Meet the couple who’ve been on more than 200 cruises – and love life on the high seas so much they’re selling their house in Florida and paying $1.7million to LIVE on a cruise ship
Norman and Helen D’Silva have been on more than 200 cruises, but they are far from bored. In fact, they are selling their house in Florida to turn their lives into one long cruise.
The couple, married for 40 years, are among hundreds of VIPs buying cabins on maritime company Storylines’ luxury residential cruise ship MV Narrative.
In 2026, they will set sail aboard a luxury cruise ship that will travel the world once every three years and make regular stops at ports around the world.
Having just returned from a trip to Antarctica, the couple spoke to MailOnline Travel about their decision to become full-time cruisers.
Helen, 70, and Norman, 63, are preparing to spend their golden years traveling the world on the MV Narrative cruise ship. The couple pictured above in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, in the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago, in 2016.
Storylines’ MV Narrative (image above) will set sail in 2026, making regular stops at ports around the world.
Norman said there was “nothing” stopping them from enjoying their golden years on a cruise ship.
He said: “We have no animals, no fish, no plants, no children.”
Once they move on board, they will sell their home in New Smyrna Beach. And they are unlikely to regret their decision.
Helen added: “We have been traveling without incident for over 35-40 years. This is what we like.”
They’ve visited more than 180 countries, experiencing everything from rafting in Zambia to petting tigers in the jungle outside Bangkok – and now they want to spend every day exploring.
Norman said the decision to live on board a ship was a long time coming and was inspired by an encounter 20 years ago on a Holland America cruise ship.
He explained: “We met someone who lived on a ship. She was 80 years old and she shared with us all the details of her life on board the ship, how everyone cared for her, and she really sold us on the dream.”
He continued: “We thought it was a pretty unique concept: we get to see beautiful scenery every day of the week and enjoy all the amenities on board.”
Decades later, the couple made their dreams come true and spent around $1.7 million (£1.3 million) to secure their place on board the MV Narrative.
What MV Narrative will look like in dock when it sets sail in 2026. It is currently under construction in Croatia.
The couple paid $1.7 million (£1.3 million) for a one-bedroom cabin on board the ship.
The attractive price means everything from laundry to doctor visits and food is included.
Since the ship is currently under construction, the couple haven’t set foot in their future home yet, but the CGI gave them a good idea of what to expect.
Helen said: “We’ll have one bedroom, two bathrooms and a large balcony running through the living room.”
And it’s bigger than they’re used to. Helen adds: “Most cruise ship cabins are relatively small.”
Moving on board the MV Narrative will not be a major challenge for the couple, as the couple is barely on land.
Where are they now? They had just embarked on a nine-month “around the world cruise” with Royal Caribbean.
Their longest stays at sea to date were a six-month cruise in Oceania and a four-month cruise in Holland and America.
While they wait to depart on their lifelong journey, the couple gets to know the residents aboard the MV Narrative through the “Meet Your Neighbor” program.
Ship Shape: Above is the MV Narrative living room.
The photo shows a computer generated image of the bedroom on board the MV Narrative. The cruise line says most rooms will have a balcony.
Here’s a luxurious bathroom with his and hers sinks and a freestanding bathtub.
Helen and Norman said there was “nothing” stopping them from living on a cruise ship permanently. Here they are pictured on CocoCay, an island in the Bahamas reserved exclusively for use by Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
Helen said: “A lot of the people who will be with us on Storylines seem open-minded. You must be an adventurer. You must be curious. If you are not flexible, you will face difficulties.”
The ship will house 1,000 residents living in 547 fully furnished residences ranging from 237 to 1,970 square feet, the “vast majority” of which are balcony residences.
It boasts 20 restaurants and bars, a microbrewery, a jet ski marina, three swimming pools with sun terraces, a pet activity area, a business center and a beauty salon.
There is a medical clinic on board, complete with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, nutritionist and physical therapist, as well as a 10,000-square-foot health and wellness center.
Prices start at $875,000 (£690,418) and go up to $8 million (£6.5 million) for the most luxurious apartments.
MV Narration currently under construction in Croatia and will set sail in 2026.