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I May Be Homeless, But You Should See My Yacht
After Mama Lee Wachtstetter’s husband died she considered living alone in her big house on 10 acres in Florida, moving into an upscale retirement community, or spending all her time on a luxury cruise ship. Turns out, the choice was easy. Cruising fulltime wasn’t prohibitively expensive, plus she’d be guaranteed the best food, twice-daily maid service, attentive health care (the ship’s doc makes “house” calls), nightly dancing, top-notch entertainment, educational classes, and visits to hundreds of exotic ports annually. So she sold her house and all her stuff to lead what may be the ultimate senior life. In the 12 years since then and during the hundreds of cruises she took with her husband during their 50-year marriage, she has seen it all. A ship caught fire in the South China Sea. A tuk-tuk driver “kidnapped” her in Thailand. She has weathered hurricanes, typhoons and even a rogue wave in the Mediterranean. She has witnessed fights in the formal dining room and thievery in the guest laundry. She has sailed from Alaska to Antarctica, from Buenos Aires to Bom Bom Island. She can recommend “must sees” and “don’t bothers.” She has a list of rules for happy living, and there’s even a Mama Lee diet. You’ll find all these things and more in this entertaining, informative, and inspirational memoir. Join Mama Lee, an 89-year-old great-grandma, as she recounts her adventures and shares her secrets for cruising through life.
222 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2017
27 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 27, 2020
OMG! This book was written by a woman with a lot of backwards understandings about the world. Her opinion on Inuits, for example, made my skin crawl: "I don't know when Eskimo's started calling themselves Inuits, but I don't like it. I can't even pronounce the word."
The woman also steps on her scale 10x a day. Can you say TOXIC MESSAGING?
I hate-read this book because I am under quarantine. I hope she doesn't read this, because I would hate to hurt her feelings, but I urge you not to bother reading her book!
The woman also steps on her scale 10x a day. Can you say TOXIC MESSAGING?
I hate-read this book because I am under quarantine. I hope she doesn't read this, because I would hate to hurt her feelings, but I urge you not to bother reading her book!
April 28, 2020
This was a semi interesting read for the first chapter or two and then it was kind of like reading a high school newspaper article.
August 4, 2022
A story of a very privileged person who thinks highly of herself with poor writing skills.
July 4, 2022
Mama Lee is 90 years old when she wrote the book - now 94. She’s absolutely wonderful, enjoying life to its fullest and not a care in the world aside from finding joy in each day! We should all aspire to be this happy and involved in daily activities at that stage of life.
You don’t learn much about how to live on a ship but it’s a charming story of her life cruising and eventually retiring to live full time on a cruise ship traveling the world. It’s a simple, delightful read, she’s witty, sarcastic and her kindness and zest for life are on apparent on every page. I hope she gets to celebrate her 100th birthday at sea!
Anyone giving a poor review needs to evaluate their own happiness - Mama Lee is a delight and a force to be reckoned with - she’s considerate, generous and caring. Her last line of the book “Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. If you hate it, why are you doing it?” If you don’t want to find the happiness that this book is - pass it along to someone who will appreciate who Mama Lee is!
You don’t learn much about how to live on a ship but it’s a charming story of her life cruising and eventually retiring to live full time on a cruise ship traveling the world. It’s a simple, delightful read, she’s witty, sarcastic and her kindness and zest for life are on apparent on every page. I hope she gets to celebrate her 100th birthday at sea!
Anyone giving a poor review needs to evaluate their own happiness - Mama Lee is a delight and a force to be reckoned with - she’s considerate, generous and caring. Her last line of the book “Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. If you hate it, why are you doing it?” If you don’t want to find the happiness that this book is - pass it along to someone who will appreciate who Mama Lee is!
March 29, 2026
Overall, I found this memoir really interesting even though she's objectively an awful person.
(1) How does someone review a book for someone whose unlikable?
In the bonfire part she's straight up admited that the law can't touch her because of who her husband and son are and how deep they are in small town politics. So she's rich from land lording and the police chief can't touch her. Literally a villain.
How these people make money feels like something out of time. Oh he just founds a bank and hires his best friend? Oh he quits the bank and opens up real estate with his wife who has a great nursing career as his bookkeeper?
I think I would hate this woman. Landlord who got wealthy and then she's like “tree isn't good enough, get me a bridge” like wow okay entitled much.
Also just the whole “we have 4 kids but take 4 week vacations whenever because we have free child care and a black housekeeper” is some rich old time shit.
Clearly of a wealth class in Florida.
Part of this book is just her complaining. Sure why not have a 3 page chapter that you hate women who have tattoos! (no mention of men having tattoos of course).
This woman is deeply unlikable. Like the part about her nightmare of going to a dentist in Namibia because she didn’t believe Africa had competent dentists? And she was shocked the doctor was white and there was electricity. WILD to write that (and believe that).
“Whenever I went to the hospital, they gave me a baby” is legitimately funny.
Also, she talks about how she’s never sick but then needed 2 months of dental work in 2 weeks because she never went to the dentist. Ma’am that’s why we do regular check-ups! But then she admits that she knows it could be a problem, she doesn’t want to think about it now. WILD to live you’re life like that.
She has all these kids but doesn't spend Christmas with them, the people have to come to her.
The way this lady describes people is very self-aggrandizing “This girl knew nothing and then she calls me crying so that’s why I teach the needlepoint classes and she’s a great teacher from me” is very Trump-esque. Or like how her children chose their careers because of her, not because of their own choices.
Sometimes she's funny.
“I don’t need to be strong. On this ship I don’t even open my own water bottles”
“Mark Hamlisch was very nice, shame he’s dead.”
“My favorite holiday is my birthday.”
Sometimes she's just racist.
“I don’t know when the Eskimos stopped calling themselves Eskimos, but I don’t like it. I have a hard time remembering and pronouncing Inuits.” SHE DIDN’T EVEN SPELL “Innuits” RIGHT!
(2) Is she self-aware?
Like the part about her going on her scale 10 times a day. Ma’am are you just adding color to this story, or do you not realize you have an eating disorder?
Is she aware she lacks a lot of sentimentality? Like giving away or throwing away all of her photos except those she took with her. Or how when the map of pins fell down she threw it all in the trash and doesn’t keep count anymore. Or when she talks about her family.
“I adore babies, but I’m the baby now”
(3)Do you think the ship employees truly like her?
I just know this lady is horrible to be with. She says she sleeps with the tv on, but cruise ship walls are really thin. Like her neighbors can hear that!!!
The section where she’s talking about the crew she likes and only refers to them by their ethnicity instead of their name was insanely racist.
Okay that Thailand story was just that lady being anxious. I thought that she’d actually get extorted which is a real thing, but nah she’s just prejudiced. Like I wouldn’t want to be in a taxi with 2 men, with one of the men in the back, but she was so weird about it.
(4)Is this book helpful for people who want to do this life?
This lady has been cruising since 1961. Every cruise YouTuber I watch has only been doing it for less than 10 years. That's fascinating she was on ships from the 1930s.
From my YouTube watching, this lady has way more clothes than the average person and you can't get in house carpenters to make all these changes. The people with the 9 month Cruise bought magnetic shelving and did something really similar, but there wasn't like a carpenter. Also pretty sure they each only brought 3 shoes and like 12 shirts each. This lady said 75 blouses which is insane. Her cabin has got to be messy.
Also, the Crystal cruise line went bust and then was resurrected by investors. It all feels really shady, like instead of selling the line they ran up a ton of debt and then Royal Caribbean investors bought it through shell companies.
The part about shared dining and no sex politics religion for small talk at that shared dining is totally true.
The all-inclusive part is less true, every ship has add-on restaurants nowadays.
There’s a sweet spot in the history of cruising where there were the most ports open to ships during the Obama era, that does not exist anymore. I feel like she sorted of touched on this where she got to go to Iran on a cruise. My 9 month cruisers have talked about this a lot where they couldn’t see the middle east, Russia, or some of the Baltic because of current wars.
(5) Would you want this?
No, because I need an actual real medical team. LOL
No, because I don’t like this much small talk. She is consistently having to engage in small talk with semi-strangers but also fake familiarity.
No, I want to see more of the ports. I’ve watched this gay couple who have a balcony on Villa Vie and a straight couple who did the 9 month cruise and both complained the cruise didn’t stay in the ports long enough. This woman prefers the ship to the ports.
No, I would miss cooking. Like being able to just do a really elaborate meal or baked good.
HOWEVER, she did the Northwest Passage and she said it was amazing, which I’m totally jealous of.
How do y’all feel about most of the animal sighting she did on the Arctic cruise was a camerman out there with a live feed hooked up to tvs in the cruise ship. Like that’s more real than watching a nature documentary, but can she say she saw a polar bear in the wild?
Also, this woman says she never tires of the Panama Canal and all the youtubers I watch say the same thing. That it’s just a lot of fun to do the entire thing.
I’m fascinated she almost never gets off the boat except for cruise parties and to go shopping in Turkey. I feel like that’s how you can tell the age of this book, because Turkey has been having an economic crisis and isn’t the great financial shopping area it used to be. Apparently Kuşadası is the most popular cruise port in Turkey, beating out Istanbul.
(6) How different from a nursing home?
Needlepoint, dancing, afternoon tea, lecture classes, Like ya that actually sounds like a really nice life. However, the whole always meeting new people sounds exhausting you’ve got to be a sort of extrovert person but I guess in a nursing home you’ll get cliches and this way this lady can terrorize new people all the time. Also, a cruise ship probably has more classes and food than a nursing home. I do think it’s more lively and more attentive in care.
“I’ve been away from home so long, I’m a novelty” is kinda of sad? Like on one hand, I don’t want my parents around all the time. I do only see my brother on holidays. But there’s something sort of tragic about her life that I can’t quite describe. Maybe it’s because a boat feels more remote than a 6 hour drive?
(7) What did you think of her husband?
I know this lady had the love of her life and whatever but his insistence to not dance makes me side eye. My father hates musicals but who took our family to multiple musicals?
In a different life, she would have been a rich lady who did ballroom dance but was constrained in her primary hobby because of her husband.
I'm a little confused on why her husband wasn't sent oversees to Korea but I guess don't think about it?
The story of him giving a woman a can to drink out because she clumsy and her son sleeping in his clothes for a week straight all give me vibes this was not a great home to grow up in.
(8) Can we talk about the sex work?
The way this lady describes dance hosts, it’s not like “oh learn how to ballroom” in the same way people talk about watercolor classes. No, these men are ESCORTS. The fact that she keeps the tuxedo of one of the men in her closet? And pays sometimes for these men? They are GIGILOS. Sure, she’s not having sex with them, but the companionship, flirting, etc, is all a form of sex work. That’s not something I think is at most nursing homes LOL. One of the dancers said Mama Lee doesn’t actually dance as much as she says she does, and I think that’s a subtle hint that her main thing is the company.
Omg she paid her friend Marianne to come with her, that's like olden times of a woman's companion!!! That was before she found these dance hosts.
From my understanding, Cunard is the only cruise line that has dance hosts still but they're part of the entertainment crew (so more like ballroom instructors than gigolos). I've never heard a YouTuber mention them but I'd love to learn how to waltz. I also just want to do a transatlantic trip in general to feel like I’m living on the Titanic.
And she’s a groupie for a 50 year-old lounge singer? LOL.
(9) How did you like the writing of the book?
In the first chapter when she's like “my granddaughter said that this smells like luxury” I didn't realize that was separate from the fire story for a bit so I was like “wait is she on here either her granddaughter?”. However, overall I liked the style, especially the themed chapters.
It very much felt like her voice and when she had other people write in parts, I thought that was fantastic. More memoirs should have experts from other people being like “hey yes that was true”. They’re obviously a little glazing, but this lady is a narcissist anyways so it makes it a lot of fun.
(10) Is she a reliable narrator?
I do not believe that 5 days adrift at see because of engine fire would end that pleasantly. Like I'm sorry, no flush for 5 days??? Insane. Poop Cruise is on Netflix and they lost their minds. Maybe it was different back then, especially with fewer people on board, but 5 days of shitting into a bag would not be fun.
To be honest, I think she’s probably pretty reliable but we don’t remember traumatic stuff that well as humans.
For instance, she almost died when she was 16 falling off the yacht. That's the way most people die - the ship is going so fast they don't know where they lost the person and by the time they turn around it's unclear where the person went. It's why if someone does fall over, start throwing things over oard that float so that (a) person has something to float on and (b) at least a general concept of where the waves are taking the person. But I think since it’s been so long, she has this very detached feeling to almost dying. And also can’t admit how close she got since she spends all her time on that ship.
I’m not annoyed she didn’t tell us a number she spends, after reading her self-absorption and rudeness it’s exactly what I expect.
Last thing - the 12 rules, the woman catches an apple as a proposal is an old myth that is how people in Greece did proposals, coming out of the Kypria poem where Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera fight over an apple from Eris. Feels fitting this woman’s book ends on misinformation.
edit: The news articles estimate $170,000 a year. Obviously inflation means that's changed to $220,00 which seems accurate looking at Crystal's current prices. Crystal currently has a 150 night cruise that's $460 per night but that doesn't include a single supplement. I had a woman at work who was paying $430 a night to live in a nursing home (that included food, night nurse, diapers, trip to Packers games, etc). So I don't think this woman is too off on the money but I do think she's choosing something where she gets more attention and feels younger than a nursing home where you have to confront your aging.
edit 2: "Poverty to Paradise" on Youtube vlogs living most of her life on a cruise ship and she recently put out a video saying why she doesn't think it'll work for most people: (1) people burn themselves out, you've got to disengage from all of the offered activities and ports because if you did do every port you'd never have time to do stuff like go to the doctor, pay bills, go to the gym, etc; (2) having less control, you leave when the ship leaves or the weather, (3) always in the public, hard to be alone, but all those connections tend to be shallow or more long-distance based when you can see each other so dependent on your expectations/personality, (4) some people don't have enough money (she pulls it off from casino deals which I'm very skeptical of, and she even admits she sees people with gambling addictions and it can quickly go south), (5) she at least does talk about how not everyone can do this because it requires a certain level of medical fitness. She says she gets decision fatigue but she's also hoping around from ship to ship using these casino deals. That's very different from this author who had the money to stay in the same room.
(1) How does someone review a book for someone whose unlikable?
In the bonfire part she's straight up admited that the law can't touch her because of who her husband and son are and how deep they are in small town politics. So she's rich from land lording and the police chief can't touch her. Literally a villain.
How these people make money feels like something out of time. Oh he just founds a bank and hires his best friend? Oh he quits the bank and opens up real estate with his wife who has a great nursing career as his bookkeeper?
I think I would hate this woman. Landlord who got wealthy and then she's like “tree isn't good enough, get me a bridge” like wow okay entitled much.
Also just the whole “we have 4 kids but take 4 week vacations whenever because we have free child care and a black housekeeper” is some rich old time shit.
Clearly of a wealth class in Florida.
Part of this book is just her complaining. Sure why not have a 3 page chapter that you hate women who have tattoos! (no mention of men having tattoos of course).
This woman is deeply unlikable. Like the part about her nightmare of going to a dentist in Namibia because she didn’t believe Africa had competent dentists? And she was shocked the doctor was white and there was electricity. WILD to write that (and believe that).
“Whenever I went to the hospital, they gave me a baby” is legitimately funny.
Also, she talks about how she’s never sick but then needed 2 months of dental work in 2 weeks because she never went to the dentist. Ma’am that’s why we do regular check-ups! But then she admits that she knows it could be a problem, she doesn’t want to think about it now. WILD to live you’re life like that.
She has all these kids but doesn't spend Christmas with them, the people have to come to her.
The way this lady describes people is very self-aggrandizing “This girl knew nothing and then she calls me crying so that’s why I teach the needlepoint classes and she’s a great teacher from me” is very Trump-esque. Or like how her children chose their careers because of her, not because of their own choices.
Sometimes she's funny.
“I don’t need to be strong. On this ship I don’t even open my own water bottles”
“Mark Hamlisch was very nice, shame he’s dead.”
“My favorite holiday is my birthday.”
Sometimes she's just racist.
“I don’t know when the Eskimos stopped calling themselves Eskimos, but I don’t like it. I have a hard time remembering and pronouncing Inuits.” SHE DIDN’T EVEN SPELL “Innuits” RIGHT!
(2) Is she self-aware?
Like the part about her going on her scale 10 times a day. Ma’am are you just adding color to this story, or do you not realize you have an eating disorder?
Is she aware she lacks a lot of sentimentality? Like giving away or throwing away all of her photos except those she took with her. Or how when the map of pins fell down she threw it all in the trash and doesn’t keep count anymore. Or when she talks about her family.
“I adore babies, but I’m the baby now”
(3)Do you think the ship employees truly like her?
I just know this lady is horrible to be with. She says she sleeps with the tv on, but cruise ship walls are really thin. Like her neighbors can hear that!!!
The section where she’s talking about the crew she likes and only refers to them by their ethnicity instead of their name was insanely racist.
Okay that Thailand story was just that lady being anxious. I thought that she’d actually get extorted which is a real thing, but nah she’s just prejudiced. Like I wouldn’t want to be in a taxi with 2 men, with one of the men in the back, but she was so weird about it.
(4)Is this book helpful for people who want to do this life?
This lady has been cruising since 1961. Every cruise YouTuber I watch has only been doing it for less than 10 years. That's fascinating she was on ships from the 1930s.
From my YouTube watching, this lady has way more clothes than the average person and you can't get in house carpenters to make all these changes. The people with the 9 month Cruise bought magnetic shelving and did something really similar, but there wasn't like a carpenter. Also pretty sure they each only brought 3 shoes and like 12 shirts each. This lady said 75 blouses which is insane. Her cabin has got to be messy.
Also, the Crystal cruise line went bust and then was resurrected by investors. It all feels really shady, like instead of selling the line they ran up a ton of debt and then Royal Caribbean investors bought it through shell companies.
The part about shared dining and no sex politics religion for small talk at that shared dining is totally true.
The all-inclusive part is less true, every ship has add-on restaurants nowadays.
There’s a sweet spot in the history of cruising where there were the most ports open to ships during the Obama era, that does not exist anymore. I feel like she sorted of touched on this where she got to go to Iran on a cruise. My 9 month cruisers have talked about this a lot where they couldn’t see the middle east, Russia, or some of the Baltic because of current wars.
(5) Would you want this?
No, because I need an actual real medical team. LOL
No, because I don’t like this much small talk. She is consistently having to engage in small talk with semi-strangers but also fake familiarity.
No, I want to see more of the ports. I’ve watched this gay couple who have a balcony on Villa Vie and a straight couple who did the 9 month cruise and both complained the cruise didn’t stay in the ports long enough. This woman prefers the ship to the ports.
No, I would miss cooking. Like being able to just do a really elaborate meal or baked good.
HOWEVER, she did the Northwest Passage and she said it was amazing, which I’m totally jealous of.
How do y’all feel about most of the animal sighting she did on the Arctic cruise was a camerman out there with a live feed hooked up to tvs in the cruise ship. Like that’s more real than watching a nature documentary, but can she say she saw a polar bear in the wild?
Also, this woman says she never tires of the Panama Canal and all the youtubers I watch say the same thing. That it’s just a lot of fun to do the entire thing.
I’m fascinated she almost never gets off the boat except for cruise parties and to go shopping in Turkey. I feel like that’s how you can tell the age of this book, because Turkey has been having an economic crisis and isn’t the great financial shopping area it used to be. Apparently Kuşadası is the most popular cruise port in Turkey, beating out Istanbul.
(6) How different from a nursing home?
Needlepoint, dancing, afternoon tea, lecture classes, Like ya that actually sounds like a really nice life. However, the whole always meeting new people sounds exhausting you’ve got to be a sort of extrovert person but I guess in a nursing home you’ll get cliches and this way this lady can terrorize new people all the time. Also, a cruise ship probably has more classes and food than a nursing home. I do think it’s more lively and more attentive in care.
“I’ve been away from home so long, I’m a novelty” is kinda of sad? Like on one hand, I don’t want my parents around all the time. I do only see my brother on holidays. But there’s something sort of tragic about her life that I can’t quite describe. Maybe it’s because a boat feels more remote than a 6 hour drive?
(7) What did you think of her husband?
I know this lady had the love of her life and whatever but his insistence to not dance makes me side eye. My father hates musicals but who took our family to multiple musicals?
In a different life, she would have been a rich lady who did ballroom dance but was constrained in her primary hobby because of her husband.
I'm a little confused on why her husband wasn't sent oversees to Korea but I guess don't think about it?
The story of him giving a woman a can to drink out because she clumsy and her son sleeping in his clothes for a week straight all give me vibes this was not a great home to grow up in.
(8) Can we talk about the sex work?
The way this lady describes dance hosts, it’s not like “oh learn how to ballroom” in the same way people talk about watercolor classes. No, these men are ESCORTS. The fact that she keeps the tuxedo of one of the men in her closet? And pays sometimes for these men? They are GIGILOS. Sure, she’s not having sex with them, but the companionship, flirting, etc, is all a form of sex work. That’s not something I think is at most nursing homes LOL. One of the dancers said Mama Lee doesn’t actually dance as much as she says she does, and I think that’s a subtle hint that her main thing is the company.
Omg she paid her friend Marianne to come with her, that's like olden times of a woman's companion!!! That was before she found these dance hosts.
From my understanding, Cunard is the only cruise line that has dance hosts still but they're part of the entertainment crew (so more like ballroom instructors than gigolos). I've never heard a YouTuber mention them but I'd love to learn how to waltz. I also just want to do a transatlantic trip in general to feel like I’m living on the Titanic.
And she’s a groupie for a 50 year-old lounge singer? LOL.
(9) How did you like the writing of the book?
In the first chapter when she's like “my granddaughter said that this smells like luxury” I didn't realize that was separate from the fire story for a bit so I was like “wait is she on here either her granddaughter?”. However, overall I liked the style, especially the themed chapters.
It very much felt like her voice and when she had other people write in parts, I thought that was fantastic. More memoirs should have experts from other people being like “hey yes that was true”. They’re obviously a little glazing, but this lady is a narcissist anyways so it makes it a lot of fun.
(10) Is she a reliable narrator?
I do not believe that 5 days adrift at see because of engine fire would end that pleasantly. Like I'm sorry, no flush for 5 days??? Insane. Poop Cruise is on Netflix and they lost their minds. Maybe it was different back then, especially with fewer people on board, but 5 days of shitting into a bag would not be fun.
To be honest, I think she’s probably pretty reliable but we don’t remember traumatic stuff that well as humans.
For instance, she almost died when she was 16 falling off the yacht. That's the way most people die - the ship is going so fast they don't know where they lost the person and by the time they turn around it's unclear where the person went. It's why if someone does fall over, start throwing things over oard that float so that (a) person has something to float on and (b) at least a general concept of where the waves are taking the person. But I think since it’s been so long, she has this very detached feeling to almost dying. And also can’t admit how close she got since she spends all her time on that ship.
I’m not annoyed she didn’t tell us a number she spends, after reading her self-absorption and rudeness it’s exactly what I expect.
Last thing - the 12 rules, the woman catches an apple as a proposal is an old myth that is how people in Greece did proposals, coming out of the Kypria poem where Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera fight over an apple from Eris. Feels fitting this woman’s book ends on misinformation.
edit: The news articles estimate $170,000 a year. Obviously inflation means that's changed to $220,00 which seems accurate looking at Crystal's current prices. Crystal currently has a 150 night cruise that's $460 per night but that doesn't include a single supplement. I had a woman at work who was paying $430 a night to live in a nursing home (that included food, night nurse, diapers, trip to Packers games, etc). So I don't think this woman is too off on the money but I do think she's choosing something where she gets more attention and feels younger than a nursing home where you have to confront your aging.
edit 2: "Poverty to Paradise" on Youtube vlogs living most of her life on a cruise ship and she recently put out a video saying why she doesn't think it'll work for most people: (1) people burn themselves out, you've got to disengage from all of the offered activities and ports because if you did do every port you'd never have time to do stuff like go to the doctor, pay bills, go to the gym, etc; (2) having less control, you leave when the ship leaves or the weather, (3) always in the public, hard to be alone, but all those connections tend to be shallow or more long-distance based when you can see each other so dependent on your expectations/personality, (4) some people don't have enough money (she pulls it off from casino deals which I'm very skeptical of, and she even admits she sees people with gambling addictions and it can quickly go south), (5) she at least does talk about how not everyone can do this because it requires a certain level of medical fitness. She says she gets decision fatigue but she's also hoping around from ship to ship using these casino deals. That's very different from this author who had the money to stay in the same room.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2018
I adore this little book because I fell in love with its author. Mama Lee is courageous, adventuresome, fun-loving, spirited, positive, smart, and inspirational. If you're looking for something light and happy, especially if you like cruising vacations, I highly recommend Lee Wachtstetter's memoir. Her attitude about life is infectious.
THANK YOU FOR WRITING IT, MAMA LEE!
THANK YOU FOR WRITING IT, MAMA LEE!
February 21, 2020
Such a joy to read! I’ve seen Mama Lee on the Serenity and always wondered about her, I so much enjoyed her book. She tells some hilarious stories about cruising and what it’s like to actually live on a cruise ship. She sounds like she’d be a real hoot to meet and travel with. A cool old broad who loves to dance, needlepoint, and cruise cruise cruise. Fun book.
January 29, 2020
Interesting insight to a very lovely lady!
I saw Mama Lee on YouTube and found her book. As we all grow older, it does my heart good to see that age is not a deterrent to doing something you love. If there’s a will and hard earned cash, there’s a way.
I saw Mama Lee on YouTube and found her book. As we all grow older, it does my heart good to see that age is not a deterrent to doing something you love. If there’s a will and hard earned cash, there’s a way.
June 16, 2023
I love buying and reading these types of books.
Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
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Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
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Boats, yachts, historical events and books about the sea are generally excellent. If there are sequels in your series, I would love to read them.
The beauties of owning the books of important authors cannot be discussed. I'm looking forward to your new books.
For friends who want to read this book, I leave the importance of reading a book here. I wish good luck to the sellers and customers...
Top 10 benefits of reading for all ages:
1. Reading Exercises the Brain
As we read, we need to remember the different characters and settings of a particular story. Even if you enjoy reading a book in one sitting, you need to remember the details during the time you devote to reading the book. Therefore, reading is an exercise for your brain that improves memory function.
2. Reading Is a (free) Form of Entertainment
Did you know that most of the popular TV series and movies are based on books? So why not indulge in the original form of entertainment by immersing yourself in reading? Most importantly, it's free with your Markham Public Library card.
3. Reading Improves Concentration and Focus
We all agree that there can be no reading without focus, and we need to concentrate on every page we read to fully understand the story. In a world where gadgets only speed up and shorten our attention span, we must constantly practice concentration and focus. Reading is one of the few activities that requires your undivided attention, so it improves your ability to concentrate.
4. Reading Improves Literacy
Have you ever read a book where you come across a word you don't know? Books have the power to improve your vocabulary by introducing you to new words. The more you read, the more your vocabulary will improve as well as your ability to communicate effectively. Also, reading improves writing skills by helping the reader understand and learn different writing styles.
5. Reading Improves Sleep
By creating a bedtime routine that includes reading, you can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. Now more than ever, we rely on increased screen time to get through the day. That's why you put your phone away and pick up a book and tell your brain it's time to calm down. Also, since reading helps you relieve stress, reading right before bed helps calm your mind and anxiety and improve your sleep quality.
6. Reading Increases General Knowledge
Books are always full of fun and interesting facts. Whether we read fiction or non-fiction, books have the ability to provide us with information we might not otherwise know. Reading various topics can make you a more knowledgeable person and therefore improve your speaking skills.
7. Reading Is Motivating
By reading books about heroes overcoming adversity, we are often encouraged to do the same. Whether it's a romance novel or a self-help book, the right book can motivate you to never give up and stay positive.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/concept-4400...
https://numberoneboats.com/concept-44...
https://theboatyacht.com/concept-27-f...
https://numberoneboats.com/concept-27...
July 12, 2023
I'll give this a three star for content--how to retire and live on a cruise ship--but only two stars for writing ability and organization. I'd like more information on how the actual planning works, and as for how much it costs, Mama Lee is coy and says "None of your business." The famous article about her listing $164,000 back in 2015 was made up, she says and not accurate.
So how much would it cost? If you lived on a Carnival ship (much, much cheaper than Mama Lee's ride) estimates are $200K for two people. A single person on a cruise ship gets hit with a higher "supplement" fare because that loss of a second person doesn't buy drinks, shore excursions, etc. So that's doubled right there and at least doubled because Crystal is all inclusive (free booze) and much more luxurious. So maybe $600,000?
Mama Lee says she doesn't take any prescription drugs--I wondered how she got her refills--and doesn't go to a dentist unless there's an emergency. Her family live in Southern Florida, where she cruises from Miami. She loves to dance--there's ballroom dancing 3x a day--and needlepointing. She's currently 93 and still onboard. I don't know where she went during covid. She says she got tired of packing, unpacking and flights and decided to just live on the boat.
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So how much would it cost? If you lived on a Carnival ship (much, much cheaper than Mama Lee's ride) estimates are $200K for two people. A single person on a cruise ship gets hit with a higher "supplement" fare because that loss of a second person doesn't buy drinks, shore excursions, etc. So that's doubled right there and at least doubled because Crystal is all inclusive (free booze) and much more luxurious. So maybe $600,000?
Mama Lee says she doesn't take any prescription drugs--I wondered how she got her refills--and doesn't go to a dentist unless there's an emergency. Her family live in Southern Florida, where she cruises from Miami. She loves to dance--there's ballroom dancing 3x a day--and needlepointing. She's currently 93 and still onboard. I don't know where she went during covid. She says she got tired of packing, unpacking and flights and decided to just live on the boat.
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April 2, 2019
Enjoyable read!
I enjoyed learning about Lee’s life along with her spirited commonsense approach to it, as well. It was very informative for me as I am seriously contemplating the idea too. I feel like I’d need to have a small condo near Ft. Lauderdale while adjusting. Would be hard to just sell it all & jump aboard. I see the condo cruise liners now being built but I do love Crystal Cruises & like the idea of living aboard with ever changing faces & consistent 5 star service. It would be hard to not have a little balcony to open from time to time for fresh air but it is much more economical. Thought provoking read!
I enjoyed learning about Lee’s life along with her spirited commonsense approach to it, as well. It was very informative for me as I am seriously contemplating the idea too. I feel like I’d need to have a small condo near Ft. Lauderdale while adjusting. Would be hard to just sell it all & jump aboard. I see the condo cruise liners now being built but I do love Crystal Cruises & like the idea of living aboard with ever changing faces & consistent 5 star service. It would be hard to not have a little balcony to open from time to time for fresh air but it is much more economical. Thought provoking read!
January 19, 2024
"I tell everybody if you can afford it, why not live this way, too?"
Mama Lee, the icon, the legend, a cruise world wonder... As someone who loves cruise ships I was invested in Mama Lee's story, I wanted to hear all about her life at sea. I loved hearing all about stateroom 7080, the retrofitting, the change to the smoking area outside, etc.
This lifestyle is something many people could only dream of. Crystal (cruises) seems to have it all, the views, food, entertainment, etc. Lee's typical day at sea sounded blissful.
"Far and away, of all the places I’ve been, this ship is my favorite destination."
Mama Lee, the icon, the legend, a cruise world wonder... As someone who loves cruise ships I was invested in Mama Lee's story, I wanted to hear all about her life at sea. I loved hearing all about stateroom 7080, the retrofitting, the change to the smoking area outside, etc.
This lifestyle is something many people could only dream of. Crystal (cruises) seems to have it all, the views, food, entertainment, etc. Lee's typical day at sea sounded blissful.
"Far and away, of all the places I’ve been, this ship is my favorite destination."
January 18, 2025
Mama Lee’s memoir is a fantastic read. What an interesting and incredible life she has lived both on land and (the reason i picked it up) at Sea.
Im 43 and have only sailed on two Virgin Voyages cruises but ive loved them.
With my own and also friends with older family members i watch them and say to myself: they are no longer living their best lives.
As Mama Lee says “Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. If you hate it, why are you doing it?”
Im 43 and have only sailed on two Virgin Voyages cruises but ive loved them.
With my own and also friends with older family members i watch them and say to myself: they are no longer living their best lives.
As Mama Lee says “Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. If you hate it, why are you doing it?”
August 4, 2025
If you wanted to know more about Mama Lee after reading the news article, etc. this is a way to get more and what she chose to do with her living situation. Her writing is just okay. It is more of a compilation of stories that she felt were important, rather than a memoir. And that's okay.
January 3, 2019
Very interesting. Gift from Mike.
July 21, 2024
I loved this book! It kept me entertained and it was an enjoyable read. It was a nice escape.
August 15, 2023
captivating
Great read about an even greater personality! I felt I could’ve been this mama Lee and one day hope to be mama Dee.
Happy sailings and praise to all staff on every cruise line. They’re amazing
Great read about an even greater personality! I felt I could’ve been this mama Lee and one day hope to be mama Dee.
Happy sailings and praise to all staff on every cruise line. They’re amazing
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