Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship

[billroddy]

This book was listed on Amazon. Has anyone ever read it?
I can see a screen play. The very elderly and infirm discover it costs less to live on a cruise ship than in a retirement home.
Hundreds go aboard a ship to live year around. Eventually the cruise line has to figure a way to get rid of them?
How would they do it
Bill
Ancient Mariner.

[sail7seas]

How do they do it? 'Get rid of them" I mean. :eek:

[woody14h]

How do they do it? 'Get rid of them" I mean. :eek:

And why??

[Taxguy77]

They just keep taking the money until the old one no longer shows up for dinner.

[unfdoug]

I interviewed the author Micha who wrote that book, on our show last year. It wasnt anything too exciting. I see now he is trying to get it out there and seeing the Carnival "incident" as a good press opportunity.

[RuthC]

They just keep taking the money until the old one no longer shows up for dinner.
Why stop then? Let the income keep coming in! :D

[DFD1]

Perhaps one of the cruise lines could create a new market by designating one ship "The Retirement Ship" and use it for those who prefer to be at sea.

It probably wouldn't have to move around much, just stay in warmer waters and avoid the storms.

[ccruisequeen]

For the super rich, there's the ResidenceSea-- there's a great show on the Travel Channel about it!

[CaliforniaAC]

...Hundreds go aboard a ship to live year around. Eventually the cruise line has to figure a way to get rid of them?
How would they do it
Bill
Ancient Mariner.

Probably the same way folks leave nursing homes:o.

[iancal]

Maybe Hal should change it's marketing campaign and sales direction....it would be an easy change for them.

[Australian family]

This book was listed on Amazon. Has anyone ever read it?
I can see a screen play. The very elderly and infirm discover it costs less to live on a cruise ship than in a retirement home.
Hundreds go aboard a ship to live year around. Eventually the cruise line has to figure a way to get rid of them?
How would they do it
Bill
Ancient Mariner.

Why would the cruise line want to get rid of them, they are a paying passenger. Also it is discrimination to get rid of them because they are old.

At least the cruise line knows that a particular cabin is occupied and they don't have to sell it a low price to fill it.

[maha123]

Maybe Hal should change it's marketing campaign and sales direction....it would be an easy change for them.

STOKOUDDAM - meaning very old or ancient dam.....

[photomikey]

Maybe Hal should change it's marketing campaign and sales direction....it would be an easy change for them.
It'd be a pretty slight change. :-)

[Himself]

Living on a cruise ship is not the worst way to spend one's senior years..

[Two@Sea]

Perhaps one of the cruise lines could create a new market by designating one ship "The Retirement Ship" and use it for those who prefer to be at sea.

It probably wouldn't have to move around much, just stay in warmer waters and avoid the storms.


Count me in!!! ;):D:rolleyes:

[kjw869]

If you can wait three more years, Samsung Shipyards is building the nearly 1,000 ft Utopia Residences ship. It will have 190 suites for sale including the 4 bedroom 6,600 sq ft "Utopian Estates".

The 15-deck, 105,000 ton ship will also house 400 cruise passengers.

The residents will have six private elevators.

Well, this one way of not waiting for cabin assignments!

Utopian Residenses, get your credit card out! http://www.utopiaresidences.com/residences/index.php

[jtl513]

And why??

Why would the cruise line want to get rid of them, they are a paying passenger.I would presume that they would spend a lot less in the casino and on indulgences than the short-term passengers. We've never been on a world cruise, but I've heard the casino is pretty dead after the first couple of weeks.

[Juanita462]

We toured a seniors residence a couple of years ago and they charged over $5000 a month for 2 meals, light housekeeping and very small quarters. I was astounded - 60,000 a year - 600,000 in ten years. that could pay for a lot of cruises!

It was nice but not luxurious. Give me a cruise ship any day!

[CruiseRev]

Either 60 Minutes or Sunday Morning (both CBS) did a piece a few years ago on an older lady who "lived" aboard the QE2. It was about the same as her living costs in a New York apartment. When the ship was in drydock, she "traveled." Might be who the book is about.

[ariawoman]

There was a guy on the Nieuw Amsterdam that I really felt like he could have lived on the ship. Wondering if anyone on any other sailings saw him. His name was Elmer. I'd probably place him in his late 80s or early 90s. Black rimmed glasses, walked with a hunch. He was always talkin' everyone up in the Lido or in various venues. He seemed like a really nice guy and it seemed like he was well known around the ship.

Anyone else see him on a sailing other than the 10/6 sailing? :-)

As for the living on a ship thing, I think it's a great idea. If i could bring my cat, I'd do it, but I know "The World" which is another ship of residences doesn't allow pets. (As if i could afford it LOL it's a billion dollars a day on there lol)

If i had it my way, i'd live in some sort of all inclusive type residence so I'd not have to worry about cooking and cleaning for the most part, and could just worry about enjoying life.

I say kudos to anyone, senior or otherwise, who decided why not spend time on a ship rather than a home. Why the heck not.

[English_in_Spain]

My main concern would be if I needed medical treatment that is not available on the ship.

Some of the nearest ports/islands would not be my first choice for serious or even terminal healthcare.

[Daytona_MAc]

And as I remember, Cunard cruiseline and QE2 crew had no problems with her on board for all that time. Perhaps if the ship had a large number of permanent passengers, the cruiseline might think differently about them, but even with the cost savings, I just don't see many people choosing this lifestyle.

[catl331]

H-m-m-m "Himself" would they make the ships a diocese and need a pastor for each ship???

[Lizzie1213]

This book was listed on Amazon. Has anyone ever read it?
I can see a screen play. The very elderly and infirm discover it costs less to live on a cruise ship than in a retirement home.
Hundreds go aboard a ship to live year around. Eventually the cruise line has to figure a way to get rid of them?
How would they do it
Bill
Ancient Mariner.

I plan to spend my retirement on a cruise ship. No more cooking and cleaning for me!! I'll have to say I would miss gardening and having dogs though)

[bepsf]

This book was listed on Amazon. Has anyone ever read it?

The book isn't written by or about a passenger.
It's written by a fellow who worked aboard a Carnival ship for a year - the only American to ever have a contract as a waiter w/ Carnival.

He wrote it as an expose of the cruise industry, and in his recent CNN interview as a sort of "expert" on the Carnival Splendor event it appears that he either has an axe to grind or is seeking his 15 minutes of fame.

[bepsf]

There was a guy on the Nieuw Amsterdam that I really felt like he could have lived on the ship. Wondering if anyone on any other sailings saw him. His name was Elmer. I'd probably place him in his late 80s or early 90s. Black rimmed glasses, walked with a hunch. He was always talkin' everyone up in the Lido or in various venues. He seemed like a really nice guy and it seemed like he was well known around the ship.

I heard he was the Cruise Director...
;)

[DeirdreTours]

My main concern would be if I needed medical treatment that is not available on the ship.

Some of the nearest ports/islands would not be my first choice for serious or even terminal healthcare.


Oh, you can get "terminal" care just about anywhere.......

[English_in_Spain]

Oh, you can get "terminal" care just about anywhere.......

I don't think the ship is setup to care for and nurse a terminally ill patient. I am sure they would want to disembark him/her at the first available port.

Bear in mind I am from Europe, not USA, so going to a USA port for healthcare is no use to me unless I take out USA medical insurance. That is very expensive.

[atlasali]

During the summer of 2009, we went on Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Sea on a 7-day cruise from Seward, AK to Vancouver. There was a couple aboard who were spending the summer on the ship. Both had mobility issues and used motorized 3 wheel carts. We heard that they lived in Florida and escaped the miserable summer by cruising back and forth to Alaska. Their only complaint was that the menu was the same every week.

Sounds perfect to me!

[CaliforniaAC]

i heard he was the cruise director...
;)

lmao!!!!

[whirlybird3]

Here is what I found from Amazon.com with a description of the book:

Product Description
Imagine yourself sitting at home. The phone rings. You have been offered a dream job and have 48 hours to fly to Miami and board a 70,000 ton cruise ship. Your destination: the Caribbean. Permanent Passenger: My Life on a Cruise Ship tells the adventure of a young man serving as an Assistant Cruise Director on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, Carnival Cruise Line's M.S. Ecstasy. Witnessing rescues at sea, stowaways, and passionate romances are just some of the day-to-day events revealed in this humorous adventure. Discover one of the wackiest job searches ever undertaken including sending letters to over 2,000 college alumni, chasing cruise line executives into bathrooms, and transforming a dorm room into a private office with hired interns. All aboard - this is one adventure you don't want to miss!

[HoneyGV]

There was a guy on the Nieuw Amsterdam that I really felt like he could have lived on the ship. Wondering if anyone on any other sailings saw him. His name was Elmer. I'd probably place him in his late 80s or early 90s. Black rimmed glasses, walked with a hunch. He was always talkin' everyone up in the Lido or in various venues. He seemed like a really nice guy and it seemed like he was well known around the ship.

Anyone else see him on a sailing other than the 10/6 sailing? :-)

As for the living on a ship thing, I think it's a great idea. If i could bring my cat, I'd do it, but I know "The World" which is another ship of residences doesn't allow pets. (As if i could afford it LOL it's a billion dollars a day on there lol)

If i had it my way, i'd live in some sort of all inclusive type residence so I'd not have to worry about cooking and cleaning for the most part, and could just worry about enjoying life.

I say kudos to anyone, senior or otherwise, who decided why not spend time on a ship rather than a home. Why the heck not.

He sounds like "Uncle Junior" from The Sopranos. :D