Remote Workers Take to the Seas

Ronny Pettersen likes to play a game. He switches on his virtual background during video meetings, and waits to see how long — or if — people notice he’s working from a sailboat.

“I kind of had this challenge,” he said. “Will they find out? Will they notice? The challenge is to have internet access that’s good enough, so the video is perfect. If it’s really windy, I may be sliding away, so I try to see if anyone notices. That’s a fun thing I like to do.”

Pettersen, an engineer for Webex, which is part of Cisco, isn’t alone in working remotely, but he’s fairly unique in that he decided to take to the ocean. The pandemic was a breaking point for him, and after being stuck in his apartment in Olso, Norway, he bought the boat in May last year.

Ronny Pettersen, an engineer for Webex at Cisco, works remotely from a sailboat. Picture: Ronny Pettersen

“I figured, let’s do this. I knew the technology was there. I wanted as small a boat as possible that I could live in,” he said. “I spend a lot of time here, mainly because it works so well. My apartment is in Oslo, where there’s lots of traffic and noise. It’s calmer here, and a different way of living.”

Pettersen does have an advantage — he’s well-versed in remote work as he tests Webex software and hardware. But there’s also the mindset. He can spend four or five days sailing if there’s enough sunlight for the solar-powered battery.

“I’m waking up and jumping into the water. It’s better than coffee to wake up to,” he said.

Cisco only just recently formalized its hybrid future. But there’s influence from the top, as one exec manages 2,000 employees from a travel trailer. Lorrissa Horton, vice president and general manager of Webex Strategy, hit the road with her family last year.

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

Pettersen probably isn’t the target market for the cruise lines, but they are now catching on to people like him as ideal guests for the future.

Hurtigruten Expeditions has designated some of its itineraries as extra suitable for remote work, choosing regions where wi-fi is fast and reliable, even at sea. They include the U.S. West Coast, numerous Alaska and British Columbia sailings, and from Halifax to Boston.

“If your schedule is fairly flexible, you can work in your cabin or any of the open areas onboard the ship when you need to,” said Storm Tussey-Haverly, interim president, Hurtigruten Americas. “But for your extended breaks, you can explore national parks like Redwood, Acadia, or bear-watching in Katmai National Park.”

Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, is building technology roadmaps to address bandwidth, video conference capabilities, and other remote office requirements.

A balcony suite onboard Hurtigruten’s MS Roald Amundsen. Picture: Hurtigruten

“We know there is a significant pent-up demand for cruising, especially among past guests, but cruising also presents an opportunity for people to work remotely with the sea as the backdrop,” a spokesperson said. “Today’s workers have new tools and capabilities like never before to effectively work remotely from literally anywhere. It is the new normal for many companies.”

Employees at trade body Cruise Lines International Association have also been setting sail to work remotely.

There may be constantly changing backdrops, and the right technology in place, but this is a sector that historically struggles to win over the valuable “new-to-cruise” segment. Some cruise lines even go to great lengths to make ships look and feel anything like a cruise ship — Royal Caribbean’s Central Park concept, for example — to attract more people.

They also need to shake off their Covid-carrying reputation, having been seen as floating harbingers of doom over the past year, denied access to ports around the world.

But working in the cruise industry’s favor is that a lot of the tax implications might not be so complicated, according to one mobility expert. “If your company is happy for you to do it, then you work for a fantastic company, taking away all the aspects of whether you can realistically work on a cruise ship,” said James Tomlin, business development manager at IPM Global Mobility.

“Tax is probably where you’d get a challenge, and I’d take a step back and advise you should speak to a consultant. But I think really the length of any cruise is going to be relatively short, unless you’re doing a round-the-world cruise, so you wouldn’t come under any radar.”

Would the flag state of the ship come into the picture? Cruise lines are only just resuming itineraries, so it’s too soon to tell for now. “It’s an interesting one, but they’re so few and far between,” Tomlin added.

But the main thing with cruises is that people tend to love them or hate them. A case in point is a certain Royal Caribbean guest referred to as “Super Mario” who runs his business remotely from its ships full time. He has been on 818 sailings with the cruise line, and is its highest-ranking Pinnacle Club Member.

“Whether guests choose to travel with us for leisure or combine remote working and relaxation, we offer a number of services that enable guests to work onboard including iCafes and VOOM WiFi which are available to all guests,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Skift.

If the cruise lines can successfully entice remote workers onboard, they may well have found a valuable new niche.

Sidenotes

Airbnb missed an opportunity with its Live Anywhere on Airbnb digital nomad campaign, which ended on Tuesday.

It sought 12 participants (or groups) to offer them a year’s worth of free living in Airbnb properties. It’s also valuable market research, as the terms state the “winners” will need to provide ongoing structured video check-ins and share written diaries to relay experiences and learnings.

“These insights could help shape the future of long-term stays on Airbnb, including product changes and resources that would improve the long-term living experience, identifying ideal accommodations for specific group types,” according to the company.

It wanted to attract remote workers, creatives, empty nesters, young families, staycationers and digital nomads. It claims 314,000 people applied.

Who’s In?

Airbnb has fulfilled its brief, and there is a diverse range of backgrounds, with 10 countries represented. But take a look at the list. Note the absence of white-collar workers; where are the 9-5 office managers with bloodshot eyes from countless Zoom meetings? These employees could have done with a break like this. Instead, Airbnb is preaching to the converted.

We have Ben and Peta, who have been nomads for the past 14 years. Hendric from Singapore is a co-founder of travel content creator community The Travel Intern.  Jonathan from Canada is an adventure lifestyle activist who has cycled in 40 countries and on three continents.

There’s even an Airbnb Superhost: Stephanie from Tennessee. She already likes to travel, as along with her husband Peter has been to 70 countries.

Perhaps it’s too early for large organizations to endorse or sign up to this kind of extended competition. Another concern companies might have is: if it’s OK for one member of staff, shouldn’t it be possible for everyone? And then there’s those health and safety considerations that travel managers need to deal with.

It’s not say Airbnb isn’t taking steps in the right direction. For example, it’s just launched a tool that allows you to check the Wi-Fi speed of your Airbnb listing before you book. Experts have said this type of feature is crucial for digital nomads.

But Airbnb is missing a unique chance to showcase remote work as a viable option for a broad range of remote workers, rather than these mostly globe-trotting Insta-stars.

“Everyone’s watching Airbnb”, said Tanja Polegubic, CEO of Saltwater Nomads, during Zagreb Digital Nomad Week. Global stages like this don’t come around often.

10-Second Corporate Travel Catch-Up

Who and what Skift has covered over the past week: Air France, Amadeus, Azul, Deloitte, easyJet, Hyatt, IAG, Kayak, Marriott, private jets, Sabre, Transcorp Hotels, Traveloka,

In Brief

Luxembourg and Amsterdam Top Company Relocation List

The most popular destinations for employee relocation in 2021 include Luxembourg and Amsterdam, according to data from corporate housing startup AltoVita. Other key cities for 2021 include Dublin and Paris, but London and Madrid, among the top destinations for 2019, fell down the list for 2021. Meanwhile, AltoVita’s average length of stay booked in 2021 has increased by 23 percent, and is now 44 days, up from 36 days in 2019.

Airport Tech Provider SITA Expands in Jordan

Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques, or SITA, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan’s Crown Prince Foundation to help improve the career opportunities for students and young professionals. It will offer apprenticeships, internships and graduate programs as part of a three-year agreement, to help young Jordanians develop new skills and grow new career opportunities in the information technology sector, a sector identified as a priority area for the local economy.

Bain Wants to Cut Business Travel Emissions By One Third

Consultancy Bain & Company wants to reduce its travel — or scope 3 — emissions by 35 percent over the next five years. It’s also pledged to further reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions, which include activities such as heating and powering its offices, by 30 percent over the same period. It claims to have already eliminated 68 percent of its scope 1 and 2 emissions over the past decade by converting to 100 percent renewable electricity, improving the energy efficiency of its offices and finding ways to reduce waste from its operations.