Experience: we sold everything to live on cruise ships

A person who previously disliked cruises due to motion sickness boarded a Caribbean cruise in 2019 after receiving an unexpected low-cost offer. They prepared with travel sickness patches and pills but felt well once the ship was at sea. The experience became enjoyable because the environment was calming and daily life followed consistent schedules. Severe OCD was supported by repeating meals, the same table, the same waiting staff, and predictable activities. By 2024, they had taken 20 cruises without growing tired of them. Later, they met Debb on a cruise, and both discovered a shared passion for cruising. Debb had completed over 150 cruises and retired to live full-time on ships with only a few cases of belongings.

"Before the ship left dock, I got into a hot tub, steeling myself for nausea. When I asked a passing couple what time the sail away party was when passengers gather to celebrate the start of the journey they said I'd missed it hours ago. We were at sea. Experience: I lived underwater for 100 days Despite being in open water, I wasn't feeling sick: I smiled in relief. That was the moment I fell in love with cruise life."

"It wasn't just the calming effect of being surrounded by water. I have severe OCD and it helps to do the same things every day. A cruise is perfect for this; I was able to eat the same meals at the same table with the same waiting staff, and every activity was scheduled and predictable. By 2024, I'd been on 20 cruises, and never tired of them."

"Despite meeting lots of interesting people onboard, a relationship was the last thing on my mind. Then one day I was on a Caribbean cruise and turned around to see a beautiful woman next to me. Debb and I sat talking and laughing for three and a half hours. We were both 52 and had been divorced, with six children and five grandchildren between us."

"Debb had been on more than 150 cruises before deciding, at 51, to retire, sell everything except what she could fit in three cases, and live full-time on cruise ships. She loved the freedom, and the chance to explore the world. We're always asked whether we've piled on"

Read at www.theguardian.com