Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

Living life on a cruise ship may seem like an impossible feat–but Mario Salcedo has figured out exactly how to do it. (And so has this couple.) The cruising legend and Miami native celebrated his 1,000th cruise with Royal Caribbean earlier this month, marking over 20 years of living on a cruise ship ship and solidifying his reign as Royal Caribbean's most loyal cruiser.

Nicknamed 'Super Mario', he began cruising in 1994. "When I hit 45, I wanted to start a new chapter in my life traveling around the world—that was my vision,” he told Conde Nast Traveler. “But I didn’t know about the logistics, whether air, train, or sea."


After testing out different cruise lines, he booked a voyage on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas—and never looked back. “It was the biggest cruise ship in the world at the time, and so revolutionary—the first ice skating rink, the first rock climbing wall, so many elements that took cruising to another dimension,” he told the publication.


Since then, he has remained loyal to the cruise line, and shared that he only spends about 15 days on land, averaging 50 weeks a year of cruising. Salcedo found his groove with cruising while continuing to work in the the investment management business from sea. And when he's not working, he's playing.

“I go dancing in the lounges, or enjoy a nice cigar after dinner with a cognac, watching basketball or football games on TV," he told the publication. "Everything I do on the ship provides an opportunity to socialize.”

Cruise danceHappy Dance GIF by The Crab PlaceGiphy

While life at sea may seem like a dream, living permanently on a cruise also comes with its challenges—including its impact on Salcedo's health. "I’ve lost my land legs, so when I’m swaying so much I can’t walk in a straight line,” he told Conde Nast Traveler.

And although he has taken full advantage of Royal Caribbean's loyalty programs—he is a Pinnacle Club member in the line's Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program—he certainly doesn't cruise for free. In 2019, he shared with Cruise the World A to Z exactly how much he spent each year to live full-time on a cruise ship.

Mario Salcedo shares how much it costs to live on a cruise ship.www.youtube.com

Salcedo explained that it costs an average of $185 per day for his interior cabin. "If you do the math, in my case, my budget is $72,093. So the minimum is $72,000," he shared. He added that this is for the most basic of accommodations, and no extras like alcohol or excursions. He explained to Conde Nast Traveler, "I don’t eat like a regular cruiser. I skip one meal a day, and eat smart," he added.

However, Salcedo argues that it's still a deal compared to the average cost of assisted living in the United States, which he shared with Cruise the World A to Z that he also researched. "I looked up the average cost of assisted living in the United States per year and it's $100,380. You can see that if you do an interior cabin, it's cheaper to live on a cruise ship."

More For You

Widow keeps entire inheritance while stepdaughter faces eviction. She just got a reality check.
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Mikhail Nilov; Reddit | u/Spiritual_Alps3413

Widow keeps entire inheritance while stepdaughter faces eviction. She just got a reality check.

Inheritance disputes often lead to heated debates, especially when a family is divided. One woman recently sparked outrage after revealing that she inherited her late husband’s entire estate—nearly a million dollars—without leaving anything for his 16-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Posting on Reddit as u/Spiritual_Alps3413, the widow asked if she was wrong for keeping everything while her stepdaughter and her mother struggled to survive.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter
Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | TranStudios Photography & Video; Reddit | u/whoevenisthat5

Man cancels wedding after fiancée refuses to include his daughter

A wedding is supposed to be a celebration of love and family, but for one man, it became the breaking point in his relationship. Reddit user u/whoevenisthat5 shared how he was forced to call off his engagement after his fiancée refused to include his 11-year-old daughter in their wedding.

At first, he thought it was just a disagreement over wedding roles—but when he found out her real reason for wanting to leave his daughter out, he realized there was no future for them.

Keep ReadingShow less
9-year-old with autism stuns the world with an IQ higher than Einstein
Cover Image Source: Instagram/Adhara Maite Pérez Sánchez

9-year-old with autism stuns the world with an IQ higher than Einstein

At just 9 years old, Adhara Pérez Sánchez has achieved what most people can’t even imagine. The Mexico City native has an IQ of 162—higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, who were both estimated to have IQs of 160, according to PEOPLE.

Despite facing relentless bullying due to her autism diagnosis, Pérez has not only graduated high school but is also pursuing two college degrees in systems engineering and mathematics.

Keep ReadingShow less
kimberly dowdell, reunion, down syndrome

Brothers Blake and Jack have an emotional reunion.

thekimberlydowdell/Instagram

Teen with Down syndrome travels hundreds of miles for incredible reunion with brother

Going off to college is the break-free moment that most young adults long for. While the newfound freedom is an amazing change, it is also a time of transition--which can bring a lot of uncomfortable feelings with the adjustment. It can be overwhelming, scary, and unfamiliar. So when mom Kimberly DowDell (@thekimberlydowdell) received a message from her son Blake that he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed during his second semester at college, she knew exactly what to do. She loaded up the family, including her husband and Blake's brother Jack (who has Down syndrome), and got on the road to go see him. And the brothers had an emotional reunion that was shared on social media.

"Blake is in his second semester of college, and being away from home can be hard. When he told us he was feeling anxious and overwhelmed, we didn’t even think twice—we jumped in the car and drove 286 miles just to be there for him," she wrote in the post's Instagram caption. "To remind him he’s not alone. To give him words of encouragement. To wrap him in a hug that says, we see you, we love you, and we’re always here for you."

Keep ReadingShow less
Teacher unleashes glorious payback against school after forced to pay for class trip himself
Representative image by Canva

Teacher unleashes glorious payback against school after forced to pay for class trip himself

School excursions often provide unforgettable experiences and bonding opportunities for students, but for teachers, they can be loaded with logistical headaches. So when a teacher was asked to single-handedly finance a field trip—with zero compensation—Reddit user u/Unfunded_Teacher took to the platform to vent about this bizarre demand.

Representative photo by Pexels | Anny Patterson

Keep ReadingShow less