I live on Virgin cruise ships! Meet the passenger who took a five-day trip with Scarlet Lady and loved it so much he moved to the high seas and has now made 43 trips

It’s fair to say that Chris DeSalvo loves Virgin Voyages cruise ships. A lot of.

The 40-year-old from Florida made his maiden voyage aboard the Scarlet Lady last September – and now has 43 Virginal travels, with one trip of 100 nights. For all intents and purposes, he has been moved to the high seas.

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

‘The first trip was a revelation. I realized that with quality internet and great food, this could be more than just a vacation.”

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

He explains, “The first two weeks were planned in advance and then I kept extending it while I was on board, making 23 trips.

‘I was working with Resilient Lady from August 6 to September 17 for six trips in a row, six weeks. And starting Sunday, I have another seven weeks of back-to-back planned. This takes 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 specializes in making apps for the iPhone.

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

He continues: “For me, life on these ships is about the freedom to be productive without the daily hassle of commuting or scheduling. At sea I have noticed that I can concentrate better and still enjoy numerous fun activities on board.’

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

Mr. DeSalvo on Resilient Lady with friends – trip #41

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

He says: ‘They both use Starlink and the connection is excellent. Scarlet Lady in the Caribbean can be a challenge, but I often find places on land where I can use WiFi, such as the Bimini Beach Club.’

The cost of living on a cruise ship isn’t cheap, with Mr DeSalvo explaining that “it’s comparable to living in an expensive city like Miami if you go out every day.”

Mr. DeSalvo captioned this Instagram snap: “Epic Halloween weekend with the amazing Happenings cast.” The photo was taken on voyage #5 aboard Scarlet Lady

Mr. DeSalvo says, “For me, life on these ships is about the freedom to be productive without the daily hassle of commuting or scheduling.”

And he does not pay for the tours.

“I currently pay for these trips out of my own pocket,” says the cruise goer.

But he doesn’t regret it.

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

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

A photo from Mr. DeSalvo’s first trip

The traveler reveals that he met Sir Richard Branson (“such an amazing experience”), that his closest friends from Miami visited him on all three ships – Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady – and that the crew treated him incredibly treated well.

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

He adds, “Life on these ships was wonderful.”

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