Want to live on a cruise ship? 2-year trip around the world from Florida may cost less than living on land

Table Of Content

• Keep a Lower-Tier Cabin (No Suites!)
• Cruise Fare/Taxes/Gratuities: $120,000+ Per Couple
• How Much It Costs To Live on A Cruise Ship
• What is the cost for a trip like this?
• We Priced a Year’s Worth of Cruises to Get a True Cost
• Can you stay on a cruise ship indefinitely?
• Following Incident, Carnival Says Gambling ‘Strictly Forbidden’ Outside of Casino

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. Research different cruise lines to find the one that aligns with your budget and preferences.

Keep a Lower-Tier Cabin (No Suites!)

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. The residences also have their own kitchens, and there’s a grocery store on the ship, if you want to cook for yourself. In other words, if your dream is to cruise long-term without breaking the budget, this is a good example of how it is possible. But if you want to sail for less than $100 a day in the long-term, then it might be a good idea to ditch the loyalty. Some people are crazy about loyalty to one cruise line or another and for good reason.

Now You Can Live On An All-Inclusive Cruise Ship For Just $83 A Day - Forbes

Now You Can Live On An All-Inclusive Cruise Ship For Just $83 A Day.

Posted: Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Cruise Fare/Taxes/Gratuities: $120,000+ Per Couple

Located in the laidback Bird Rock neighborhood, Windansea Beach is surrounded by large flat rocks that create the perfect hideaway to lay your towel over the powdery soft sand. While its secluded location may make you feel like you’re far away, you’ll be just a couple of blocks from coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants. By day, visit stunning port destinations in California and Canada, or Central and South America.

How Much It Costs To Live on A Cruise Ship

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. Living on a cruise ship offers the opportunity to travel to different destinations without the need for additional transportation and accommodation costs. So can you live aboard a cruise ship using only Social Security benefits? Unless you happen to receive near the maximum payment and also pinch your pennies onboard, we’d say the answer is ‘not quite.’ The average person would spend more sailing full-time than they receive in benefits.

What is the cost for a trip like this?

“As a U.S. citizen, your income is still taxable, even if you’re at sea the majority of the time,” Tetreault says. That includes both federal income tax and state income tax if that applies to the state of your primary residence. Could Punton foresee someone living on the ship for the rest of their life?

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

For example, The World is tailored toward retirees while Storyline Cruises are tailored towards digital nomads and working professionals to call home. Another option for anyone looking for a permanent shipboard residence is to buy a cruise residence. Ships such as The World offer private studios, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments on board. Think of retiring, and you’re likely picturing a life of relaxing, traveling, eating good food, and with plenty of time to do whatever you want. While you can't pinpoint exactly what you'll spend, you can get a good estimate.

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. 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.

Can you stay on a cruise ship indefinitely?

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. 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. 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.

Following Incident, Carnival Says Gambling ‘Strictly Forbidden’ Outside of Casino

If you look for older ships, you should be able to cut the price down. Carnival Horizon is a newer ship from the cruise line that sails six and eight-day itineraries year-round from Miami in 2024. That means you could sail the entire year without having to change ships and always coming back to a homeport in the United States. From drinks to wi-fi to specialty restaurants, there are plenty of extra to spend on the ship.

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. 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. Wachtstetter remained on Crystal Serenity until 2018 when she apparently had to return to land due to ill health.

The idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people. This blog helps over a million people to plan their cruises each month. 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.

It’s essential to maintain good hygiene practices and follow any health and safety guidelines provided by the cruise line. It can involve living in a limited space, adapting to a strict schedule, and being away from family and friends for extended periods. Yes, there may be additional expenses such as specialty dining, beverages, onboard activities, and gratuities. These costs can vary depending on the cruise line and your personal preferences.

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. 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.

"Living in Iowa, it rarely makes sense to sail for just a week," he stated matter-of-factly as to why he will be on a ship for up to a month or longer. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

How To Choose The Best Cruise Ship Cabin For You

Table Of Content

• Keep a Lower-Tier Cabin (No Suites!)
• What Is the Cost of Retiring on a Cruise Ship?
• We Priced a Year’s Worth of Cruises to Get a True Cost
• Meet With a Financial Planner

Living on a cruise ship can provide a lot of flexibility in terms of your schedule and lifestyle. You can choose to participate in as many or as few activities as you like, and you can easily adjust your plans to fit your mood or interests. Cruise ship shops and boutiques can be expensive, so it’s best to avoid them if you’re trying to save money. If you need to buy something, wait until you’re in port to take advantage of lower prices.

Keep a Lower-Tier Cabin (No Suites!)

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. Not only will you get an idea whether this is a desirable lifestyle for you, you can compare different lines and get a feel for which lines would work best as a new home. If you want to take more of a DIY approach to living on a cruise, you can follow in the footsteps of Mario Salcedo and simply book back-to-back cruises. With this plan, you’ll need to be prepared to fly from port to port every now and then.

What Is the Cost of Retiring on a Cruise Ship?

According to CruiseFever, a website that provides statistics about the ocean cruise industry, the average person spent approximately $237 per day aboard a cruise ship in 2022. This included the ticket price and onboard spending for food, entertainment and miscellaneous purchases. Based on that number, the average cost of living aboard a cruise ship year-round would total a little more than $77,000 for retirees taking a nomadic approach. So if you were planning to spend 20 years in retirement, you could spend $1.54 million to live on a cruise ship. An alternative to booking back-to-back cruises or buying a condo is booking long-term cruises. Oceania offers 180-day cruises around the world with fares starting as low as $35,899.

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

This 2-year cruise from Florida could be cheaper than your rent - WTSP.com

This 2-year cruise from Florida could be cheaper than your rent.

Posted: Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Instead, if you want to eat something other than the buffet or dining room, then you can wait until you get to port. Local restaurants can be much cheaper than dining on the ship, and it’s nice getting something different than you’re eating every day on the ship. What’s going to be difficult is if you plan to sail long-term, then being in an interior room with no windows may be tough to handle.

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 MV Narrative is now under construction in Split, Croatia, from where it will set sail in 2025.

As a public company, Carnival Corporation (the parent of Carnival Cruise Line) publishes detailed numbers about their business. For instance, in 2022 the company took in $7 billion in ticket revenue and $5.1 billion in onboard spending. These fees vary, but in general, expect about $100-$200 per person for a seven-day cruise. In other words, whenever you see a cruise price, double it right away for what you’ll really pay in fare. Of course, not everyone can run off and live on a cruise ship, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dream.

Health

Couple lives on cruise ships, cheaper than retirement home - Supercar Blondie

Couple lives on cruise ships, cheaper than retirement home.

Posted: Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

There’s no doubt that one issue of spending a long time at sea — even on a cruise ship — is battling the boredom of being in a relatively contained space. With a ship like Harmony of the Seas, you have the closest thing to being in a small city without breaking the bank. You don’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning the dishes, mowing the yard, or calling a plumber. And given the relative affordability of cruise fares, it seems possible that you could get all of this for seemingly less than it would cost to live on land.

Buy a Cruise Residence

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. 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. Living on a cruise ship cheaply can provide a unique and adventurous lifestyle for those who are open to the experience. By considering the cost-saving strategies and understanding the advantages and limitations, you can make an informed decision about whether this lifestyle is suitable for you.

You can also borrow from the 10,000 books in the library, or enjoy a drink brewed in the ship’s own microbrewery. 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. 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.

However, this could also be a much more expensive option depending on what type of cabin you’re purchasing. Speaking with Australian-based 7News, Angelyn detailed her and her husband’s method of meticulous cruise planning. Although they typically schedule cruises back-to-back, the Burks spend short spurts on land visiting with family and friends when a cruise departure date doesn’t align with the previous cruise’s end date. But most of the time, the pair consistently stays aboard a cruise ship and plans ship-to-ship trips.

Having a serious medical condition or certain risk factors for developing one, for example, could increase your cost of care. If you’re more than six hours away from a U.S. port, your Medicare coverage wouldn’t kick in. You could maintain a private health insurance policy as a supplement, but you’d need to read the fine print. Make sure your coverage includes any treatment that a cruise ship’s physician may offer. Assuming that retirees pay cash for an all-inclusive condo that includes meals, rather than financing it over the long-term, that could substantially lower the cost of living.

The Burks also take advantage of cruise loyalty programs, which offer significant discounts for frequent travelers, making it all the more affordable. In our example we purposely added in a number of different ships and cruise lines to offer some variety. We were able to find an itinerary for the entire two months, outside of one night where a passenger would need to spend a night in a hotel in Miami before heading back to sea the next day. For first-time cruisers, it’s important to pick a sailing that offers a good balance of sea days and port days. Too many days at sea or too many days in port can make for an exhausting vacation, so look for an itinerary that provides plenty of variety and chances to experience both the open sea and exciting ports of call.