I work on a cruise ship – here’s what life is really like on board and my must-have while living for nine months at sea

A CRUISE ship performer has revealed what it’s really like to live and work on an international voyage.

Rachael Hudson, from Ramsbottom, Manchester, plays Pixel in The Effectors II: Crash ‘n’ Burn on board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder Of the Seas. 

Starting with the most important thing, she told the Daily Mail that her day begins with a cup of Yorkshire tea because “home comforts are so important when you are away from home”.

The singer then prepares for her performances, which run four nights a week to the delight of the ship’s passengers.

She explained: “Show days are the busiest and start with a tech run to make sure all the technical aspects of the show are working correctly.”

Even though work takes up a lot of her time, she still finds plenty of opportunities to explore both the ship and its various stopping points.

After the show’s tech rehearsal, she will walk around one of the vessel’s eight neighbourhoods, each with their own distinctive character.

Her favourite is the Central Park neighbourhood, which boasts over 10,000 live flowers and plants, as well as plenty of good restaurants and cafes.

Describing the lovely area Rachael said: “This is one of my favourite places on the ship – you sometimes forget you are at sea.”

She also tries to look around the different port towns where the ships stops, but admits she prefers to do so when she doesn’t have a show on so she can fully relax.

Her lunch break isn’t half bad either, as she explained: “Our current itinerary visits Naples and Capri every week and I have found many hidden gems for Italian coffee and pizza, usually accompanied with a limoncello spritz, (on a non-show day of course!)

“I will often lay out and catch some rays too.”

Then 5pm onwards it’s all hands on deck, so to speak, for the big show.

“Show preparation time includes showering, doing my makeup and getting my superhero mode engaged for my current role!”, said Rachael.

Her routine also includes a vocal warm up and a “little boogie”.

At 6.30pm she heads to the theatre for a sound check and to get into costume, ready for the two shows each night.

The first runs from 8.30pm and the second from 10.30pm

After the show, the crew will head down to Giovanni’s Wine Bar for a drink and a game of cards or pool to kick back.

Talking about the best parts of life on the seas, the star, who has worked with Royal Caribbean for 13 years, said: “There is nothing better than waking up to the ocean view.

“It is pretty crazy to think the world’s largest cruise ship has become my home.”

However, she admits that it is a struggle not to see family and friends for months on end.

She added: “I do also miss everyday things such as driving or cooking so I make sure I do plenty of that when I’m home.”