Sudden Media Interest Gets Much Wrong About Full-Time Cruising
Day 11 post-cruise, 2024 Majestic Japan
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024; Galveston, Texas
I knew something was up when in the course of an hour or two I started getting notices of a few dozen new subscribers to my blog. I hadn’t published a post in several days, so this was unusual activity.
Brandi — a car-club friend in Colorado whom I hadn’t talked to in years – solved the mystery when she posted on Facebook that she saw an article and photo of me on the U.K.’s Daily Mail website.
Neither my sister nor I had every talked to the Daily Mail, which is obvious from the article’s inaccuracies, non-sequiturs and unrelated photographs lifted from my blog.
Let me back up. Last spring, the public relations team at Holland America wrote a post for the company’s blog about the three sisters who travel together on world cruises. It highlighted that Eloise, Elaine and I couldn’t agree on which of two 2025 grand cruises to take, so I’m on one and they are on the other.
That led to a modest amount of interest by reporters and freelance writers, and we have done a half-dozen interviews over the last few months. Some reporters focused on Elaine and me selling our houses to mostly live on cruise ships. On my recent Japan cruise, I had dinner with a freelance travel writer interested in the story, for example.
Most of the articles haven’t been published yet, but last month Business Insider posted its article online. Like most credible publications, Business Insider fact-checked the information we gave them, and while some of the reporter’s other sources didn’t tell the full story, by-and-large the article is accurate.
I’m guessing the Daily Mail saw that article and put it through a re-write – perhaps using artificial intelligence. Like much of the site’s click-bait content, the Daily Mail article got a lot wrong.
No one contacted us. As a result, a lot of their assumptions about our costs of cruising are far from accurate (I wish a year of cruising just cost $50,000). Oh well – if they are going to publish my financial information, I prefer it to be wrong.
They found a 10-year-old post on this blog about the economics of cruising economically, which will probably mislead some readers as it is well out of date.
As a result of these inaccuracies, the most entertaining part of the article is the 700+ comments – mostly by U.K. readers. Many question what we will do when the money runs out or we become too sick to cruise. They typically apply reasoning based on the U.K.’s pension and health care rules and seem to assume that the money from selling my house 10 years ago (which the Daily Mail dug up) is my only asset.
Nah. The numbers don’t add up. Being “debt free” as in you’ve paid off your mortgage, does not equate to being able to spend 50k a year on cruising. Unless you have an income of 50k a year. Maybe you live your dream for 5 years and spend 250k doing it. But what happens when age and infirmity steps in? And you’ve sold all your assets. And the cruise ship kicks you off because they can’t cope with your infirmity? And you don’t have any assets …..
We realize that we are fortunate to have the financial means to do this. My sisters and I worked hard for decades and lived fairly frugally, saving a lot. We budget carefully and will most likely cut back on cruising at some point. Then I will be very happy living in a tiny apartment, as I did for a couple of pre-pandemic years in Chicago. The trade-offs are worth it to me. But it isn’t for everyone.
Not every comment was negative. Several had replies more like this:
Good for them, I think it’s a great idea and definitely something I’d consider if I was in their position. I love cruising and life onboard suits me perfectly.
After a career that started as a newspaper reporter and editor and then in public relations, it’s been fun to dip my toe back into the water. This week I talked to a reporter for AARP Magazine. Who knows what request will come next.
Meanwhile, I’ve packed a lot into this two-week break from cruising. New dental crown (I call it a coronation.) A couple of hours with my hair stylist (cut and color). Routine medical tests. Shopping for a couple if items to fill wardrobe holes. Lunch with friends, from those I haven’t seen in months to one who was on this Japan cruise with me.
During 45 hours in Fort Smith at my sister Eloise’s house, we ate pizza twice at my favorite restaurant there (the ship’s pizza is not to my liking). And I swapped out a bunch of clothes for my next seven months of cruising. Of course I had a Texas-shaped waffle.
Now I’m in Galveston to visit my other sister, Elaine. At a local brewery, we watched our Kansas City Chiefs go to 8-0 for the season. We checked out the Regal Princess, which was towed into port last week after an engine fire.
Thursday I leave for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to board Holland America’s Volendam for a 42-day cruise to the Mediterranean.
I saw that article! Rare that someone I “ know” is in the daily mail. Lol! You have such a great spirit, I look forward to your posts.. I would be doing what you are if I didn’t get seasick.😬😬😬 but I love being an armchair traveler! And I do travel… bon voyage!
I happened to scroll down through Daily Mail that day and saw the article, also noticed the pictures from one of your previous posts. Since I love your blog, I naturally had to read it. Knowing more about this topic, I took it with a grain of salt . Apparently the Daily Mails lifts some published articles and puts pieces together. Is that even legal? I don’t know…
But I did like your answer to all this.
Wonderful! Just a wonderful life! So happy for you that you have the ability to live this way. (I’m just a little bit jealous.)
So sad about the spin put in these articles about you and your sisters. I would think there was more intergrity involved in travel writing than this example. Looking forward to your Mediterranean adventure and more of your truly lovely watercolours. Best wishes for a wonderful time, great cruising, facsinating ports and fun sea days.
I’ll be interested to hear about the yard work Volendam had. We’ll be on her end of January for the Pole to Pole
WOW who knew the internet was full of “untruths” (ha ha) we all know to “pick & choose”. I will stick with your blog, so enjoy following all your travels. What you spend is your business. If you choose to share in your blog then we can be pretty sure it is authentic.
Keep up the good work. Safe travels as always.
We will be embarking our longest cruise since retirement in Feb 2025. 35 day on Koningsdam Hawaii and Society Islands, can’t wait!
Sure wish I was Volendaming to the Med with ya now!!
Hi Jo,
Sad to say we will miss you. We’re in FLL today boarding the Eurodam for a quick trip through the Eastern Caribbean. Who knows, perhaps someday we will graduate to one of HAL’s longer trips and get to spend some time with you.. Travel safely and have fun.
Paul & Jane
Thank you for sharing this with us. Good to know re: Daily – haven’t ever read their postings and glad to know I haven’t missed anything. Keep on blogging, traveling and painting. I enjoy following along with you.
Bon Voyage, Jo. Enjoy every moment of your cruises. You definitely deserve it!
Interesting about what is written about you correctly and incorrectly., Enjoy your next voyage. Love the Med area so it will be great to follow your adventures. And, just to let you know that I am still getting emails from you that are labelled from TJR cruises.
Thanks for explaining that article. Looking forward to your posts from the Mediterranean!
Interesting experiences. Look forward to seeing you on the Volendam.
I love your insights, and it’s really just fascinating to see how people live in non-traditional ways. Too bad the article was misleading, but accurate or not, the comments are always going to be entertaining. I’m looking forward to traveling “with” you to the Mediterranean!
Hi, We were on the Majestic Japan cruise, but didn’t meet you. I have an oddball question and figure that if anyone can give me an answer based on experience, it may be you. We booked several cruises next year on HAL in Europe, and would be in Europe from mid-June until early November, way past the 90 day Schengen allowable time period. Would spend one week on land, cruise 42 days, 3 weeks on land then the remainder on 3 back to backs all the way to FL. Have your run into this situation, and did applying for a long term visa in any Schengen country resolve the problem? I have seen comments on cruise critic that you can not apply for a long term visa if you are cruising, and can’t find any definitive info on the Schengen visa website. I am on the verge of canceling the Sept-Nov cruises…
Marilyn, I’m sorry we didn’t meet on the Japan cruise.
I found a great resource for the Schengen visa that helped me, as I will be entering and leaving the Schengen countries on my 10 back-to-back Nieuw Statendam cruises next summer. It is at https://www.visa-calculator.com/en/. I entered data for each time a cruise would enter and leave. It showed me that even though I will be sailing in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean for 5 months, I won’t hit the limit of 90-days out of the last 180 days. That’s because some of my cruising goes to the UK (one good result of Brexit) and other non-Schengen countries. Otherwise, I’m afraid I don’t have any advice, except maybe on one of your land segments go to a non-Schengen country. Or get a long-term visa for the country where you will spend the 3 weeks on land. You might look into hiring a visa company to help with the details.
Thanks so very much Jo. I will definitely use the calculator and check it out. We should be OK because we are also on Niew Statendam, starting June 29, but we’re going to disembark August 10 and reboard September 7. Either we will go to England or see about staying on board those weeks. Hopefully we will meet next summer, Happy Thanksgiving! Marilyn