A man who spent a year living on cruise ships has shed light on what it was really like - from his monthly living costs to the weirdest things he saw on board.
Kevin Martin, 48, from Missouri, spent 20 years in the military and worked as a corporate lawyer before becoming a full-time YouTube creator focused on travel.
For his latest experiment, he spent 12 months testing out a spread of cruises with his companies of choice being MSC, NCL, Princess, andRoyal Caribbean.
Each month, he said he spent around $1,300 on cheap cruise deals, with additional costs including his phone bill, insurance, healthcare and dining out, bringing the grand total to somewhere in the region of $2,000.
In his latest YouTubeclip, Kevin shares some of the 'realities' of living on the high seas and starts out by stating that he would not do a 'year straight' again - admitting 45 days to six weeks is the 'sweet spot.'
Kevin Martin, 48, from Missouri, spent 20 years in the military and worked as a corporate lawyer before becoming a full-time YouTube creator focused on travel
For his latest experiment, he spent 12 months testing out a spread of cruises with his companies of choice being MSC, NCL, Princess, and Royal Caribbean
Asked by one of his fans about the oddest thing he saw during his time on cruise ships, Kevin recounted a story of one passenger filling his cargo short pockets with 'handfuls' of cold, peeled prawns.
He added: 'I mean his pockets were bulging with the shrimp. Then he just left the buffet... I thought that was hilarious.'
On the subject of food, Kevin says getting continuously fed is 'dangerous' on the ships when it comes to keeping in shape.
Detailing the bountiful culinary selections he witnessed, he said: 'You have as much food as your heart desires.
'You can have an elegant dining experience in the main dining room, you can go to the buffet and just pick what you want need - as much as you want.
'You can go to all the specialty restaurants. You can go to an amazing steak dinner, you can go to an Italian restaurant, sushi bar... all that kind of stuff.
'It's just really cool. You have an unlimited amount of food. You can eat healthy if you want, there are tons of healthy options. You can eat all the cake you want, if you just want to eat desserts.
'There's just so many food options on a cruise ship.'
In his latest YouTube clip, Kevin shares some of the 'realities' of living on the high seas. He said he loved the fact he never had to do any chores
In a bid to keep his weight in check, Kevin made sure to watch what he ate and he worked hard to keep up his daily step count.
As a result, he even managed to lose weight while cruising.
The avid traveler revealed: 'So... when I started my 100 days on the Ruby Princess I wanted to lose 35lbs.
'That equated to about a pound every three days and I achieved that goal. I lost 35lbs [and] went from 210lbs to 175lbs. That's what I am right now, I'm 175lbs. I'm super happy with the results.'
Over the course of the year, Kevin traveled around the world to various destinations.
He said his favorite port was Tallinn in Estonia, as it is 'gorgeous' with 'cobblestone walkways [and] old buildings.'
Meanwhile the best itinerary was the 'Fire and Ice' trip with Princess.
Explaining the route, Kevin said: 'It left from Fort Lauderdale went to Halifax, Canada, and then we circumnavigated Iceland and went to three different Icelandic ports and because I was on a small ship, the Island Princess, we were able to go to a bunch of places that the bigger ships can't.
'These small towns of like 600 people, deep inside these Icelandic fjords. It was amazing... it was breathtaking.'
Each month, he spent around $1,300 on cheap cruise deals with additional costs, including his phone bill and dining out, bringing the grand total to somewhere in the region of $2,000
On the subject of food and drink, Kevin says getting continuously fed is 'dangerous' on the ships when it comes to keeping in shape
Following his cruise ship experience, Kevin says he plans on 'integrating' cruising into his travel plans so he can hop between places without flying
While he was cruising, Kevin said he didn't have any issues other than getting norovirus while aboard the Caribbean Princess which made him 'violently' sick for more than four days.
Some of his fans quizzed him about the cabins being noisy, but he said the only thing he really heard were people being loud when they were drunk and walking by.
In terms of his favorite cruise liner, Kevin says he enjoyed them all but MSC had the best private island, while Princess has the best 'fluffy mattresses.'
Along with copious amounts of food and visiting a range of places, Kevin said the biggest perk of cruising was never having to do any chores.
He told his viewers: 'No cooking, no cleaning.
'I don't have to make my bed. I don't have to clean a shower or a toilet. All that is done for me. I just get to relax and enjoy the cruise.'
When it came to his favorite travel item, Kevin says his phone wallet was very useful as he could keep his room card, money and phone all in one place.
Conversely, his least favorite item in his carry-on luggage was his sport jacket, as it was bulky and not really necessary.
Following his cruise ship experience, Kevin says he plans on 'integrating' cruising into his travel plans so he can hop between places without flying.
Summing up his year at sea, he concludes: 'I don't regret doing it, I definitely loved my year on cruise ships.
'Everyone gets along, everyone has this shared experience of cruising and they bond over it. It's really beautiful. I wish the rest of the world would learn from that.'
