Cruising the world without leaving home.

I’m sure most of us have grand plans in mind for when the day finally comes to pack up our desks for the very last time, put up our feet and enjoy the rest of our days at leisure. I’m also sure that the reality of retirement is probably very different to how we imagined it would be once it comes round, some may even find it so dull that they go back out to work!!

But what would you say if I told you that you could retire, sell up and move ON TO A CRUISE SHIP? You will probably have seen stories shared around social media that some retirees are opting for holidaying regularly on cruise ships because quite simply it works out cheaper than a nursing home, but this lady I’m about to tell you about has gone way further than that and actually lives on a cruise ship ALL THE TIME.

‘Mama Lee’ as she is affectionately known by the crew has spent no less than 8 years on board the American owned liner, Crystal Symphony. The 88 year old cruised regularly with her husband until he passed away in 1997, she continued to cruise alone as he would have wanted but found the packing and unpacking very tiring and knew there had to be a better way to do it. 8 years ago she sold her 5 bedroom home in Florida as well as her car and belongings to embark on the Crystal Serenity where she has spent every day since, dancing her way around the world where she says many of the crew have become her new family. She has been on board for over 240 cruises and has visited that many ports she lost count at 100 and no longer goes ashore except when docking in Istanbul. The lure of the glitzy outfits of the Grand Bazaar is just too tempting for Mama Lee, although she says she has to restrain herself due to storage space in her cabin.

Mama Lee describes her retirement as a fairy tale existence. I’ll say. At the cost of $175,000 per year its not an affordable retirement for many, but it sure sounds to me like she’s having a ball. There are currently 3 other ladies who permanently reside on Crystals ships, but none nearly as long Mama Lee. Lucky ladies!!

You can watch Mama Lee talking about her life on board the Serenity here: