I never imagined that a cruise would change the way I work. Thanks to its somewhat nightmarish conceit, including a bingo session full of pensioners, a bland buffet, seasickness, and a sleepy show at best, I wasn’t particularly drawn to it.
But as a member of the digital nomad community, living and working alone for almost a decade in everywhere from Argentina and Aruba to Belize and the British Virgin Islands, I repeatedly heard chatter about a company that I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Nomad Cruises was founded nearly a decade ago by Johannes Felkner, a German-born remote worker who wanted to combat the loneliness of the digital nomad community. He was tired of starting anew, making new connections at each destination, and moving on.
Mr. Volkner decided to gather a group of active and ambitious wanderers on a transatlantic voyage from Spain to Brazil. The long journey, which took place almost entirely at sea and was filled with events for remote workers at every stage of their careers, ended in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, 13 days later. The group reconvened in Jericoacoara, Brazil’s kitesurfing hotspot, and celebrated New Year’s Eve with champagne on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach. Nomad Cruises is now the premier on-water conference for digital nomads, culminating in a post-trip reunion.
Depart by boat from Tenerife Costa Diadema, I recently embarked on the company’s 13th voyage chartering the area on a regular 10-day transatlantic cruise for about 400 nomads. There was almost a 50-50 split between first-time cruisers and repeaters. With participants as diverse as an American self-expression coach in her early twenties and former zodiac sign Fiona Frank from Lancashire, the cruise becomes something of a twisted summer camp for adults, rife with groupthink. It dispelled my concerns that this might not be the case.
Packed with mastermind dinners, keynote sessions, business pitches, and even a talent show that would make Magic Mike blush, this cruise is both strenuous and inspiring. It turned out to be something.
As we sailed across the surprisingly wave-free Atlantic Ocean to Salvador, Brazil’s former capital, the morning and early afternoon were reserved for lectures and workshops by around 60 speakers. These ranged from breathing exercises, Kundalini yoga, and the “Billionaire Blog” to finding remote work, healing money wounds, and launching his own money-making affiliate program. The latter was presented by Rosanna López, a Dutch-Portuguese consultant and veteran of Nomad’s three cruises.
“The quality of the talks has improved,” she explained, acknowledging that the program has become more diverse. A full-time traveler since 2015, she is nomad and uses her time on her cruises to connect and disconnect.
Like me, she didn’t buy the high-speed SpaceX Starlink internet package, which costs up to 17 euros per day on board. “There’s a beauty in having to be on time, like in the days before smartphones,” she added. “You can meet people for real conversations without checking their social media profiles.”
Marie Brown, a French global talent acquisition consultant, came looking for connections between nomadic communities and found much more. “Cruise gave me the idea to create a marriage agency because a lot of nomads were looking for love,” she told me. She enjoyed the conversations about belonging and home, and enjoyed the heated debates raised in some of the workshops, such as discussions about the dark side of digital nomadism. Presented by University of Melbourne PhD candidate Sean Bastille, this session provided an opportunity to discuss the benefits and dangers of this seemingly idyllic lifestyle (gentrification, burnout, social isolation) .
An “unconference session” following the workshop provided opportunities for networking and conversation. Since I was already on the official 3-hour program each day, I tended to skip these in favor of hitting the top deck jacuzzi just before sunset.
With hundreds of seasoned professionals gathering toward the end of each day, conference downtime led to increased networking. Sometimes it felt like there were too many events.
While many participants shared cabins with strangers, I had been advised by a friend that having your own room was the key to avoiding cabin fever. The ocean view cabin was my sanctuary whenever I needed a break. For those seeking peace and solitude, it was the spa.
The structured daytime was the “work” section of the conference. Once the dinner preparations were completed from 7pm to 9pm, the “play” began. Evening entertainment (from silent disco to storytelling) was optional, but always packed, but it was a good time to regroup in the same room and perhaps track down a lost connection, a potential love interest, or a new travel companion. Because it was an opportunity to That’s when I finally realized it was okay to let my hair down. I jumped on stage twice for karaoke, but when I returned to track and field, I felt mentally and physically freed from responsibility.
As I got closer to Brazil, I realized how constantly I kept switching on, ignoring any real breaks. Many of the “independent business owners” I met seemed to have mastered this. I have met many “time millionaires” who have acquired wealth through real estate, cryptocurrencies, coaching, digital products and are able to prioritize recreation and leisure over financial capital. They focused on hobbies, health, and play, and figured out how to work smarter, not harder. I wanted to get to know their secrets.
For me, it started with the realization that I needed to protect my energy by being more careful with my invitations. After the cruise, with immense fomo (fear of missing out), I headed to a small island called Morro de São Paulo with a few other participants. I quickly regretted my decision as the constant rain cut off the island’s power supply, leaving me unable to tackle my groaning inbox. Since then, I have decided to spend time in a more intimate setting with the people I have bonded with the most.
In the end, this cruise taught me that solo travel doesn’t have to be so lonely and you just need a switch from work. It allows me to make meaningful connections while maintaining my independence and downtime, and now my weekends are set aside purely for downtime.
It was exactly what I needed. I found myself feeling confident enough to plan a solo trip to Japan during cherry blossom season with 12 like-minded strangers, and I left my laptop turned off from Friday night until Monday morning. Masu.
And I hope to cruise again soon, at least this way.
how do you do it
The next Nomad cruise will be a 13-day trip from Vancouver, Canada to Japan via Alaska on September 29th. Tickets for trans-Pacific trips in indoor shared cabins start at 2,000 euros.