As of: March 28, 2024, 3:00 p.m
By: Franziska Kaindl
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A couple from the USA has taken 36 cruises in a row so far - that's a year on the high seas. And there is still no end in sight for the two of them.
It sounds like a dream: waking up somewhere different every day, enjoying the sun, visiting beaches and never being tormented by the worries of everyday life. This is what is currently happening to a married couple - Monica and Jorell - who come from the United States. In an article in the British tabloid
The Sun,
Monica describes her new life on the high seas.
Couple gives up life on land to fulfill their dream of cruising
“Don’t wait for retirement. Follow your dreams,” these words from her mother apparently gave Monica the impetus to plunge into the adventure. She previously worked as a teacher in Memphis, where she met her husband. The couple was already familiar with cruises; the duo took their first one in October 2016. “Those seven days were like a dream,” reports the 32-year-old.
In the years that followed, another nine trips followed, destinations including Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. With the corona pandemic, which began at the beginning of 2020, vacations were put on hold for the time being - but not forever.
“Meanwhile, both parents developed health problems and watching them struggle made us realize how fragile life is.” The couple eventually came up with the idea of booking as many consecutive cruises as they could could afford - the first was already planned for March 2023. “It sounds crazy, but the numbers made sense. Accommodation,
food
and entertainment would be included – all we would need is pocket money,” said Monica in her article on
The Sun.
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They benefited from the fact that they were already something of a regular with the shipping company Carnival Cruises and were therefore able to take advantage of many good offers. Therefore, the couple decided to quit their jobs and sell almost all of their possessions. They sublet their apartment in Memphis, which provided an additional source of money for the two of them. And so far the money seems to be very sufficient - Monica and Jorell have been traveling on the high seas without stopping for a year now. From the Bahamas to Honduras, Australia and Japan, they have explored almost every corner of the globe. They have already completed 36 cruises in a row - and still have six more months ahead of them, says Monica.
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In addition, despite everything, she feels almost “like a millionaire”. “I definitely don't do laundry or cook because all my meals are prepared by a chef and the staff changes my linens. I haven't set foot in the kitchen or used the washing machine in a year." Instead, the most difficult questions of everyday life are whether the couple would rather spend their day by the pool, in the spa or exploring a paradisiacal beach. "In our old lives we had moments we called 'shimmers' when everything seemed magical," Monica writes. “Now I feel like my whole life is a shimmer – it really is a dream come true.”
Life on a cruise ship is also popular with retirees
Monica and Jorell are not the first to discover life on a cruise ship. In recent years, more and more people have decided to settle permanently on a ship. This includes a retired couple from Seattle who even believe that life on a cruise is cheaper for them than on land. A couple from Australia chose to retire at sea for the same reason. And an older lady from California sold her apartment to go on a cruise alone for three years and thus fulfill her long-held dream of traveling.