After her husband died of cancer in 1997, a Florida woman decided to honour his wishes and live on the sea... permanently.

Lee Wachtstetter, 86, sold her five-bedroom Fort Lauderdale home and moved to a stateroom aboard a luxury cruise ship.

The widow, who often cruised with her husband during their 50-year-marriage, lived on a Holland America Line ship until it discontinued its dance host program.

She then moved on to the Crystal Serenity and has been living on the 1,070-passenger ship for almost seven years.

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Lee Wachtstetter, who has been nicknamed Mama Lee, sold her five-bedroom Fort Lauderdale area home and moved aboard a luxury cruise ship after her husband died in 1997

Mama Lee's husband Guy Mason Wachtstetter and military dog Tubby. Tubby was killed in action on Guam in 1944 and Mr Wachtstetter was one of his Marine Corps dog handlers

Since setting saii, Mrs Wachtstetter has completed more than 200 cruises - including 15 round-the-world trips - taking in more than 100 countries.

Some of the ship's 655 crew members took to calling her Mama Lee and the nickname has stuck.

'Nobody can pronounce my last name anyway, so it's fine with me,' she told the The News-Herald.

Mrs Wachtstetter rarely goes ashore but does keep in touch with her family via computer, visiting them when the ship docks in Miami.

She misses her three sons and seven grandchildren, but says 'they have families of their own and do what's right for them'.

'The day before my husband died of cancer in 1997, he told me, "Don't stop cruising."

'So here I am today living a stress-free, fairy-tale life,' the widow told the Asbury Park Press

'I enjoy dancing, and this was the best of the remaining ships that still use dance hosts.

'My husband didn't dance, just didn't like to, and encouraged me to dance with the hosts.

'I dance every night for a couple hours after dinner.'

Mrs Wachtstetter (above) picked the Serenity because she likes dancing and it 'was the best of the remaining ships that still use dance hosts'

The Crystal Serenity can carry up to 1,070 passengers and has a crew of 655. It's been cruising for 11 years

Her husband, Guy Mason Wachtstetter, wasn't a dancer, but he was a fighter.

Mr Wachtstetter married his wife in 1948, when she was still going by Leona instead of Lee.

He served in the Second World War, the liberation of Guam and the Korean War and the former Marine Corps dog handler was 87 when he lost his battle with cancer.

The week before his death, Mr Wachtstetter attended the 52nd Marine War Dog Reunion in Chicago even though his doctor told him he might not back it back.

The life-long Florida resident was an Eagle Scout, coached Little League for many years and liked nothing more than taking cruises and being 'Grandpa', according to the Sun Sentinel.

Mrs Wachtstetter has been living on the Crystal Serenity and enjoying the facilities aboard the ship for almost seven years

The 86-year-old will be paying $164,000 to live in a stateroom (model pictured above) on the ship this year

In addition to paying for dancing (seen above), Mrs Wachtstetter's bill covers her for room and board, lectures, movies and other activities

Mrs Wachtstetter believes that living on the Serenity this year will cost her around $164,000. That price includes her room, meals, beverages, dancing programs, entertainment, movies, lectures and cocktail parties with the captain.

Here I am today living a stress-free, fairy-tale life 86-year-old Lee Wachtstetter

In addition to spending time dancing and taking part in other scheduled activities, Mrs Wachtstetter devotes some of her hours to doing needlepoint work in the ship's Palm Court lounge.

She's been doing needlepoint about as long as she's been cruising and gives everything she makes to the Serenity's crew because it gives her 'great pleasure' and they are 'almost like family now'.

Don't expect to see Miss Wachtstetter back on land to celebrate her 87th birthday in May - or any other subsequent birthday for that matter.

She says she isn't sure if she would ever 'be able to readjust to the real world again' because she's spoiled and that the 'crew members bend over backwards' to keep her happy.

However, if the Serenity is docking in Istanbul on the big day, the birthday girl might not be able to resist going ashore.

She finds the 'gorgeously glitzy' outfits at the Grand Bazaar irresistible - especially because they are well-suited for ballroom dancing.