the ordinary.
Jessie Trondeau, 40, left her home in Pennsylvania to live aboard a cruise ship with her six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, documenting the family’s life at sea for her social media following. She told People magazine that the arrangement came about so the children could spend time with their father, Krasimir, who works as a crew member on board.
Far from the chaotic existence some might imagine, Trondeau describes the family’s daily routine as structured and remarkably ordinary. Mornings begin with breakfast, followed by two to three hours of schoolwork. The children then head to the ship’s kids’ club while Trondeau has time to herself, before the family reconvenes for swimming, dinner and an evening show. “Almost every night we see a show,” she told People. “And then we do books and bedtime.” On days the ship docks, the family explores destinations together — with ports including Bermuda and St. Maarten among their stops.
For her children, none of this registers as unusual. “For them, this is basically just home,” Trondeau explained. “They don’t see it as strange.” She told People her four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son have “zero concept” that their lives differ from those of their peers on land.
Trondeau is candid about the realities of the arrangement, pushing back against the assumption that shipboard life is entirely effortless. While she does not need to cook, she remains responsible for laundry, dishes and keeping on top of the general disorder that accumulates around small children. “I’m not complaining in any way,” she wrote in one social media post. “Life is good — but it comes with chores.” She also admits to being the only member of the family who suffers from seasickness.
Not everyone has been entirely supportive. Some followers have questioned whether life at sea provides sufficient stability for young children. Trondeau has met those concerns directly. “Stability is extremely important, and schedules and discipline are crucial,” she replied to one critic. “That’s why I’m so glad my children have such stable lives.”
She has acknowledged that the arrangement will not last indefinitely, writing on social media that as her children grow older she will look to transition the family towards a more conventional lifestyle. For now, however, she says they are taking things one voyage at a time — and that life at sea remains, in her own words, “fun in an enormous amount of ways.”
