Questions re Ship as Senior Residence

[gooselace]

A recent study suggests that ships might be appropriate residence for some seniors, and compared the costs quite favorable to the costs of assisted living residences.

I write a Senior Focus column for a local paper and, having just returned from a cruise (Westerdam 12/5-12), plan to discuss this idea.

Questions:

What do you think of this idea?

If you are nearing retirement, would you consider it?

Would you be willing to travel as a passenger on a ship if a substantial number of other passenges were residents?

Do you think it would affect the ambiance on the ship?

And finally,

How close have any of you come to this idea? Is there anyone here, or who you know, who spends half a year or more aboard ship(s)?

Thank you for any helpful information or comments.

In another thread, someone mentioned the senior woman who was living aboard a ship nearly full-time. I've been unable to find any current mentions of this, so if anyone has a link, I would appreciate it.

[obriendan]

There is a lady who lives on the QE2 most of the time and has been for quite sometime. We learned about her on a crossing in September, 2003. At the time she was not aboard but was taking a week or so off in New York.

[serene56]

I think if I could retire now that would be the way to go. I would go from ship to ship some weeks. I would book the cheapest available cabin for the duration of my life. Some ships sell as cheap as 199 for the week. Plus then I would be getting the Senior discount. It would beat the cost of assisted living. I could probably cruise for less then 2,000 a month. All my meals and entertainment is provided. I then will have my own staff...(LOL) yeah--its my dream.

[General Max]

And just think about it. You wouldn't have to own a car or carry automobile insurance. You wouldn't have to pay for utilities or trash collection. You wouldn't have telemarketers calling you and trying to rip you off. No rent, mortgage or property taxes. No grocery shopping. etc. etc.

Cheers

General Max

[BCEagle78]

Typical assisted living arrangements have medical assistance nearby. With limited medical care available on a ship, this could be a problem..

[bonnyweed]

The medical care on board is superior to that of most assisted living facilities. 24 hours per day the ship has a physician and several nurses & advanced cardiac life support, defibrillators, etc. The problem is that the care is expensive. Seems that the most reasonable scenario for a person considering residency onboard is that they are in stable medical condition and can obtain scheduled medical care when the ship is in US ports. Still, it is a great comfort to know that in the event of emergency that emergency care is readily available aboard ship.

[kryos]

Typical assisted living arrangements have medical assistance nearby. With limited medical care available on a ship, this could be a problem..
Of course, one would have to be in reasonably good health, but given that ... I think the medical care provided on ship would be more than adequate for the reasonably healthy senior.

Man, no kidding ... this will be one real option that I will look into when I reach retirement age. Understand that I hope to work for as long as possible ... I am one of those wierd people that actually enjoys working.

But once I get fed up with working ... I would definitely look into prices, etc.

I would imagine to get the best deal, you would have to settle on one cruiseline and stay exclusive with that. But, I am sure there would be steep discounts offered to someone who cruised pretty much year-round, and you would always have the option of switching ships when you wanted a different itinerary.

I would imagine cruising year-round would also be a somewhat different experience that what would be had by the "occasional" cruiser. You probably wouldn't care much about ports, because you would rarely bother to leave the ship. You would sail more for the ambience of the cruise experience ... meeting a constantly changing group of people, enjoying good food and having access to entertainment options.

Maybe after a few years you might get tired of cruising, but then you could always take a break and check out some land-based options.

I would be willing to bet (though I certainly haven't done any of the research or the math) that cruising year-round would be surprisingly affordable depending upon the ship/itinerary. After all, as someone else mentioned, there are no utility bills, no rent or home-ownership costs, no grocery bills or vehicle expenses, and even more importantly ... none of those unpleasant little "surprise" expenses that usually crop up in the course of life.

Of course, as you say, though ... the cruiser would have to be in reasonably good health. If so, then the onboard medical facilities should be just fine for his or her occasional needs.

Blue skies ... and happy cruising!

--rita

[HeatherInFlorida]

A few days ago we had a thread on this very thing ... you may have missed it. It sure is an interesting idea and could work for some. There were quite a few fun ideas on this thread so you might want to take a peek: Cruise Critic Message Boards - Interesting Concept ~ Cruising vs. Assisted Living (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=109006)

[bepsf]

Noticed de-fibrulators (sic) permanently installed in the Lido Restaurant of Amsterdam.

Never see them anywhere in "Old-Folks Homes"...

I'd rather die aboard a cruiseship (in my tuxedo, empty cocktail glass in hand) than ever be hooked up to some "Life-Support" system ashore...
;)

[bkreader]

I've been trying to imagine doing this. I think one of the things that would bother me the most would be having my neighbors constantly changing! Doesn't make it easy to establish friendships, I wouldn't think. Otherwise, this option sounds pretty attractive.

I imagine the most economical way to do this would be to strike a yearly deal with the cruise line - the plus for them is that that particular cabin would never have a week in which it was unoccupied. - Jane

[tomc]

I'd rather die aboard a cruiseship, in my tuxedo.

I saw that happen in the Wajang Theater the night before we docked in Quebec City.

[gooselace]

Noticed de-fibrulators (sic) permanently installed in the Lido Restaurant of Amsterdam.

Never see them anywhere in "Old-Folks Homes"...

I'd rather die aboard a cruiseship (in my tuxedo, empty cocktail glass in hand) than ever be hooked up to some "Life-Support" system ashore...
;)
Great. May I quote you in my column?

And HeatherInFlorida, thank you for the link. Maybe I didn't look back far enough, although it couldn't have been long ago. Don't know why the Search feature didn't find it.

[gooselace]

A few days ago we had a thread on this very thing ... you may have missed it. It sure is an interesting idea and could work for some. There were quite a few fun ideas on this thread so you might want to take a peek: Cruise Critic Message Boards - Interesting Concept ~ Cruising vs. Assisted Living (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=109006)
Some of your comments on that thread were particularly appropriate for what I am writing. Would you mind if I quote you? It would be anonymous, I assume, since I only know you as HeatherInFlorida.

[bepsf]

Great. May I quote you in my column?

And HeatherInFlorida, thank you for the link. Maybe I didn't look back far enough, although it couldn't have been long ago. Don't know why the Search feature didn't find it.
Sure - although I'm nowhere near retirement age...

My folks would be another story - they just retired a couple years ago. Sold their homes and live full-time in a 40' motorcoach traveling the country...

[Bucky3]

I'd sure like to learn more about this possibility. I think it's a good possibility. Hope someone takes this seriously and researches it. I would think the cruise lines would be very interested. Great post! And please hurry - we're getting up there in age!!

[gooselace]

Sure - although I'm nowhere near retirement age...

My folks would be another story - they just retired a couple years ago. Sold their homes and live full-time in a 40' motorcoach traveling the country...
Brian -- the best time to think about retirement is when you're nowhere near it.

Interesting about your parents. In working on my column I'd compared this idea to the RVers who travel nearly full-time. Although a 40' motorcoach maybe isn't considered an RV. Motorhome?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Some of your comments on that thread were particularly appropriate for what I am writing. Would you mind if I quote you? It would be anonymous, I assume, since I only know you as HeatherInFlorida.
Of course you can quote me:) !

[bepsf]

Brian -- the best time to think about retirement is when you're nowhere near it.
LOL - Now you're sounding like all the brokerage advertising that I review for a living!!!

Interesting about your parents. In working on my column I'd compared this idea to the RVers who travel nearly full-time. Although a 40' motorcoach maybe isn't considered an RV. Motorhome?
Well, in some ways, I'd feel more secure w/ M&D on a ship as opposed to galavanting around the country in their motorcoach. Aboard ship there are always folks around so that if something dreadful did occur to one of them, that the other wouldn't be forced to handle everything themselves. I keep picking on my Mother that she needs to get used to driving the coach herself 'just-in-case' (but that's another story...)

And then there are the silly things Dad's do like run into metal-edged curbs trashing $500 tires. (Sigh)

As long as they're happy, its all good. I just hope that they make it to Palm Springs in time for Xmas - and in one piece...

[RuffinReady]

You might want to consider traveling on a freighter. Look at: http://www.freighterworld.com/ :confused:

[Giorgi-one]

I once suggested this idea at a party when I heard someone say they were paying $90,000 a year to keep their father in an assisted care facility. Of course the problem is that most people in these facilities require assistance, hence the name assisted care. I doubt that most healthy people could take living on a ship in a 180 square foot cabin for very long. Also, I do not think it would be nearly as attractive if most of the people were residents. When you start figuring in all the additional charges (cleaning, drinks, land tours, etc), the overall cost increases significantly over the cruise fare. That said, I would not be surprised if someone tries to operate a retirement ship in the near future.

[Cauvet]

I was recently given an article entiled "Cruise Ship Care: A Proposed Alternative to Assisted Living Facilities" in JAGS 52:1951-1954 by Lundquist and Golub for the American Geriatrics Society. I am a geriatric nurse practitioner and am looking at this concept as a possible job! I now work in the nursing home setting and would gladly give up some time to practice my profession on a cruise ship!

[bepsf]

You might want to consider traveling on a freighter. Look at: http://www.freighterworld.com/ :confused:
While some of the passenger accomodations arent bad - the public rooms look grim....

[HeatherInFlorida]

The problem with freighters is there is a cutoff at a certain age (depending on the line) because they don't have a ship's doctor. But Brian can go if he likes. But it's a little bit like camping. My Mom did it well into her 70's and loved every second, but it takes a certain personality ... not the same type of cruising at all ..... not all the little nicities that Brian is used to;)

Cauvet, that's the article I was talking about in my original thread and started thinking about all this.

Georgi, of course you're right. It would take on a whole other appearance especially if it's all old and sick people. But I could definitely see it as strictly "senior living". Seniors, when healthy and happy, have a heck of a good time. So while it could take people who needed some assistance, there would be a cutoff point I'm sure. Because they couldn't constantly be removing sick folks by medivac at sea:D . We have not stopped to consider that problem.

My Mom lives in a senior residence where there are no really sick people, but there's not a day that goes by they're not bringing in the ambulance for someone. Still, if you had appropriate medical facilities on the ship, it could still be doable.

[bepsf]

...But Brian can go if he likes. But it's a little bit like camping. My Mom did it well into her 70's and loved every second, but it takes a certain personality ... not the same type of cruising at all ..... not all the little nicities that Brian is used to;)
Heather???
Why is it suddenly that I can go if I like?!?:confused:

I don't wanna go on a freighter! I need my little niceties!!! ;) :D

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather???
Why is it suddenly that I can go if I like?!?:confused:

I don't wanna go on a freighter! I need my little niceties!!! ;) :D
LOL, Brian:D ... literally! I simply meant that you could give it a try ... but I really don't think it's your style. Considering many of them are 5 weeks or longer, it could be a difficult lesson for you to learn.

I can't stop laughing!!!!!

[bepsf]

LOL, Brian:D ... literally! I simply meant that you could give it a try ... but I really don't think it's your style. Considering many of them are 5 weeks or longer, it could be a difficult lesson for you to learn.

I can't stop laughing!!!!!

LOL, Heather---

You know me too well!!!:D

We're gonna get along swimmingly when we finally meet!!!
(...on Noordam???);)

[HeatherInFlorida]

LOL, Heather---

You know me too well!!!:D

We're gonna get along swimmingly when we finally meet!!!
(...on Noordam???);) Maybe! I hope! I haven't given up on the thought:) . Awaiting more info. DH said I can go if I want, but I do hesitate. If not then, one of these days we have to get a cruise together for everyone. Such fun we would have!

Psssst, Brian, did you look at that thread I mentioned on the Red White and Blue thread? You have to look at it.

[Downwind]

Here's what was posted on Elwood Krotchbaum's weblog the other day. Tongue in Cheek - no doubt
===========================================


THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND WELFARE SAYS THE AVERAGE COST FOR A NURSING HOME IS $206 PER DAY.

I have checked on reservations at Holland America Cruises and you can get a long term senior discount price of $135.00 per day .

That leaves $71.00 a day for:

1. Gratuities which will only be $10.00 per day.

2. You can have as many as 10 meals a day if you can waddle to the restaurant, or you can have room service ( breakfast in bed every day of the week.)

3. Holland America has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, movies, TV and stage shows every night,

4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and all the free soap and shampoo. just ask your room steward.

5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5.00 bucks worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. You get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.

7. T.V. broken? Light Bulb need changing? need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare, If you fall and break a hip on Holland America they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life (can't beat that).

10. If you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe...anywhere Holland America goes, so, just check out the math.

AND, when your time comes they just dump you over the side, at no charge.

[Sanlin]

Check out "Mama Lou" on the Zandaam. Don't know how long she has been there, but she is a fixture on the ship. She has her own walker with a horn and is at all shows and treated like a queen.

[tomc]

That's the kind of thing I'd be afraid of: a long-term "resident" who might think they own the joint.

I understand that lady on the QE2 has an inside and pays the going rate. They do not give her any breaks for residency.

[gooselace]

Thanks for sharing your various opinions, and especially to Bepsf and HeatherInFlorida who let me quote them. My column of this subject can be seen at www.observernews.com (http://www.observernews.com). Unfortunately the online version is missing some of its punctuation and an initial W on "hile" but some may find it of slight interest.

[tomc]

Great article!

Direct page link:
http://www.observernews.com/stories/current/viewpoints/122404/senior_122404.shtml

[ekerr19]

Maybe! I hope! I haven't given up on the thought:) . Awaiting more info. DH said I can go if I want, but I do hesitate. If not then, one of these days we have to get a cruise together for everyone. Such fun we would have!

Psssst, Brian, did you look at that thread I mentioned on the Red White and Blue thread? You have to look at it.
We just realized our kids will be in school and if they cruise with us, they would miss about 12 days! No can do... unforunately!

We are now looking at a Christmas/New Year 2005.... at least 10-day... any thoughts or suggestions?

[lipoppop]

Some miscellaneous comments:

I don't believe Medicare pays for services outside of the US.

You have to pay taxes each April. Electronically for those so inclined. Probably would need to do on-line banking.

You could use a US based post office and have your mail forwarded by carrier every other week or so.

HAL would probably remove one of the beds from your cabin for long term stays, possibly give you another piece of furniture which would make the cabin act larger.

You could write cruise critics "life at sea" article for us landlubbers.

After many years HAL would have to create a super mariner day award.

Make sure the ship you pick carries the proper equipment. On the Westerdam in June they did not have Irish whisky!!!

You will never see snow again. Santa couldn't come down the chimney but you could see the northern lights.

You could learn to say "Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth" in 100 languages.

[Charliesmom]

Nobody seems to have mentioned that passengers are regularly taken off the ship in ambulances. If you get sick, you are taken off the ship to have your medical condition dealt with ON LAND or back home - anywhere but on the ship. The doctor is there for emergencies and to stabilize you until you can be off loaded.

So, while I think it is great to be on a ship while you are healthy, if you get sick and the ship is your only home, then you are going to lose your home.

I don't know if this is so on ResidenceSea. Did they ever get that idea off the ground (so to speak?)

Roberta

[RuthC]

Thanks for the direct link, tom. Pleasant reading, indeed.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Gooselace, thanks for the link!!! Wow! I'm all pumped up from all that quoting!!!:D I sure talk a lot, don't I;) ? Seriously, thank you ... such a compliment. And your article is terrific ... enjoyed reading it so much.

lipoppop, loved all your comments! Medicare be darned ... I'll be so happy and relaxed I'll never be sick:o. I don't see snow now so that's not a problem. Besides, I'll probably visit relatives for Christmas. I'll be doing a lot of onland activities ... just keep the ship as my homebase.

The internet situation is a problem. Maybe they'll give me a bulk access rate;)

[wander]

A number of years ago I knew a healthy, very active older woman who lived on cruise ships about 8 months out of the year. Ever since then I have loved the idea but know that my DH would not enjoy it. I will keep him for now and give-up the "live on a cruise ship" idea.

I would think of living on a cruise ship for healthy retirement years, not for assisted living.

In terms of the available health care, remember that if something occurs requiring much care they will put you off at the next port. Since I would want to travel to exotic ports - being hospitalized in some of these places is not very appealing to me. Of course an emergency can happen to anyone, but if I was in condition for an assisted living situation I would not want to risk it.

Now, in the late 70's my friend and I thought of the "idea" of a true nursing home/assisted living ship. Services would equal those available in Assisted Living facilities and Nursing Homes. Except for things like cost, who would pay, etc. we thought - Who would not rather say - "We sent Mom on a cruise." versus "We put Mom in a Nursing Home".

Someone mentioned staff and live aboard passengers. In the mid 80's DH and I were on a cruise where a woman did live on the ship. She must have paid an awful lot and tipped well because the staff had to put-up with A LOT! For example, each morning she would move a chair by the Purser's desk and proceed to knit and listen. As people left the desk she would call them over and give them her version of the information and/or coach them as to what to say or do the next time.

[gooselace]

I don't know if this is so on ResidenceSea. Did they ever get that idea off the ground (so to speak?)
Roberta

The World of ResidenSea can be visited at
ttp://www.aboardtheworld.com/defaultpage121bc0.aspx?pageID=38 (http://www.aboardtheworld.com/defaultpage121bc0.aspx?pageID=38)
Definittely the luxury market: Studios at $725,000 to $4,170,000 for 3 bdr.

Interactive map for 2005. Looks like it won't be on US shores until Oct. 2005.

Another group is offering condos at

http://www.2qz.com/condo-cruise-ship/

We are buying a 6 Star Cruise Ship for the
purpose of living on it full-time.
And we still have some room left.

You can join us for as little as $10,000 or you can purchase a complete
State Room for $360,000 (so you can live on the ship forever) or half of a
State Room for $185,000 in perpetuity.

Wonder what the condo fees would be in perpetuity?

[RuthC]

Wonder what the condo fees would be in perpetuity?
You know the old saying---if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

[maunakealady]

it's a lovely idea but wouldn't work for the majority of most seniors. they typically want to stay put in their own homes and want to be near their own family, doctors, and friends. they typically resist moving out of their homes for assisted living facilities, no matter how nice they are, because it's a big wake-up call about their own mortality. when they are finally convinced to move out of their homes, it's typically because they are truely unable to live independently any longer. by the time they enter an assisted living facility they have major health issues; dementia, problems walking and balance are very common, chronic diseases. the worst thing for them is isolation from their normal surroundings, family/friends, and routines. my 85 yr old mother lives in an assisted living facility and loves the idea of travel and cruising, but when I took her on a cruise in feb, she fell (she was using a walker and I was right beside her - couldn't catch her, altho I tried) and had to be evacualted from the ship - had a concussion and the ship wouldn't let her back onboard. so my feeling is that living on a ship after retirement is a great idea, until you really need alot of personal assitance (dressing, bathing, remembering when to take meds, incontinence issues, assistance getting to/from dining rooms & everywhere else...it's 24/7). in her assisted living facility, just about everyone is in & out of the hospital with falls, illness, etc. that's the norm when you get old...as depressing as it sounds...

[HeatherInFlorida]

I think you're right about this which is why I preferred the idea of "senior living" which is before you are into those major health issues. Still, if they ever make it viable for "assisted living" they will figure out a way to iron out those kinks.

Before something comes to fruition we can always come up with a thousand reasons something will simply not work. So I have learned to never say never because in my lifetime I have seen things happen that so many presumed "impossible":)

Once, the earth was flat ... and did we ever really believe we would walk on the moon?