Man who’s lived on cruise for decades suffers weird effect on land

The Miami man who has spent more than two decades living on a cruise ship has opened up about the bizarre impact it’s had on his body.

Mario Salcedo has lived aboard Royal Caribbean International cruise ships since 2000 – earning himself the nickname ‘Super Mario’ in the process.

Salcedo, who was born in Cuba before immigrating to the US with his parents, has spent almost 24 years cruising – broken up only by a 15-day break per year and a 15-month gap during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mario has spent more than 20 years on a cruise ship

The businessman has previously shared his one key tip for anyone hoping to replicate his lifestyle as well as letting slip how much the whole thing actually costs.

And he’s not the only one – a couple in their 70s decided to sell ‘everything’ they owned to move onto an ‘endless cruise’. And who can blame them?

For Salcedo, the journey began when he was 47 and decided to quit his job, after which he carried out a lot of research.

Between 1997 and 2000, he traveled on 100 different cruises before settling on the Voyager of the Seas in January 2000 – at the time, the world’s largest. 

As you might expect, with so many years at sea under his belt he’s happier on the water than on dry land.

“I’m so used to being on ship that it feels more comfortable to me than being on land,” he told All Things Cruise.

His time at sea has caused one problem when he’s back on dry land

In fact, while he had no trouble at all gaining his ‘sea legs’ Salcedo says that it’s being on terra firma that presents a problem as so many years of cruising has had an unusual impact on his body.

“I’ve lost my land legs. So when I’m swaying so much I can’t walk in a straight line,” he said during an interview with Conde Nast Traveler.

But he does make an effort to keep himself fit and healthy, revealing that he ‘doesn’t eat like a regular cruiser’ instead opting to ‘eat smart’ and that he makes sure to do plenty of walking and dancing as well as scuba diving.

He also says his unorthodox lifestyle means he has ‘lots of fun and zero stress’. Sign us up.

Now in his 70s, Salcedo has said he doesn’t think he’ll make a permanent return to dry land ever again.

“I’ll die on a cruise ship,” he said.

Not a bad way to go, if you ask us.