“Does remote working work while -sailing on a catamaran? Or can you -really and do you want to work seriously on a cruise ship with thousands of tourists? Two trips on the sea with two completely. different workation experiences.” Sylvie Konzack and Kai Boecking
Arriving in Barcelona in October, the home of Teamspirit, where it’s still summery. Arriving in a charming chaos. Kendy, the head of technology, still touching every component of the catamaran. Geertje, who did a Greenland expedition in 2023, takes apart a rubber boat engine for the first time, as
if she had never done anything else. I’ll soon be cleaning the cabin vents, making the beds, tidying up – the start of a circumnavigation feels more mundane than expected. But in the end, it’s probably the most honest tension for the start of such a trip.
Michael, the man with the hat and focused gaze on board, had already undertaken a circumnavigation in 2015. At that time, he travelled for 15 months with changing crew members on his Polaris, a Hanse 47. The offshore yacht was often his own offshore office with a satellite phone, VHF and Wi-Fi networks for the continuation of his Teamgeist AG near Berlin. The circumnavigation was fulfilling a lifelong dream of his. Now Michael is scanning everything on the Teamspirit, which, with its many automatic systems, is comfortable and easier to sail on than the Polaris. The Go-for-Teamspirit tour is supposed to start tomorrow. When Christoph arrives, the decision is made to postpone it to the day after tomorrow due to the many construction sites. Christoph is the skipper this time and will now be on the road for about eight months. With a crew of four, who will change every two to four weeks, with people who are looking for a “temporary escape” and with internet for those who also want to work (free of charge via Starlink near the shore, with a fee at sea). Christoph will be one of the remote workers.. He has appointed managing directors for his companies back in Germany, but he wants to work for two hours every day on board via Starlink internet. Otherwise, he has cancelled almost everything at home for his dream of sailing around the world. Now the trips to the Canary Islands await him, then the Atlantic crossing and the Caribbean and finally the extents of the South Seas via the Panama Canal.
Michael, the other four of us and I are only on board for the very first week, where we will be sailing from Barcelona to Alicante. Also on board are Katja, the actress; Ricco, the restaurateur, Aaron, the director of the new 360-degree Teamgeist Resort near Berlin; and Sven, who manages one of the Teamgeist companies in Germany. With the exception of Katja and me, everyone has known each other for years and has often gone sailing together. Nevertheless, there is a special atmosphere in the air, especially when we set the mood in the evening by watching films of the first circumnavigation. Many stories of wild weather, many experiences with crew and people in faraway countries, travelling and living dreams in their purest form. The next day, as we visit the giants of the seas in -Barcelona, which are in town for the 35th America’s Cup, the tension starts rising.
And then we finally set off. For me however it’s not the first trip; I’ve been on fair-weather sailing trips with friends in the Adriatic Sea before and I’ve always enjoyed it. Now, as we leave the harbour with the team spirit flag flying in the most beautiful sunshine, I can already get the sense that the respect I held for the journey had every reason. We are soon racing diagonally across the Mediterranean sea, the sails hoisted, the ship permanently vibrating nervously. We want to cover distance to Valencia, sailing overnight, also because the weather is supposed to change afterwards. The mood is good, we even manage to catch a tuna. But soon me and one or two others are overcome by a constant feeling of nausea. I soon lie as if rooted to the spot on an outside seat and stare at the horizon, Remote work is impossible at the moment. So this is seasickness, which I had previously been spared from. But at some point during the next afternoon, Valencia is in sight and it gets louder on board again. The crew is celebrating life again.
I get around to do some work and write articles on board in the next two days, partly because we don’t go out due to a storm. We take a look at the city together, eat our tuna in different restaurant-friendly varieties, and enjoy la dolce vita on board and on land.
At dawn, we continue towards Alicante. Everyone has found their position on board, with the coast on one side and the sunrise on the other, we sail into absolute happiness with wind, waves and complete freedom. Nothing more is needed, old issues are far away and new ideas take shape. Sea@Work, when you don’t just want to sit infront of your laptop.
Kai Boecking: Luckily not a party cruise
Cruises were never an option for me as a bleisure traveller. Poor internet connection, expensive data packages and to be honest: who seriously wants to work on a big cruise ship with thousands of tourists?
I also started my Sea@Work at the America’s Cup 2024 in Barce-lona. During a flying visit, I took a look at the latest ship of the cruise giant MSC there. They said that everything would be different here, and that working on board would even be a selling point. They said that more wouldn’t be possible in the saturated market of cruising globetrotters. I decided to throw my prejudices about overcrowded mega-buffets, loud entertainment programmes and mini-pools full to the brim overboard. A few weeks later, I board the Explora 1, the first of a total of six planned luxury XXL yachts with all kinds of all-inclusive offers. I will travel from Bodrum to Athens for four days and work remotely as always. And I want to be left in peace, without any excursions or on-board dancing. Explora Journeys promises all of this to its customers. In addition, it offers an (almost) all-inclusive package, plenty of space and high-speed internet.
I check in on the ship in Bodrum, Turkey, with one of the many motivated employees. First impression: the finest Italian yacht design meets a five-star hotel. Polished wood, light-coloured floors, wide corridors, subtle lighting, an art exhibition with originals by
Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, six restaurants, bars, four outdoor pools, a spa, fitness centre and – hardly any hustling and bustling people. The other guests seem to be just as keen as I am on having a good time here, but not a party cruise.
The ship has 461 suites, residences and penthouses, all with a balcony or terrace and, depending on their size, an outdoor hot tub and separate sleeping and dining rooms. Butler service is included, as is round-the-clock room service. My Ocean Suite Terrace is the smallest at 35 sqm, but it has a walk-in wardrobe, a king-size bed, a sofa corner and a desk with a charging station. I don’t feel the sense of confinement that I remember from my few previous cruises. The butler not only helps me unpack, but also stocks my minibar.
On my short route, we travel at night and go ashore during the day. Or my strategy: I stay on board exactly then when everyone is attacking Paros, Rhodes or Katapola. Even the Explora cannot prevent us from always having company while anchoring and thus a flood of tourists pours onto the islands every day.
I’m happy to stay on the floating 5-star hotel. In the Conservatory Pool, under an enormous, retractable glass roof, I can even swim my laps early in the morning, which is truly surprising. The other three pools also offer what makes this ship truly different: space and tranquility, no fights over sun loungers, no loud music.
The culinary offers, with the exception of a special tasting menu at the Anthology Fine Dining Restaurant, is not only included, it is, above all, exclusive. There are no buffets – wow! From Japanese to steakhouse, from seafood restaurant to breakfast spot – every-thing is personally brought to your table. Or you can have the delicacies delivered directly to your terrace.
So I spend the whole day wandering around the ship with my laptop under my arm. I have a coffee in one of the lounges, an orange juice by the pool, an aperitif at sunset in the Sky Bar, and a nightcap on my balcony – and the Wi-Fi never lets me down for a second. The staff showed me a video of the Atlantic crossing, where they were able to watch the Super Bowl in high quality and in harmony with eachother.
I had expected to be well connected in the Mediterranean sea. So if I ever take one of the Explorer ships across the Atlantic, I’ll do the water-viewing and Wi-Fi endurance test. That will certainly be a completely different Sea@Work trip.
Kai Böcking & Sylvie Konzack …
…were both surprised at what is already technically possible in terms of remote working at sea. If you love the sea and are willing to invest the appropriate change, you can have some extraordinary and, above all, very different workation experiences here.
info go-for-teamspirit-tour
Since October 2024, the Teamspirit, a Lagoon 42 catamaran, has been sailing the world’s oceans for Teamgeist AG. After starting in Barcelona, it made stops in Alicante, Gibraltar, Gran Canaria and the Cape Verde Islands, and crossed the Atlantic before Christmas, stopping in St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Teamspirit has just crossed the -Panama Canal en route to the South Seas. The crew changes every four weeks.
The aim is to have several routes starting as part of the Go for Teamspirit Tour by 2030.
Further information and routes at go-for-teamspirit.com. If you are interested in joining the trip, you can also contact info@bleisuretraveller.com, there are still a few places left.
info explora
Explora I and II are already in service. Explora III will follow in 2026 and, like all future ships, will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Single-use plastic is banned on board. All ships have been awarded the Rina-Dolphin Certificate, which confirms that they produce particularly little underwater noise in order to protect the flora and fauna.
Routes: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Northern routes
Length: 248 m, Staff/passenger ratio: 1.25 : 1
Some pools and lounges are adults only! Cruises are offered as all-inclusive packages, except for spa services, special alcoholic beverages, shore excursions and special menus. Wi-Fi is included and can be taken advantage of anywhere on the ship.
Photos: © Konzack, Böcking, MSC
