A man who has lived on cruise ships for nearly 25 years recently completed his 1,000th cruise, staying loyal to one liner and now struggling with permanent sea legs once back on land.
A man has spent nearly 25 years living on cruise ships.
Mario Salcedo, originally from Cuba, moved to Miami with his family in the 1960s. Shortly after arriving, he took a cruise—and instantly fell in love with the lifestyle.
Known to the ship’s staff as “Super Mario,” Mario recently completed his 1,000th cruise with Royal Caribbean aboard the 3,286-passenger Explorer of the Seas. Departing Miami on January 5, the ship embarked on an 11-day voyage to Panama and the Southern Caribbean, where a special event was held to celebrate the milestone.
Mario previously told Condé Nast Traveler: “When I hit 45, I wanted to start a new chapter in my life traveling around the world — that was my vision.”
After trying several cruise lines, Mario boarded Royal Caribbean’s Voyage of the Seas in 2000—and hasn’t set foot on another ship since.
“Nothing could lure me away from them because I get treated like royalty,” Mario shared. He is now the highest-ranking member of Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society, having become the first cruiser to surpass 10,000 points in 2022. Members earn one point per night on a Royal Caribbean cruise, with an extra point for staying in a suite or cruising solo in a double occupancy cabin.
To stay on top of his travels, Mario books his cruises two years—or up to 150 sailings—ahead, allowing him to stay in the same room for extended periods. However, after so much time at sea, he told All Things Cruise, “I’ve lost my land legs, so when I’m swaying, I can’t walk in a straight line.”
In 2019, Mario revealed to content creator Alanna Zingano the cost of living permanently onboard a cruise ship. He spends about $185 (£151.75) a day on basics like fare, cabin, taxes, and tips—excluding alcohol, excursions, or Wi-Fi.
Mario explained that his annual budget is about $72,093 (£57,963) for an interior cabin, rising to $101,258 (£82,672) for a balcony cabin, and $136,000 (£111,037) for a junior suite.
“I looked up the average cost of assisted living in the United States per year, and it’s $100,380 (£81,955),” he said. “You can see that if you choose an interior cabin, it’s actually cheaper to live on a cruise ship.”
Mario recently told the Royal Caribbean blog that his favorite stop is the cruise line’s private destination in Labadee, Haiti. His most memorable experience, he said, was “without a doubt, the ‘hurricane evacuation’ cruise onboard Enchantment of the Seas in September 2017.”
When Hurricane Irma threatened South Florida, an evacuation order was issued, and Enchantment of the Seas was offered free of charge to Miami-based employees and their families for safe evacuation.
