A man who has spent the past 25 years traveling on 1,000 cruise ships has revealed a strange health effect that he’s developed.

Mario Salcedo has spent the past 25 years traveling on 1,000 cruise ships. Credit: James D. Morgan / Getty

Mario Salcedo, who is nicknamed “Super Mario” in cruise circles, has spent more than two decades living at sea.

While his lifestyle may sound like a dream to some, it has come with an unexpected side effect.

In a candid interview with Conde Nast Traveler, the Cuban-born businessman, who recently completed his 1,000th voyage with Royal Caribbean, has shared that he lost his “land legs” as his body had become so accustomed to the motion of cruise ships.

“I’ve lost my land legs. I’m swaying so much I can’t walk in a straight line,” Salcedo said, cited by The New York Post. “I’m so used to being on ships that it feels more comfortable to me than being on land.”

Salcedo’s milestone 1,000th voyage took place aboard the Explorer of the Seas, an 11-night trip from Miami to Panama and the southern Caribbean that set sail on January 5.

Elaine Warren, CEO of The Family Cruise Companion, told Daily Mail that the cruiser’s condition is known as Mal de Débarquement Syndrome (MdDS) – a rare vestibular disorder that makes you feel like you’re moving even when you’re not, per Cleveland Clinic.

“Spending extended time on a cruise ship sounds like a dream for many families. The convenience, entertainment, and all-inclusive nature of the experience make it an attractive idea,” Warren said. “But when you shift from a vacation mindset to actually living at sea, a lot of unexpected things happen — especially to your body.”

Warren noted that long-term cruisers often develop “sea legs,” which is when they become so used to the ship’s movement that walking on land feels disorienting.

“I’ve spent years helping families plan cruise vacations, and while short-term trips are one thing, staying on board long-term is a different experience entirely,” she continued. “The first adjustment is to constant motion. The body adapts to the ship’s movement over time, but that doesn’t always mean in a good way.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, MdDS symptoms typically fade within 24 hours, but in some cases, they can persist for months or even years.

Mario Salcedo said he lost his “land legs” after being on a cruise for so long. Credit: Joe Raedle / Getty

Salcedo spends around $101,000 per year on cruises. He splits his time between working about five hours a day and enjoying the luxuries of life at sea.

The full-time cruiser previously told the publication that he first fell in love with cruising in 1997 and never looked back. His time at sea was only interrupted once – when he was forced to return to land for 15 months during the pandemic in 2020.

“Nothing could lure me away from them, because I get treated like royalty,” he said about his journeys with Royal Caribbean. “The captains all know me.”

Now, back on the water, it seems Salcedo has no plans to give up his floating paradise, even if it means never walking straight again.