Widow sells the family home and lives on Crystal Serenity for only $164,000 per year!
For people ‘of a certain age’ losing your life partner can be a very difficult time, many downsize their home in order to bolster the bank account, some turn their thoughts to providing an inheritance for their children and grandchildren. Well not a bit of it for 87 year old Lee Wachtstetter from Florida.
After her husband died of cancer in 1997, Mrs Wachtstetter decided to honour her husbands love of the sea by moving permanently on to a luxury cruise ship. The widow, who often cruised with her husband during their 50-year-marriage, previously lived on a Holland America Line ship – until it discontinued its dance host program.
She sold their five-bedroom Fort Lauderdale home and moved to a stateroom aboard the luxurious Crystal Serenity where she has now to resided for the last 8 years. Since setting sail, Mrs Wachtstetter has completed more than 200 cruises – including 15 round-the-world trips, taking in more than 100 countries along the way.
In an article for the Asbury Park Press she said ‘The day before my husband died of cancer in 1997, he told me, “Don’t stop cruising”… so here I am today living a stress-free, fairy-tale life. I enjoy dancing, and this was the best of the remaining ships that still use dance hosts’.
Mrs Wachtstetter who turns 88 in May believes that living on the Serenity this year will cost her around $164,000. That price includes her room, meals, beverages, dancing programs, entertainment, movies, lectures and cocktail parties with the captain – no wonder she looks so happy!
I do wonder if Mr Wachtstetter quite had a $164,000 a year stateroom in mind when he said to her “Don’t stop cruising”. I imagine he was thinking more along the lines of the occasional 14 night cruise holiday, not blowing their entire life savings as quickly as possible!
To be fair though she never has to clean the house, do the hoovering, wash the beds sheets, tidy her room or cook a meal ever again. And looking at the cost of care for the elderly these days, in let’s face it much less salubrious accommodation- the whole thing seems like a pretty good idea!
What do you think? Could you get used to being permanently pampered or would it drive you mad? Would you be happier spending the children’s inheritance on one long luxury holiday?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
About Me
Hi there, Having recently reached the landmark age of 40 (which of course we all know is the new 30), and having just packed my son off to school for the first time this week, I was thinking to myself at which point did I become so sensible, responsible and…
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