Norman and Helen D'Silva have been on more than 200 cruises, but they are by no means bored. In fact, they are selling their house in Florida to turn their lives into one long cruise.
The couple, who have been married for 40 years, are among hundreds of high-flyers buying cabins on maritime company Storylines' luxury cruise ship MV Narrative.
In 2026, they will set sail aboard the luxury cruise ship, which will travel the world every three years and continuously call at ports around the world.
The couple had just returned from a trip to Antarctica and spoke to Web Travel about their decision to go full-time cruising.
Helen, 70, and Norman, 63, are preparing to spend their golden years traveling around the world on the MV Narrative cruise ship. The couple is pictured above in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in 2016
Storylines' MV Narrative (pictured above) will set sail in 2026 and will dock continuously in ports around the world
Prices for homes on board start at $875,000 (£690,418) and rise to $8 million (£6.5 million) for the most luxurious apartments.
Norman claimed that “nothing” is stopping her from enjoying her golden years on a cruise ship.
He said, “We have no animals, no fish, no plants, no children.”
Once on board, they will sell their New Smyrna Beach home. And it is unlikely that they will regret the decision.
Helen added: “We've been traveling adventurously for over 35 to 40 years. “It's what we enjoy.”
They've visited over 180 countries and experienced everything from whitewater rafting in Zambia to petting tigers in a jungle outside Bangkok – and now they want to spend every day exploring.
Norman said the decision to live aboard the ship was a long time coming, having been inspired by an encounter 20 years ago on a Holland America cruise ship.
He explained, “We met someone who lived on the ship.” She was an 80-year-old woman and she told us all these details about her life on board the ship, about how everyone looked after her, and she really got us sold the dream.”
He continued: “We thought “this is a pretty unique concept” as we can see beautiful landscapes and experience all the facilities on board every day of the week.”
Decades later, the pair made their dreams come true, investing around $1.7 million (£1.3 million) to secure their place on board MV Narrative.
A hull worth seeing: MV Narrative is currently under construction in Croatia
Helen and Norman paid $1.7 million (£1.3 million) for their one-bedroom cabin aboard the ship
The eye-watering price means everything from laundry to doctor visits to food is included.
Since the ship is currently under construction, the pair haven't set foot in their future home yet, but a CGI rendering has given them a good idea of what to expect.
Helen said: “We will have one bedroom, two bathrooms and a large balcony extending over the living room.”
And it's bigger than what they're used to, with Helen adding: “Most cabins on cruise ships are relatively small.”
Moving aboard the MV Narrative won't mean a big change for the couple, as the couple is rarely on land.
Where are you now? You've just boarded a nine-month “around the world cruise” with Royal Caribbean.
Her longest stays at sea to date have been a six-month Oceania cruise and a four-month Holland America cruise.
As they wait to embark on their lifelong journey, the two get to know the residents of MV Narrative through the Meet Your Neighbor program.
Ship shape: Above is a rendering of an MV Narrative living room
Pictured is a CGI image of a bedroom on board the MV Narrative. The cruise line says most rooms will have a balcony
Here you will find a luxurious bathroom with his and her sinks and a freestanding bathtub
Pictured is the upper floor of a penthouse on MV Narrative
Helen and Norman said there was “nothing” stopping them from living on a cruise ship full-time. Here they are pictured on CocoCay, an island in the Bahamas reserved exclusively for Royal Caribbean cruise ships
Helen said: “A lot of the people who will be on Storylines seem open-minded. “You have to be adventurous. You have to be curious. “If you’re not flexible, you’re going to face a challenge.”
The ship will accommodate 1,000 residents, living in 547 fully furnished apartments ranging in size from 237 to 1,970 square feet – the “vast majority” of which are balcony apartments.
It features 20 restaurants and bars, a microbrewery, a marina with personal watercraft, three pools with sundecks, a pet exercise area, a business center and a beauty salon.
There is also a medical clinic on board with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, nutritionist and physiotherapist, as well as a 10,000 square meter health and wellness center.
Prices for the 741-foot (226m) ship start at $875,000 (£690,418) and rise to $8 million (£6.5 million) for the most luxurious apartments.
MV Narrative is currently under construction in Croatia and will set sail in 2026.