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AN ELDERLY couple have taken a leap of faith by selling their house for a cabin on a ship – despite it not being built yet.
Mike Soroker, 80, and his wife Barbara, 75, have purchased a £2million cabin on the Storylines MV Narrative, where they plan to live full time.
The couple feel now is the time to do something they’ve always dreamed of while they still can, even if it is under dramatic circumstances.
But with a lot of money already invested in their adventure, there’s no turning back.
Speaking to Business Insider, Mike said: “My wife and I see the MV Narrative as an adventure.
“We worked all these years, building ourselves up. It’s time to reap the rewards.
“We bought a $2.5 million (£2million) unit and put $60,000 (£49,000) down.
“There will be sequential payments, but they haven’t started yet.
“On the ship, annual fees will be about $130,000 (£106,000).”
The cruise ship will circumnavigate the earth once every three years continuously, with stops in ports across the globe.
Mike is most looking forward to visiting the Middle East and Antarctica, while Barbara has a particular interest in seeing Asia.
But their life aboard the luxury residential cruise ship will also be about meeting new people and making new friends.
However, all of this will be at their own pace – something the pair describe as a “relaxing adventure”.
“We expect to meet folks and create new relationships,” said Mike. “We love it. We are talkers.
“We love sitting at a restaurant, turning to the table next to ours, and talking to them. We’ve made fast friends.”
Mike and Barbara’s life changing decision will certainly raise a few eyebrows but they have prepared for a number of potential scenarios.
Not only have they sorted on board healthcare, but they’ll also ensure they have somewhere on land to return to if needed.
Mike said: “We’re planning to still have a land base in Boca Raton at first.
“We want to make sure we can still get access to medications. So initially, we might be on land 30% of the time.
“I contacted my insurance companies to see how I can live on the boat. I’ve been in touch with the doctor who’s going to be on the boat.
“I don’t want to use dark humour, but if I die on the boat, I have to make sure I get to my final resting place.
“You have to laugh about that! My wife and I laugh about it.”
With the cruise ship not due to set sail until 2025, Mike and Barbara’s decision is certainly a brave one.
But having regular contact with the travel company puts their minds at ease, while Mike claims that his “tremendous patience” means he is happy to wait.
He said: “The ship may not be built for a couple of years. They haven’t finished all the drawings, but I’m optimistic and I have tremendous patience.
“Storylines has been extremely transparent. Once a month, they have a Zoom meeting to update us on progress. I think it’ll be 2025 at the earliest.
“Some folks like myself who have already put money down, of course, want to know how secure that is. If it falls apart, I’m not worried.
“They basically said that, worst case, you get your money back.
“When we built our dream house in Princeton, New Jersey, it took us three years. So, I don’t worry about timelines.
“I just hope that I’m still alive.”
