We Tried Retiring On A Cruise Ship

We tried to retire on a cruise ship.
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We have always thought it would be a good idea to retire on a cruise ship. There are so many advantages to retiring on a cruise ship but there are also several cons. We go over all the pros and cons in this video and share our experience with our trial run of retiring on a cruise ship.

For this trial run we spent 45 consecutive days on several ships including the Virgin Scarlet Lady, Disney Dream, Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, Holland America Zuiderdam and Carnival Venezia.

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[SergioRomano-njeb]

I just read an article about a couple who tried retiring on a cruise ship. It sounds like such an adventurous and unconventional way to retire! They mentioned that living on a cruise ship could actually be comparable in cost to living in a high-end retirement community.

[AlistairKiwi]

One of the nicest things about vacations is coming home after them!

[saloninegi]

I did about four weeks on a nice comfortable ship, just to get a feel for it, and to see if it might be an option later on. I concluded no. The expenses do add up. I missed my own kitchen, and having my home. I also found myself gaining weight quickly. And all those ports of call were mainly tourist scams, unless you paid dearly for an excursion, and even then, you saw the sights at someone else's pace, instead of feeling immersed in a culture and interacting normally with normal people. It wasn't for me.

[jackieheidorn]

When we cruised on the NCL line, we met a couple from the UK who "lived" on the cruise ships. They had given up their flat in London with all those costs as the gentleman told us. They spend about 6 months actually on the ships, and the rest of the year staying with their children in Canada, India, and South America for a few months in between cruises. Whatever you decide, have a plan and a contingency plan as these folks did. Great video.

[pauletteyoung]

I think keeping a home base near family and cruising as often as possible will give you the best of both worlds.

[Idaho-Idaho]

I never considered decorations as an essential expense. I would think such things as property taxes, insurance, and upkeep as essential and expensive.

[almurry]

You guys give great information on this subject. Though I do like cruising, I couldn’t do this all the time. Going on a cruise once or twice a year makes it feel more like a vacation to me. Living in our home, there are a lot of things we pay for like utilities, cable, internet, groceries, etc but I don’t think we spend anywhere near 5, 000.00 a month. We don’t decorate our home for Halloween and use pretty much the same decorations for Christmas (maybe changing a few things each year). We’re retired and I don’t think we could afford 5, 000.00 a month. I think it helps that our home is paid for, so we don’t have a mortgage to pay which really cuts our bills a lot. This way we’re able to put aside more savings for taking vacations. I would also have concerns about the dental and health insurance situation. But you guys are truly informative on this subject. Thanks for sharing this.

[deerhaven]

Sounds like heaven to me. I have no spouse, no children, no parents, no pets, only one sibling who I see a couple of times a year, don't care about tv and I don't like to cook!

[jaywagner]

No significant health care on a ship. Dental care is nonexistent on every ship I have been on. Definitely too many complications with health insurance and medical evac for older citizens. IMHO

[jameswilson]

Sounds like you came to the right conclusions. You two, my wife and I probably couldn't be further apart financially. We saved for years to do our first cruise. It was Alaska. We loved every minute of that Cruise. So much that we saved again, and while we were doing it, we decided after looking at all the other cruises we Still loved that Alaskan cruise. Quantum of the Seas. Both times. But like a lot of people in the comments have said, it was nice to get home. Sadly, the economy and inflation have dropped us down financially, so there will probably be no more cruises for us. But we have great memories and still love watching the videos! Stay safe out there!

[sheilap.]

I would love to cruise several times a year when I retire only. I would get tired of being around people all the time. I value my space, peace and quiet. Thanks for the tips and insight.

[mexipatti]

When I retired I sold mostly everything, bought a small house in a beach town on the Mexican Pacific coast. I have someone to care for my property, clean my house if I want, even cook for me if I want, There is plenty of money to travel when I want. For me this was a great choice. But good for you to find what works for you.

[samuraishonan]

I am an ex-pat retired in Japan. Debt free. My cruise ship is the Japanese archipelago. Since 2020 January, almost 50 trips all over Japan. Great food, medical, and people. Good lucky on your cruises.

[debbiec]

My hubby and I actually talked about it. We are both retired and have taken a couple of back to back where we were gone for4-5 weeks. I like the concept, someone else cooking, making my bed, and providing entertainment. We were missing our kids was the biggest drawback for us. -I have used medical staff on the ship -no complaints there. (Better than some of the care on land!)

[ValerieAwesomeAdventures]

I am the Brand Ambassador for one of the new affordable Residential Cruise ships, and I SOOO appreciate your video!
I will be sharing it with others who ask me what the pros and cons are.
Everybody has their own, since no 2 people are the same. Your video was insightful and informative on many points.

Our ship will be a former Holland America ship, we will be renovating it making it fresh and pretty, we will be keeping all the high standards one comes to expect from a HAL ship. This includes a nice variety of food options, as food is an important part of my life, and there are some cruise lines I avoid because of their food, or lack thereof.
Some pros for me are only having to unpack once.
Also, our shipmates are our long term neighbors, instead of an endless revolving door of strangers each week, we can actually form real friendships and lasting bonds. One thing about living on a cruise ship for 5-10 years (like I plan to do) is we will look out for each other not only onboard, but off the ship too.
Many of our residents have lived or spent significant time in various ports and are willing to share all the best kept local secrets about the ports they are intimately familiar with.
One thing I absolutely love about our ship is we will be spending 2, 3, sometimes 5 days or more in each port. This gives us a chance to really explore the area, travel to places a little further inland than most cruisers can when their ship in only in port for half a day.
We get to enjoy the nightlife and mingle with the locals. Dance into the night to the beat of a local band in a great hole in wall that the locals love to frequent.
Because we spend more time in each port, we can truly relax, sightsee without watching the clock, snorkeling without the fear of looking up and watching your ship sail off without you.
Because this is where we live, we will have clubs of various interests onboard that will have excursions off the ship.
We have groups for SCUBA, golfers, museum lovers, foodies, hikers, rollercoaster/amusement park enthusiast, even a group that plan to go to every Disneyland/world. We have a group that plan to go to every UNESCO site they can as we circumnavigate the world. We even have a service club that will be working with established service clubs/projects as we go to 115 countries, over 200 ports in our first 2 1/2 years of travels.
I love that we offer our residents the opportunity to leave the ship over night, for an over the water bungalow in the Maldives, to 2 months at a time to go home and see family, friends, doctors, renew licenses, vote, attend weddings, etc... for every night a resident is off the ship, they only have to pay 30% of their regular nightly rent.
That leaves them 70% to spend on a special hotel, or airfare back home then back to meet the ship.
That 30% goes to the Cabin Steward and others who depend on tips to send home.

Just about EVERYTHING is included in the monthly rent, including port fees, taxes, gratuities, high speed internet that is better than Starlink, 24-hour room service, a nice drink package that includes tap wine and draft beer. Laundry services are included, you can also choose to do your own if you want.
The few things not included are spa services, most excursions, specialty dining (Residents do get a $20 per night credit in 2 of our 3 specialty dining rooms) and cocktails, spirits and specialty coffees.
Monthly rent starts at just $2400 a month per person. That includes all of the above and more... for many, they will save money living onboard... no more gym fees, car and house insurance, car and house payments, no HOAs, we do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and you still have your vacation included. And until watching your video, I hadn't thought about things like how much I spend each year in landscaping, buying plants, mulch, weeding, mowing, snow removal, bagging leaves in the fall, decorating for Halloween and Christmas, with elaborate decorations.
Since the cabin we have on the ship is our home for however long our monthly lease is... most chose 37-60 months....we can decorate our cabins any way we wish (we cannot paint the walls or furniture).
I personally am bringing my own bedding with quilts and throw pillows. I also will have my own shower curtain and towels. I have been weeding through all my seasonal decor and only a door hanger and some small decorations that store well in the suitcase under my bed.

I plan to buy postcards in each port for my Granddaughters, and a magnet from each port for my wall.
My new motto is collect memories, not things.
The money I am making off of selling off everything I own, I plan to use for some REALLY AMAZING excursions!
I plan to share the FUN times, and what life is all about living full time here on YouTube.
 
At the end of this circumnavigation, we will start again on a new itinerary in January 2027. Residents who are signed up in the Spring of 2024 will have an opportunity to vote on where they want to go for the 2027/28/29 circumnavigation. We will also have a say on how long we want to stay in each port. This is exciting because as Residents, we get a big say in how our itinerary will be.
I am excited to see the whole world, to explore places I have never been before and always dreamed about going to.
I am excited to invite my friends and family over 18 years old to come visit onboard for up to 2 weeks at a time.
I will be meeting friends and family in ports near where they live so I can visit with them then. Already planning to take my kids and Grandchildren to Knott's Berry Farm for at least 2 days, maybe 3, when we arrive in Los Angeles in April 2025, and go to Northwoods Inn for dinner.
I am so excited to for this new exciting chapter in my life starting in just 260 days!

[DaveM-FFB]

Earlier this year we were on a 23 day transatlantic cruise on a 1, 200 passenger ship, and it was amazing. If we ever decided to live on a ship, it would only be for part of the year. Then we would get a furnished rental city apartment near public transit for 3 to 6 months before getting back on another ship.

[leahlockettharris]

The disconnect from my family and friends, especially my grandchild would be the biggest con for me. I would prefer living simpler on land and cruising often in my retirement than cruising full time.

[Richardnnabuikediyoke]

I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement either.

[monicarapps]

Thanks for your great & honest review. My husband & I sold our home & belongings in 2018 & traveled the USA for 4 years. Loved it! Due to health reasons, we moved into our mortgage-free rental home.
Looks like 1 area you save on a cruise ship: between cooking a lot & eating out now & then, it is not unusual for us to spend $900 - $1, 000 per month on groceries, including household goods (toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc.).

[inaclowder]

I only watched this because I like you guys and the train videos you've done. I never had an interest in the cruise lifestyle. Your video "pros" didn't change my mind. But, I'm surprised you only mentioned buying holiday decorations as a downer for owning a house. For me it's the never ending repairs that need doing (or paying a good deal of money to hire people to do them). And chores like shoveling snow and raking leaves. On the other hand, I love taking the time to wander our yard and stare up into the trees which are now turning brilliant colors (late!), and watching the birds. I generally walk around the neighborhood every day and admire the change of seasons in everyone's garden. Little things, but for me, better than the glitz of the cruise ship. I think the biggest issue for me is that I'm an introvert. Having to be in close quarters with so many people constantly would drive me crazy, even taking into consideration chatting with nice, interesting people from around the world. I love being in my own home and controlling how much interaction I have with others. On the other hand (always two sides to a coin), we had a mentally disturbed person in the other half of our twin for 18 years. Then a family moved in on the other side of us who were, shall we say, dysfunctional. We spent 15 years watching the family fall apart and then leave only when their house went up for sheriff's sale. Low key stress every day; sad and frustrating to witness. Fortunately most all of our other neighbors have been nice people. I doubt you'd want to mention this, but, crime happens. It seems a cruise ship would offer you a fairly safe, worry-free environment, and no crazies living next door. Does anyone ever give you a hard time for being a mixed race couple? It's nice to see how well you guys get along.