Live On A Cruise Ship Permanently: Cost & Logistics Cruise Tips For Families & Single Cruisers

Table Of Content

• Medical Services
• How To Live On A Cruise Ship For Free
• Port Charges and Taxes
• Questions About Cruising Answered (Everything You Wanted to Know)
• Cruise Ships You Can Live On Permanently
• Because I booked an ocean-view room, I was able to look out over the front of the ship from a window above my bed.
• thoughts on “You Can Live Permanently On A Cruise Ship! Here’s How Much It Costs”

The ship’s amenities, such as the sundeck, swimming pool, and gym also provide spaces where passengers can come together to interact and build relationships. 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. If your finances allow it, another option is to buy property on a residential ship or an available cabin on a cruise ship.

Expert breaks down exactly how much you'd save by living on a cruise ship instead of a house or apartment - UNILAD

Expert breaks down exactly how much you'd save by living on a cruise ship instead of a house or apartment.

Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Medical Services

Also, private companies such as Mail Boxes Etc. or UPS offer mail forwarding services for a fee. 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. 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.

How To Live On A Cruise Ship For Free

What’s more, once you’re in port you’ll have the opportunity to participate in numerous shore excursions. Long-term cruises often offer shore excursions at lower prices or even completely free, making the change to participate in unique excursions far more possible. Living on a cruise ship might sound like a dream to some of us, but the reality is that there’s a lot more to retiring on a cruise ship than just packing your bags and setting sail. Here are the pros and cons of living on a cruise ship that you should know about. But in recent years, it's become common for cruise lines to charge guests extra if they want to upgrade to "supplementary" items like lobster or certain steaks.

Port Charges and Taxes

It’s important to compare the costs of living on a cruise ship with other alternatives, such as retirement communities, assisted living facilities, or staying in your own home. Each retirement option comes with its own set of costs and considerations. By exploring and comparing the costs and benefits of different retirement options, you can determine which option best aligns with your financial goals, lifestyle preferences, and long-term needs. One of the major benefits of living on a cruise ship is the opportunity to explore new destinations and engage in exciting shore activities.

Ships are required to maintain medical staff on-call 24/7, including at least one physician. That’s reassuring for emergencies but if you have a non-life-threatening condition that requires specialized treatment, that may be more difficult to come by on the ship. Of course, if you decide to keep your home while living on a cruise ship, it would change those numbers. And even if you sell, you may have to account for other land-side expenses, such as storage for personal property or vehicles, or debts you may still be paying off.

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. 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. 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. It's possible to plan your retirement cruise itinerary to ensure you are always headed away from cold and snow.

Because I booked an ocean-view room, I was able to look out over the front of the ship from a window above my bed.

However, living on a cruise ship permanently also requires taking into account health considerations. While cruise ships do have medical facilities onboard, they may not be equipped to handle serious medical emergencies. It’s important to have long-term health insurance that covers you while living on a cruise ship. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of this lifestyle, and provide a detailed breakdown of the costs involved, including the initial investment, monthly fees, and additional expenses.

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3 Residents share what it's like to live on a cruise ship full-time - Business Insider

3 Residents share what it's like to live on a cruise ship full-time.

Posted: Sat, 09 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

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. 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.

What does it cost to retire on a cruise ship?

Access to these fitness facilities is typically included in the residency fees, allowing residents to pursue their fitness goals without any additional costs. It’s important to consider the quality and variety of fitness amenities available when choosing a cruise ship for permanent living. Living on a cruise ship offers a wide range of dining options to suit every palate. Most cruise ships have multiple restaurants, cafes, and buffet-style dining areas that cater to various cuisines and dietary preferences. The cost of dining on a cruise ship can vary depending on the type of restaurant and the meal plan chosen. Many cruise lines offer inclusive dining options, where the cost of meals is included in the overall residency fees, while others may require additional payments for specialty dining experiences.

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. According to online travel insurance company Squaremouth, this coverage typically costs around 5% to 7% of the trip cost when purchased through a third-party insurer. Cruise lines can also offer their own travel insurance, which includes emergency medical coverage. If you’re planning to live full-time on a cruise, you’ll need to make good nutrition a priority. You can try asking for sauces on the side or swatching out the fries for a plate of salad.

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. 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. 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. 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.

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

Outside of seeing new places and getting a taste of adventure, there are also some practical reasons why you should choose to live on a cruise. Life on a cruise can actually save money because you don’t have to worry about purchasing food, paying for gas, or covering other land-based expenses. And the idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people. 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. Per the real estate website Zillow, the average cost of a home in Seattle in 2023 is $831,102, and competitor real estate website Realtor.com also lists the median home price at a similar value of around $794,000.

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. 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. 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.

The majority of bigger ships are well-equipped with medical facilities needed in emergencies ensuring Staying Safe On Cruises. Ships like MV Gemini even offer remarkable three-year voyages that span 375 ports across 135 countries! This constant change in scenery means you get to explore iconic landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer statue and the Taj Mahal on a single trip. From drinks to wi-fi to specialty restaurants, there are plenty of extra to spend on the ship.

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. Dark Island is another residential cruise ship which is planned to be built by 2026. Arguably the better way to live on a cruise ship is to choose one that’s designed for permanent living. It’s better to choose a cruise ship designed for long-term living than one from a mainstream cruise line.