Would you want to travel the world every day of your life? That’s what 93-year-old widow Lee Wachtstetter has been doing and will be doing for the rest of her life.
Lee Wachtstetter, also known as Mama Lee cash out of her retirement savings and use it all to purchase a stay on a cruise ship that would last the rest of her days. She calls the 1,070-passenger cruise ship Crystal Serenity her home.
Mama Lee has been cruising since her husband died in 1997, but not before telling her, “Don’t stop cruising.”
She recently made headlines when she announced that she would not be following a traditional retirement plan. Instead, Mama Lee decided to cash in her savings and spend about $164,000 per year to enjoy a life of luxury aboard a cruise ship as a form of her retirement.
Mama Lee has been living in a cabin aboard the cruise ship Crystal Serenity and has been loving every minute of her unconventional lifestyle.
In an interview with USA Today, Mama Lee told the outlet that throughout their marriage, the Wachtstetters cruised the world.
“My husband introduced me to cruising. Mason was a banker and real estate appraiser and taught me to love cruising. During our 50-year marriage, we did 89 cruises. I’ve done nearly a hundred more and 15 world cruises.”
After many years of transferring from cruise after cruise, Mama Lee grew tired of constantly having to pack and unpack her bag, so in 2008, she decided to do something extremely unconventional. She committed to cruising for the rest of her retirement so long as she had cash to foot the bill.
Mama Lee has been to almost any country with a port but rarely goes ashore nowadays. She just enjoys the quiet and solitude of having the ship all to herself when the rest of the passengers get off the ship to explore. That is, except when Crystal Serenity docks at Istanbul.
“I can’t resist the Grand Bazaar,” Mama Lee said. “You can find gorgeously regal or glitzy outfits there, perfect for formal or casual wear and not terribly expensive. I have to restrain myself every time because of my limited cabin space.”
Whenever the ship docks in Miami, Mama Lee visits her sons and grandchildren and keeps in touch with them with her laptop. She remembers, “When my children were all young, I took them on cruises many times. Now they have families of their own and do what’s right for them.”
Mama Lee certainly has figured out how to live out the rest of her life, and on the seven seas to boot. Have you figured out how to live yours?
You can watch her interview below:
Watch it here: AlannaZingano/Youtube