Imagine snapping up an entire cruise ship from a Craigslist ad. Sounds like high seas fantasy, right? But for Chris Willson, it was a reality. In 2008, he discovered a listing for the Aurora , a 2,496 gross ton ship, once a luxurious ocean liner of the 1950s, now in dire need of restoration.
The vessel, adorned with 85 cabins, dining areas, and a pool across her three decks , was about to become his biggest project. Couple book 51 cruises back-to-back on epic retirement vacation Mom banned for life by Carnival Cruise after CBD gummies found in baggage Fast forward, and the Aurora is now a labor of love for Willson and his team of volunteers. They're channeling their efforts into the Aurora Restoration Project, aiming to revive the grandeur of this classic ship.
Currently a floating home for Willson and his partner, the dream is to transform the vessel into a museum. If you can't see the video, click here Chris enthusiastically outlines his mission on the project's YouTube channel: "She's called The Aurora - a classic cruise ship that's going to take a lot of TLC to whip her back into shape, and I'm the guy that's going to do it," Willson declares. "My name is Chris Willson and I took on the project of a lifetime when I found the Aurora.
She has hundreds of jobs that need to be tackled and we're going to do them all right." While retired cruise ships typically meet their end in eerie maritime graveyards, Willson's last-minute purchase has given the Aurora a new lease on lifea .