Cruising Full Time globally on various lines

[SoloFullTime]

I'm retired, upper 50s and solo cruise once in a while out of Florida, considering full time around world on various lines.  I own property in Midwest but am established as a FL resident.  Am planning to not own/lease in FL and use a mail forwarding service with physical address to maintain FL residency (full time RV'rs do this and I used to be in that world too).  May buy small condo at a FL port if needing to.

 

The thought is to base out of various key ports in world and stay at port hotels between cruises on various lines... mainly base out of Ft. Lauderdale for E Coast, San Diego W Coast, Southampton or Rome port for Euro/Med/Africa tours, Aukland NZ for Asia/Pacific tours. But stays in any port town globally likely as well between cruises. Will fly/train between ports as needed.  Ft. Lauderdale will be my home port.  Stays in some countries could be up to a month.

 

I may only do this for months or years as long as I like it.  Seems to be the best way travel world alone.

 

What are some things I should plan for and think about? 

 

Experiences from others doing this?

Edited December 12, 2022 by SoloFullTime

[ymncruise]

Sounds fun! Would make an interesting blog. I would love to do this, but I’d miss my dog too much. 

[crystalspin]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

You may want to browse these other boards for topics of interest, although you may look hard and long for people doing quite like your plan:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2474-transatlantic-transpacific-repositioning-trans-ocean-cruises/

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/674-world-cruising/

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/279-solo-cruisers/

 

Additionally some topics that are more about Solo Cruisers end up in the subtly-different Singles Cruises:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/85-singles-cruises/

 

[SoloFullTime]

Thanks much for the threads, I did search the site and wasn't sure which to post this in.

 

One thing I need to figure out is medical insurance.  I plan to get travel insurance but want decent broad health coverage for 6 month plans.  Am researching 'home' health insurance that offers travel health or travel health that can replace my 'home' health insurance.  Any tips or threads that discuss would be helpful.

[crystalspin]

4 minutes ago, SoloFullTime said:

One thing I need to figure out is medical insurance.  I plan to get travel insurance but want decent broad health coverage for 6 month plans.  Am researching 'home' health insurance that offers travel health or travel health that can replace my 'home' health insurance.  Any tips or threads that discuss would be helpful.

CC's got an app (oops, board) for that!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

At the top is a Q&A sub-forum with Steve from the TripInsuranceStore. He is probably the most knowledgeable person for the subject on the planet -- I guess -- although we did not use his service when we bought PRE-PANDEMIC a year-long subscription to Geo Blue. (I used some other comparison site, can't remember.)

 

My husband retired 12/31/19. We travelled to South America in January on an escorted tour. In February 2020, we had SIX cruises booked over the next 18 months, and at the time were still planning to take guided land tours as well. We all know what happened to those plans! Subsequently we let the GeoBlue plan lapse...

[SoloFullTime]

^Thank you much for the info. 

[peppylee]

On 12/12/2022 at 5:54 AM, SoloFullTime said:

I'm retired, upper 50s and solo cruise once in a while out of Florida, considering full time around world on various lines.  I own property in Midwest but am established as a FL resident.  Am planning to not own/lease in FL and use a mail forwarding service with physical address to maintain FL residency (full time RV'rs do this and I used to be in that world too).  May buy small condo at a FL port if needing to.

 

The thought is to base out of various key ports in world and stay at port hotels between cruises on various lines... mainly base out of Ft. Lauderdale for E Coast, San Diego W Coast, Southampton or Rome port for Euro/Med/Africa tours, Aukland NZ for Asia/Pacific tours. But stays in any port town globally likely as well between cruises. Will fly/train between ports as needed.  Ft. Lauderdale will be my home port.  Stays in some countries could be up to a month.

 

I may only do this for months or years as long as I like it.  Seems to be the best way travel world alone.

 

What are some things I should plan for and think about? 

 

Experiences from others doing this?

 

[SPacificbound]

On 12/12/2022 at 1:40 PM, SoloFullTime said:

Thanks much for the threads, I did search the site and wasn't sure which to post this in.

 

One thing I need to figure out is medical insurance.  I plan to get travel insurance but want decent broad health coverage for 6 month plans.  Am researching 'home' health insurance that offers travel health or travel health that can replace my 'home' health insurance.  Any tips or threads that discuss would be helpful.

 

Take a look at GeoBlue Trekker Choice. 

 

Of course there is a ton of information from Steve Dasseos- The Trip Insurance Store if you have not already discovered it.

[YoPhilly]

I use an annual GeoBlue plan, but my understanding is that one must have a domestic (US) Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan to be eligible.

[crystalspin]

17 hours ago, YoPhilly said:

I use an annual GeoBlue plan, but my understanding is that one must have a domestic (US) Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan to be eligible.

We had the Trekker one year (2020!!!) without being BCBS customers. They may have different plans if you are. We let it lapse since we weren't travelling in the pandemic; may sign up for 2024...

[YoPhilly]

20 hours ago, crystalspin said:

We had the Trekker one year (2020!!!) without being BCBS customers. They may have different plans if you are. We let it lapse since we weren't travelling in the pandemic; may sign up for 2024...

I had to see the ship's doctor in December.  When I got home, I filed a claim with GeoBlue, and they reimbursed me the entire amount.  Very prompt.  No jumping through hoops to get it.

[shipgeeks]

On 2/19/2023 at 10:24 AM, YoPhilly said:

I had to see the ship's doctor in December.  When I got home, I filed a claim with GeoBlue, and they reimbursed me the entire amount.  Very prompt.  No jumping through hoops to get it.

My understanding is that we can do the same with our regular (home) health insurance. Keep the receipt from the ship, submit it upon returning home.

[YoPhilly]

On 2/20/2023 at 12:31 PM, shipgeeks said:

My understanding is that we can do the same with our regular (home) health insurance. Keep the receipt from the ship, submit it upon returning home.

Some health insurance plans don’t cover international expenses. That’s why I buy coverage for travel.