Thoughts, impressions, and observations for the World Cruise.

[BND]

4 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

My family would gladly take me in, wouldn't even have to ask. Well, except for maybe one sister...but more importantly, you've mistakenly assumed they spent ALL their money on the cruise. 

My family (sons and DIL's) would too if we needed it but we would never ask that especially if we spent all our money on a trip.  I assumed that they spent a chunk of it.  In a lot of places home values aren't as large as they are where we live but most would have to downsize to maintain the lifestyle they had before the trip.  I guarantee not everyone who did sell to go on this trip really thought it through or made a sound decision. Sorry I asked.    I've seen too many make dumb financial decisions based on emotions.

Edited December 13, 2023 by BND

[Mikew0805]

Just now, BND said:

Not everyone has the equity to do that.  We do and we're retired.  We sold our previous home, downsized (5500 sq ft to 3800) and have no mortgage but if we sold our house now and went on this cruise, we'd have to really downsize.  I'm just curious about people's mindsets and what their plans are.   I don't get the defense of people that others don't know.  I want real life info. 

I am not defending what someone else did, what they did is none of my business. I said what I would do, and if I was of retirement age, it would have happened.

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

My family would gladly take me in, wouldn't even have to ask. Well, except for maybe one sister...but more importantly, you've mistakenly assumed they spent ALL their money on the cruise. 

You know how people graduate from college then move into mom and dad's basement? Those grown kids now have nine months to get their basements fixed up.😆

 

Just a joke folks.😇

[BND]

2 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

I am not defending what someone else did, what they did is none of my business. I said what I would do, and if I was of retirement age, it would have happened.

I'm curious as to what those that sold what they own to go will do when they return?  Too many have a problem with immediate gratification.  We're retired and could "afford" to go but we would rather spend time with family and cruise a few times a year and keep the home we own free and clear so we can continue to give back and enjoy our retirement.  You say you would, but you don't know because you didn't/can't right now.  Anyway, my real question from the beginning was what is their game plan and I'd love to see what those who did sell everything do when they return?  Just a simple question.

[dahirsh]

I don't think it was said they sold their house to pay for the cruise, just that they sold it in preparation for the cruise

[doghog]

On 12/11/2023 at 7:45 AM, island lady said:

Found our assigned table...as a table for 10!  😮  Got it changed out to a nice quiet corner "two top" and enjoyed a great dinner in the MDR at 5:30.  Wonderful waiter team which will be with us all the way to LA.  

Sounds great. 🍷

[BND]

3 minutes ago, dahirsh said:

I don't think it was said they sold their house to pay for the cruise, just that they sold it in preparation for the cruise

I'll bet some did.  It's 9 months so leaving a house that long isn't unheard of.  I don't think it was said they didn't do it to pay for it either.

[jenncren]

24 minutes ago, BND said:

I'm curious as to what those that sold what they own to go will do when they return?  Too many have a problem with immediate gratification.  We're retired and could "afford" to go but we would rather spend time with family and cruise a few times a year and keep the home we own free and clear so we can continue to give back and enjoy our retirement.  You say you would, but you don't know because you didn't/can't right now.  Anyway, my real question from the beginning was what is their game plan and I'd love to see what those who did sell everything do when they return?  Just a simple question.

Go back to normal life, I suppose. My husband and I can’t conceive of leaving our dog for a year, but if something happened to her (God forbid!) we’d consider this cruise in a heartbeat. We both have careers that we could reasonably expect to be in demand when we got back, the risk would be only really an extra year of retirement savings for us, and the ability to retire is never guaranteed. Life is short. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by jenncren

[HBE4]

27 minutes ago, BND said:

My family (sons and DIL's) would too if we needed it but we would never ask that especially if we spent all our money on a trip.  I assumed that they spent a chunk of it.  In a lot of places home values aren't as large as they are where we live but most would have to downsize to maintain the lifestyle they had before the trip.  I guarantee not everyone who did sell to go on this trip really thought it through or made a sound decision. Sorry I asked.    I've seen too many make dumb financial decisions based on emotions.

 

Since neither of us know anyone personally who sold all their belonging to go in a cruse, it's all a hypothetical discussion.  Unless someone who is actually doing that joins in the conversation.

 

So, hypothetical speaking, I sell my mortgage free house for $550,000 here in NY - which is a very current, realistic price & spend $200,000 (fair price?) on the UWC that leave me with $350,000 for my return.  Hopefully a trusted financial planner can grow that an  extra 10% or so.

 

Absolutely  I'll need to downsize and/or relocate somewhere cheaper like FL or SC or TN. The usual suspects.  But it's doable & maybe part of the master plan.

 

I don't think I could do it. I'm more along the lines of @Ocean Boy or @Jimbo and even you. I'd need a concrete roadmap for my return.  But some people are better flying by the seat of their pants than I. More power to them.

Edited December 13, 2023 by HBE4

[Mikew0805]

17 minutes ago, BND said:

I'm curious as to what those that sold what they own to go will do when they return?  Too many have a problem with immediate gratification.  We're retired and could "afford" to go but we would rather spend time with family and cruise a few times a year and keep the home we own free and clear so we can continue to give back and enjoy our retirement.  You say you would, but you don't know because you didn't/can't right now.  Anyway, my real question from the beginning was what is their game plan and I'd love to see what those who did sell everything do when they return?  Just a simple question.

I understand. We might have each read it differently as well. I read it as they took the opportunity to get rid of their stuff. Maybe you read it as they got rid of their stuff in order to do the cruise. I do get the curiosity though.

 

6 minutes ago, jenncren said:

Go back to normal life, I suppose. My husband and I can’t conceive of leaving our dog for a year, but if something happened to her (God forbid!) we’d consider this cruise in a heartbeat. We both have careers that we could reasonably expect to be in demand when we got back, the risk would be on her of retirement savings for us, and the ability to retire is never guaranteed. Life is short. 

That is the one and only thing that would stop me. My dog. Our dogs will always come first. Unfortunately, I do not know how long we have left with our current dog. The one in my profile pic was my first baby, and I lost him when he was 16 years old in Dec 2019. Still hurts terribly, so when we lose our current dog, (Who is currently 12) I am not sure I want to go through that again. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Mikew0805

[BND]

Just now, HBE4 said:

 

Since neither of us know anyone personally who sold all their belonging to go in a cruse, it's all a hypothetical discussion.  Unless someone who is actually doing that joins in the conversation.

 

So, hypothetical speaking, I sell my mortgage free house for $550,000 here in NY - which is a very current, realistic price & spend $200,000 (fair price?) the UWC that leave me with $350,000 for my return.  Hopefully a trusted financial planner can grow that an 10% or so.

 

Absolutely  I'll need to downsize and/or relocate somewhere cheaper like FL or SC or TN. The usual suspects.  But it's doable & maybe part of the master plan.

 

I don't think I could do it. I'm more along the lines of @Ocean Boy or @Jimbo and even you. I'd need a concrete roadmap for my return.  But some people are better flying by the seat of their pants that I. More power to them.

I love living in a mortgage free home (for the first time ever) near my children and my recently widowed mother.  Our CFP would be able to do a lot but he doesn't control the market lol.  We already downsized so we're good.  I'm just really wondering if someone did sell to go on this trip, what will they do when they return.  I do know someone who took money out of her 401 to take all her family on a cruise a few years ago.  It wouldn't be as big a deal if they hadn't used all their equity to help their kids buy homes and now have a mortgage in their 70's and are still working because they need the money.  Not everyone makes smart decisions.

[Ocean Boy]

3 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

 

I’d like to know if they sold their cars and how much they got for them 

If they needed to sell them 

 

Nancy , maybe I’m not as curious as you 

but that’s their personal lives, how or why and what they do after 

is non of yours business, like me knowing how much your 401k is non of my business 

 

I have spoken to Pat, via a friend on the ship - will await her return 

I think it a bit natural to be curious about what people who divest of everything for something that has a finite time span will eventually do when it ends. I also think it natural to look at it from the perspective of one's own circumstances and values. Certainly no one on that cruise has any obligation to satisfy that curiosity.

[doghog]

2 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

That is the one and only thing that would stop me. My dog. Our dogs will always come first.

My wife would take her dog with her. 😉

[Merion_Mom]

39 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

If I was of retirement age, that is exactly what I would do! I would take the opportunity to downsize completely, stockpile all the proceeds, and when the cruise is over... start fresh in a condo or very small home, with minimal maintenance and upkeep. Sounds perfect to me.

And no worries about what is happening to your home/cars while you are away.

[Another_Critic]

I don't understand why people are concerned with how people planned or paid for the WC.  If everyone followed the same path in life, it would be a boring world.

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

38 minutes ago, BND said:

You really miss the point don't you?   Wow, so you know someone on the ship?  So do a lot of people on here.  I just asked a simple question.  What are their plans when they return?

You keep saying simple question, but, I keep hearing interrogation.  We get it.  It's not what you would do.  Doesn't make it wrong for others.  

[Ocean Boy]

1 minute ago, schooner_Drinker said:

Not Totally 

 

But being obsessed with what others do with their money (isn’t just curiosity)

Sorry I don’t care or get why people want to know other peoples business 😎 

 

Nosy Parker’s, busy bodies, I’m sure there are other names 

Some are a little bit more busier than others, and it was obvious earlier 

 
Getting back on topic

It really is none of our business what Pat paid for her Royal Up 

But some want to push it 

 

That just doesn’t sit right with me 

 

Nancy 

 

Lol, pretty amazing how a question about a Royal up bid turned into this conversation. However, again, no one on that ship has any obligation to provide any answers to anything, so no real harm. Hopefully this thread can turn into how things are going on the cruise if any of those folks on Serenade would like to provide some insight. I'd like to see @island lady's perspective since she and I have interacted on these boards for a long time.

[taznremmy]

Please, let’s get back on track for what this forum was created for.  
It is none of our business who paid what, or how are they going to survive when they return.  

We are here to hear about the cruise itself.  If you can’t appreciate that, please “unfollow” or keep your opinions to yourself.

 

[ReneeFLL]

On 12/3/2023 at 2:06 AM, island lady said:

 

We are going from very hot Rio to not so warm Antarctica....with Ushuaia being a tad chilly, so yeah...we have the hot to cold weather clothes...and everything else as well.  I may be silly, but I am packing a 1.5 inch extremely compressed king size mattress foam topper in one of my duffle bags, that takes up most of the room in just that one bag.  😉 

Some of the beds have been so hard we won't cruise without our Klymit pads. They are very sturdy since they’re made for camping.

 

https://klymit.gathroutdoors.com/collections/klymit-sleep-comforts

 

This is the one I have. It’s less than 2 pounds and packs up so small.

https://klymit.gathroutdoors.com/products/static-v-luxe-sleeping-pad?color=gray

[bonsai3s]

Just politely asking...who's the:

 

HD

F&B

ROM

GSM

 

Guessing they will all be replaced sometime during the WC.

 

* Also, has there been any goody bags given to WCer's...or hats, shirts, sunglasses, etc.  Thank you.

[cruiselvr04]

I doubt anyone did this cruise with no idea of the future.

 

DH and I discussed doing a world cruise between houses.  We may move to another state.  So we’d sell our present house, put our things in storage, do a world cruise and then rent or buy upon return in the new city.  It’s practical in that you’re not paying for a mortgage, rent, utilities or upkeep while you’re gone.  You’re not worried about your pipes freezing or your home getting broken into.  We wouldn’t be using the sale of the home to finance the cruise because we’d be investing in a new place upon our return but could use the monthly savings of no residence to offset expenses of excursions etc. I don’t know if we’ll ever do it but we’ve discussed it as one way to make it happen.

[Etta1213]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

My wife would take her dog with her. 😉

Instead of you😅??

[jldev]

I never thought about doing a round the world cruise until RC brought out this one. And, as time got closer to the cruise and I started following some people who are doing it, I've become fascinated so it's now on my travel dream bucketlist. We'd only be able to afford it if we sold our family home and downsized but, as our youngest daughter will still be coming home during her university holidays for a few more years, we are not ready to do that yet. But it's been a lovely idea to dream about for now 💕

 

However I recently heard and read opinions that RC will not do another world cruise so, if true, thats disappointing. Does any one know why they wouldn't be doing another one? Given this cruise hsd only just started, what has gone wrong to make them not want to repeat it?  Is it not profitable for them? 

Edited December 13, 2023 by jldev

[barbeyg]

7 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

I understand. We might have each read it differently as well. I read it as they took the opportunity to get rid of their stuff. Maybe you read it as they got rid of their stuff in order to do the cruise. I do get the curiosity though.

 

That’s how I read it too. 🙂  I read it as some were ready to move on to a new chapter. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 

This is not the same, but we saved a year’s worth of living expenses and sold our home, moved to TN with no job prospects at all.  Just knew we would rent for a year and work it out.  18 years later, our current (retirement) home is paid for, we retire next spring from good jobs, and have no regrets on our adventure. 🤷🏻‍♀️ We knew this was what we wanted to do.  Some thought we were crazy, but everyone’s “comfort zone” is different. 🙂
 

Cheers to the UWC cruisers on their adventure! May it be everything you hoped for!! 😁

Edited December 13, 2023 by barbeyg

[barbeyg]

48 minutes ago, jldev said:

However I recently heard and read opinions that RC will not do another world cruise so, if true, thats disappointing. Does any one know why they wouldn't be doing another one? Given this cruise hsd only just started, what has gone wrong to make them not want to repeat it?  Is it not profitable for them? 

We probably have to wait and see what happens.  Maybe RCI is doing the same before making a decision.  A lot of logistics go into planning this, and RCI has discovered that short cruises have a really nice profit margin for the company (less than 7 day cruises).
 

I do know that, from time to time, someone interested in a long cruise covering many ports can cobble together a really nice long repositioning cruise.  May not cover as much as this one, but an adventure can still be had.

Edited December 13, 2023 by barbeyg