After decades of working hard and establishing a career, retirement is a welcome chance to take a breath, slow down, and enjoy what life offers. And while some people use this chance to catch up on a spot of gardening, embrace a new hobby, or head into senior living, others have bigger retirement dreams. They want to see what the world has to offer and travel the globe - and that's exactly what one retired couple did. But while they wanted to fill the last quarter of their lives with cruises, they knew that they'd have to be sneaky if they wanted to get past the strict rules regarding retired cruisers. And they would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for the maid who spotted mysterious stains on their laundry.
Caught in the Act
As Diana and Roger Jones stared at the maid in front of them, they couldn't believe their ears. They had been so careful to cover their tracks and keep their secret under wraps, but they could tell that their plan had been busted. The maid looked at them with a sly smile on her face, holding the pieces of laundry that had alerted her to the secret life that they had been living.
Roger and Diana couldn't do anything in that moment. Thoughts whirled around their minds as they wondered how they would be able to get themselves out of this sticky situation.
The Clear Evidence
The more Roger and Diana examined the situation in front of them, the more they realized that it would be very difficult to talk themselves out of it. The maid was holding their laundry in her hands, and even from a few feet away, they could see that the stains were visible. The maid had clear evidence of their behavior, and she had more than she needed to bring them down for their rule-breaking.
And they could see that the maid was going to do everything she could to bring them down, as well. She looked at them and said, "Can you explain this?"
A Missing Link
As the retired couple saw the glint in the maid's eyes, they knew they were in trouble. But more than anything, they knew that they should have been more careful. They knew that one missing link and one forgotten task had the ability to see their retirement dreams come crumbling down, and they always thought they had been so clean and tidy. They always made sure their laundry hid the signs of their indiscretions before sending it off to be laundered.
However, they realized that they must not have checked this one particular piece of laundry before putting it in the laundry pile. And they knew that this one error now had the ability to ruin the rest of their lives.
Masking the Truth
Roger and Diana knew that there was only one option; they had to try and talk themselves out of the situation. They tried to explain to the cleaner that they had simply had an accident. They wanted her to realize that the stain was nothing but a blip that had no deeper meaning to it. But the cleaner could see right through their lies and knew that there was more to the situation than met the eye.
The mess or the stain wasn't the big issue, though. The cleaner could see beyond the stain and see that there was a bigger issue at play - and she knew that the retired couple was breaking the rules.
Turning to Blackmail
The maid knew just how easy it would be to turn the retired couple in and get them kicked off the cruise ship. All she needed to do was pick up the phone and call her manager. But the maid also saw an opportunity in front of her and knew that she couldn't pass on the chance to get something out of the situation herself. After all, she knew that Diana and Roger had a lot of money stashed away.
She told the retired couple that she would be willing to clean up the mess herself but that it would cost them $5,000 for the privilege. But how would the couple respond to the blackmail?
Approaching Retirement
To truly understand how Diana and Roger found themselves in this blackmail situation, we need to understand how they got there in the first place. It all started over a decade ago, when both Diana and Roger were approaching retirement. Although they were excited to stop working and have more free time on their hands, they were also a little dubious. They had never had so much time off before, so they didn't know how to spend this free time.
With their pension at their disposal, Diana and Roger knew that they needed to do something big and celebrate their retirement in a big way. But first, they needed to come up with a plan.
The Next Steps
Approaching this next stage in their life was quite scary for Diana and Roger, but they knew that they were equipped to deal with anything that came their way. In addition to having a pension from their employers, they have also been adding more to their own savings so they wouldn't have to go without during their retirement years. But they were also conscious of the thought that they couldn't take that money with them when they eventually died.
Because of this, they wanted to come up with a plan that would use their money for a big adventure and to make memories that they'd relish in on their death beds.
No More Responsibility
Spending their money and making the most of their retirement was even more important to them because they had spent so many years looking after other people. The couple had welcomed three kids into the world over the course of their marriage, and they had loved raising them to become the adults they had become. But their kids had moved out and started their own lives, and they weren't burdened with that responsibility any longer.
Without any kids to look after or jobs to attend, however, the couple did feel quite lonely. They didn't know how to fill their time as they had never had so much free time before.
Being Looked After
Of course, another alternative was for Diana and Roger to give in to their old age and take the traditional route. They could sell their house, sell their belongings, move to senior living, and let the staff take care of them for the rest of their lives. This would be simple and easy and would mean that they didn't have to think about anything or stress about anything for the foreseeable future.
Moving to senior living was an option that many of their friends had chosen in recent years, and they knew that they would probably have a good life there. But something was holding Diana back.
Travel Dreams
Diana had spent her whole life thinking of other people. She had worked hard to put extra money in her and her husband's bank accounts, and she had spent every free moment looking after her children. This left very little time for herself and her dreams - and she had always had big dreams. She had always wanted to see what the rest of the world had to offer, and she was particularly interested in traveling around Europe.
Diana knew that her only real chance to fulfil her dreams was to use her retirement years to do so. But she had no idea how this dream would come back and bite her.
Just Not Possible
Although Diana had dreams of traveling the globe during her retirement, reality quickly pulled her back down to earth. They had entered old age, they had responsibilities at home, and they just weren't as young and spritely as they used to be. So, she knew that traveling that far was no longer an option for her or her husband. They'd have to settle for senior living and try to enjoy what was left of their lives instead.
The realization that their retirement would be filled with chess games and care workers didn't sit well with Diana, though. She entered into a deep depression and seemed to lose all meaning in life.
Talking It Through
Roger could see just how much the prospect of a boring and monotonous retirement was having on his wife. And while he didn't want her to be unhappy, he also couldn't see how they could simply change their whole lives and travel across the globe. To try and cheer her up, Roger sat his wife down and talked about her feelings. And it was during this conversation that Diana finally unloaded her troubles.
She told her husband that they had spent their lives working and providing for other people, and she just wanted the chance to drink Italian wine in Italy, French food in France, and German beer in Germany. She just wanted something more.
Breaking His Heart
It broke Roger's heart to see just how unhappy his wife had become with the prospect of their lives together. He wanted her to be happy and to live the life that she had always dreamed of, but he also knew that leaving everything behind in search of travel and adventure would come with a lot of challenges and preparation. Not only that, but he also wanted something slightly different from his retirement.
After working a very physical and demanding job for most of his life, Roger wanted to relax and chill out during his retirement years. But then, almost out of nowhere, the perfect solution came to his mind.
Searching for Answers
That night, when Diana had gone to bed, Roger stayed up and started researching possible vacations and adventures on his computer. It was then that he spotted it - an advert for a cruise that would be departing from Miami in just a few months. As he looked at the picture of the ship and saw just how cheap it would be to hop onboard for a vacation, he realized that it offered them the best of both worlds.
On the one hand, it offered the couple the chance to travel to new places and tick destinations off Diana's bucket list. On the other hand, it offered Roger the chance to relax and unwind on the boat.
The Big Problem
Although Roger was convinced that he had found the right solution to their retirement struggles, he soon came across a big problem with a cruise vacation. Yes, the problem was that it was a vacation - and he knew that his wife wanted more of a lifelong lifestyle change. He knew she wouldn't be satisfied with a two-week vacation that would see them return to the same predicament when they got home.
But what could they do? He couldn't find cruise ships that sailed for years on end, so was it worth suggesting the idea to Diana? He needed to think things through properly.
Questioning His Plan
The more Roger thought about it, the more he began to wonder whether there was a way to get around the problem. He came up with a crazy idea, and, in his mind, it made total sense and would suit both of their needs and requirements during their retirement years. But the more he thought about it, the more he began to doubt himself. Would it even work? Was it even legal?
Roger decided to give himself a little more time to plan out his idea before taking it to Diana. He didn't want to get her hopes up too much because it was the wildest idea he had ever come up with.
Crunching the Numbers
Roger knew that the biggest obstacle would be their finances. Although Roger and Diana had worked hard and had a large chunk of money from their pension and their savings, he also knew that his plan would cost them a lot of money. Because of this, he decided to spend the rest of the night crunching the numbers to see whether it would even be feasible for them to do what he wanted them to do.
Amazingly, the numbers worked in his favor. He believed that he had found a way to travel the world without spending a fortune in the process, and he couldn't wait to see what Diana thought about it.
Sharing the Plan
When Diana awoke the next morning, she saw that her husband had fallen asleep in front of the computer. This was very unlike him, so she began to wonder what he had been working on. After she poured him a cup of coffee and woke him up, her her husband greeted her with a smile and the promise of some good news. It was then that he shared his plan: he wanted them to live on cruise ships.
Yes, Roger's idea was that they booked back-to-back cruises, one after another so that they could constantly travel the world and enjoy all of the luxuries of a ship during their retirement.
Completely Silent
As Roger explained his plan, he tried to read the expression on his wife's face. He had thought that she'd be excited about the prospect of travlling the world and making her dream a reality - but the excitement wasn't what he could see on Diana's face. Instead, she looked worried and concerned. Confused by her reaction, Roger asked his wife what was wrong. She replied, "We could never go through with this."
Although she loved the fact that her husband had come up with a solution to their retirement concerns, she had to combat his dream-like plan with the realities and the practicality of his plan.
Breaking International Law
As Diana mulled over what her husband had suggested, she realized that it just wouldn't be possible. She indicated that it would be breaking international law and that the cruise ships weren't allowed to let people live in international waters all year round. In her mind, they would be kicking them off the ship as soon as they realized what they were doing and then they'd be left with no home and no belongings to return to.
Roger's heart sank as he listened to his wife. Although he'd thought he'd come up with a foolproof plan, he began to wonder whether she was right. Should he just let the dream go?
Cutting the Dream Short
As the couple discussed the idea further, they went through all of the details, all of the costs, and all of the laws and practicalities associated with the plan. And while Diana appreciated her husband for thinking of her and her dreams, she also knew that it would be extremely irresponsible of them to go through with their plan. Sighing, Roger agreed with her, and they decided to put a pin in the plan.
But while they both tried to push the idea to the back of their minds, neither of them could sleep the following night. Their minds were racing, thinking of all of the possibilities that would come with living on a cruise ship.
Doubting Themselves
Although Roger knew that his wife was right, the idea of leaving their old life behind and starting a new one on cruise ships filled him with excitement. He had originally been dubious and wondered whether it was worth it, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to take the risk. Sure, the idea was a crazy and it was a legal gray area, but he couldn't get it out of his mind.
Roger had worked hard his whole life, and the idea of leaving normality behind for excitement on the seas sent his mind racing. The last thing he wanted was for their lives to become stagnant.
Time for Senior Living?
Roger's thoughts were very different from Diana's. Although Diana had always been the one who wanted to go in search of adventure, she had suddenly changed her tune and seemed to give in to what was expected of her. She began talking about the friends that had moved into senior living and started to wonder whether they should follow in their footsteps, sell their house, and move into the same place.
Roger couldn't believe his ears. His wife seemed so lost and seemed to have completely given up. But what he didn't realize was that Diana's words didn't exactly match her thoughts.
Revisiting the Idea
The practical side of Diana knew that they should just give in to their age and grow old as normal retirees. That was what their children expected of them, and that was what the rest of the world expected of them. But at the back of her mind, Diana wanted nothing more than to leave their boring lives behind in search of adventure and luxury. After all, they hadn't worked hard for decades for nothing.
And taking such a big risk at their age seemed so irresponsible, Diana just couldn't stop think about sailing the open ocean. So, she decided to sit her husband down for a life-changing conversation.
Mulling It Over
As the married couple sat down to consider their options, they began to wonder whether there was an alternative to Roger's back-to-back cruise idea. Could they just go on a few vacations throughout the year? Should they buy an RV and travel around the country? What if they permanently moved to a different area of the world? But none of the ideas they came up with came close to the cruise idea.
They knew that they needed to make the right decision for themselves, their future, and their health and well-being. In their eyes, ditching their old life in favor of living on the open ocean seemed perfect to them.
Convincing His Wife
Roger was convinced of the idea first. He decided that cruise life was the perfect life for him, but he knew that he still needed to convince his wife. He needed Diana to be 100% on board with the idea before he could be truly confident, which is why he went back to his computer and started planning once more. If he went to her with a solid, foolproof plan, he thought he could convince her.
Ideally, he wanted to find a cruise opportunity that would make the most financial sense so it didn't seem like they were spending all of their money at once. Then, the perfect opportunity came up.
A Last-Minute Booking
As Roger was scrolling through the internet, he came across an advert for a last-minute cruise - and the price was too good to ignore. Although it wasn't a long cruise, Roger figured that it would give the couple the chance to try out cruising for the first time to see whether it was something they could do long-term. It would be a good test, and something that would allow them to test the waters.
As it wasn't a permanent move, Roger decided to take the idea to his wife. After all, she couldn't say no to a harmless three-week cruise, right? Especially as it would allow them to tick three new countries off their bucket list.
Their First Cruise
Amazingly, Diana agreed to the proposal - and two weeks later they had packed their suitcases and were boarding their very first cruise. The idea was that they would give cruising a go, and if they didn't like it they would return home and look seriously into retirement villages and senior living to live out the rest of their days in peace and quiet. But they had to get through the cruise first.
Roger secretly hoped that his wife would fall in love with cruising and they'd be able to revisit his original proposition. And when they set off from the cruise terminal, the unexpected happened.
The Perfect Trip
Much to Roger's delight, they both immediately fell in love with cruise life. They loved being able to meet and mingle with new people, they loved being on the open ocean, and they loved having so many amenities at their fingertips. They were having more fun than they had had in years, and they felt alive as the ocean breeze whipped through their hair. And this solidified something for Roger.
The more time they spent on the cruise ship, the more Roger realized that it was the life he wanted for him and his wife. After all, they deserved to enjoy their last chapter.
Let's Do It
Thankfully, Diana was having just as much fun as Roger. She loved exploring new countries and new destinations, and she was having more fun than she had ever had before. She felt at home on the ship, and every time she thought about the cruise coming to an end she felt a deep pang in her chest. She wanted the cruise to continue for as long as possible, which is why she then sat down with her husband once more.
As the couple sat down overlooking the ocean, Diana turned to Roger and said, "Let's do it. Let's go on a permanent cruise." After all, the idea of senior living was becoming less and less inviting.
Double Checking
Of course, the couple knew that what they were agreeing to wasn't something they could take lightly. It would be a huge risk and a huge commitment - especially as they were planning on selling their house to fund their travels. Because of this, they decided to double check whether life on the open ocean really was for them or not. So, they booked a second cruise to make sure they loved it as much the first one.
Amazingly, the answer was yes - and they loved cruises so much that they eventually spent the next few years booking one cruise after another, to the point where they barely went home.
Making Friends
Over the next few years, Diana and Roger traveled to places they had never imagined they would get to see. They traveled across the globe and enjoyed the luxury of the cruise ships in the process, and they met hundreds of new friends along the way. In fact, many of the young people they met were impressed with how the married couple were making the most of their retirement years.
As extremely sociable people, being able to chat with people from across the world was something they enjoyed most about cruising. Of course, ticking destinations off their bucket list was also a major perk.
Heading to the Caribbean
When the time came to book another cruise, the couple decided to hop from their current ship to a new cruise in the Caribbean. This was somewhere they had always dreamed of traveling to, and all they had to do was pack their suitcases and move from one ship to the next. They had been careful over the years, making sure that the crew members didn't suspect that they were permanently living on the boats.
But while they had been extremely careful, it seemed as though they weren't careful enough. And they had no idea that this decision to go to the Caribbean would land them in hot water.
Staying up Late
On the fateful evening in question, it had been a day like any other. The couple had departed the ship to explore the current destination, they had headed back to the boat to enjoy the sunshine, they'd had dinner and drinks, and they made their way back to their cabin as they usually did. Nothing about this was unusual as it had become part of their normal routine as cruise dwellers.
But when they turned the corner to where their cabin was, they noticed something out of the ordinary. Someone was standing outside of their cabin, leaning against the door, waiting for something.
The Maid
Although Diana and Roger were used to passing people in the corridor, it was clear to see from the person leaning against their door that this wasn't just a passer-by. It was obvious that she was waiting there for a reason, and the couple wrinkled their eyebrows together. After all, they knew that the maids and cleaners came round every day - but they normally cleaned their cabin when they weren't there.
So, why was the maid leaning against their door? It looked as though she was waiting to talk to them, but they had no idea why she would want to do that.
Pulling the Shirt Out
As the couple neared their room, they assumed that the cleaner would simply move out of their way and get on with her job. However, she stared intently at the couple and refused to move when they reached their door. Roger and Diana were unnerved by her behavior, and couldn't understand why the cleaner was behaving in such a way. Had they done something wrong? Was she locked out of their room?
The reality of the situation was so much worse. As the cleaner looked at them, she pulled one of Roger's shirts out from behind her back. Roger and Diana's hearts dropped.
A Hurried Explanation
Roger and Diana knew that they had to explain themselves, and they had to do it quickly. So, Diana piped up with a hurried explanation, stating that Roger had been wearing that specific shirt the previous night and had accidentally knocked into a dresser in the cabin. As he was old and had fragile skin, it had resulted in blood stains that they had wanted to wash out in cold water. However, Diana just hadn't gotten around to it.
Diana had hoped that her quick explanation would be enough to tide the cleaner over and that she'd leave them alone, but she just narrowed her eyes at the retired couple even more.
Up to Speed
The cleaner didn't believe a word of what Diana was saying. She could see through her lies and told them that she knew exactly what they were up to. She was up to speed with their intentions of living on cruise ships, and she'd caught them in the act multiple times. In fact, she had worked on a few of the same cruise ships that they had been traveling on - and she never forgot a face.
The cleaner told them that the cruise company would ban them for life if they knew what they were doing, and that's when she decided to blackmail the retired couple.
Not Giving in
Diana and Roger couldn't believe what they were hearing. While they knew they were taking a risk when they booked back-to-back cruises, they had never imagined themselves being blackmailed by a cleaner - and over a mysterious laundry stain, no less. Diana wasn't going to stand for it, and she wasn't going to allow her and her husband to be blackmailed for $5,000. After all, that was their hard-earned money.
Diana knew that the cleaner could tell her managers about them, but she also knew that her managers probably wouldn't take too kindly to their staff member blackmailing an elderly couple.
Taking It Public
In the end, there was only one thing that Diana could do. She didn't want to deal with the cleaner directly as she didn't trust her, so she decided to take their story public instead. She told the local news station what was happening to them, and how their cruise ship cleaner was trying to extort them out of $5,000. Of course, it didn't take long for this story to get back to the cruise company.
Amazingly, this worked in their favor. While the couple received a slap on the wrist for their cruise hijinx, the cleaner was dealt an even tougher blow and was fired from the company for good.