Young Couple Ditches Their Possessions to Embrace Life Aboard a Cruise Ship

A couple in their 30s, Monica Brzoska and Jorrell Conley, have taken an adventurous step in life by selling almost all their possessions to embrace a life at sea. The pair, both school teachers from the U.S., discovered their passion for cruising while visiting Mexico, Belize, and Grand Cayman nearly a decade ago.

In 2023, after Monica’s father fell ill, she felt motivated to live her dream rather than waiting for retirement. Inspired by her mother’s advice to "not wait for retirement to follow your dreams," the couple made a pivotal decision to leave their traditional lives behind.

“Instead of coming back, why not keep booking consecutive cruises as long as we could afford to?” Monica recounted. Their calculations showed that with the costs of accommodation, food, and entertainment included in cruise packages, they only needed a small budget for extras. Their previous experience with Carnival cruises provided access to attractive deals. By opting for the most economical cabins, they managed to use savings from the pandemic to book eight months of cruising for $16,000, even factoring in rent from their home in Memphis to help offset costs.

Since embarking on this journey, the couple has become seasoned travelers, completing 36 consecutive cruises and visiting nearly 50 countries. Monica expressed her feelings of liberation, stating, “I instantly felt free.” She noted the astonishment of others upon learning about their unusual lifestyle and is eager to share money-saving tips they’ve learned along the way. From winning onboard raffles for excursions and spa treatments to exploring new ports with local transport, they have embraced their sea-bound lifestyle.

Despite facing the challenges of missing family, Monica views their life as a "dream come true.

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