Woman who sold everything she owned to live on cruise ship reveals the biggest challenge
A couple who decided to sell everything they own to live a life of luxury on a cruise ship have revealed the main challenge they face in their new life at sea.
In March 2023, Monica Brzoska and her husband Jorell Conley declared themselves ‘full time cruisers’ in a bid to travel the world.
The Tennessee couple was only in their 30s when they quit their teaching jobs and sold nearly every item they owned to set sail across dozens of countries and ‘live like millionaires.’
Tamara Bright’s story
In the past two-and-a-half years, the pair have visited 45 countries across more than 100 cruises and document their impressive voyages on social media, where they’ve accumulated quite the following.
However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing, as the couple have revealed one major catch to living aboard a floating hotel, where they don’t have to cook, clean or even do laundry ever again.
It’s hard to imagine what could possibly bother them when Monica admits her trickiest decision of the day is whether to spend it by the pool, in the spa or on the beach.
ing a bit homesick.
“There are challenges, of course,” Monica confessed. “We miss our families, but know we can fly home if there’s an emergency.”
To fund their lifestyle, she revealed that they rent out their three-bedroom Memphis home, which rakes in around $1,200 and $1,900 a month, and they try to keep expenses low by opting for cheaper cabins and loyalty discounts.
This hack meant the couple enjoyed early retirement for a bargain price of just $10,000 in the first eight months, including accommodation, meals and entertainment aboard 36 cruises.
As to how it all happened, the pair said they simply fell in love with their first cruise, and never looked back after setting sail out of Miami.
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“I instantly felt free,” Monica told the outlet. “We didn’t know how long our money would last, but in the meantime, we decided to make the most of every minute.
“We quickly fell into the rhythm of our new life. Before, there had always been lesson plans, cooking and cleaning – but all of that was gone.”
She continued: “My day always started with the 9am craft activity, plus I also loved the quizzes and never missed the comedy show.
“Meanwhile, Jorell would relax, watch cooking shows or sit at the bar and chat to people.
“Without the daily stresses of life, we rarely argued, but always told each other if we needed space or more time together.”
She concluded by saying the leap has been a ‘dream come true.’
Featured Image Credit: lifebyanymeans/YouTube
Topics: Travel, US News
Woman who sold everything to live on cruise ship explains why it ‘costs less money’ than living on land
Home> News> US News
Published 11:54 6 Jul 2025 GMT+1
Woman who sold everything to live on cruise ship explains why it ‘costs less money’ than living on land
The 77-year-old is living a rather enviable life
Gerrard Kaonga
A retired teacher has made it clear she has no regrets about selling everything to live on a cruise ship for the foreseeable future.
Sharon Lane is a former high school foreign language teacher, and recently made a purchase for the trip of a lifetime.
The 77-year-old is now retired and opted to trade in her home in a retirement community for the open seas.
While this would be a massive change in lifestyle for many people and would take a whole lot of time deliberating about the pros and cons, Lane has said the decision to live on a cruise ship only took her about 10 minutes.
She also noted that her children and her grandchildren were all ‘on board’ with her decision to live at sea as a retiree.
Lane has said she previously lived in Los Angeles and San Bernardino, adding that her home in Orange County, California was popular retirement community.
Speaking to NBC Los Angeles, she said: “Not only was it affordable to me, it would actually cost me less money to live here like this, have everyone taking care of me instead of me taking care of everybody.”
Lane is now set to sail the seas on the cruise ship for its full 15-year-journey, having purchased an interior villa aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, the world’s first perpetual cruise.
She didn’t explain just how much she paid for the villa, but the company behind the cruise has said an interior villa like hers is priced at $129,999, which is a one-time fee.
Those who permanently reside on the ship can pay monthly fees as low as $3,000 which covers everything – meals, beer and wine, housekeeping, laundry, WiFi, daily activities and full access to all ship amenities and facilities, according to Villa Vie.
Lane added: “All the chores you do in life? Done! If you put your to-do list on a piece of paper and you cross off anything that wasn’t a fun activity, then you end up with the life we have now.”
Speaking to CNN travel, she explained just how happy she is with her purchase.
She said: “I’m finally able to do what I’ve wanted to do for years. I buy the cabin, I live in the cabin, and that’s it. And then there’s no end.”
Villa Vie is marketed as the ‘only affordable residential cruising option offering this lifestyle and as it gets more difficult on land to buy and rent, this lifestyle could become even more popular.
Featured Image Credit: NBC4
Topics: News, US News, Cruise ship, Travel
Haunting footage reveals final moments of woman who went missing onboard cruise ship
Home> Film & TV> Netflix
Updated 10:43 4 Aug 2025 GMT+1
Published 16:25 16 Jul 2025 GMT+1
Haunting footage reveals final moments of woman who went missing onboard cruise ship
Amy was just 23 years old when she went missing on a Royal Caribbean cruise in 1998
Disturbing footage has revealed Amy Bradley’s final hours before she vanished from a cruise ship 27 years ago.
Amy was just 23 years old when she went missing on a Royal Caribbean cruise in 1998.
Amy had embarked on the holiday with her family – her mom Iva, dad Ron and brother, Brad – when she went missing from her room after a night out.
The baffling case is the subject of new Netflix documentary, Amy Bradley is Missing, which drops on the platform on July 16.
From conspiracy theories, to disturbing images and witness testimonies, the true-crime documentary delves into what happened to Amy, and how her family have never given up hope in finding her alive almost three decades later.
Who is Amy Bradley?
Amy is a woman from Virginia who was reported missing nearly 27 years ago, after she went missing on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The ship departed from Puerto Rico on March 21, 1998, before calling at Aruba.
It was traveling to Curacao when Amy went missing in the early hours of March 24.
What was Amy doing on the night she went missing?
Amy had been out with her family on the evening she went missing.
While there have been various theories about what happened to Amy, we know that she had said goodnight to her parents before staying out with her brother following a pool party and a limbo contest.
“I said ‘I love you’, she said ‘I love you too mom, I’ll see you in the morning’,” Iva recalled in the documentary.
Brad explained the pair had been at the disco dancing and listening to music, when he decided to go back to their room.
“I went out onto the balcony, about five minutes later Amy came back to the room. We were both finishing our drinks, hanging out and talking about the next day,” he said.
“She brought up that someone she had been talking to and dancing with during the course of the evening made a physical pass at her. She told me it was the bass player from the band.”
Brad explained that Amy had said she wasn’t feeling too good, and had decided to stay out on the balcony while he went to bed.
At 5.30am, Ron woke up and saw that Brad was in bed. Noticing Amy wasn’t also there, he spotted her legs on one of the lounge chairs out on the balcony.
But just half an hour later, Ron woke up again to find that Amy was no longer on the balcony.
“Something woke me up again, I don’t know what it was but when my eyes opened, I looked out again and she wasn’t there.
“The balcony door was open about 12-14 inches, I noticed her cigarettes weren’t out there and the shirt she was wearing that night was laying on the chair in her room.
“The first thing I’m thinking is she’s changed her clothes and went up, getting a cup of coffee, taking pictures because we were coming in to port.”
Ron left the room to go looking for his daughter, which is when the family’s nightmare began.
Is there any footage of Amy from the night she went missing?
On the night Amy went missing, footage of her dancing at the ship’s disco was shared with the FBI.
A videographer who had been working on the ship went through his footage after he heard that Amy was missing, and ended up finding clips of her dancing with one of the bass players, Alistair Douglas – also known as Yellow.
The footage is the last known clip of Amy before she was missing and was crucial in creating a timeline of her whereabouts.
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What are the theories surrounding Amy’s disappearance?
There are many theories about what happened to Amy during the early hours of March 24.
Some believe she could have fallen overboard, while the possibility that she jumped into the water has also been explored.
However, her family believe she is still alive.
This is down to both a ‘gut feeling’ and a number of witnesses who have since come forward with sightings of a woman they believe to be Amy.
Two women believe they saw Amy and Yellow at somewhere between 5.30 and 6am, in a glass elevator to the nightclub.
They then claim to have then seen Yellow walk past them – without Amy – on the top deck around 15 minutes later.
Despite the claims, the timings could not be confirmed.
Meanwhile, Yellow was interviewed by the FBI and later passed a polygraph test.
During the documentary, his daughter, Amica, rings her father and asks him about Amy’s disappearance.
He says: “They brought the FBI on immediately and then he said to me that they’re trying to find this girl [and] I was seen dancing with her. Everybody that had anything to do with cleaning her room, serving her drinks, we were grounded.
“When they realised nothing was involved, we continued to work. And I continued to work on the cruise ship until two years later.”
Six months later, an eyewitness named David Carmichael claimed to see Amy on a beach in Curacao.
“I see three people walking towards us, there’s one guy, a girl in the middle and then another guy who looked like he was from the island. As they came closer to me, she comes right up to me… I see a tattoo that looks like a Tasmanian devil,” he recalled.
“She was just about to say something to me, when the person who was on the inside comes up, he stared at me, doesn’t say a word. He motions her away. If he had not stared at me I would have forgotten everything. I think about this every day.”
Amy is known to have a tattoo of the Tasmanian devil on her shoulder.
Another sighting was reported by a man named Bill Hefner, who was in the navy when he says he saw Amy at a brothel in Curacao.
Bill explained that a woman who claimed to be Amy had told him she left the ship to buy drugs.
“She said, ‘they’re holding me against my will, I need help. I owe $200 and I can’t get my freedom’… I’ve heard all kinds of stories from working girls… I’ve heard it before.
“That’s when she said, ‘my name is Amy Bradley’ then she told me she got off that ship and she left on her own because she was going to score drugs… ‘and now I’m stuck here with these guys’.”
Bill explained he left the bar shortly afterwards.
Fast forward to 2005, and the family received a series of images of a woman, from somebody who claimed the woman in the photos was Amy.
The images were allegedly from a sex website, and showed a woman posing on a bed.
After having the photos forensically analysed, experts came to the conclusion that the woman in the photos could have been Amy.
Around the same time, a third eye witness, named Judy Maurer, claimed she saw Amy in Barbados, after they popped into a souvenir shop, while on a cruise holiday.
Explaining she needed to use the restroom, Judy said she had been in the bathroom when she heard some people come in.
“There was a man by the door talking, I heard him say ‘the deal is 11 o’clock and I warn you, you better be ready to go’,” recalled Judy.
“I didn’t know what it was, but then all of a sudden the man left. I opened the door and there was a young woman standing by the sinks.
“She had an awful look on her face, kind of crying. I walked over to the sink and I said ‘hi, are you on vacation here?’.”
Judy said she asked the woman her name, and claims she told her it was ‘Amy’.
Judy only realised she could have encountered Amy when she saw her family appearing on Dr Phil weeks later.
Nearly 30 years on from the day she went missing, Amy’s family are still searching and say they will never give up hope.
They have kept all her belongings, including her beloved car.
“Today is the 9,758th day we have been working to get Amy,” said Iva.
“We will never give up on her. In the morning we wake up we say ‘maybe today’ and then when we get ready to go to bed at night we have a little kiss for Amy and say ‘maybe tomorrow’.”
While Ron added: “We keep her car in the garage at home, we keep it shined up, it’s going to be pristine when she gets here, and she’ll get to drive it again.”
Amy Bradley Is Missing is available to watch on Netflix now.
If you have any information about Amy Bradley, you can contact the family’s tip line by calling (804)-789-4269 or by emailing amybradleyismissing@gmail.com.
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Crime, Film and TV, Netflix, US News, Amy Bradley
Cruise ship CEO issues update following mom’s death after being left on remote island during tour
Home> News> World News
Published 13:12 1 Nov 2025 GMT
Cruise ship CEO issues update following mom’s death after being left on remote island during tour
Suzanne Rees was allegedly left behind by the Coral Adventurer while on a 60-day Australian cruise
Lucy Devine
Lucy Devine
The CEO of a cruise ship operator has issued an update after a woman died when she was allegedly left behind on a remote island.
Suzanne Rees, a retired mom from New South Wales, Australia, was allegedly left behind by the Coral Adventurer while on a 60-day Australian cruise.
It is believed that Rees, 80, had been taking part in an organized hiking expedition on Lizard Island with other passengers, but had broken off from the group to rest.
When she failed to board the ship, the vessel allegedly departed without her.
Rescue helicopter workers then found her body the next day (October 26), with her death being described as ‘sudden and non-suspicious’ by Queensland Police Service.
Suzanne Rees was on a 60-day trip around Australia onboard the Coral Adventurer (Coral Adventurer)
Suzanne Rees was on a 60-day trip around Australia onboard the Coral Adventurer (Coral Adventurer)
Speaking to The Australian, Rees’ daughter, Katherine Rees said: “We understand from the police that it was a very hot day, and Mom fell ill on the hill climb.
“She was asked to head down, unescorted. Then the ship left, apparently without doing a passenger count.
“At some stage in that sequence, or shortly after, Mom died, alone.
“I hope that the coronial inquiry will find out what the company should have done that might have saved mom’s life.”
Mark Fifield, CEO of the cruise operator Coral Expeditions, issued an update on Saturday (November 1) explaining that passengers and crew had been informed on Wednesday that the rest of the cruise had been canceled due to the ‘tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues’.
He said that passengers would be refunded and said the company was working ‘to co-ordinate the return journeys of the passengers via chartered flights’.
In a previous statement, Fifield said: “Coral Expeditions can confirm the tragic death of a passenger on the Coral Adventurer during an excursion to Lizard Island in Queensland.
“On Saturday, October 25, the crew notified authorities that a woman was missing, and a search and rescue operation was launched on land and sea.
“Following the operation, Coral Expeditions was notified by Queensland Police that the woman had been found deceased on Lizard Island.”
He continued: “While investigations into the incident are continuing, we are deeply sorry that this has occurred and are offering our full support to the woman’s family.
“The Coral team have been in contact with the woman’s family, and we will continue to offer support to them through this difficult process.
“We are working closely with Queensland Police and other authorities to support their investigation.”
LADbible Group has previously contacted Coral Expeditions for further comment.
Featured Image Credit: Family Handout
Topics: Travel, World News, Australia, Cruise ship
Cruise ship worker reveals the biggest mistake passengers make that could ruin their vacation
Home> News> Travel
Going away on a cruise sounds like a dream come true, but if you make this one mistake, it could ruin everything.
There are a lot of rules travelers need to follow on cruise ships, and there are things that others would prefer you don’t do.
Like this lady who detailed guest habits that gross her out, or this Royal Caribbean fan and cruise extraordinaire, Matt Hochberg, who is part of the Royal Caribbean’s Pinnacle Club.
He has a lot to say about what it’s like being on a cruise ship, and even set up the Royal Caribbean Blog and YouTube channel to share his experiences and tips with others.
But what about the mistakes people are making?
Well, you’ll find out in a second.
There’s just nothing worse than sailing aboard on your planned cruise and then making this mistake that makes it all go to s***.
Thankfully, Alley Kerr, a dancer and singer who has worked on over 100 cruise ships, has one thing you can avoid doing to prevent your journey from getting ruined.
She revealed that the first day is always chaotic onboard, but if you do it right, you’re going to have a lot more fun.
“That’s the day that everybody is trying to book their shore excursions, trying to get their internet sorted, trying to book restaurants and any extra add-ons,” she told the Independent.
While everyone else is running around, unsure of what’s going on or trying to make sure they’re getting themselves organized, you could be the 1 per cent that isn’t losing their mind.
You could be that cool, calm and collected person who has already planned your excursions well in advance.
“…if you can avoid waiting for embarkation day and get it done in advance, your life is going to be so much easier,” she said.
If you’re not planning, you’re setting yourself up for the unknown to pop out and unravel everything.
You also need to make sure you know what’s on, when it’s on and when you’re doing it so that you’re not competing with hordes of people or leaving it until it’s too late.
“People who have never cruised before often get on the ship and then suddenly at the end of the day, they’re like, ‘Oh, everything’s sold out,’” she told the publication.
“I feel that this is one of the worst things that could happen, because you’ve missed out. There’s limited availability for a lot of things,” she added.
Many cruise rookies often make the mistake of waiting to board the ship before planning out the rest of their vacation.
This tip is so on the money that even Cruise Critic has advised that you should plan so far ahead that you’re arriving ‘a day or two before your cruise’.
It explains, as quoted by the Express, that this ‘not only enhances the overall experience with a mini-land vacation, but it also eliminates the stressful race against time – and the risk of missing the ship’.
The advice continues: “Long flight times, customs, visas and potential baggage delays are just a few reasons to add an extra travel day when flying overseas for a cruise. More flights and security checks create more opportunities for things to go wrong. Plus, if you’re already traveling across the globe, why not take the opportunity to explore the local culture before your cruise begins?
“Even a morning flight can leave you waiting in long lines at the cruise terminal, putting you far behind others who arrived earlier.
“Getting to the ship early – something that’s harder to guarantee with a flight – lets you make the most of your first day onboard. You’ll have time to explore the ship, drop off your bags, relax by the pool, grab a bite to eat and fully settle into vacation mode.”