Can I live aboard one or more ships? What is the best approach?

And how often does your home change its location?????

 

 

 

Why is the same places over and over so bad, when the same PLACE all the time is so good?????

It’s not just the same places; it’s the same menu, activities, and entertainment week after week. My home location doesn’t change but I have unlimited choices available for meals between cooking and going out. Can’t really cook in your stateroom if you get tired of seeing the same menu 30 weeks in a row.

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As DH and I are inching closer to retirement we have had many discussions planning our future. This was one that just didn't stick with us. While we love cruising, we also love land vacations. We also want to be flexible in retirement. I expect, of the family closest to us, my Mother and my DB's 2 young sons, will be the only one left in our home town when we retire. Many other relatives but none as close to us. My DS has already moved 1500 miles away and I don't expect DD to stick around after she graduates from college in 2 years. We definitely want to downsize and sell everything we currently have. We are currently looking at 55+ communities in FL to have a home base at. This would get us with in a short drive to many of the US cruise ports. But we just want it for a home base. We want the flexibility to visit the kids (where ever they land) and Mom/nephews whenever we want or are needed. We want the flexibility to cruise whenever we want. And we want the flexibility travel elsewhere whenever we want. We are looking at the possibility of getting a motor home. That option is questionable right now but we did enjoy motor homing with the kids when they were younger. We would love to try some longer cruises and some back to backs. However living on-board would tie us down more than we to be.

I am in the planning stages for our first post retirement trip. 2022 watch out here we come. The plan is to start in Chicago and do Route 66 by car/hotels. We will then do a 14-15 night cruise from CA to HI and back. Upon return we will travel North through Death Valley, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, up to Seattle where we will cruise up to Alaska and back. Upon return from that we will head back through Yellowstone. If the kids have landed somewhere along our route we will stop and visit them if not we will be visiting them before we settle down in FL.

Just keep praying the good Lord keeps us healthy enough to enjoy it. We will be retiring at 55. Young, I know. But we have been saving our money since we married 30 years ago in order to retire early. In the last 4 years I have lost my 39 yo DB to a Cardiomyopathy (the same thing that killed my DF at 59 and I was diagnosed with after my DD was born when I was 30), my 49 yo cousin (who was my best friend, college room mate, and maid of honor) to brain cancer, and I had a Dissected Carotid Artery that sent me to the hospital with 3 mini-strokes. Life is short. If you can afford it and it is what you want to do, then go and enjoy your life while you still have it. If it doesn't work out the way you want then try something else. Above all else enjoy life.

It’s not just the same places; it’s the same menu, activities, and entertainment week after week. My home location doesn’t change but I have unlimited choices available for meals between cooking and going out. Can’t really cook in your stateroom if you get tired of seeing the same menu 30 weeks in a row.

That is a valid point. But some people eat the same thing almost every meal. I have a friend, that eats Popeyes fired chicken 4 out of 5 workday lunches.

And you do have port days to eat off the ship.

And I am sure, if you live on board a ship, the galley staff will do requests.

we are currently looking at 55+ communities in fl to have a home base at. This would get us with in the main path of many hurricanes every year. But we just want it for a home base.

ftfy

:d

ftfy

 

:d

Just a home base. If a hurricane were coming, I'd be using that flexibility I commented on and be getting out of there long before it hit and be visiting with someone well out of its path.

I think this idea sounds more feasible than it really is. Sure some people could make it work. I could spend hours here talking about what you could miss out on that you wouldn't even think of until it was gone. Would you really want to sell everything you own other than 1-2 suitcases? Would you want the same experience every day? Would you really want to attend a weekly muster drill?

I think the idea of downsizing and more frequent vacations is a good sweet spot. A world cruise would be a great taste of what living on a ship would be like. As much as we love cruising, we may find that even for something we love, it can be too much.

I remember reading quite a while ago this romantic tale about an elderly woman who chose cruising to assisted living. She loved having all her meals cooked, that someone cleaned her stateroom every day, and she had evidently made friends with the staff who looked in on her and helped her when needed. She would occasionally go off ship to visit family, but on board spent most of her time reading in the lounge, or visiting with "new friends".

I doubt this would fly in 2018. Specifically, no matter how friendly you may be with the staff, they are WAY too busy now to act as attendants. I also think that Medicare these days would not go with just a mailbox, although I confess I have not checked in to how Full Timers in RVs do it. Both my husband and I are retired, and are figuring out how to "age in place". But if I was on my own with most family and friends gone, I would definitely look into a floating condo idea!

Both my husband and I are retired, and are figuring out how to "age in place". But if I was on my own with most family and friends gone, I would definitely look into a floating condo idea!

I think "aging in place" is also a fantasy for many -- even though it's possible, a lot of people think it will be more fulfilling (intellectually and emotionally) than it turns out to be for most people. I'm not saying a retirement community or nursing home is necessarily better -- I'm saying that getting old can suck, regardless of where you are, for all manner of reasons.

I'm retired and have heard that in some cases, seniors can live as cheaply or cheaper on board a cruise ship...no, not doing dishes!

 

Does anyone have an idea of how best to approach this? Is it by hopping from ship to ship, or do ANY cruise lines offer deals to passengers willing to stay aboard for long periods?

 

Thanks

 

RetiredandHappy4

First, have you ever spent an extended period of time on board a cruise ship? 20, 30, 40 plus days? If you haven’t, try a long cruise first (over 20 days) and see how you like it.

I thought I would go through the exercise of estimating the cost of a year long cruise by checking published fares for Symphony of the Seas for a year. First snag was that there were two weeks missing at the end of May for charters or dry dock or something. I factored up the cost to 52 weeks, added in tips, taxes, port charges or whatever and figured cruise costs of:

$117,000 for two in an inside cabin,

$132,000 for two in an ocean view cabin,

$157,000 for two in a balcony cabin,

$342,000 for two in a suite.

I am pretty sure you could get some price deals booking a room for a year at at time. Plus frequent traveler discounts, booking on board, etc.

Just because many of you cannot see YOU doing it, doesn't mean that it won't work for others. They are not you.

My Dad is 91 and lives alone. He would have more personal interaction if he lived on a cruise ship.

OK lets say you can find some great deal at $65 a day, add at least $10 tax and fees and $10 tips that's $85 a day. Oh, that's PER PERSON and they count on two per cabin. Travel by yourself and get hit with a surcharge to make up the difference.

OK lets say you can find some great deal at $65 a day, add at least $10 tax and fees and $10 tips that's $85 a day. Oh, that's PER PERSON and they count on two per cabin. Travel by yourself and get hit with a surcharge to make up the difference.

So $60K per year.

For living quarters, food, entertainment, maid service, etc.

I'm retired and have heard that in some cases, seniors can live as cheaply or cheaper on board a cruise ship...no, not doing dishes!

 

Does anyone have an idea of how best to approach this? Is it by hopping from ship to ship, or do ANY cruise lines offer deals to passengers willing to stay aboard for long periods?

 

Thanks

 

RetiredandHappy4

Check out the "world" ship for some long term rentals of cabins.

OK lets say you can find some great deal at $65 a day, add at least $10 tax and fees and $10 tips that's $85 a day. Oh, that's PER PERSON and they count on two per cabin. Travel by yourself and get hit with a surcharge to make up the difference.

That's a pretty good price, actually.......about $6,000 per month for rent, restaurant meals, housekeeping, and activities.

Check out the "world" ship for some long term rentals of cabins.

HAHAHAHA. Those rich billionaires would cringe at calling their condos "cabins'. There is already serious whining about the tourists who rent and then use the facilities, partying too hard in what was supposed to be an exclusive neighborhood.,

Living aboard a ship full time ? Perhaps it's more realistic for many northern Americans and Canadians who are snowbirds , those already spending the entire winter down south . If you are already traveling south for the winter, it is realistic to think about spending the entire time on a ship . Financially this makes more sense if you are not double domiciling . in other words paying for multiple places at the same time .

Those that I know who have Florida winter places count on an extra $50 thousand a year Canadian for the privilege of getting the heck out for the winter . It's pretty close to a wash to spend this amount on cruise costs instead .

I can't see spending the entire year on a ship . Colder months ? Very possibly .

HAHAHAHA. Those rich billionaires would cringe at calling their condos "cabins'. There is already serious whining about the tourists who rent and then use the facilities, partying too hard in what was supposed to be an exclusive neighborhood.,

Not required to be a billionaire.

Only a 5 millionaire

First, though, you'll have to prove your net worth exceeds $5 million

Price is around $900,000 - $1.7millon.

I've seen Super Mario in a short documentary. Let's just say that I would certainly like to retire on a ship but it would need to be a normal thing to do first. At least 50-100 others on the same ship, of which most are acquaintances and 2 or 3 may become close friends. Finding new "friends" every week, telling the same story over and over again to see them leave a few days later is not for me.

I've seen Super Mario in a short documentary. Let's just say that I would certainly like to retire on a ship but it would need to be a normal thing to do first. At least 50-100 others on the same ship, of which most are acquaintances and 2 or 3 may become close friends. Finding new "friends" every week, telling the same story over and over again to see them leave a few days later is not for me.

But as you get older, you tend to tell the same stories over and over. This way, nobody will be rolling their eyes because they have heard it 50 times.

But as you get older, you tend to tell the same stories over and over. This way, nobody will be rolling their eyes because they have heard it 50 times.