Man sells house and moves onto cruise ships after meeting wife at sea

Until I was 47, I thought cruises were a bad idea. I had grown up by a lake and liked water, but even a short ferry ride left me nauseous. The thought of being stuck on a ship for days seemed worse.

In 2019 a friend offered me a Caribbean cruise he could not use. The price was low, so I bought motion-sickness patches and pills and boarded anyway.

Before the ship sailed I sat in a hot tub and braced for seasickness. When I asked a couple nearby about the sail-away party, they told me it had already happened. We were already at sea.

I felt fine. That moment changed how I saw cruises. The routine helped too. I have severe OCD, and the fixed schedule of meals, staff and activities suited me.

By 2024 I had taken 20 cruises. I had built a business and could afford to travel more. Romance was not on my mind until I met Debb on a Caribbean sailing.

We talked for three and a half hours. Both of us were 52, both divorced, and together we had six children and five grandchildren. Debb had already decided to sell almost everything and live on ships full time. She had taken more than 150 cruises.

We ate dinner together each night and danced. I booked five cruises back to back so we could stay on the same ships. After the trip I returned to New Jersey, sold my house and most of my belongings, and bought a ring.

The first ring did not work out. Debb saw a similar one in a shop and said she did not like it, so I ordered a custom design. While I waited for it, I booked the same 50 cruises she had planned.

Our families accepted the plan. With loyalty discounts, living on board cost less than staying on land.

The ring arrived in April last year. I proposed on the dance floor with the ship’s photographer nearby. She said yes at once.

We held a legal ceremony on a beach in Miami that June. Five months later the captain married us in a formal service.

Last summer we started a TikTok account. Viewers often ask about weight gain and cabin arguments. We eat less processed food and walk a lot on the ships. We also agreed that neither of us can leave the cabin during a disagreement until it is settled.

We are not worried about contagious illnesses. We follow the news and know such risks exist on land too.

At 54 I am living the life I want. We will soon sail to Europe, Mexico and Bermuda.