Meet the woman who spends five months of every year on a cruise ship

Jolanda, 82, is matter-of-fact about the reason she starts every year on a world cruise. "After my husband died, I had to keep going. I can't feel sorry for myself. I get up and go. My alternative is staying home alone in the cold and rain, cooking and cleaning," she says.

I meet Jolanda, a Vancouver-based Dutchwoman, on Holland America Line's 133-day Grand World Voyage. While I'm on board for only a short segment, she's doing the whole journey in an inside cabin for $65,000. "I saved all my life. I don't want to die with a full bank account," she says.

Jolanda's first cruise was Alaska in 1994, before taking another 80 cruises with her late husband. Since 2023, she has done annual world voyages, spending January to May at sea.

The main appeal is the "floating community" of familiar faces. "When I come back to the guests and crew, I hug more people in a week than six months at home," Jolanda says.

Days are filled by trivia, lectures, crafts, cards, mahjong, and knitting blankets for sick children, part of an initiative called Project Linus. Her healthy routine involves eating lightly, no desserts and walking three kilometres a day around the promenade deck.

Rather than booking excursions, she prefers to explore towns independently, stopping for a coffee or a beer.

A good travel agent can help secure the best deal, especially if you book as soon as the itinerary is released. Only a small deposit is required, before paying in full 90 days before departure. Jolanda also recommends getting medical and cancellation insurance, and carrying paper copies of documents in case you lose your phone.