Meet Lorraine Artz, Full-Time Cruiser
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 06.29.07 | 10:18 AM ET
Lorraine Artz has spent at least 10 months of the year aboard a cruise ship for each of the last 20 years. At last count that’s 4,120 days, or more than 11 years of bouncy seas and buffets. Or, to put it another way, enough time to get back and forth to Mars in a spaceship 11 times. It’s not a lifestyle I’d ever want to live—I’ve cruised once, and though I’d like to try it again sometime, it can wait—but I have to admire such dedication to travel. In an interview with USA Today’s Gene Sloan, she says she doesn’t know how anyone can get bored on a cruise ship.
Let me give you a little scenario of a day onboard. (After some time ashore) you return to the ship and get ready for the evening. You go down to one of the many bars, and you have a drink. You spend an hour relaxing with friends, and most of my friends, of course, are crewmembers.
(Then) you go into a beautiful dining room with a menu that any fine restaurant would be pleased to present, and when dinner is finished you have options. You either go to a movie or a production show or a comedian or a magic show. And then you go to sleep in a comfortable bed, and you wake up the next morning, open your drapes and you’re in another country.
To honor Artz’s Cal Ripken-esque achievement, Princess Cruises has named her “Godmother of the Royal Princess.”
For more about why the 80-year-old traveler does what she does, check out avidcruiser’s video interview:
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
John 06.29.07 | 2:57 PM ET
I was disappointed that the USA Today interview didn’t ask her how she can financially afford to spend so much time cruising.
TambourineMan 06.29.07 | 10:16 PM ET
Frequent cruiser nautical miles?
MarinaGirl 06.30.07 | 8:33 PM ET
Lorraine and her husband were from Beverly Hills, you know. She and her husband were always featured in issues of the Princess Captains Circle Magazine as the most travelled passengers.
Suzanne Kyle 07.31.07 | 6:58 AM ET
We met Lorraine on the Sea Princess
in April 06 cruising the Atlantic to
Southampton. She is a charming person,very interesting to talk to and
the crew seemed to love her. It was
good to see her again on YouTube,
and on the Princess Cruise Website when
she named Royal Princess. She spends so
much time and money on board Princess Ships, it was good they honoured her in
this way.
Magdalena Kraft 09.11.07 | 10:36 PM ET
Dearest Lorraine,
Here is a surprise for you from Magdalena and Horst Kraft - Beverly Hills, 1989 - 1990, when we last visited with you & Joe.
Horst and I have been looking for you for quite awhile, but we thought we had ‘lost’ you. I read your article in the National Inquirer, and then searched for you on the internet.
Please reply to this email. It would be wonderful to hear from you! “Maggie”
Gwenyth 05.29.08 | 9:58 AM ET
No rent, no utilities, no cable & internet, no car insurance, no GAS, no groceries, linens, maintenance, cleaning or upkeep costs.
$10 per day gratuities, bar bill, a few toiletries, hair salon, cyber cafe bill and ATM for some shore time.
So, how much would it cost for an inside cabin (calc for SINGLE)if one lived on one ship or did back to back ships? I’m ready to plan for that retirement right now!