Passenger details what it’s REALLY like to live on cruise ships for an entire year after spending just $2,000 per month on his adventures

A man who lived on cruise ships for a year has shed light on what it was really like, from his monthly living expenses to the strangest things he saw on board.

Kevin Martin48, 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 tested a series of cruises for twelve months with MSC, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean as his favorite companies.

Every month, he said he spent about $1,300 on cheap cruise deals, with additional costs like his phone bill, insurance, health care and dining out bringing the total to somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000.

In his latest YouTube clip, Kevin shares some of the ‘realities’ of life on the high seas and starts by stating that he wouldn’t do a ‘year straight’ again – admitting that 45 days to six weeks is the ‘sweet spot’ is.

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 tested a series of cruises for twelve months with his favorite companies: MSC, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

Asked by one of his fans about the strangest thing he saw during his time on cruise ships, Kevin told a story of a passenger who filled his short pockets with “handfuls” of cold, peeled shrimp.

He added, “I mean, his pockets were bulging with shrimp. Then he just left the buffet… I thought that was hilarious.”

As for food, Kevin says being constantly fed on the ships is “dangerous” when it comes to staying in shape.

Of the lavish culinary selections he witnessed, he said, “You have as much food as your heart desires.

‘You can dine elegantly in the main dining room, you can go to the buffet and just choose what you need – as much as you want.

‘You can go to all specialty restaurants. You can go to a great steak dinner, you can go to an Italian restaurant, a sushi bar… and things like that.

‘It’s just really cool. You have an unlimited amount of food. You can eat healthy if you want, there are countless healthy options. You can eat as much cake as you want, if all you want to eat is desserts.

“There are so many dining options on a cruise ship.”

In his latest YouTube clip, Kevin shares some of the ‘realities’ of life on the high seas. He said he loved that he never had to do chores

In an effort to keep his weight in check, Kevin watches what he eats and works hard to keep up with 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 35 pounds.

‘That worked out to about a pound every three days and I achieved that target. I lost 35 pounds [and] went from 210 pounds to 175 pounds. That’s what I am now, I weigh 175 pounds. I am very happy with the results.’

Over the course of the year, Kevin traveled the world to various destinations.

He said his favorite port was Tallinn in Estonia because it is “beautiful” with “cobbled walkways [and] old buildings.’

Meanwhile, the “Fire and Ice” trip with Princess was the best itinerary.

Explaining the route, Kevin said, “It left Fort Lauderdale and went to Halifax, Canada, and then we sailed around Iceland and went to three different Icelandic ports and because I was on a small ship, the Island Princess, we were able to a number of places where the larger ships cannot reach.

‘These small towns with about 600 inhabitants, deep in these Icelandic fjords. It was amazing… it took my breath away.”

Each month he spent about $1,300 on cheap cruise deals with added costs, including his phone bill and dining out, bringing the total to about $2,000.

As for food and drink, Kevin says that eating all the time is “dangerous” on the ships when it comes to staying fit

After his cruise ship experience, Kevin says he plans to “integrate” cruising into his travel plans so he can hop between places without flying

While cruising, Kevin said he had no problems other than contracting norovirus on board the Caribbean Princess, which left him “violently” ill for more than four days.

Some of his fans questioned him about the loudness of the huts, but he said all he really heard was people being loud when they were drunk and walking by.

As for his favorite cruise ship, Kevin says he enjoyed them all, but MSC had the best private island, while Princess had the best “soft mattresses.”

Besides the large amounts of food and visiting different places, Kevin said the biggest benefit of cruising was never having to do 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 toilet. That’s all done for me. I can just relax and enjoy the cruise.”

When it came to his favorite travel gear, Kevin says his phone wallet came in very handy because he could keep his room card, money and phone all in one place.

Conversely, his least favorite item in his carry-on was his sports jacket, as it was bulky and not really necessary.

After his cruise ship experience, Kevin says he plans to “integrate” cruising into his travel plans so he can hop between places without flying.

Summarizing his year at sea, he concludes: ‘I have no regrets, I absolutely loved my year on cruise ships.

“Everyone gets along, everyone has a shared cruising experience and a bond is created between them. It’s really beautiful. I wish the rest of the world would learn from that.’