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.