Gaby
After 25 years at sea, Mario Salsedo has lost his “land legs.” After so much time on cruise ships, he says he’s nearly forgotten how to walk on solid ground.
The American businessman of Cuban descent, Mario Salsedo, known in cruise circles as Super Mario, has spent a quarter of a century on ocean liners. He has only been on land for a few days each year and took a longer break during the COVID pandemic.
How This All Started
After taking his first cruise in 1997, Mario Salsedo was hooked. He tried several cruise lines but settled on Royal Caribbean because he liked their ships best. Since 2000, he has practically lived aboard their vessels full time.
His 1,000th cruise was on the Explorer of the Seas, which carried 3,286 passengers and sailed from Miami on January 5 of this year for an 11-day trip to Panama and the southern Caribbean.
A seasoned cruiser who runs an online investment management business, he decided to embrace life at sea permanently, saying he was “tired of the business world with its stiff suits and ties, as well as the long flights to meet international clients.” He also doesn’t have any social media accounts.
Salsedo says he spends about $101,000 a year on his maritime lifestyle. He has top-tier status with the cruise line, so he’s routinely offered a spacious cabin with a balcony. On some ships, crews even set up makeshift offices for him on deck with a sign reading “Super Mario’s Office.”
He works about five hours a day and spends the rest of his time enjoying the ship.
How Cruise Life Affects the Body
“I’ve lost my ‘land legs,'” Mario Salsedo said. “On solid ground, I sway so much that I can’t walk in a straight line. I’m so used to being on ships that I feel more comfortable there than on land.”
Elaine Warren, who runs a cruise company, said the loss of the ability to walk normally on solid ground—known medically as mal de débarquement—is a common phenomenon among avid cruisers.
Many people dream of spending as much time as possible on a cruise ship. “But when you switch from the dream of a vacation to the reality of life at sea, a lot of unexpected things happen, especially with your body. Short trips are one thing, but long-term stays on board are a completely different experience,” Warren told the Daily Mail.
“The body eventually adapts to the movement of the ship, but that’s not always a good thing. Many long-term cruisers develop ‘sea legs.’ They become so accustomed to the slight rocking of the ship that walking on land feels strange to them. I’ve spoken with people who have lived at sea for months, and they said that returning to solid ground disoriented them. It felt like the ground was moving beneath their feet,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mario Salsedo confessed, “Cruises never get boring. It’s zero stress. And it’s the best lifestyle you can find.”
