Table Of Content
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. But if you might want to indulge in a spa day or take a shore excursion here and there, be sure to factor those into your overall ‘living on a cruise ship’ budget. Once all of the other costs are taken care of, account for any additional spending you might want to do on or off the ship. Once you’ve settled on a cruise line, the ship (or ships) you’re going to live on are the next piece of the puzzle.
Plan for your healthcare needs
Man lives on a cruise ship 300 days a year because it costs the same as renting in Florida - Upworthy
Man lives on a cruise ship 300 days a year because it costs the same as renting in Florida.
Posted: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 19:20:31 GMT [source]
There’s an abundance of opportunities for social interaction and a strong sense of community. Passengers onboard the MV Gemini, for example, can choose to share cabins with other travelers through a matchmaking scheme, fostering connections and friendships. Cabins come in various sizes, ranging from 130 square feet to Balcony Suites, with prices starting at $29,999 per person per year. To join this unique experience, passengers are required to commit to all three years of the voyage.
Buy a Cruise Residence
But more than that, we find it more likely that someone retiring on a cruise ship would do so with a partner. There are additional taxes and fees listed in the costs before you hit the ‘book my cruise’ button. For example, for a seven-night cruise in the Caribbean you can expect to pay around $100 to $150 in taxes and port fees per person.
Amenities and services at your disposal
Here are some of the things you’ll need to consider when you’re living on a cruise ship. 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.
As the creator of this website, I want to help families plan fun cruises free of stress and filled with adventure! They might be able to help you save some money during your cruising experience or to hook you up with some upgrades while you cruise. Another option for anyone looking for a permanent shipboard residence is to buy a cruise residence.
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. 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. 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.
If you want an environment buzzing with energy and lots of fun things to do, you’ll probably go for a larger, newer ship. I spent many of my days relaxing in the expansive multiroom thermal suite, singing along at B.B. King's Blues Club, or sunbathing by the Lido Pool with a retractable roof.
Here’s an idea of what you might pay for a voyage on a mainstream cruise ship in the Caribbean. As a starting guide, expect to pay around $100 to $150 per person, per night for an interior cabin. At $125 per night, that’s $91,250 per year for a couple, or $250 per night. For a balcony cabin, our estimation goes up to around $175 per person, per night, or $350 for a couple. That’s $127,750 per year, again not counting taxes, fees, or gratuities, nor other add-ons.
What might make you think twice about living full-time on a cruise ship?
At the same time, consider how you’ll expand your circle once you’re aboard the ship. Aside from the financial aspects of retiring on a cruise ship, there’s an emotional component to consider as well. Living on a cruise ship year-round may mean being away from your family and friends for long periods of time.
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. The idea of retiring from the rat race and living out your days on a cruise has great appeal for some people. Here, for cost average purposes, we’re going to assume that you’re sailing in the Caribbean. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to assume that you choose a mainstream line like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or Norwegian. We’ll also assume that you’re going to live on board with one other person, such as your spouse.
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.
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. 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. This may work out cheaper, especially on some cruise lines that offer cheap nightly rates and one-way repositioning cruises.
While you may not be interested in shore excursions if you’re living on your cruise, you should consider these as well. Room and board will be the most significant expense on any cruise, especially if you choose to live on a cruise ship for an extended amount of time. However, knowing what you get and where you spend your money is important. Let’s look at what you can expect to spend your money on when living on a cruise ship.
