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When Lee Wachtstetter’s husband of 50 years passed away in 1997 one of his last words to her were, “don’t stop cruising.” So she sold her 5 bedroom house in Florida and started living on a Holland America Line cruise ship. When they discontinued the program at Holland she moved aboard Crystal Serenity which is a 1070 passenger ship. And for the last seven years she’s been living in it. Did I mention that she’s 86 years old?
Lee has been on more than 200 cruises and more than 15 trips around the world while visiting more than 100 countries. She normally stays aboard the ship and enjoys all of the facilities inside. And she visits her family when the ship docks in Miami, Florida. You might be wondering, what does it cost to live aboard a luxury cruise ship? Wachtstetter is said to be paying about $164,000 per year to live on the Serenity ship which includes her housing, meals, entertainment, movies, events, parties, dancing, and everything else the cruise has to offer. That’s more than $400 per day for housing! That’s insane. But she’s able to do it and she’s loving it.
I’m always thinking and talking about all the different ways there are to go tiny but I’ve never thought about anyone actually living aboard a cruise ship! Her living space is tiny but she has an enormous ship with food and amenities. Personally I couldn’t handle living on a giant, noisy and crowded cruise ship. But it’s not about me, it’s about her. And she says, “here I am today living a stress-free, fairy-tale life.” So now I ask you, “what does a stress-free, fairy-tale life look like to YOU?” Just curious, let me know in the comments down below and I’ll share my thoughts too. 🙂
Woman Sells House and ‘Goes Tiny’ on a Luxury Cruise Ship
Image © Penny Haw
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Alex
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