This sweet old couple has decided to sail away for retirement
80-year-old Mike Soroker, and his wife, Barbara 75, had just finished taking four cruises together and loved every minute of it.
Following their return from their last trip, the retirees made a bold choice: to purchase a condo on a cruise ship so they could spend their remaining years exploring the world at sea.
However, the couple will have to wait a little longer before they can start enjoying retirement. Storylines’ MV Narrative, their new floating home, is currently under construction and is not set to sail until 2025, assuming all goes as planned.
Let’s Take A Closer Look At The Sorokers’ New Home
When finished, the 547-cabin ship is scheduled for a three-year global voyage, with frequent stops and extended stays at each port.
Mr. Soroker recently told Business Insider that he and his wife seek a “relaxing adventure” and have been practicing an open mind as they wait to set sail.
“We’re not going to be pressured to run to every place around the world. But we want the chance to see these places, while we’re still alive and healthy enough to enjoy. That’s probably the number one thing we’re most looking forward to,” Soroker said.
The couple’s down payment for their journey of a lifetime amounted to $60,000.
The payment secured the retired couple a $2.5 million, 720-square-foot cabin on the 18-deck ship. Three pools, 20 restaurants, a microbrewery, and a 10,000-volume library are just a few of the basic amenities offered on the ship, but that’s only the beginning of the wonderful things for the Sorokers to discover aboard.
Mr. Soroker shares that he and his wife will end up paying roughly an additional $130,000 annually in maintenance and service fees.
“We worked all these years, building ourselves up,” he said. “It’s time to reap the rewards.”
This Is A Huge Commitment! Are The Sorokers Up To The Challenge?
Mr. Soroker is excited to explore the Middle East and Antarctica, while his wife is looking forward to revisiting Asia, a place she has enjoyed in the past.
Beyond the opportunity to travel, the Sorokers are also looking forward to making new friends and memories.
“We love it. We are talkers,” he said. “We love sitting at a restaurant, turning to the table next to ours, and talking to them. We’ve made fast friends. When you’re on a ship, it’s the same kind of folks there for the same reason.”
Mr. Soroker also shares that their family is 100% supportive of their decision as a couple.
“They love it and want to make sure they can visit us on the ship,” Soroker said, referring to his two children.
“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 could live on the boat. I’ve been in touch with the doctor who’s going to be on the boat,” Mr. Soroker shared.
What Will The Couple Do While They Wait?
The couple plans on selling their New York apartment, and will use their Boca Raton home as their temporary anchor before their next big adventure. Being at sea is “probably our long-term goal,” Soroker says, so there’s no rush. “The ship isn’t ready yet, and always there’s a chance something could go wrong in the meantime.”
“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. [Storylines] basically said that worst case, you get your money back,” he said.
“When we built our dream house … it took us three years. So, I don’t worry about timelines. I just hope that I’m still alive.”
Not that he’s planning on going anywhere.
“Each year that goes by, I just feel younger. My wife and I have a great partnership. I feel like we can do almost anything. I’m very, very lucky.”
Talk about relationship goals. We’ll have to remember to tune in come 2025 to see the Sorokers off on their journey.
