Newsday from New York, New York • 195

1898 TONG T838 SENIOR TRAVEL CYU8 E5 Here's the Life: Retire to a Ship, Meals Included By Rhoda Amon STAFF WRITER and when I retire, I would want to retire to a ship. The idea is not new, nor is Beth lived her last 14 years liner Caronia, circumnavigating floating home, from 1949 to 1963. Though Clara's record has broken, another seagoing widow, Muller, 83, has just completed year of contented residence Queen Elizabeth 2. Like Clara and Beatrice, I tle for anything less than a ship around the world. There are still haven't seen, and ports I'd like again.

I want to visit the Egypt, sail down the coast of Africa, the Mediterranean, Tasman and seas, visit the islands of the Pacific, to Hawaii, Australia and New and I wouldn't want to die without Rome again. And I like the pace of life of Bea comfortable routine playing bridge, attending lectures and shows, stantly changing list of guests, night. Of course, you could get the leisure village, but I've never ary condo or even a vacation home and who would want to be surrounded Perillo Steve Mario. The trusted Perillo ITALY Let us show you Italy of Perillo family experience. Choose from the Alps to Consider just others: One price covers all, free domestic hotels, full American breakfast and dinner legendary "flag thrower" dinner in the Hills, cooking class, mini-cruise in Portofino, and much more.

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Ship passengers are regarded as people out for a good time, not just plodding through the day. The QE2 has the perfect schedule for me: back and forth between New York and Europe during the warm months, around the world during the winter. Muller fell in love with the ship when she and her husband, Robert, a successful chemical engineer, took the world cruise in 1995. They continued cruising every winter, until he died of emphysema in 1999 as the ship was leaving Bombay. Alone and adrift, she calculated that living aboard the QE2 costs about $5,000 a month, meals included, and was retire to a comparable to living in a retirement home.

Mac- "I realized that, at my age, many of Cunard my friends were either dead or in Florin her ida," she told maritime historian Bill Miller. "I sold everything, including three houses and my car, and moved to the ship. Miller, 54, retired from teaching this year to spend days at sea, although heretains his home in Secaucus, N.J. So far, he's logged Ship passengers are regarded as people out for a good time, not just plodding through the day. 265 voyages on 220 different ships, "from banana boats to giant ocean liners." While Beatrice Muller's fascination with ships began in her 70s, Miller can trace his maritime mania to his boyhood in Hoboken, N.J., a vantage point from which he could watch the comings and goings of the great trans-Atlantic ocean liners.

These days, Miller, president of Bill Miller Cruises Everywhere, lectures aboard cruise ships, writes books about them, and, unlike Muller, is not addicted to any one line. Just returned from a 21-day voyage to South America on the Radisson's Seven-Seas Navigator, he raves about the service on the all-suite luxury ship: "They do everything but chew the food for you." Tours it crazy. Clara aboard the the world never been Beatrice her third aboard the wouldn't setthat goes seas I to see Pyramids of cruise China return Zealand seeing Rhoda Amon Muller, who has a writing a book, partying with a condancing until midsame services in a yearned for a stationthat doesn't move, with only peo- name in travel since 1945 the "Perillo backed by three generations from 11 First Class adventures to storybook places a few special features that separate us from all airfares coast to First Class and Deluxe daily with wines, dinner dance in a Roman palace, Florentine, new and crafting an elegant, El Escorial, Cordoba, (Marbella), Ronda, "Perillo You'll savor and friendliness see for yourself! greater pleasure at Perillo Tours than reading our clients. They burst with accolades. Our 8 to 11 day applauded by thousand of vacationers and all.

Enjoy parties, fine restaurants, deluxe hotels, 1945 SINCE PERILLOTOURS Perillo Plaza, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey 07677 Please rush me my free vacation guides: Italy Spain Hawaii 8 day 11 day City State Zip NDAY But Seabourn and Crystal Cruises are no pikers at pampering passengers, either. Miller is currently writing a book about the Crystal luxury ships. Unfortunately, ships don't last as long as houses or widows. Jane Thombs had to face it. Thombs, 77, is not only a one-ship woman, she's devoted to one itinerary.

After the death of her husband in 1993, she toured the Hawaiian islands 19 times on the SS Constitution. After that ship was sold (and later sank), she moved onto its sister ship, the SS Independence, taking 42 more cruises, "all wonderful," around the Hawaiian islands. To the ship's crew, she was "Auntie Janie." She called it her "vitamin-sea therapy" and likened herself to "a flower that was a tight bud, but now I'm open. I have blossomed." She had just completed her 61st voyage when the ship's parent company, American Classic Voyages, filed for bankruptcy protection and retired the 51-year-old vessel. Thombs still corresponds by e-mail with her "family," the crew of the Independence, including Capt.

Evans Hoyt. "When you're on a ship a long time, you get to know everyone, and they're always glad 99 to see you, she said. Beatrice Muller may someday face the same sad parting. The 35-year-old QE2 will be replaced as a trans-Atlantic liner next year by the new Queen Mary 2. While the QE2 will continue circling the planet, eventually Muller may have to find another home.

She plans to try the Queen Mary 2 in 2004 but is not sure she would ever move over to the newest, largest liner ever built. "Right now I am happiest on the Queen Elizabeth 2," she told Bill Miller. In fact, she said, "Sometimes I feel like I've died and gone to Rhoda Amon gladly accepts mail from fellow senior travelers. Write to her at Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Melville, NY 11747-4250, or e-mail her at rhoda BE CAREFREE. OCCIDENTAL ALLEGRO OCCIDENTAL HOTELS RESORTS All-Inclusive Vacations 3 Nights Occidental Caribbean Village Cancun $665 Occidental Allegro Jack Tar Puerto Plata Playa Dorada Playa Grande $695 Occidental Allegro $699 NEWSDAY, Occidental Allegro Playacar ...719 LIBERTY TRAVEL Where Travel Begins SUNDAY, for 3 nights, Round-trip transfers between airport and hotel, Al-(Al-Inclusive) meals, snacks, beverages, non- COACH HAS MORE Rates airfare valid from for New travel York from to Caribbean 1-800-764-5000 and Newark Actual to effective Cancun, dates Mexico vary Via by American resort and Airlines, include: hotel Round-trip accommodations midweek LIBERTYTRAVEL.COM FEBRUARY motorized water-sports gratuities and more.

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