Mario Salcedo, Man Who Has Lived on a Cruise Ship for 25 Years, Celebrates 1,000th Voyage

Miami - Mario Salcedo, a Cuban-born man, has embraced a unique lifestyle by living on cruise ships for nearly 25 years. On January 5, 2025, Mario embarked on his 1,000th voyage with Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, departing from Miami on an 11-day journey to Panama and the Southern Caribbean. The trip was made extra special to commemorate this milestone in his life.

Mario, who moved to Miami with his family in the 1960s, booked his first cruise shortly after arriving in the city. “When I turned 45, I wanted to start a new chapter in my life by traveling around the world, that was my vision,” he said, as reported by Mirror.co.uk in late January 2025.

Falling in Love with Life at Sea

Salcedo first fell in love with life at sea when he embarked on his maiden voyage in 1997. Since then, he has been sailing continuously, even working while on board. "Nothing can keep me away from cruises because I’m treated like royalty," Mario told Conde Nast Traveler. "All the captains know me."

After trying several different cruise lines, Mario found his home with Royal Caribbean, particularly after sailing with the Voyage of the Seas in 2000. From that point on, he never set foot on another cruise line.

In 2020, he briefly returned to land for 15 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as soon as he could, Mario was back on the seas.

Cruising Is Cheaper Than a Retirement Home

Known as "Super Mario" among sailors, Mario recently revealed that living on a cruise ship is actually cheaper than staying in a nursing home in the United States. He spends around $101,000 per year on cruises, equivalent to approximately 1.65 billion Indonesian rupiahs. In comparison, the average cost of living in a U.S. nursing home is about $100,380 annually.

"I researched the average cost of living in a nursing home in the United States per year, and it was $100,380," he explained. "You can see that if you stay in an interior cabin, living on a cruise ship is actually cheaper."

150 Cruises Planned for the Next Two Years

With his deep love for cruising, Mario has already planned his voyages for the next two years. He has scheduled 150 cruises in advance and strives to stay in the same cabin for long periods of time.

Living on a cruise ship has become Mario’s way of living out the life he dreamed of since he was young. With his 1,000th voyage behind him, Mario shows no signs of slowing down his love affair with life at sea that has lasted for 25 years.