I live on Virgin cruise ships! Meet the passenger who went on a 5-day trip on Scarlet Lady and loved it so much he relocated to the high seas and has now clocked up 43 voyages

Chris DeSalvo, from Florida, took his first voyage last year aboard Scarlet Lady
‘I realized that with quality internet and food, this could be more than a vacation’
‘On these ships I can be productive without the hassles of commuting,’ he says
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It’s fair to say that Chris DeSalvo likes Virgin Voyages cruise ships. A lot.

The 40-year-old from Florida took his first voyage in September of last year aboard the Scarlet Lady – and has now clocked up 43 Virgin Voyages, with one trip lasting 100 nights. To all intents and purposes, he’s relocated to the high seas.

Mr DeSalvo told MailOnline Travel: ‘It began as a weekend getaway from my home in South Beach for five nights, leaving on a Friday. Scarlet Lady was scheduled for Puerto Plata [in the Dominican Republic], but an unexpected turn in the weather rerouted us to Costa Maya [in Mexico].

‘The first voyage was a revelation. I realized that with quality internet and amazing food, this could be more than just a vacation.’

Mr DeSalvo reveals that his longest continuous stint at sea was from December 4, 2022, to March 22, 2023, aboard Scarlet Lady in the Caribbean.

Chris DeSalvo took his first voyage in September of last year aboard the Scarlet Lady (above at Key West) – and has now clocked up 43 Virgin Voyages

He explains: ‘The first two weeks were planned ahead of time and then I just kept extending while I was onboard, clocking up 23 voyages.

‘I was just on Resilient Lady from August 6 to September 17 for six voyages in a row, six weeks. And I have another seven weeks back to back planned starting on Sunday. This will take me from Athens to Sydney.’

Mr DeSalvo, who has a home near St. Augustine, is a software developer who runs a company called Pomegranate Apps, which specialises in creating apps for the iPhone.

At sea, he explains, he is even more productive.

He continues: ‘Living on these ships for me is about the freedom to be productive without the daily hassles of commuting or planning. At sea, I’ve found that I can focus more and yet indulge in numerous fun activities onboard.’

The image was taken on voyage number 28, on Scarlet Lady

Mr DeSalvo on Resilient Lady with friends – voyage No.41

Mr DeSalvo’s working life is helped by the ‘great’ Wi-Fi on Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady in Europe.

He says: ‘They both use Starlink and the connection is outstanding. Scarlet Lady in the Caribbean can be challenging, but I have more regular spots on land where I can use the Wi-Fi, like at the Bimini Beach Club.’

The cost of a cruise-ship life isn’t cheap, with Mr DeSalvo explaining that ‘it’s comparable to living in an expensive city like Miami when you’re going out every day’.

Mr DeSalvo captioned this Instagram snap: ‘Epic Halloween weekend with the amazing Happenings cast.’ The picture was taken on voyage No.5 aboard Scarlet Lady

Mr DeSalvo says: ‘Living on these ships for me is about the freedom to be productive without the daily hassles of commuting or planning’

And he’s not putting the tours on expenses.

‘I currently pay for these voyages out of pocket,’ the cruise-goer says.

But he has no regrets.

Mr DeSalvo continues: ‘My experience with Virgin Voyages has had a profound transformative impact on me. I went from being hesitant to venture into the nightclub, to eagerly diving into the pool almost every Scarlet Night [a Virgin Voyages party].’

Mr DeSalvo celebrating his one-year anniversary sailing with Virgin Voyages. Meeting Sir Richard Branson was the icing on the cake

A picture from Mr DeSalvo’s first voyage

The traveller reveals that he’s met Sir Richard Branson (‘such a great experience’), that his best friends from Miami have visited him on all three ships – Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady – and that the crew treat him incredibly well.

‘Many have become very dear friends to me,’ he reveals. ‘I have dinners regularly with them on the ships.’

He adds: ‘Living on these ships has been a blast.’

For more from Mr DeSalvo visit his Instagram – www.instagram.com/christhevoyager.

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