cruise ships you live on

You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here’s How Much It Costs

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You know that feeling at the end of a cruise where you’re sad that you have to get back to everyday life…

Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to worry about that feeling ever again? Can you live on a cruise ship permanently?

It’s actually not as far-fetched a thought as you might think. In this guide, I’ll take you through all the options for living on a cruise ship. You’ll learn how much it costs, and what you’d need to think about if you wanted to try it.

Can You Live Permanently on a Cruise Ship?

It is possible to live on a cruise ship and there are several cruise lines that allow you to purchase an apartment onboard. Alternatively, you could book a series of short cruises on a mainstream cruise line.

It’s better to choose a cruise ship designed for long-term living than one from a mainstream cruise line. Logistically, booking back-to-back cruises with a standard cruise line is often not possible and you may have to change rooms regularly or even switch ships.

Cruise Ships You Can Live On Permanently

How much it costs to live on a cruise ship, the people who live on cruise ships, things to consider when living on a cruise ship, faqs about living on a cruise ship.

Technically you could live on any cruise ship, but it might not be possible. Cruises don’t always sell out, but the most popular staterooms and cabins book up far in advance. You would have to constantly look at booking cruises to make sure you have somewhere to stay.

Let’s look at your options in a little more detail…

Traditional Cruises

Cruise ships designed for permanent living, the three-year world cruise.

You can book yourself onto a traditional cruise ship for the long term. You would need to book each itinerary, one after the other.

If you wanted the same cabin on every cruise, it’s wise to make sure that you’re first in line when bookings open. That’s the only way to make sure you can secure the same room for the long term. Otherwise, someone could book your room and essentially kick you out.

Cruises are available to book around 18 to 24 months in advance, so you’ll need to plan ahead.

Moving cabins might not be the end of the world – but it would be a lot easier if you didn’t have to pack and unpack at the start of every new itinerary.

Note: Some cruise lines might make you leave the ship and re-board between itineraries

World Cruises

The easiest way to enjoy living on a cruise ship for the long term would be to look for world cruises. These itineraries can last a long time. Some of the longest run for six months, but three months is more common.

However, don’t expect world cruises to run back-to-back. Typically a cruise ship that is offering a world cruise will go back to offering more regular sailings for the rest of the year, so you would need to keep booking new cruises every time.

These cruises are often expensive too, so the cost of booking world cruises as frequently as possible may not be something you can afford to do.

I was keen to see what a world cruise ship was like, and I managed to book myself a place on board just for the first two days. You can see what the ship was like in my video…

Ship-Hopping

Another option is to ship-hop every few weeks. This may work out cheaper, especially on some cruise lines that offer cheap nightly rates and one-way repositioning cruises.

You should bear in mind how much work would be involved in constantly booking your next cruise, plus the added stress of worrying about whether you’d miss your chance and end up without a cabin.

It can be done though. One person who’s doing just that is Fraser from the YouTube channel Fraser At Sea . Check out this video where he announced his plans to live on cruise ships in 2023:

I’ve taken cruises that cost as little as £40 ($50) per night with all meals included. So if you’re savvy, living on cruise ships can be pretty cheap.

Below you can see examples of some of the best cruise deals available right now…

Arguably the better way to live on a cruise ship is to choose one that’s designed for permanent living.

There aren’t too many of these in existence, but there are some ships that are planned with full-time living in mind, removing all of the worry about making sure you stay booked onto the ship.

Here are the ships that are designed for full-time living:

It’s important to note that these are all planned launch dates. Already some have been pushed back – MS Utopia was originally scheduled for 2023. If you’re interested in living on a cruise ship, you probably need to be flexible on your start year, as plans can change.

1. The World

The World is the largest private residential ship on the planet with 165 residences. It has 106 two- and three-bedroom apartments, 19 one- and two-bedroom studio apartments and 40 studios.

Instead of booking individual cruises, people purchase one of the residences on the ship and are then free to use it as and when they want. Some people live on the ship full-time while others come and go, using it as a vacation home or an alternative to owning a yacht.

The World tries to distance itself in some ways from comparisons to a traditional cruise ship, but there are a lot of similarities, including in the onboard experience.

Take a look at this video to see what you can expect from life on board…

The ship features guest speakers, musicians, and cultural performances to entertain guests, similar to those which would feature on traditional luxury world cruises.

Daytime activities are available too, with two swimming pools as well as a tennis court, and a gym offering exercise classes like yoga and cardio. This is good, considering there are six gourmet restaurants on the ship!

The residences also have their own kitchens, and there’s a grocery store on the ship, if you want to cook for yourself.

The World has a spa, just like you would find on a cruise ship. So really, the experience is very comparable to a typical cruise ship – the only difference is that you have your own kitchen area and that you’re able to stay on the ship long term.

Although, one more difference is the option to host guests. You own your residence and so you’re able to welcome guests onto the ship if you wish.

The ship isn’t particularly family-friendly – kids are welcome, but there isn’t much for them to do. Understandably, the ship is primarily aimed at a mature audience as it’s likely to be retirees who wish to live on a cruise ship.

But that doesn’t mean your family won’t want to visit every now and then, and they will be permitted onto the ship to say hello, although you may be charged if they use some of the facilities, including the restaurants.

2. MS Utopia

Utopia is a planned luxury residential ocean liner project costing $1.1 billion that was originally ordered all the way back in 2009 by Utopia Residences .

The ship has had the launch date regularly pushed back, with the latest launch date announced as 2025. Everything has since gone a little quiet, so there are no guarantees that this project will actually reach completion.

The ship’s yearly itinerary includes stops at some of the world’s most premier events, such as Wimbledon in London, Carnival in Rio De Janeiro, Running of the Bulls in Spain, and Cannes Film Festival in France.

If it does go ahead as planned, Utopia will have 190 residences and will also feature a 175-room hotel, casino, 16,000-square-foot spa, nightclub, and many other amenities typical of large-scale commercial cruise ships.

3. Victoria Majestic

The former ms Veendam for Holland America Line, Victoria Majestic has now been turned into a residential ship and will soon set sail with Victoria Cruises .

Billed as the “world’s first affordable residential ship”, she doesn’t allow guests to purchase a room, but instead lease one on a long-term basis.

The longer you rent a cabin, the higher a discount you’ll get. For example, an Inside Cabin typically costs $8,000 per month (with a $10,000 refundable deposit), but if you book one of the longest leases for 37 months, you’ll get a 40% discount, meaning you’ll pay $4,800 per month. And that’s for two people – $2,400 per person, per month is a pretty great deal for living on a ship!

The ship will offer plenty of onboard facilities to keep guests entertained, and WiFi access means that you could work remotely from the ship if you’re able to.

The planned itinerary for the ship sees her sail from the US around the Caribbean and then down around South America, back up to the west coast of the US before crossing the Pacific to Asia, then onto Africa and a comprehensive tour of Europe for her first 212 days.

Not a lot is known about Somnio – the superyacht is still cloaked in mystery, and details are only available to those invited to apply for a residence onboard. It’s that kind of exclusive.

But here’s what we do know…

There are just 39 residential apartments on this exquisite vessel, each of which is customisable to fit the needs of the buyer. Prices are believed to start from around $11 million, with maintenance fees payable on top of that to the tune of around $100,000 or more.

For the money, you get use of the aft deck – the main hub of the yacht where you can enjoy a large lap pool, two spa pools and various bars and seating areas. Watersports equipment is also available, along with boats if you want to go fishing or diving.

The ship will sail a leisurely itinerary, cruising the world slowly to allow guests more time to explore in port (and to be more environmentally friendly, burning less fuel at slower speeds).

5. Villa Vie Residences

Villa Vie Residences is another new live-on-board world cruise option that has an interesting offering. You can choose to own a cabin, or you can just craft your own world cruise by paying for a cabin like you normally would on a ship, for your chosen segment of the cruise.

And that cruise is epic – it’s a planned 3.5 year journey that will visit over 420 ports in 147 continents across all seven continents. And it’ll continue running this cruise in perpetuity, so once it completes the first navigation, it all begins again.

If you choose to own a cabin, prices start from just $99,999, although there is then a monthly fee you need to pay on top of that. However, you can welcome guests to your cabin and only pay the daily port fees and gratuities for them ($33 per day), and what’s cool is you can rent out your cabin when you aren’t on the ship – making your money back.

Otherwise, if you prefer the Voyagers Program, it works like any other cruise. Prices start at $89 per person, per night and there are a range of itinerary options from 35 days up to 120 days, with the option to combine any that you like.

The cruise is all-inclusive with beer and wine served at meals, complimentary healthcare, free high-speed WiFi, selected free excursions, and free laundry.

And even with the monthly fees, it’s one of the best-value options for living on a cruise ship full time.

Villa Vie has also confirmed the purchase of the former Fred. Olsen ship Braemar for the cruise.

I was lucky enough to be able to interview one of the guests who has purchased a cabin on the Odyssey. You can read that interview here: One Man’s Plan to Live Full-Time on a Cruise Ship

6. MV Narrative

MV Narrative is a contemporary superyacht offering a luxury residential community at sea. Belonging to Storylines , it’s a more affordable choice than some of the other ships you can live on, with the cheapest residences starting at $875,000.

It’s also much larger, with 547 residences available and 18 decks.

You also have the option of leasing a residence on the yacht, if you can’t afford to buy one outright. This means you can pay yearly fees at a much more reasonable five-figure sum, but the downside is that once your 12- or 24-year lease is finished, you don’t own the residence.

It’s a very beautiful yacht with lots of relaxing places to unwind. There are three swimming pools, along with a mammoth 20 restaurants to choose from. You can also borrow from the 10,000 books in the library, or enjoy a drink brewed in the ship’s own microbrewery.

Everything’s included with MV Narrative, including laundry services, high-speed WiFi, premium satellite TV and even regular wellness visits with the onboard doctors and nutritionists, so you can make sure you stay fit and healthy while enjoying your life at sea.

If you have children, it’s by far the best option. There’s a ‘worldschooling’ program with onboard teachers offering hands-on learning through field trips, tutoring, classes and clubs.

Several British people have already bought residences on board, one of these is mindset coach Mimi Bland. You can read her story here: British Woman Embarks On New Life Working Remotely From A Cruise Ship .

Njord by Ocean Residences is a planned superyacht due to launch in 2025, with a wide variety of luxury residences that you can buy.

Studios on the yacht range from two to six bedrooms, so you can really splash out on a luxury pad for entertaining guests if you want to. The biggest suites are 9,000 square feet – consider how an average interior room on a cruise ship is around 130 square feet, and you get the picture.

Everything about this yacht will be extremely luxurious, including hand-picked furnishings, high-end appliances from Gaggenau and integrated smart-home tech throughout.

The yacht has seven onboard restaurants, an extensive spa and fitness suite, its own concierge hospital and medical centre, a cinema, a games room, arts and craft studios, and even a kids club should you wish to bring the family. There are two pools including an aft infinity pool.

Suites on the Njord start from $8.5 million so this is definitely a yacht aimed at the super-rich.

8. MS Dark Island

Dark Island is another residential cruise ship which is planned to be built by 2026.

The ship offers adventurous itineraries, visiting destinations around the world, with lectures, forums, discussions and field trips by leading academics preceding the destinations and expeditions.

There are 101 ultra-luxurious suites to choose from, each with a balcony and a choice of one, two or three bedrooms.

The Dark Island is built to minimise its impact on the environment, with a focus on sustainability and green initiatives.

There was one more option – and this was designed as a middle option between traditional cruising and residential cruising. That’s the ultra-long-term world cruise option announced by Life At Sea Cruises .

However, just as the ship was due to launch on her three-year itinerary in November 2023, the company cancelled the cruise after revealing they had not been able to secure a suitable ship. Read about the cancellation here .

The company had originally announced a three-year itinerary on their ship MV Gemini, with all-inclusive fares starting at $29,999 per person, per year. At the time, this looked like one of the most affordable long-term options for anyone interested in living on a cruise ship.

But then there were challenges about whether the ship was seaworthy, and so a second ship was sought. But with a deal lined up, the cruise line didn’t pay for the AIDAaura when it came up for sale, and instead it was purchased by Celestyal Cruises.

The cruise was due to set sail on 1st November 2023 and visit 135 countries until late 2026, covering 130,000 miles.

Guests had already travelled to Istanbul for the departure, and are now facing a wait for refunds. The company has promised to repay guests but using monthly installments, which suggests the money may have been spent – hopefully everyone gets their money back.

The cost of buying an apartment on a residential cruise ship is between $1 million and $14 million. There are also annual fees of between $60,000 and $300,000 to pay. In theory, you could cruise on traditional cruise ships for around $35,000 per year, if you choose a basic cruise.

There’s no getting away from the fact that residential cruise ships are expensive. That’s because they’re more like luxury ships, and they’re very exclusive. Plus you’re buying an asset, which can be sold on at a later date.

It’s difficult to compare costs directly since ships include different levels of service within their fares, plus you don’t know how long you’re going to want to live on a cruise ship.

But for the sake of comparison, let’s look at the estimated costs of living aboard three residential cruise ships, three traditional cruise lines and the new three-year world cruise.

Table comparing the cost of living on cruise ships for 10 years

Notes about the data.

It’s difficult to compare costs directly since ships include different levels of service within their fares, plus you don’t know how long you’re going to want to live on a cruise ship. You can’t really compare the price of owning a residential place on a ship to cruising for just one year. If you’re looking to buy a place on one of the residential ships, you’ll probably be looking to use it for the long term.

With that in mind, I’ve used 10 years as a guideline, comparing the price of buying a room on a residential ship for 10 years, against the cost of booking traditional cruises for the same time period.

The costs for each option is based on the cheapest accommodation using reported figures.

For the Carnival price, I have used a typical 4-day cruise and included the cost of the Cheers drinks package and the premium WiFi packages .

For Royal Caribbean, I’ve used an average 7-day Caribbean cruise, plus the costs of the Deluxe Beverage Package and the Voom Surf + Stream internet package .

For Regent Seven Seas I’ve based the price on a typical 10-day cruise. Drinks, WiFi, tips and taxes are included as standard.

Where I’ve placed an asterisk for annual costs – these aren’t published by Residences at Sea or Somnio Superyachts, so I’ve used the best estimate I can find.

How To Live On a Cruise Ship Cheaply

The cheapest way to live on a cruise ship would be to choose Life At Sea’s Three Year World cruise. They have the cheapest fares for long-term living, starting at $29,999 per person, per year and including everything you need.

You can even pay monthly if you prefer, with financing options starting at $5,227 per month – a figure that may be within reach for many digital nomads.

With Life at Seas, you get:

Free family & friend visits
Medical consultations during your cruise
Access to a Business Center onboard
Alcohol served with dinner
All port fees and taxes
High-speed internet
Laundry and housekeeping
All entertainment and enrichment seminars

If you would rather stick to a traditional cruise line, you can still keep prices low, but remember you’ll be booking cruises regularly, and you would need to avoid paying for many extras on the ship. You’ll also want to look at cruising with the cheapest cruise lines in the world, such as Carnival or MSC Cruises .

When you’re booking a Carnival cruise, the cheapest fare you can get will be one where you only pay for the cruise itself and the necessary extras – the port fees , taxes and gratuities.

And trust me, while it is possible to opt out of gratuities , you definitely don’t want to do that when you’re living on a cruise ship!

If you cruised in this way – choosing an inside cabin , eating only in the free restaurants and sticking to the free drinks you get on the ship (water, juices, basic tea and coffee at breakfast) then you could possibly cruise for around $35,000 per year.

This would mean you’d have no internet access and you would have to pay for any other drinks separately, but you would be able to enjoy the free accommodation, days at port, and the included daytime and evening entertainment on the ship, along with meals in the main dining restaurant, the buffet and any other included venues on the ship.

Life at Sea’s three-year cruise remains cheaper, and you get more included, but it depends on whether you like the idea of cruising with a more established mainstream cruise line or taking a punt on something new.

How To Live On A Cruise Ship For Free

The absolute cheapest way to live on a cruise ship is to work on one – although it probably isn’t what you had in mind when you thought about living on a cruise ship!

It’s the cheapest option because you’d actually be making money – and your room and food would be free. But you would be working six or seven days a week with only very rare days off, and often for long hours.

It’s hardly a relaxing way to see the world. But if you fancy it, there are plenty of cruise ship jobs with no experience needed .

In some cases, senior officers, including the ship’s captain and cruise director , may be allowed to have their families staying on the ship with them. It isn’t really standard practice, and most officers live on the ships alone, but if you really wanted to live on a cruise ship for free, then try convincing your partner to take up a career as a ship’s senior officer and then see what the cruise line can do for you!

Comparing The Cost of Cruise Ship Living With Other Options

A cruise ship offers a number of perks over regular living, the main one being that you get to see the world. Living on a cruise ship means travelling all across the globe, experiencing new cultures and thrilling experiences.

But how does the cost compare to regular living?

Is it cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a house?

It costs a similar amount to live on a cruise ship as it does in a house. In the UK, the average cost of living is £2,200 per month, equal to around $2,650, and in the US the average cost is $3,200. You can live on a cruise ship for around $2,500-$3,000 per month.

Surprising, right? The average cost of living stats for the UK and for the US include typical rent payments, the cost of food, transport and entertainment, so we’re looking at very comparable rates. The UK’s cost of living makes it being cheaper than the average cruise, while the US is slightly more expensive.

Again, these are average costs for the countries. If we just look at the most expensive places to live, then London becomes £3,200 a month, or $3,800, while New York is approximately $5,100. So living on a cruise ship could actually work out cheaper!

Is it cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a nursing home?

It is usually cheaper to live on a cruise ship than in a nursing home. The UK average cost for living in a care home is £3,550 per month ($4,250), while the US average is much higher at $7,900 per month. It is possible to live on a cruise ship from $2,500 per month.

Of course, if you need to live in a care home, there’s a good chance you need a carer. If that carer’s responsibilities aren’t specialised – if a family member is capable of taking care of you – then you just need to pay for a second person to join you on a cruise.

But that can still work out to be cheaper than paying for a care home.

So, if you don’t need any specialist medical care and have someone in mind who would like to travel the world with you, then paying for the two of you to live on a cruise ship could work out cheaper than living in a care home.

However, one thing that you’ll certainly need to factor in is travel insurance and medical costs. Travel insurance for such a trip could be very costly indeed, and it is mandatory.

Cruise ships do have doctors , but visits to the onboard medical centre can be very costly indeed, and for any serious medical issues, you would need to visit a hospital on land.

What we’ve gathered from this guide is that financially, it is viable to live on a cruise ship, although you need to plan your cruise carefully.

But is it actually an option, or are we being fanciful?

I’ve looked into some real-life examples of people who have lived on cruise ships, and there are some notable examples that prove it is a lifestyle within reach.

1. Lee Wachtstetter

Lee Wachtstetter was an American author who began living on cruise ships back in 2005, choosing Holland America Line’s MS Prinsendam as her ship of choice. She moved in 2008 to Crystal Serenity, and I love the reason why – it’s because Holland America stopped providing dancing partners.

Wachtstetter remained on Crystal Serenity until 2018 when she apparently had to return to land due to ill health. She’s published a book about her experiences, called I May Be Homeless, But You Should See My Yacht .

2. Morton Jablin

Morton Jablin , affectionately nicknamed ‘Captain’, is another long-term cruise passenger. As of 2018, when Jablin was 94 years old, he had spent 13 years living on Seven Seas Navigator, enjoying a life of luxury.

3. Mario Salcedo

Perhaps the most famous case is of Mario Salcedo , nicknamed Super Mario. Mario has lived continuously on Royal Caribbean ships since 2000, with an average of 15 days a year spent on land to handle life admin. He did live on land for 15 months during the COVID-19 pandemic too.

Salcedo isn’t a retiree – he works on the ship, managing investments for various high-worth individuals. And he isn’t tied to a single ship – at the end of his cruises he will return to his condo in Miami for a few hours, before embarking on his next voyage, often flying to a different port to meet the ship.

Here are some of the things you’ll need to consider when you’re living on a cruise ship.

There are two main things to mention when considering tax on your cruise.

Firstly, every cruise you take has taxes that need to be paid. On residential cruise ships or long-term world cruises, these are incorporated into the cost, but if you choose to book traditional cruises back-to-back, the taxes and fees may be separate – so be careful when you’re budgeting.

The second tax consideration is if you decide to work while you cruise. Even if you cruise on a ship permanently, you’ll still need to have a home country of residence, and you’ll need to obey the tax laws for that country.

However, there are often exclusions if you spend less than a set number of days residing in the country, so it’s worth checking your local tax laws and speaking to your accountant for advice.

As an example, in the UK you usually only pay tax if you live in the country for more than half the year. So, by living on a cruise ship permanently, you may not have to pay tax at all.

In theory, you could get a work-from-home job and work on a cruise ship, and potentially save yourself tax money by not being permanently based in your home country! And if you’re a high earner, it could even be more cost-effective to work at sea since the cost of the cruise fare may be less than the tax you save.

This Reddit thread dives into it in a little more detail.

Especially when you consider that your cruise fare includes your room and food – maybe this is something I need to think about?

Just be careful, though because you may also be paying other benefits at home that you could miss out on if living on a ship. For example, in the UK, if you don’t make National Insurance payments, you won’t get the full state pension later in life.

2. Insurance

Normal travel insurance isn’t going to cover you if you decide to live on a cruise ship. Travel insurance policies count on the fact that medical cover is a rarity when you travel for 2-3 weeks of the year.

You’ll need to look into long-term health insurance, so that you have cover should anything go wrong while you’re sailing, and this is likely to be significantly more expensive than regular travel insurance.

Speaking of health, you’ll need to consider how you’re going to stay healthy while living on a cruise ship. Cruise ships generally have a doctor onboard but visits to see them are costly, and they don’t offer most dental treatments.

It would be better to have the option of returning to land on a semi-regular basis to see a doctor and dentist, where prices will be lower.

If you intend to eat in the cruise ship restaurants, remember that they are aimed at vacation guests, and so meals will be richer and higher in calories than a regular diet may be. You might need to be careful with your meal choices, and you’ll want to make sure you visit the gym regularly, or find other ways to stay active.

A minor consideration, but if you sail on a cruise ship, receiving mail isn’t as easy as it would be at home. It is possible for someone to write to you at a cruise port via the port agency, but this requires you to reach an agreement for them to hold your mail.

It may be better to have a post box somewhere that you visit regularly – essentially, set up a home port where you can visit medical services and pick up any mail that you need.

There are several cruise ships designed for permanent living. The World is the only one sailing currently but more are coming soon – though you need to be flexible on dates, as launches are often postponed.

Living on a cruise ship costs between $2,800 and $6,000 per month for most mainstream cruise lines, including drinks packages and WiFi. Luxury cruise lines can cost more, up to $40,000 per month for a typical suite.

You can retire and live on a cruise ship from $2,500 per month, if you choose world cruise itineraries on the cheapest ship options. Choosing other long-term residential cruises, or back-to-back cruises that include drinks and internet access, can cost a lot more than this.

The Bottom Line

That’s a lot of information, but considering how we’re talking about as big a decision as living your life on a cruise ship, there’s always going to be a ton of information you need.

Is it realistic? Yes, it clearly is since others have done it, but it’s not something you can do without having some decent savings.

You’ll need at least $3,000 a month on most cruises, often more, and that’s per person – if you want to live solo then costs may be inflated as well, so bear that in mind.

The best option is to choose one of the specialist cruises aimed at residential guests – such as the MV Narrative from Storylines. These offer the comfort of a long-term solution, while being more affordable than the ultra-luxury MS The World.

It’s definitely a tempting way of living out your retirement, with the chance to be cooked for and pampered while being whisked around the world. Are you considering it?

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

12 thoughts on “You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here’s How Much It Costs”

I am a healthy widow with an old dog. Do you have cruises that accept dogs ? What would a one year cruise cost ? I don’t drink or smoke.

Hi Julia.These are the ways you can take your dog on a cruise: https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/how-to-take-your-dog-on-a-cruise/ I hope that helps. Jenni

I love how much effort and detail you put into your articles Jenni, thank you for all your hard work! 🙂

Thank you! I appreciate your comment. Jenni

Hi There, My name is Moneir Saidden, I live in Australia, Sydney, semi-retired practising dental surgeon with close to 40 years’ experience, 66 years of age, healthy, very young looking and single. I would like to discuss the possibility of living permanently on a cruise ship, I would be more than happy if I could work on the boat as a dentist / health professional or whatever for my residence, i.e. I would not need a salary or wages, just the privilege of free living or part free living on the cruise ship.

Regards, Moneir Saidden

hello am FELIX ADDO BRONI and i will love to work with you.

Sounds very promising

One point about the Victoria Cruises offering – it does offer a flexible fare structure in that you can choose how long you wish to cruise – from 6 months through to forever. This is one of the reasons we chose Victoria Cruise – you can join the ship at any port. We have signed up for the three years to obtain the biggest discount but know that we can stop at any time and leave. So it really works for us and of course what a great way to see the world!

Come join us on Victoria Cruises line! We plan to sail 1 September 2023, pending a 80% occupancy…only 11% away!

It’s a brand new concept as it gives you all the perks of a cruise with a monthly rental structure while sailing around, traveling the world. The big advantage is that you can start your journey at any port and we stop at many ports for multiple days to allow us a proper emersion into the places we are visiting. It’s also an all inclusive cruise with all your meals, internet, free laundry service and so much more!

https://victoria.cruises/

You covered everything but Victoria Cruise Line, which is due to launch a residential ship this year. After looking at both Life at Sea and Victoria, I decided that Victoria was the better deal, especially for a solo traveler.

Thanks Athena. I’m in contact with someone from Victoria and will be adding it very soon. I agree it looks like a great option.

I want to live on cruise ship permanently

Cruise Lines With Ships You Can Live On

Yes, you can actually live on any cruise ship that you want, but it would require booking a cruise on every single voyage on that ship. You also would not be able to decorate the cabin as you would not own it. A better solution? Buy a cabin on one of the following cruise lines and explore the world from the comfort of your home.

The world’s first cruise ship that offered cabins you can buy and live in full time. There are 135 residences laid out on the 12 decks on the ship. 106 of them are apartments with the rest being studios.

The cruise ship was launched in 2002 and at 644 feet long, the ship’s website actually refers to itself as the largest private yacht in the world and the “most exclusive floating city on the planet”. The residents vote on the ports and itinerary that the ship will visit in the upcoming season.

Many of the apartments aboard the ship have been designed by the cruise ship residents, but they are not cheap. To enjoy this mobile and adventurous lifestyle, it will cost you between $2-15 million. But for a view that is always changing from one spectacular sight to another, and to be able to enjoy stress-free traveling to exotic locations, the families aboard the World have decided that the price is well worth it.

Blue World Voyages

Former Starbucks President John B. Richards is serving as the CEO of this new cruise line. Blue World Voyages is promising to create a ship that is unlike any other cruise ship at sea. Blue World Voyages’ first 350 passenger cruise ship will debut in 2019 and will have 26 cabins you can purchase as a home, a lap pool in the ocean, beds by the pool deck so you can sleep under the stars, and staterooms for solo travelers. For photo renderings of their first cruise ship, click here .

Not only will their first ship will have a sea water lap pool, but the ship will have the first full spa deck at sea and first full sports deck at sea. Blue World Voyages will begin sailing in the Mediterranean in May 2019 and will be a “gouge-free price zone”. Visit BlueWorldVoyages.com .

The world’s first affordable cruise ship that you can live on with condo/cabins starting at just $155,000. The average entry price will be less than $355,000 with monthly fees similar to the cost of living in a major city. Named My Home At Sea, this signature ownership and travel experience is offering cabin/condos aboard a cruise ship that travels the world. For photo renderings, click here.

Their first 24,000 gross ton cruise ship is bringing the beauty of classic ocean travel into the 21st century. The vessel will offer 450 cabins broken into five tiers that will range from $155,000 to $1.4 million. The ship will first set sail in February 2020 after receiving a $40 million renovation.

The itinerary is set only from point-to-point every 2 weeks to allow for provisioning and safe running of the vessel. The ship will say in most ports for 3-5 days, giving you the proper time to explore each port of call.

Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. (Sponsored)

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Live at Sea With These 5 New Residential Ships

December 26, 2021

Living at sea might have been an unattainable dream for many just some months ago. But with five new players entering the market, it may be high time for the nomads to start weighing their options.

Cruise Industry News has gathered everything we know about the residence-at-sea projects set to come to fruition soon.

MV Narrative Operator: Storylines Delivery Target: 2024 Capacity: 547 residences

After first planning to purchase a second-hand cruise ship, Storylines decided to construct a purpose-built residential ship in the end. The new vessel – called the MV Narrative – was ordered in 2021 and is being built at the Brodosplit shipyard in Croatia.

The ship features fully furnished residences ranging from 237 sq. ft. to 2411 sq. ft., priced between $300,000 and over $8 million for a premium two-level penthouse suite. The MV Narrative is set to enter service in 2024.

According to Storylines, the owners and invited guests will have the opportunity to live a “sustainable life of luxury and freedom at sea.” Features include waterfront marina, microbrewery, art studio, hydroponic gardens and more.

Positioned as “the greenest ship in the market,” the MV Narrative will use LNG fuel along with innovative reusable energy technologies and energy storage and recovery systems.

Dark Island Operator: Clydebuilt Delivery Target: 2025 Capacity: 101 residential suites

The Dark Island is ready for production at the River Clyde in Scotland, aiming to start operations in 2025. The vessel will be run by the family-owned Clydebuilt and feature 101 residential suites.

The ship’s suites span over eight decks and are now on sale, with prices varying between 8 million and 110 million British pounds.

Each accommodation has its own cooking facilities, but the ship also boasts three restaurants with chefs drawing inspiration from Scotland’s classic dishes and regions.

The Dark Island also has a spa, a salon where manicures and pedicures can be done, a hydrotherapy pool, a fitness and wellbeing center, and more.

Njord Operator: Ocean Residences Delivery Target: 2025 Capacity: 117 residences

The M/Y Njord – which was ordered in 2021 – is set to enter service in 2025. The 289-meter residential yacht will feature 117 residences once it’s constructed at its shipyard, Meyer Werft.

According to the ship’s operator Ocean Residences, the Njord is designed to meet “the strictest environmental regulations,” both at delivery and in the future.

The vessel will be powered by dual-fuel engines, with tank capacity for marine gas oil and LNG, batteries for hybridization, heat recovery systems and advanced power management systems.

Blue World Operator: Blue World Voyages Built: TBD Capacity: 40 private residences

Blue World Voyages is planning a hybrid ship concept, with owner residences and passengers. First announced in 2019, the brand was said to be eyeing a second-hand cruise ship to introduce its product.

Original plans called for a 2021 service launch, with seven-day voyages in the Mediterranean targeted at those with an active lifestyle. Activities ranged from golf to snorkeling and kayaking.

The company’s ship would feature 425 berths, offering 200 standard staterooms, 25 single rooms and two upper decks of residences for a total of 40 apartments. The ship would also offer a full deck dedicated to spa procedures and wellness and another deck for sports and fitness.

Somnio Operator: TBD Built: 2024 Capacity: 39 apartments

The Somnio was designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden as a luxury residential yacht. The project is overseen by Captain Erik Bredhe and features 39 onboard apartments with amenities.

The Somnio – described as a yacht liner – is set to enter service in 2024 and will boast a 10,000-bottle wine cellar, restaurants and bars, in addition to an onboard beach club with water sports.

The vessel will also be built with the highest future hygiene and safety requirements in mind, and the owners say that they will have access to “world-class healthcare and medical services.”

The 39 apartments are already on sale, with the procurement happening strictly through a system of invitation or referral.

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You Can Now Buy a Vacation Home on a Cruise Ship Sailing Around the World

Your life can be an endless cruise.

For most people, sailing the world is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for a few lucky travelers, an endless journey circumnavigating the globe could be a reality.

When Storylines' first residential cruise ship launches in 2024, it will feature 547 fully furnished residences available for purchase to globe trotters who would like to live, work, and play while exploring the world. Most of the one-to-four-bedroom homes, ranging from 237 to 1,970 square feet, feature balconies and can be customized in a coastal or contemporary style. While the onboard residences are in the $1 million to $8 million range, there are also a number of homes available for as little as $600,000 on a 24-year lease basis.

And just like with all high-end cruise ships, the 741-foot long, 98-foot wide MV Narrative will feature many amenities keeping homeowners busy and entertained.

Three pools with sundecks will ensure guests can soak up plenty of Vitamin D, while an outdoor running track, gym, yoga studio, and golf simulators will cater to sports and workout enthusiasts. Since wellness is a central part of the experience and the community's values, the onboard medical clinic will offer a list of wellness services, including weight loss, anti-aging, immune therapies, detox treatments, and nutrition planning. The ship even has a pet exercise area so four-legged passengers can stay active and healthy, too.

And with 20 dining options and bars, foodies can rest assured that their every culinary need and preference will be satisfied. The ship also has its own microbrewery and a solar-paneled, soil-less garden which will supply its eateries with fresh ingredients and craft beer. A zero-waste farmers market will also be available, offering local products. Other fun amenities aboard include a library, a marina with watercraft access, a movie theater, an art studio, and a bowling alley. The Narrative has been built with sustainability in mind. The ship runs on liquid gas, which is more eco-friendly than conventional fuels.

"Many people love global travel experiences but they don't love the logistics, planning, air travel, jet lag, and living out of a suitcase. Storylines takes the hassle out of international travel so that people can focus on exploring, adventures and cultural experiences. At the end of a long day discovering a new exotic location, they can come home to friends and familiar surroundings and sleep in their own bed," Storylines co-founder, Shannon Lee, wrote in an email.

Of course, being part of a cruise community is mainly about travel and experiencing the world. The ship's three-year voyage, beginning in 2024, includes all six continents. Residents will have several days to explore each destination and fully immerse themselves in the local culture.

"Storylines attracts people who actively get involved in local communities and enjoy world cultures. We like to say 'exotic destinations become your afternoon strolls' because the overall experience is really about exploring the world while still having all the comforts of home," added Lee.

And on this ship, the concept of exploring the world from the comfort of your home just hits different.

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Travel the World Aboard Your

Luxury Residential Community at Sea

Global Travel from the Comfort of Home

March 15, 2022 00:00:00

20 Restaurants & Bars
10,000 Book Library
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Live on an all-inclusive

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Travel the World from the Comfort of Home

Averaging three days in each port, you have ample time and options to explore the cultures and customs beyond our ports-of-call. Or simply enjoy the most beautiful scenery on the planet from the comfort of your new home aboard Storylines exclusive around the world cruise ship .

Living an all-inclusive life aboard Storylines means exactly that. Our living fees start from just $2,152 per person per month - lower than living costs in most major cities worldwide.

Chart your day the way you want, with activities to keep you as active or relaxed as you choose to be. Yoga on deck? A deck chair and a book? Dine in or out under the stars and dance, or dream the night away. That’s the beauty of writing your own story.

Friends and Family

Friends and family of Storylines residents are welcome! Invite a friend for a month, your children for a week, or make eternal memories with your grandchildren for a whole summer. Should you wish, Storylines will even manage renting your residence for you while you are away.

Travel the World

Circumnavigating around the world every three-and-a-half years means you have time to savor the sights and sounds of UNESCO world heritage sites, off-the-beaten-path destinations and all the wonders of the world.

The Ultimate Travel Lifestyle

You can now travel the globe from the comfort of home, experiencing the ultimate travel lifestyle. Unpack once. You're home...and you're traveling around the world. You can have it all. Work onboard and discover offshore tax benefits. Learn in a truly global classroom. Enjoy the adventure - it's all part of the Storylines luxury global lifestyle.

Living on a Mega-Yacht

Living on a megayacht means never having to cook or clean again. It means exotic destinations are your afternoon strolls. When you live on a circumnavigating yacht, you wake to ever-changing views of the most beautiful places in the world and you travel the world with like-minded adventurers in an ultra-exclusive global community.

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Travel the world without leaving Home ®

With only 165 Residences aboard The World , each has its own unique story. Residences range from elegant Studios to spacious Three-Bedroom Homes – each of which may be customized to suit your specific preferences and tastes. Regardless of the layout you choose, your Home aboard The World will be unlike any other on the planet. It is your comfortable haven providing everchanging views, and your launching point for unforgettable daily adventures as you explore every corner of the globe.

Travel to your Home aboard The World is defined by unparalleled simplicity and ease. Leave your suitcase behind as you return to your private Residence, complete with your personal art, your clothes, and even your wine collection. Once on board, you can expect the highest standards of anticipatory service, from housekeeping and personalized concierge services to tailored wellness programs and bespoke dining experiences. Welcome to the most extraordinary Home you will ever own.

Three-Bedroom Residences

Your expansive Three-Bedroom Residence welcomes you, your Guests, and any Resident neighbors you entertain with an inviting foyer that opens into vast living spaces awash in fresh ocean air and natural light. With a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen, three full bathrooms, and a vast private veranda, there is no better place to begin and end each day of your incomparable adventure.

Three-Bedroom Residences range from 1,666 – 3,242 square feet / 154.8 – 301.2 square meters.

Two-Bedroom Residences

Your spacious Home at sea has a configuration and an interior design aesthetic all your own. The World’s Two-Bedroom Residences match and surpass the comfort and style you would expect from any landbound luxury vacation house. Enjoy a full-sized kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, en-suite full bathrooms, and ample veranda space.

Two-Bedroom Residences range from 1,106 – 1,391 square feet / 102.8 – 129.2 square meters.

– Resident

Ocean Studio Residences – One and Two Bedroom

In The World’s One- and Two-Bedroom Ocean Studio Residences you’ll enjoy the intimacy of a studio with added space for relaxation or for Guests to join you on the Journey. Share breathtaking views from your private veranda or meals made with fresh local ingredients in your kitchenette.

Ocean Studio Residences range from 580 – 888 square feet /53.9 – 82.5 square meters.

Ocean Studios

When you choose Ocean Studio ownership aboard The World , you enjoy elegant simplicity without compromising on the sophistication of beautiful contemporary design and sumptuous comfort. Each of these single-room Homes is a stylish sanctum at sea, defined by flawless service and boasting a stunning ocean view from a private veranda.

Ocean Studios range from 290 – 846 square feet / 26.9 – 78.6 square meters.

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Determine whether life aboard The World is the right fit for you. Talk to one of our Residential Advisors today to learn more about this unique lifestyle, details of upcoming Journeys and Expeditions, and ownership opportunities.

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You Could Permanently Live at Sea on This Residential Cruise Ship

The vessel will navigate the globe indefinitely, and residences start at $1 million..

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The ship is slated to start sailing in 2024.

The 547-room ship will set sail in 2024.

Courtesy of Storylines

After a few days of living the high (seas) life aboard a luxury cruise ship, spending time exploring exciting port towns and sampling the all-inclusive restaurants and amenities onboard, you might consider what it would be like to stay on the ship forever.

Sure, you could book a room on a round-the-world sailing , but even then, you’re not really living on a cruise ship.

One residential cruising company, however, is working toward making a permanent seafaring life a viable option. In late 2024, the Croatia-based cruise company Storylines is slated to launch a new residential ship, dubbed MV Narrative , where people can purchase an apartment onboard and sail indefinitely.

The floating community will feature 547 residences, including fully furnished studios with Murphy beds (at 237 square feet), one- to four-bedroom apartments, and two-story penthouses (that range between 1,378 and 1,970 square feet each). The outright purchase price for one of the accommodations starts just shy of $1 million and will go up to $8 million. Like any other home, the residences can be rented out or sold in whatever manner the owner chooses. A select few abodes are also listed for 24-year leases (starting at $600,000, or roughly $25,000 per year). After the initial purchase or lease price, each unit will also be charged a yearly fee, ranging from $65,000 to $200,000, to cover meals, amenities, and maintenance. But once onboard, residents would only need to open their wallets for food, experiences, and trinkets during their time ashore—most everything onboard will be covered by the fees (with the exception of things like premium alcohol, certain medical and veterinary services, childcare, and items from the onboard store).

One of the one-bedroom cabins aboard <i>MV Narrative. </i>

A one-bedroom cabin aboard MV Narrative

While it’s not an entirely new idea— The World residences at sea has been sailing since 2002, and Somnio , a residential yacht liner, is expected to set sail in spring 2024—it’s currently the least expsensive option for those who wish to live at sea. ( The World and Somnio ’s smallest accommodations have an estimated starting price of $3 million and $11 million , respectively.)

Storylines was founded in 2016 and is run by Alister Punton and Shannon Lee, two men who previously worked in land-based real estate and construction projects. Per the website, MV Narrative is intended to be more a lifestyle choice and less of an extended vacation. As such, Storylines notes that it will interview potential residents to determine whether they’re a fit for the community.

The plans for the MV Narrative include 20 restaurants across 18 decks, a 10,000-book library, three pools, a garden, a bowling alley, a fitness area with a running track, and a microbrewery. The ship will also house some services not commonly found on other cruise ships due to the nature of its offering, such as a post office, hospital, school (for grades up through 12), bank, and office spaces, to make it feel more like an actual city, just at sea. There will also be outdoor pet exercise areas in case residents want to bring their four-legged friends along for the ride.

The vessel is slated to begin its 1,000-night maiden voyage in late 2024. During that initial nearly three-year-long sailing, the ship will visit six continents and will stop at various ports for one to five days at a time.

One 88-day sample itinerary shows the cruise slowly working its way around most of Italy’s coast over the course of a month, including three days in Rome, four days in Palermo (Sicily’s capital city), and single days in San Leone, Sciacca, and Marsala, among other ports. From there, the ship would spend a few days each in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania, before doing a 24-day deep dive into Greece, and then heading to Turkey. Along the way, there would be “Residents Choice” days, where those aboard could vote on where they’d like to go by using a special phone app for residents.

The slow travel schedule, the company states on its website, is part of its sustainable travel initiative, as being in the harbor for days at a time and going shorter distances between stops burns fewer fossil fuels. Other elements include waste-to-energy tech, growing vegetables in the hydroponic garden, and committing to only using biodegradable or reusable items instead of single-use plastics.

Tips for Living on a Cruise Ship Year-Round

Morton Jablin lives a simple life. He wakes early, enjoys tea in the afternoon and fish for his evening meal. He's not much different from you and me, with one exception: Morton Jablin lives on a cruise ship.

For the past 15 years, the 95-year-old retiree has called Regent's Seven Seas Navigator home.

Jablin joins a host of others who live full time on cruise ships. Mama Lee Wachstetter, 91, has lived on the luxury cruise ship Crystal Serenity for the past 10 years. Mario Salcedo, aka "Super Mario," has taken 1,000 cruises, spending 50 weeks a year on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.

If this lifestyle sounds like it's for you, here's what you need to know about how to live on a cruise ship full time.

Try a longer-than-a-month "grand voyage" or world cruise, or simply book a few back to back, to test the waters and see if full-time cruising is for you. Oceania Cruises even offers a 116-day Snowbirds in Residence package where passengers spend the winter cruising and then return to their land life for the spring/summer months.

The first step is determining whether living on a cruise ship permanently is within your budget. Meet with a financial planner to discuss what you can afford.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that when considered over a 20-year span, cruises were comparably priced to assisted living centers and offered a "better quality of life." However, the cost to live on a cruise ship and buy into a senior living facility will vary widely based on room type and location (which ship or which facility), so you'll need to price out specific examples to see where the value proposition works in your favor.

You'll also want to talk about how you can successfully navigate finances while you're living at sea. You will be required to pay taxes while living on a cruise ship, so it's essential to educate yourself before embarking. What additional costs do you need to consider?

How will you pay any monthly bills? People living at sea can pay bills automatically from a credit card or checking account. Many U.S. property tax jurisdictions allow you to pay bills online to avoid mailing payments from overseas or remote locations. Organizing bill payments and planning ahead will assist in keeping financials current and not falling behind on bills.

Also, in order to qualify for government and health benefits, permanent sea dwellers are required to have a land address. You'll have to decide if you wish to sell your house and acquire a smaller apartment, or rent out your home while you travel. You'll need to figure out what to do with your car and possessions before taking up permanent residence at sea. Can you afford to pay cruise fares and keep a home and/or storage unit?

If you've done the math, and think the finances will work out, you'll want to reach out to your favorite cruise line or a travel agent who specializes in extended cruise travel. Travel agency The Cruise Web has launched a Senior Living at Sea program to assist travelers who want to retire at sea, or at least spend months of each year onboard.

"Senior Living at Sea offers … assistance in booking lengthy travel cruise arrangements through a personalized, tailored experience that allows the client to dictate how they will spend a significant lengthy time at sea," says Brandon Biss, senior travel consultant at The Cruise Web. "It's an alternative to that second home in Florida, or someone who would like to live at sea full time, as a lifestyle."

Travel agents can also help you look for deals and suggest the best ships for your budget, travel preferences and living style.

If you've got the funds, The World is a private residential ship that offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, ranging in price from $2 million to $16 million. Annual ship fees are not included which can run into the thousands.

Other condo ships are scheduled to debut in the next few years, such as Storylines, with at-sea residences starting at $352,000 plus $55,000 yearly maintenance fees, and Utopia, with apartments ranging in size from 1,439 to 6,500 square feet, priced from $4 to $36 million. (However, you assume the risk of buying into a condo ship that is not yet built.)

According to cruise travel agency owner Jo Kling, "Long-term cruise guests may have a bit of negotiating power with cruise lines. Bringing your own furniture and decorating your cabin to match your personal taste can make your cruise feel like home." Ask what options you have for putting your own touch on your new at-sea digs.

Most cruise lines offer rewards programs so the more you cruise, the cheaper it'll be to stay onboard. According to Joseph Chabus, public relations director at Regent Seven Seas Cruises, "Once a guest reaches 2,000 nights sailed, they reach the Commodore tier of our Seven Seas Society loyalty club and receive 10 percent off their cruise fare for life. Also, the fares on our website include airfare, which presumably a guest wouldn't need if they remain on the ship from voyage to voyage, so we provide credits for guests who turn down airfare."

Frequent cruisers receive other perks, such as free Wi-Fi or laundry, complimentary specialty dining and onboard credit to use toward higher priced expenditures on the ship.

Ships are required to maintain medical staff on call 24/7, including at least one physician and two nurses. Similar in model to assisted living facilities, cruise ships are equipped to handle most medical emergencies in the short term. Onboard medical facilities will typically include X-ray machines, defibrillators, basic emergency medical equipment and an array of medication. By planning ahead, you can have your medications filled before you board.

However, if you fall ill while the ship is at sea, a full-service hospital might be hours or days away -- problematic if you need immediate care the limited onboard facility can't provide. Also, depending on where in the world you're sailing, medical care in port might not be as good as what you're used to at home.

Morton Jablin, Regent Seven Seas full-time resident, who is also legally blind, has been satisfied with the medical care he's received while onboard Seven Seas Navigator. "If I need a doctor, there is one in my cabin in five minutes. When I need more specialized care, I visit specialists when in port."

Note that Medicare typically does not cover health care expenses when you're outside the U.S. or onboard, so investing in a private health insurance plan or a travel insurance plan while cruising is advisable. This will be an extra cost for you to consider.

Cruise ships do not allow pets onboard. If you truly plan to retire at sea, you'll need to rehome your animal friends. If you can't live without a furry companion, a permanent residence at sea might not be for you.

Living permanently at sea can present challenges when trying to stay in touch with family and friends. Different times zones and the expense of calling from sea or a foreign port might prevent you from staying current with family and friends. While cruise ships offer Wi-Fi, the ship's internet connectivity is not always as reliable or as fast as internet speeds on land. Look into cellphone plans and options before you sail away, and budget for expensive ship Wi-Fi (though, depending on the line, once you've sailed enough, you might get internet for free).

Those living on a cruise ship can stay connected electronically through social media and email. Also, private companies such as Mail Boxes Etc. or UPS offer mail forwarding services for a fee. Most private mail boxes will hold/forward your mail for up to a year.

Families of full-time cruise residents may visit onboard for a day (with prior authorization) and often opt to sail with full-time cruise residents. Morton Jablin's family sails with him one month per year onboard Seven Seas Navigator.

It can be lonely living on a cruise ship, away from friends and family, so be sure to make time to socialize. Invite someone to share a meal, engage another passenger in chitchat at the bar or ask a new acquaintance to join you for a stroll in port. Most cruisers and cruise staff tend to be friendly and social.

Another plus for extroverts is that you'll interact with a more diverse age group on a cruise ship than you would at a retirement community.

While some full-time cruise ship passengers prefer a go-with-the-flow approach to life onboard, others prefer to follow a structured schedule while living at sea. Routines can help ground people and give them a sense of purpose, whether they're retired or trying to do their job from an at-sea base.

While Jablin doesn't go off the ship when it docks in ports anymore due to macular degeneration, he likes structure. "I like to maintain a schedule: I have breakfast in my cabin, I go to high tea in the afternoon and sit at the same corner table in the dining room for lunch and dinner, where I eat dover sole each meal."

World Cruise passengers and other long-term cruisers report scheduling daily walks or gym time, card or trivia games, time for reading or needlepoint and even evening activities such as a set meal time or nightly dancing.

The days of grocery shopping, meal planning, prep and cleanup are over. Cruise ships offer a variety of dining options and cuisines for all dietary needs. Special diets are accommodated, and staff typically go out of their way to make sure passengers are satisfied.

However, rich cuisine and desserts are plentiful when cruising, so full-time cruisers need to make nutrition and health a priority. Mama Lee Wachstetter, a full-time Princess Cruises resident, modified her diet by ordering only half portions at each meal. Ask for steamed vegetables or a plain salad, or request sauces on the side.

Bottom Line: It's a Wonderful Life at Sea

If you're in relatively good health and can afford the lifestyle, living full time at sea could be a great lifestyle choice.

Morton Jablin has no regrets and offers advice to those who wish to follow in his unique retirement footsteps.

"I would advise them to do it 1,000 percent if they have the financial ability to do so. This is a much better life than in any senior citizens home anywhere in the United States or in the world. They take marvelous care of you. If you need something, you have it in 10 minutes. This cruise line, Regent Seven Seas, is a wonderful company. The people that work here are kind, considerate, gracious. They treat me like family. It's a wonderful life."

How To Live On A Cruise Ship – Top Tips For Life At Sea

By: Author Mona Marks

Posted on Last updated: October 14, 2023

Categories CRUISE PLANNING , LEARN , ONBOARD EXPERIENCE

Most humans never experience what it’s like to live at sea, as 99% of us are land dwellers to the core. A few trendsetters have altered the reality of normal living by packing up their life on land and moving it to a cruise ship on the sea. Cruise ship living is a concept that’s picking up momentum. How to live on a cruise ship starts with proper financial planning, additional health insurance, and awesome deals from cruise liners. Keep reading to learn how your ocean-living dreams can become a reality.

How To Live On A Cruise Ship – Take A Cruise Ship Test Run

Permanently living on a cruise ship might sound glamorous and exciting. And it could be the best decision you’ve ever made but also the wrong one. You should take a trial run at extended cruise ship living before making a decision so that you can confirm if your “living on a cruise ship” dream is for you.

Book long trips (more than 3 months at a time) on different cruise liners, mix them up with different cruise itineraries and immerse yourself in life at sea.

Rope In The Help Of A Cruise Specialist

When you have decided that you want to spend large amounts of a year cruising the world, it’s time to rope in the experts. A cruise specialist can add some value to your experience regarding the following:

One-on-one personal customer service
Assisting in finding the right accommodation
Helping to choose the perfect cruise ship
Access to discounted bookings regarding extended cruise travel
Added amenities such as onboard credit, free specialty dinners and drinks vouchers, airport transfers, and complimentary shore excursions
Ensuring that special promotions during your trip are applied to your fare

Cruise companies such as The Cruise Web offer innovative packaged plans (Seniors at Sea) tailor-made for active and independent seniors looking to retire on a cruise ship. After a cruise specialist has assisted you in finding the best cruise liner option with the best price package available, it’s time to draw up your budget with the help of a financial planner.

Brainstorm With A Financial Planner

You will need to get your financial ducks in a row. Brainstorm with a financial planner about what you can afford to spend per day, week, or month, and see how those numbers fit with your cruise specialist’s quotes. If you’re looking to retire on a cruise ship, a full retirement income plan that includes taxes should be implemented.

Cost Of Permanently Living On A Cruise Ship

The most important factor when living on a cruise ship is the cost. The overall cost of living on a cruise ship is determined by many factors, such as the following:

The cruises you book (Caribbean cruises work out the cheapest, whereas European and Alaskan cruises are the most expensive)
Which cruise ship line do you choose to live on (Mass, premium, or luxury lines)
Type of accommodation (Inside cabins are cheap but small, whereas balcony rooms are expensive but come with a view)
Cruise Line loyalty program and perks
Taxes, port fees, and gratuities (inescapable expenses)
Cost of shore excursions

The average person spends approximately $212 per day on a cruise ship, which includes boarding, food, and entertainment. Your available daily budget should be close to this amount if you want to live successfully on a cruise ship.

Purchase A Permanent Residence On A Cruise Ship

One method of living on a cruise ship is to book multiple cruises on one specific ship or move from ship to ship within a cruise line, using different itineraries. For example, there’s a Royal Caribbean Super Cruiser who has essentially sailed for the past 20 years on various Royal Caribbean ships and spends only about two weeks a year on land!

If your finances allow it, another option is to buy property on a residential ship or an available cabin on a cruise ship.

Storylines is a private residential ship selling 547 at-sea residences (1-bedroom to 4-bedroom residences, 2-story penthouses, and studios) ranging from $400,000 to $8 million, which excludes yearly maintenance fees. Living fees start at $2,152 per month, depending on the residential unit, which is lower than what you would pay in most major cities and comes with a host of all-inclusive living perks.

The world is a residential cruise ship that offers 165 private residencies with prices ranging from $2 million to $16 million, excluding annual ship fees. This luxurious residential cruise ship offers residents culinary delights prepared by Michelin-star chefs, an enrichment program featuring world-renowned experts, a spa and gym facility , and a host of sporting activities.

Utopia

Utopia is a luxury cruise ship that sells permanent residencies totaling 190 units, which range from 1,400 to 6,500 square feet. The prices range from $4 million to $36 million per unit. Luxury retail shops, spas and salons, and all sorts of luxury amenities are expected on board.

Work While Cruising

Today, many people have the opportunity to work remotely from their homes. Technology has changed how we work in the last couple of decades. With access to WI-FI aboard cruise ships, nothing stops you from working online, making cruise ship living a reality for most digital nomads.

One of Royal Caribbean International’s most famous long-term cruisers, Mario Salcedo , works from the top deck of all the ships he sails on. Nicknamed “Super Mario,” Salcedo has been living on various Royal Caribbean International cruise ships for over 20 years.

Mario budgets between $60,000 to $70,000 per year to maintain his life at sea. Booking consecutive yearly tours in advance, staying in cheaper indoor cabins, and not leaving the ship when stopping at a port help him to stay within this budget. Salcedo manages investments for his private clients to fund his stay.

Protect Yourself With Private Health Insurance

Medical facilities found on most cruise ships feature basic medical equipment used for treating basic medical emergencies in the short term, such as defibrillators, x-ray machines, and all sorts of medicine. A medical team consisting of at least one doctor and two nurses is on call 24/7. However, they typically are not set up to provide chronic medical care.

If you’re on chronic medication, you will need to get the prescriptions filled by your doctor before you board the ship. Suppose you have serious health ailments that often require a trip to the hospital for check-ups and treatment. It would be best if you run the scenario of permanently living on a cruise ship by your regular physician.

Full-service hospitals are found at ports only, which can be few and far between when cruising. Retirees using Medicare health insurance are often not adequately covered in a medical emergency and unforeseen medical expenses. Typically, Medicare’s coverage dwindles when members are out at sea or more than 6-hours from the US.

The smartest option, even if it’s more expensive than standard US insurance plans, is to invest in private health insurance, which includes evacuation insurance. Most cruise line offer insurance that is inclusive of medical coverage. You may also have options through a variety of private insurance carriers.

If you’re paying with a credit card, remember to call your credit card company to inquire about the travel insurance they offer and what it covers in a scenario where you live on a cruise ship. Ask your travel specialist for recommendations and put the question to your financial planner.

Pros And Cons Of Living On A Cruise Ship

All life decisions come with pros and cons. Living on a cruise ship has both, and we need to highlight a few of them before you sell your land home, say emotional goodbyes to the family, and put the pets up for adoption.

Pros Of Living On A Cruise Ship

Traveling the world

Can be cost-effective compared to other retirement options

Exciting shore excursions

No utility, gas, or grocery bills

No monthly home or car payments

Constant menu of activities and entertainment steps away

Opportunity to meet new people

Attentive staff available to serve you daily

Renting out your property to receive passive income

Cons Of Living On A Cruise Ship

Leaving friends & family behind

Additional private health insurance required (including evacuation insurance) or cruise liner insurance that includes emergency medical coverage

Gaps between cruises lead to additional costs (hotel, flights, transfers)

Cruise liners not equipped for assisted living (you need to be heal

Have to monitor your diet as food on cruise ships often include fine dining and rich foods

Potential loneliness

You will have to store or sell extra possessions

Shore excursions can be costly

Closing Thoughts

How to live on a cruise ship may seem like a fantasy, but with a little planning, insurance, and guidance from a financial planner and cruise specialist, you can make it your reality!

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How Much It Costs to Live on a Cruise Ship For a Year

Who hasn’t gone on a cruise and thought, “I could do this forever”?

Cost to live on a cruise for a year feature image

The idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people.

There’s no cleaning, no cooking, and no lawn to mow. You don’t have to worry about doing the dishes or paying an electric bill. There’s always something going on, new people to meet, and every day you wake up to some of the most beautiful views in the world.

Add to that the fact that internet access allows many to work remotely from anywhere, and wi-fi is widely available on any major cruise ship. That means even if you don’t want to completely retire, but instead work from the cruise ship , it’s technically possible.

Of course, not everyone can run off and live on a cruise ship, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dream.

And the first question that comes to mind when you think about escaping is how much it would cost to live aboard a cruise ship?

Is the total cost even realistic? That’s why we priced out the cost of living on a cruise ship for an entire year.

The result? Just know that you’ll definitely need to open your wallet to live full-time in paradise. But it might be less money than you think.

Where You’ll Spend Money on Your Cruise

Head to any cruise website and you’ll see plenty of cheap headline prices. Cruises starting at a few hundred dollars for a week are common. At first glance, it seems like living on a cruise ship would be amazingly affordable.

After all, a cruise for $500 a week would cost only $26,000 to sail for a year. For many people, that would be cheaper than living on land!

But anyone who has been on a cruise knows those headline prices are just the start of what you pay . In fact, in our opinion it’s a bit disingenuous of the cruise lines to advertise those prices. After all, what you’ll actually pay is much, much more.

Here’s an idea of where you’ll spend money beyond the headline fare:

Double Occupancy Cruise Fare: Apart from a few sailings that offer solo cabins, any headline price you find is actually only half of what you will pay for cruise fare. That’s because cabins are typically sold based on double occupancy, but prices are shown per person.

So for a fare that’s $599, it will actually cost $1,198 based on double occupancy. Even if you are sailing solo (unless in a solo cabin), you will still have to pay this “double” charge.

In other words, whenever you see a cruise price, double it right away for what you’ll really pay in fare.

Port Fees & Taxes: We all expect to pay taxes on things that we buy. It’s no different for a cruise. However, the taxes aren’t included in the headline cruise fare. As well, cruise fares will also have port fees tacked on. These are per-passenger fees paid to ports of call for the privilege of docking.

These fees vary, but in general, expect about $100-$200 per person for a seven-day cruise.

Gratuities: Sure, at the end of the day gratuities aren’t a required cost (you can adjust them as necessary), but in practice they are usually considered a charge that you’ll have to pay. They also add up quickly.

At around $18 per person, per day, a couple traveling on a week cruise will pay about $250 in gratuities. Over the course of a year on a cruise ship, that amount comes out to more than $13,000!

Onboard Spending: Anyone who has taken a cruise knows that what you pay in cruise fare is the start of what you’ll spend during your time on the ship.

From drinks to wi-fi to specialty restaurants, there are plenty of extras to spend on the ship . And even if you are a frugal sailor, you won’t go any lengthy time without having a few drinks or signing up for the internet package to check in back on shore.

We Priced a Year’s Worth of Cruises to Get a True Cost

With all of these expenses in mind, we dove into what it would cost to live on a cruise ship for an entire year.

chart of cruise prices over the course of a year

Of course, when it comes to cruising for twelve months, you have an amazing number of options. From different cruise lines to routes, departure ports, ships, and even cabin types, there are a number of things that will have a big impact on what you spend.

That’s why we aimed to keep everything simple. To price what it costs to live aboard the ship, we took a look at sailings aboard a single ship from Carnival, which is known for being affordable. In this case, we priced a year’s worth of sailing for Carnival Celebration in 2025.

Carnival Celebration is a newer ship from the cruise line that sails six, seven, and eight-day itineraries year-round from Miami in 2025. That means you could sail the entire year without having to change ships and always come back to a homeport in the United States.

The routes that the ship sails would take you all across the Caribbean, from Cozumel to Aruba, from Curacao to St. Thomas. Because it is a bigger and (relatively) newer ship in the Carnival fleet, you’d also have tons of amenities and activities on board, as well as a many restaurant options — including Guy’s Burger Joint .

As for the cabin, in our search we opted for a balcony cabin. Yes, you would be able to sail for cheaper in an oceanview or interior cabin, however, we assume that if you are aboard the ship for an extended period of time, having your own balcony is a must.

As well, we assume a couple is sailing with two people to the room.

Summing up, here’s what we searched for our prices used in this estimate:

Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: Carnival Celebration
Time Period: January-December 2025
Homeport: Miami
Room Type: Balcony
Number of People: 2

Here’s How Much It Costs to Live on a Cruise Ship

So how much does it cost to sail on the Carnival Horizon for a year? We estimate it to cost around $194,000 for two people , although that number can vary from person to person, depending on their spending habits .

Here’s an overview of where you’ll spend, and we breakdown each expense below:

Cruise Fare: The largest expense by far is cruise fare. Pricing a balcony room for each of the dozens of cruises the ship sails in 2025, it totaled $106,176 . Factored out, that's about $2,040 a week or $8,850 per month. Keep in mind this is for two passengers on the ship and includes the bulk of what you'll spend on a cruise, including your cabin, entertainment, and food.

Port Fees & Taxes: There's no escaping taxes, even on a cruise out at sea. Pricing out our cruises, the taxes and port fees for two people totaled up to $19,279 for the year. That comes out to a little more than $1,600 a month.

Gratuities: One of the perks of being on a cruise is that you are waited on hand and foot. But it doesn't come free. Carnival charges $16.00 per person, per day for automatic gratuities. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $11,648 in tips paid to staff.

Onboard Spending: How can you know what you'll spend on the ship over the course of a year? It's impossible to know for sure, and different people will spend different amounts. For example, do you need to have a drink package every day of the year? Or are you fine drinking water or juice? Are you a gambler? How often do you want to eat at specialty restaurants?

While you can't pinpoint exactly what you'll spend, you can get a good estimate. As a public company, Carnival Corporation (the parent of Carnival Cruise Line) publishes detailed numbers about their business. For instance, in 2023 the company took in $14.1 billion in ticket revenue and $7.5 billion in onboard spending.

So onboard spending across all of its lines was 53% of ticket revenue. For every $1,000 in cruise fare, the average person would spend about $530 on the ship.

Using this metric, with a total cruise fare of $106,176, the average couple would spend $56,804 onboard during the course of the year. However, it's likely that the figure would be drastically lower as average spending on the ship will likely be less if staying full-time versus splurging for a short vacation.

Total Cost: Adding up tickets, port fees, taxes, gratuities, and onboard spending, the total estimated cost of living on a cruise ship for a year is $193,907 for a couple -- or about $97,000 per person. Without onboard spending, it comes out to $137,103 or $68,552 per person.

Too Expensive? Here's How to Lower the Cost

There's no doubt that it's expensive to live on a cruise ship, but there are ways that you can trim that amount. If you're interested in cutting down the price, here are a few ideas.

Limit Onboard Spending: In our estimate, we used the average spending Carnival Corporation sees across all its cruise lines, which is 53% of the cruise fare.

You don't have to spend near that much. After all, when people cruise they are on vacation and likely willing to spend more freely than they would normally. By limiting the amount spent on board, you can cut thousands off this estimated total.

It's doubtful you can get by without spending at least some money, but our estimate comes out to about $550 per person, per week. Being able to spend less than that should be relatively easy.

Older Ships: Our estimate is aboard the Carnival Celebration. We chose this ship because it is relatively new (meaning you'll have the most amenities for a long-term stay), but it also runs a regular schedule from Miami.

That said, in general newer ships like Celebration are more expensive to sail aboard. If you look for older ships, you should be able to cut the price down.

Be Flexible for Cheaper Trips: For this estimate, we priced out a year's worth of cruises on a single ship. This makes it easy if you're sailing long-term; you simply stay on the ship and don't have to worry about changing ships, or ports.

If you want cheaper options, however, you might find them by being more flexible with changing ships and/or cruise lines when you find a deal. That's where sailing from a port like Miami -- which offers a lot of options -- can be beneficial to your pocketbook.

Avoid Expensive Times of Year: In our search, the sailing aboard the ship varied dramatically due to the time of year. For example, the most expensive cruise aboard Celebration during the year was during the peak summer season and ran $1,599 per person. The least expensive cruise ran $829 per person -- or about 50% as much.

If you have the ability to take a few weeks off here and there during the expensive times of year, it can lead to big savings.

What do you think about the cost of living full-time on a cruise ship for a year? Let us know in the comments below.

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What about the VCL Victoria Cruises Majestic ship? Set to sail this fall, it’s a true long term residential ship that will circumnavigate the globe in 27 months from Fort Lauderdale. There is still space available! Price points and discounts vary based on how long you lease your cabin -ranging from 6 month’s minimum up to 37 months and beyond. About 500 cabins have been sold so far- adults only. And it’s all inclusive of internet, most drinks, laundry service, housekeeping of course, room service, etc.. All the standard things you’d find on a cruise ship. See this article that was posted today by one of the future residents! https://www.allwaystraveller.com/continents/worldwide/circumnavigating-the-globe-for-two-years-on-a-residential-cruise-ship

I would love to see the cruise lines cater to single seniors, they would be surprised how many would travel all the time….I personally would like to do three months, but the cost is just too high! Maybe there is a singles travel cruise group that I can join. Any suggestions out there?

Someone young wrote this article. Carnival is not the line most people would choose to cruise for a long period of time. On the Oceania Marina we met a couple cruising for several months and a charming older man who was cruising for 180 days. The couple had sold their house & were having a new house built, so homeless for a period of time. The older man was single &, I think, rather lonely so the ship life provided him nice social opportunities to talk to people. Here’s more info; “After record demand for its 2023 world cruise, Oceania Cruises has unveiled the itinerary for its epic global voyage for 2024. The cruise line’s 180-day journey around the world will set sail on January 14, 2024, and visit more than 96 destinations in 34 different countries.

“Incredibly, last year our 2023 world cruise sold out in just one day, so for 2024 we are providing guests more extended voyage options to deeply and meaningfully rediscover the world,” Howard Sherman, President and CEO of Oceania Cruises, said in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure.

Oceania’s “Around the World in 180 Days” cruise will depart from Los Angeles and cross more than three oceans and 15 seas as it makes its way around the globe to New York. The journey, on the Oceania Insignia, stops at more than 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites with 24 overnight stays.

Passengers will journey across the Pacific, through French Polynesia and Australia before continuing onto destinations like Japan and Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. The voyage continues along the shores of India and the Arabian Peninsula before sailing across Europe and completing its route across the Atlantic in New York.

The 2024 “Around the World” journey starts at $48,499 per person and includes roundtrip first-class airfare and amenities like prepaid gratuities, laundry, and luggage delivery. During your days at sea, you can keep yourself busy with spa appointments, art workshops, the casino, cabaret, and four open-seating restaurants — not to mention the daily afternoon tea service accompanied by a four-string quartet. There is also a fitness center and sports deck, and of course, a saltwater pool with two hot tubs.

As usual, catering mostly to people who have the means to do this without blinking. It is time for older single seniors on a fixed income to be able to be able to cruise on a non party boat. A tranquil, voyage, letting go and actually hearing the sounds of Mother Nature, not a floating amusement park. That would be amazing.

It would only be me living on the ship, cant i spilt that cost that I would have if i had a spouse? so would that be about 60k ?

I think this is not taking into consideration the rewards systems that most cruise operators have which would reduce the fare, even in a balcony cabin. I could never do it since the state of cruiseline wifi is still pathetic!

Another way to do it vs estimated$175k year is to buy in to a condo cabin on the new state of the art Narrative from Storylines.com. Sails around world in 3 1/2 years starting at $5000 a month 2 people all inclusive , starting 2024!

😂😂😂 with prices starting at $400,000 and rising to $8 million

What about when someone needs care/hospitalisation etc….. Surely you would need a private medical insurance policy, which would get progressively more expensive as you aged?

I’m sure. This article only focuses on the costs of sailing for the year. Other costs aren’t considered.

Good information but why does long term stay/full time cost is so high. you would think there be discount especially for seniors. Also price for solo why double? I think it sounds like fun how about travel for 3 months first to try out. Sea sick is that a common element to consider for most? People with restricted diet such as vegetarians do they get the meals prepared? Are some classes offered for free? classes such as dancing or crafts part of the activities? Thanks

the price for double occupancy is basic international hotel rates. The cruise ship is basically a floating/mobile resort hotel. All cruise lines came onboard with the double occupancy in 2010. before it was fare and half to cruise solo. If you get a good cruise line that you like, most have a loyalty program that after so many cruise points you will be charged fare and a half for solo travel. 3 months would be a good trial to see if you like it, sea sickness is not really a problem as these ship travel well. you can put in for restricted diet before going on a cruise so should not be a problem long term – might be you have to request every week. Main Dinning has a veggie meal every night and the buffet style cafe onboard allows you to select what you want. You can even get Kosher meals. most Classes are free as well as activities. buy the drink package that is suitable to your habits. your excursions will cost you but after a few weeks you may be done with excursions and it is all about enjoying the ship.

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You can now live on a cruise ship for $30,000 USD per year

Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests , tips , or news .

Today : You can now live on a cruise ship for $30,000 USD per year

Have you ever dreamed of giving it all up, leaving your daily life behind and hitting the road (or sea) to escape all your stress? Well, there is some good news for you as the Life at Sea Cruises announced they are accepting reservations for the world’s first – and only – three-year world cruise, allowing its guests to live on the sea. The voyage will cover more than 130,000 miles, visiting 375 ports across 135 countries and seven continents (including 13 World Wonders).

Set aboard the revitalized MV Gemini – which boasts 400 cabins and room for up to 1,074 passengers – cruisers will enjoy the best of living and working at sea. The ship will feature traditional amenities including world-class dining, onboard entertainment and recreational activities, with modern workspace facilities such as a first-of-its-kind business center with meeting rooms, 14 offices, a relaxing lounge and business library. The ship will also include a 24-hour on-call hospital with free medical visits, learning and enrichment classes and the opportunity to make a positive impact through volunteer and philanthropic initiatives.

Each stop on the MV Gemini itinerary plans for multiple days in port, allowing travelers the opportunity for exploration at their own pace. The cruise ship will cover more than 130,000 miles over the three years, taking in iconic sights from Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue and India’s Taj Mahal, to Mexico’s Chichen Itza, the pyramids of Giza, Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China.

“Professionals need connectivity, the right amenities and the functionality to perform their jobs when they live on a cruise ship. There is no other cruise that offers this sort of flexibility to their customers” says Mikael Petterson, Managing Director of Life at Sea Cruises. “Life at Sea Cruises offers the ultimate bucket list cruise without having to sacrifice the comforts of home,” says Irina Strembitsky, Director of Sales & Marketing of Life at Sea Cruises. “It’s your home at sea with the world as your backyard.” Life At Sea Cruises is a world cruise product offered by Miray Cruises, owned by Miray International. The company has over 27 years of experience in cruise operations and has built a team of passionate and skilled professionals to deliver top-notch hospitality services.

With prices starting at $30,000 USD per year, and payment options from $2,500 USD per month all-inclusive, cabins range from 130 sq ft for Virtual Inside and Oceanview staterooms to 260 sq ft Balcony Suites. All residents will enjoy amenities including a state-of-the-art wellness center, sundeck and swimming pool, auditorium and multiple dining options. Cruisers may also enjoy additional tax benefits when working as an international resident aboard the ship. Passengers must sign up for all three years, though the company is launching a matchmaking scheme, where passengers will be allowed to “share” a cabin with someone else, dipping in and out of the itinerary. For instance, two couples could buy one cabin for the entire trip, and then divide up the travel between them. Single travelers get a discount of 15% on the double occupancy rate.

The MV Gemini will begin its three-year voyage on November 1st, 2023, from Istanbul (with pickups in Barcelona and Miami). So if you want to live on a cruise ship, you still have plenty of time to get your passport, vaccinations and remote working abilities in order.

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How to retire on a cruise ship

As I approach retirement age, the thought of retiring on a cruise ship has crossed my mind. Okay, who am I kidding? It's a daily obsession.

Retirement living is generally broken into three phases: the active healthy phase where you are fully independent, the phase where you need some assistance with meals and household chores, and the phase where you need a far greater level of care. Cruise retirement life obviously suits the independent phase, but it also closely resembles the assisted living option most people consider on land.

Both cruise ships and retirement communities include food, lodging, utilities, housekeeping and social gatherings, plus enrichment activities like guest lecturers, movies and art, computer or dance classes. Add to that the ability to travel the world without bothering with airplanes and hotels, and it makes sense that many people view living on a cruise ship as an ideal retirement plan.

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But how do you go about it? Clearly, you can live on a cruise ship — any good travel agent will happily book you on a year's worth of cruises at a time. But there's no "How to Retire on a Cruise Ship" guidebook to help you make informed decisions about the cost and feasibility of living out your golden years at sea.

What is the best way to go about full-time cruise ship travel? What other considerations should be taken into account? I dug in with some good old-fashioned research to see where that led me. Here's what I learned about how to retire on a cruise ship – and whether it's a good idea.

What does it cost to retire on a cruise ship?

When it comes to a retirement budget, commercial independent and assisted living facilities that provide extras like meal plans, housekeeping services, activities and transportation start on average around $60,000 per year per person, or $164 per night. (Obviously, this pricing will vary based on where you live, inclusions and luxury levels.) I set out to determine if retiring onboard a cruise ship could match (or beat) what's available on land, so I compared facilities with amenities and payment structures closest to what you could get on a cruise ship.

Retiring on a traditional cruise ship

While negotiating with cruise lines for a lower fare on a long-term arrangement is possible in many cases, I found that even without any special deals with the cruise line, I could book 52 back-to-back seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami on Carnival Cruise Line 's newest ship, Carnival Celebration , for around $43,000 per person in an inside cabin. That's around $118 per person per night. (Think carefully whether you can stand to live year-round in a windowless room.)

Shopping for Carnival's cheapest cruises on older ships, I could get the average below $50 per person per night in inside cabins and around $110 in balcony cabins, including port taxes and fees. That means your cruise fare could be as little as $18,250 per person per year. Unfortunately, the fare is not your only cost to consider.

You would need to budget for flights between ports and occasional hotel stays if you decide to return home or swap ships. Plus, there are tips for staff to consider, which can total thousands per person during the course of a year.

All that puts the minimum for a couple or a single traveling alone (which requires single supplement charges in double occupancy cabins) just over the $50,000 per year mark.

Related: Best cruises for seniors who love to travel by sea

Obviously, there's no upper limit to how much you could spend on retirement on either land or sea, but here are some examples of what I found: A year on Cunard 's Queen Elizabeth in a balcony stateroom would run about $64,000 or $175 per night per person. A year onboard P&O Cruises' Britannia in a balcony cabin could be arranged for roughly $53,000 or $145 per night per person. Both options would allow you to see a great deal of the world.

By contrast, a year onboard a luxury cruise line like Silversea, Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas will cost a minimum of $200,000 per person ($548 per person per night). The good news about that price is that cruising on those lines includes things like tours, gratuities, alcoholic beverages and most specialty dining, as well as laundry.

Retiring on a residential ship

An alternative to sailing on a traditional cruise line through your retirement years is to buy or lease a cruise ship cabin on a luxury residence ship. The most well-known of these is The World, but there's been recent buzz about startup company Storylines and its residence ship, MV Narrative, which is set to launch in 2025. Victoria Cruises Line is also planning to turn two refurbished vessels into residential ships for long-term living, with a proposed launch in spring 2023.

Ownership simplifies a few things logistically, and your only additional costs are likely to be port expenditures and/or travel when you opt to leave the ship. You might also be able to rent out your cabin when you aren't using it, helping offset the cost of your cabin.

Storylines, for example, is selling staterooms either for the life of the ship or for quarterly seasonal shared ownership. Twenty-four-year lease options are also available. In addition to the initial purchase or lease cost, residents will pay an all-inclusive living fee per person per month that covers food and beverages, housekeeping, laundry, Wi-Fi, and, of course, fuel for the ship.

How does this option compare, pricewise? To purchase a 237-square-foot inside cabin with a virtual window for the life of the ship costs $1 million on average. A twenty-four-year lease is around $650K. Storylines also charges an additional all-inclusive living fee to cover onboard services (food, housekeeping, Wi-Fi, etc.); for an interior stateroom, this mandatory charge is $2,586 per person per month, based on double occupancy, or $62,064 annually for two people living together. Purchase prices for a one-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom unit averaged $2.7 million, with $111,000 in living fees.

For purposes of comparing the costs to traditional cruise ships, the living fee in the inside cabin on MV Narrative is $85 per person per night and the one-bedroom suite is $152 per person per night. These figures are in addition to the upfront costs of buying or leasing.

If you can invest in ownership or lease of a stateroom, your cost per night (beyond your purchase or rental price) can be lower than cruising traditionally. However, as MV Narrative is not yet under construction and is not slated to be built at one of the main cruise ship-building yards, you'll definitely want to talk to an advisor about investing your retirement savings in a startup company that has not yet brought a product to market.

What's so desirable about retiring on a cruise ship?

We talked about what's included on the ship and the potential of retiring for the same or even less than what you'd expect to pay for land-based retirement accommodations. That may be enough incentive for some, but what else makes retiring on a cruise ship an attractive choice?

For many, it's travel itself. Changing scenery every day can be an inspiring way to live. Even an option that visits the same ports over and over might be more appealing than staying at home for some people.

Simply not having to worry about grocery shopping, meal preparation or home maintenance tops most people's lists of retirement goals, and all of those would fit into a cruise ship retirement. Avoiding weather extremes is another retirement priority. It's possible to plan your retirement cruise itinerary to ensure you are always headed away from cold and snow.

The atmosphere on board a cruise ship is another plus. It's a whole other vibe from your average senior living facility. Whichever ship you choose is likely to be filled with people excited to be on board. That attitude can be infectious. Being surrounded by young people, not just folks of retirement age, can also make cruise ship life more appealing.

Related: Which cruise brand is right for you? A guide to the most popular lines

Living on a cruise ship presents the opportunity to meet new people. In some cases, it would be a shipload of new faces every week or two. Imagine how many new friends you could make in a year. Some cruisers make friends with crew members on every cruise they take. The opportunity to stay onboard and foster those relationships for long stretches might be irresistible.

Then there are people who enjoy being in the company of others, while maintaining nothing but passing interactions with them. Even an introvert might find the social scene of a cruise ship a better arrangement than a more solitary retirement scenario.

What might make you think twice about living full-time on a cruise ship?

For some, the best part of retirement is spending time with family — especially the grandkids. Cruise retirement doesn't rule that out, but it does make it a bit more complicated. It's hard to be the type of granny who can frequently babysit when you live on a cruise ship, potentially thousands of miles away from where the grands live. If your family wants to visit you, they'd have to pay for cruise fare for everyone.

The same holds true for developing lasting relationships. Passengers and crew come and go on ships, so your relationships will be fleeting. Retired singles may find it difficult to find the next love of their life floating around the Caribbean on a ship full-time. For introverts, it can be exhausting to continually make the effort to meet people.

If you prefer the company of animals to people, you're out of luck. In most cases, you can't take pets with you on a cruise, so that can be a drawback for many retirees.

Related: Are dogs allowed on cruise ships? These are the cruises that allow pets

A feeling of confinement is tops on the list of reasons people I talked to said they couldn't retire on a cruise ship. Even on a large ship, you can only go where it goes, plus the room you call your own is likely to be far smaller than what you are used to. There's a certain loss of freedom, but that's common with many forms of retirement living.

Plus, the cabin you book might not be designed for senior living, the way apartments at a retirement home or senior living community would be. You'll also have fewer options for cable TV plans and phone calls and Wi-Fi costs will be pricier than on land.

Though cruise ships have a medical staff, they aren't equipped to handle serious health issues. You'd have to manage prescription medications from a distance for long periods of time, and schedule time off the ship for routine checkups. Any medical emergencies might require you to be airlifted from the ship, and the distance to the nearest hospital could be quite far.

Related: Do cruise ships have doctors, nurses, medical centers or hospitals?

And in most cases, you won't be able to rely on Medicare for your health coverage while out of the country. For that, you'll need a travel or ex-pat health insurance plan, with costs ranging from around a hundred per month to thousands, depending on your coverage specifics. Plus, your cruise retirement could be cut short at any point by health issues. They won't hesitate to kick you off the ship if you need more appropriate care on land – and then you'd need to quickly find a new place to live while suffering from medical concerns.

Besides the health aspect, you'll always need to have a solid backup plan. Things like mechanical breakdowns, disaster-related shutdowns and cruise line business decisions can drastically affect your plans — more so than in most land-based living situations. You would need annual travel insurance as well as enough available money to cover hotels and transportation from almost anywhere on the globe.

How to start planning for a cruise ship retirement

Taking an extended cruise is a good first step toward deciding if you want to make cruising a more permanent retirement option. I met a woman last year when I cruised on Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas who was in the planning stages for the cruise line's 274-night world cruise. This woman was testing out several storage products she hoped would make life easier on her extended cruise. From drawer organizers to under-bed rolling plastic bins, she was traveling with things most weeklong cruisers would never think of.

She was also working on boosting her loyalty status with Royal Caribbean . There are perks available to the highest loyalty levels that would save money when retirement time arrives. Complimentary laundry tops the list of valuable perks at the top levels on the mainstream lines, along with spa treatments and specialty restaurant meals, Wi-Fi discounts and free or discounted cruise nights. Even luxury lines like Silversea and Seabourn offer top loyalty members discounts and free nights.

The higher your status when you retire, the more perks you start out with – though you'll quickly climb through the loyalty ranks if you sail on the same line for an entire year.

The woman I met was using low-cost solo cruises (which earn double points) on Royal Caribbean's smallest ship to boost her status point total. Status is shared with domestic partners or spouses living in the same household, regardless of whether they went on the same number of cruises. Other ways to boost status would include taking advantage of double points offers like the one Celebrity Cruises is running this year on European cruises or by cruising in upper-level suites.

Related: A beginner's guide to cruise line loyalty programs

Initial steps toward cruise ship retirement might also include selling one's home (or preparing it for becoming a rental), disposing of excess possessions and re-homing pets. You will also want to consult with a financial advisor to help with residency laws and money management that might allow you to cruise even longer into retirement.

Bottom line

Retiring on a cruise is an intriguing possibility, whether you book a year's worth of back-to-back cruises on a traditional cruise ship or purchase a floating apartment on a residential ship. Either way, retirement at sea comes with both advantages and disadvantages. While you will have the opportunity to explore the world and meet lots of new people, you may find yourself missing the people you left behind.

The financial aspects, particularly when it comes to health insurance, are likely to be tricky, requiring careful planning with expert advice. And you'll need a backup plan should your health at some point prevent you from remaining on board.

The best plan is to plan well ahead, starting with a few long cruises to make sure it's a good fit. Many of the steps you would take in planning for a world cruise would be the same things you would do to pave the way for a full cruise ship retirement. Once you're convinced you're cut out to cruise year-round for years on end, you can begin to make the arrangements to dismantle your old life on land and build a new one at sea.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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I live and work remotely from a cruise ship 300 days a year. It's helped my social life and costs just as much as an apartment — here's how I do it.

Ryan Gutridge started working remotely from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2021.
Since then, he's spent almost every week on the same cruise ship.
Gutridge says 300 nights on a cruise ship is neck-and-neck with what he pays to keep his apartment.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ryan Gutridge, an IT professional who spends more than 300 days a year on a cruise ship. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I've been told I'm crazy for trying to live full-time on a cruise ship , but it's not just for retired people.

I work in IT as a cloud-solution engineer for a cloud-solution provider and started working from home in 2012. But because of the pandemic, my team was able to work from home and access the data they needed from anywhere.

At that time, cruise lines hadn't announced when or if they were coming back. I thought that if they returned, I'd want to try taking my job with me on a short cruise. I wanted to see how the WiFi would work and if I could access some elements of my job with heavy security.

That summer, in 2021, I booked two four-night cruises on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas , and went on both in September. Everything worked great, and since then, I've been on a cruise pretty much every week, except for a few weeks due to the holidays.

I've been to CocoCay and Nassau in the Bahamas more than 70 times each over the last two years

The ship does the same route twice a week, and both stops are on the same cruise. I primarily cruise on the same ship, but I've done cruises on larger ships too.

I do meetings in the morning and afternoons, but I can also go to lunch and socialize or meet people at the gym. I've even met people that I stay in contact with and that have come back and cruised on this ship with me multiple times since.

Working from home was isolating. I don't have kids or pets, so it's easy to become somewhat introverted, but cruising has really helped and made me a lot more social.

If you want to cruise full-time, you have to get your financial house in order

Think about your strategy. It's about coming up with a transition plan — it doesn't happen overnight.

I wanted to really look at the cost of cruising full-time before I began. I have a spreadsheet that automatically records all my expenses, which helps. I also set a budget every year. This year, my base fare budget is about $30,000, and last year when I started really looking at the numbers and evaluating how much base fare I paid to be on a ship for 300 nights, I found it was almost neck-and-neck with what I paid for rent and trash service for an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Now, because I cruise so often with Royal Caribbean, I've moved up in its loyalty program

My drinks and internet are free. If people are going to do something like what I do, I recommend trying different brands because they all offer something different. But once you commit to one, you should stick to it so you reach those loyalty levels .

If you have a phone that's two or three years old, you're going to struggle on a ship

I read Reddit boards and Facebook groups, and the biggest complaint I see from people is that their phones or device don't work as well as they expect. The two biggest reasons are that people don't update their operating software before getting on a ship or they don't have WiFi calling set up on their device, which is a must.

I understand people don't want to spend the money, but if you have newer equipment, it tends to work a lot better.

To get good WiFi , you also have to explore the ship and find where the WiFi works the best. I often work from the top deck of a lounge that's not open during the day, so it essentially becomes my office space, which is great because it's very quiet.

Keeping up a healthy and productive lifestyle on a ship requires personal discipline

Mondays through Fridays, on the ship, I do the exact same routine I'd do on land. I work, eat healthy, and go to the gym.

On the weekends, anything goes, but during the week, I stay diligent about finding healthy food options that are available on the ship. I stay away from desserts, and I absolutely don't drink sugary drinks. If I drink alcohol at all, I save it for the weekend because come Monday morning, it's back to work and back to being responsible.

When I first went on cruises, I was also testing if I could have a nice work-life balance

I spend about 20% of my time on land to go to the dentist and the doctor and to visit with some friends — but most of the time, I'm cruising. When I'm cruising, I spend about 90% of my time on board and about 10% in port because, during the week, I'm working.

Unless it's a port I haven't been to before, or it's one I really enjoy, I remain on the ship — even on the weekend sailings. When we are at a location I enjoy, I use a day of my PTO from my job and enjoy the day away from work.

I have a strong relationship with the crew on this ship. It's become a big family, and I don't want to rebuild those relationships on another ship — I joke that I have 1,300 roommates.

Eventually, I'd like to get rid of my apartment

I've scaled back my cruising budget for next year because of inflation, but by 2025 I'd like to get rid of my apartment, sell my car, and purchase a scooter that I'll store at a friend's garage. When I'm home, I'll have groceries delivered, and if I need to go somewhere farther away, I'll be happy to just take an Uber or Lyft.

Sometimes I get tired of going to the same port , but it's been an interesting experience, and I'm still loving it. Most of the time, I'm so busy that I don't even notice we're at the same place — I just know I'm not in an apartment staring at the wall. I'm stress-free.

If you live or work on a cruise ship and would like to share your story, please email [email protected].

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

Main content

I live on a cruise ship — here’s how much I spend each month

Posted: June 11, 2024 | Last updated: June 11, 2024

Ever thought about leaving it all behind and living on a cruise ship? Well 48-year-old Kevin Martin from Missouri did just that, and he’s shared a breakdown of his costs each month – as well as the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to living on a ship. The ex-military man and former lawyer decided to ditch the grind in 2019 and begin documenting his travels on YouTube. His latest videos have seen him spending an entire year living on cruises (Picture: 30 And A Wake Up/Youtube / REX)

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I live on a cruise ship — these are my monthly expenses

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Kevin Martin shares the pros and cons of living on a cruise ship

Ever thought about leaving it all behind and living on a cruise ship?

Well 48-year-old Kevin Martin from Missouri did just that, and he’s shared a breakdown of his costs each month – as well as the good, bad, and the ugly when it comes to living on a ship.

The ex-military man and former lawyer decided to ditch the grind in 2019 and begin documenting his travels on YouTube . His latest videos have seen him spending an entire year living on cruises.

Having sailed with MSC, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruises, he’s been sharing just how ‘affordable’ it is to travel the world by breaking down his monthly expenses.

For example, during the month of March 2024, Kevin sailed to St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Grand Cayman and Aruba, to name a few.

For the entire month on the ship, he spent a total of £1,615. To break it down, £1,080 of this was used on his accommodation and the inclusive buffet dinners on board the vessel.

In that time, he spent just £22 extra on meals that weren’t included in the above package.

Kevin spent an entire year living on cruise ships

He was savvy when he booked cruises, using deals, and he received on board credit to spend too, because he’s a veteran and he bought credit for future cruises.

Kevin’s other expenses included his phone bill, which is £85, insurance at £42 and health care, which costs him £19 per month.

He spent an entire year living this way and said he would absolutely do it again, but would this time only spend a month to three months on board. He’d also change up the ship he was on for different scenery.

‘About a month on a ship is the sweet spot, maybe a little bit more – 45 days or six weeks or so,’ Kevin adds.

What Kevin spent in a month

In total, Kevin spent £1,615 in a month. He broke down a few of his costs, which included:

Accommodation & inclusive meals – £1,080
Extra food – £22
Phone – £85
Insurance – £42
Healthcare – £19

‘I plan on integrating cruising into my travel plans in the future… I hate flights. I loved my year on cruise ships,’ he said.

He explained that if he had to do it again, he would vary the itinerary a bit more and see different places.

The behaviour on cruises was also amusing to Kevin, so if you’re planning on living on a cruise for a while, you need to brace yourself.

‘I saw a guy at the buffet taking shrimp – not fried shrimp, those peeled shrimp, frozen and you dip them in cocktail sauce,’ he says.

‘I saw a guy taking handfuls of those shrimp and putting them in the pockets of his cargo shorts. His pockets were bulging with these shrimp, then he left the buffet. I thought that was hilarious.’

He said that every now and then he would hear his neighbours in cabins next to his, but not often and it didn’t seem to bother him.

‘The only thing I hear is when people walk by my state room and they’ve been drinking at night and they’re talking really loud. That’s the only thing I really hear in my room,’ he explains.

The YouTuber’s favourite cruise he lived on was the Fire and Ice cruise, which went from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Halifax, Canada. He also visited Icelandic destinations too.

If you’re looking to cruise for a year like Kevin, he has a couple of tips…

Firstly, make sure the cruise line you pick makes it easy for you to do laundry. You want self service laundry on board, rather than having to pay lots to send it out.

Next, look at the rewards programmes for the cruise lines, to make sure the perks like discounted wifi and free drinks suits you.

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Man living on a cruise ship reveals how much it costs him for a year

How much does it really cost to live on a cruise ship one man has explained all.

Tom Earnshaw

The cost of living crisis has left many of us struggling to pay for the most basic of bills and expenses. So no one would blame you for looking for ways to make life easier, whatever they might be.

But what about picking up your life and moving on to a cruise ship?

Well, it is a choice that might well be the one for you after one man did just that. And in turn, revealed exactly how much it cost him for the year.

Fancy this being your gaff? (Getty Stock Image)

Cruise ships are unique things. With thousands of people setting sail for a week or two - or nine months in one case - across different parts of the world, they really are a marvel of human engineering when you stop and look at what they are.

Complete with shopping centres, mini golf, swimming pools, discos and even swings over the ocean , they are a mega creation epitomising humanity's technological advances.

One man loves them that much he moved his life on to them. Kevin Martin, from Missouri in the United States , left life on land behind for journeying across the open seas.

Giving honest accounts of his experiences over on YouTube , the 48-year-old has gone as far as breaking down the costs of taking your life permanently on to a cruise ship.

Kevin Martin now lives his life on cruise ships. (YouTube/@30AndAWakeUp)

Of course he's not the first man to do this, with fellow American Mario Salcedo spending 23 years living on a cruise ship - of which there were significant side effects for his health .

But back to Kevin. The ex army man swapped normal life for cruise ships back in 2019, documenting his life on them across social media.

In the last year he has sailed MSC, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruises as he spent 12 months on the open waters. And during that time, he made a note of exactly how much it cost him.

Okay, so the boring bits.

Kevin spent £85 a month on his phone bill, health care at £19, and £42 on insurance.

The Ruby Princess cruise ship that Kevin stayed on for a month (James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

In March this year he sailed around the Caribbean; specifically St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Grand Cayman and Aruba.

The month on board cost him £1,615 in accommodation and for the inclusive buffer dinners on the ship. Kevin spent a further £22 on extra meals during the four or so weeks.

Kevin did this for a period of 12 months, looking for deals to stay on the open waters - so you need to be savvy and not too fussy when it comes to your next excursion if you want to follow in Kevin's footsteps.

The perfect length of time on any one ship, Kevin says, is roughly 45 days. He said: "The sweet spot is maybe like 45 days, 6 weeks or so.

"I think that's kind of the sweet spot. I just finished up with 100 days 103 days on Ruby Princess and I think that was a little bit long.

"It was getting really repetitive and it's just nice to get a change of scenery whether it's the geographic location you're in, or the cruise ship, because even though cruise ships generally are the same there's still little differences that make them unique and keep it fresh."

Adding up Kevin's expenses for the month of April, it would cost an average of £21,396 for the year should you follow in his footsteps and get similarly priced deals to him.

Considering interest rates and how much mortgage repayments can be, we wouldn't blame you for thinking twice and setting sail.

Topics: Cruise Ship , Money , Hacks , US News , World News , Holiday , Travel , Lifestyle

Tom joined LADbible in 2024, specialising in SEO and trending content. He moved to the company from Reach plc where he enjoyed spells as a content editor and senior reporter for one of the country's most-read local news brands, LancsLive. When he's not in work, Tom spends his adult life as a suffering Manchester United supporter after a childhood filled with trebles and Premier League titles. You can't have it all forever, I suppose.

@ TREarnshaw

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Man who’s lived on cruise ship for more than 20 years reveals cost of his unusual lifestyle

A man has broken down how he saves money after living on a cruise ship for more than 20 years.

Gerrard Kaonga

Living on a cruise ship is getting more appealing in these recent (and very expensive) times, and a man who has done it for decades has broken down his cost of living.

Living on land is expensive - in an apartment, a house , a houseboat, wherever you call home, and doing so can cost quite a few dollars.

So as many people deal with a rising cost of living, some have taken to living out at sea on cruise ships . And in some cases, it even ends up being cheaper.

Fancy a life out at sea? (Getty Stock Image)

It's not new information that housing prices have been on the increase in recent years - with your average home in the US now costing $417,700, as of late 2023.

But while some couples are ditching their normal life for one at sea , one man did it over 20 years ago and has been living it up ever since.

At 47-years-old, Mario Salcedo handed in his notice and moved on to a cruise ship more than two decades ago.

The man, born in Cuba , has also affectionately been given the nickname ‘Super Mario’ by the crew of the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas.

Speaking on how he manages his money , Salcedo broke down some of his costs and what its been like living on a floating home that cruises around the world.

In an interview with All Things Cruise in 2021, he said: “I’m so used to being on ships that it feels more comfortable to me than being on land.”

“For 23 years. Always on Royal Caribbean. It’s the best lifestyle I can find. More than 9,000 nights cruising with Royal Caribbean, 52 weeks a year. Cruising never gets old.

He also explained that he is quite good at keeping himself on a tight budget and for his basic day-to-day cost, he regularly only spends about $100 however he did warn that additional costs could quickly add up.

Mario explained that he is quite good at keeping himself on a tight budget and for his basic day-to-day cost, he regularly only spends about $100. (All things Cruise)

To help keep costs down, he spends time around the Caribbean but if he wanted to travel further he would have to part with more cash but the time of the year can also greatly impact the price.

In 2019, he said for an inside cabin with no window he could pay $72,093 a year.

This rises to $101,258 for a cabin with a balcony – and jumps even higher to $136,000 if you fancied a junior suite.

Salcedo has also said that these costs for a year was still less than that of moving into an assisted-living facility, so not a bad way to choose to live.

Topics: Cruise ship , Money

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

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Things like laundry services are expensive on cruise ships. (Photo Credits: YouTube)

Kevin Martin said that booking a cabin in the middle part of the cruise minimises sea sickness.

Luxury cruise ships are among the most popular vacation and travel options for moving from shore to shore. Recently, a man decided to spend a full year on some of the most popular cruise ships. Kevin Martin, an ex-military man and former lawyer from the USA, travelled on MSC, NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean cruises. Earlier this month he shared a video in which he answered questions about cruise travel and shared his experience. He also spoke to The Metro about his one year in the sea.

In March, he sailed to places like St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Grand Cayman and Aruba. During one month on the ship, Kevin Martin spent a total of 1,615 pounds, which is approximately Rs 1.6 lakh. His expenses included roughly Rs 1 lakh (1,080 pounds) on accommodation and meals, approx Rs 2,000 (22 pounds) for extra food, around Rs 4,000 (42 pounds) for insurance, roughly Rs 8,500 (85 pounds) for phone charges and almost Rs 2,000 (19 pounds) for healthcare costs.

In his YouTube video, Kevin Martin answered a question about tackling sea sickness and said that one should take a cabin in the middle of the ship to minimise chances of sea sickness as the cruise experiences the least movement in the middle. He also added that things like laundry services are expensive on cruise ships and over time laundry costs add up. Therefore, one should pick cruise packages that either have laundry service included or have free communal laundry facilities.

Answering the question about the weirdest thing he saw on the cruise, Kevin Martin said, once he saw a guy fill his cargo pant pockets with peeled shrimps at the buffet. He recalled, “His pockets were bulging with these shrimp, then he left the buffet. I thought that was hilarious."

He revealed that his favourite cruise so far was the “Fire and Ice cruise" which went from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Halifax in Canada.

According to the avid traveller, cruise ships are perhaps the safest way to travel for old and single travellers. A YouTube user agreed with this assessment and wrote, “I agree that cruises are the best and safest way for single older women to travel! As part of my 6 month trip around the world in 2022, I went alone on a Princess Mediterranean cruise and felt very safe. It’s a bit lonely until you make friends, but if you’re open to it, it’s much easier to meet people on a cruise than other ways of travel."

Another person commented on the struggle of washing clothes on a cruise and wrote, “I just finished transatlantic 15 days on Princess and half the washers and dryers were broken so it was a struggle to find one. I ended up washing things by hand and drip drying them. So glad I brought quick dry clothes."

cost of living

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Russian warships to arrive in Havana next week, say Cuban officials, as military exercises expected

June 6, 2024 / 5:19 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Four Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week , Cuban officials said Thursday, citing "historically friendly relations" between both nations, and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Cuba's foreign ministry said in a news release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and June 17, noting that none of them will carry any nuclear weapons and assuring their presence "does not represent a threat to the region."

The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said that Washington had been tracking Russian warships and aircraft that were expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a broader Russian response to the U.S. support for Ukraine.

Those exercises will likely include Russian long-range bombers flying along the U.S. East Coast, according to CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. Russian warships have made port calls in Cuba before, and warplanes have flown along the East Coast in the past as well, but this will be the first time in five years both will happen at the same time, Martin said.

The U.S. officials said that the Russian military presence was notable but not concerning. However, it's taking place as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could take "asymmetrical steps" elsewhere in the world in response to President Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Martin noted the presence of four warships in Cuba "pales in comparison to the size of the exercises the U.S. military has been conducting with its NATO allies in Europe. So, this is not considered in any way a direct threat to the United States."

Still, the U.S. military will be tracking the exercises "very closely," Martin added. While the U.S. presence in the Caribbean is currently very light, the presence of military bases all along the East and Gulf Coasts means the U.S. could send ships and aircraft to the area quickly if necessary, Martin said.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry said that the four Russian ships are the frigate "Gorshkov," the nuclear-powered submarine "Kazan," the fleet oil tanker "Pashin" and the salvage tug "Nikolai Chiker."

During the fleet's arrival at the port of Havana, 21 salvos will be fired from one of the ships as a salute to the nation, which will be reciprocated by an artillery battery of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces, the foreign ministry said.

Vladimir Putin

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Earlier this month he shared a video in which he answered questions about cruise travel and shared his experience. He also spoke to The Metro about his one year in the sea. In March, he sailed to places like St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Grand Cayman and Aruba. During one month on the ship, Kevin Martin spent a total of 1,615 pounds ...
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