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

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

There are no deals for repeat back to backers, but there are several well known cruisers that do indeed spend 50 weeks a year sailing. That’s not counting the ResidenSea cruise ship that you actually purchase your cabin like a condo.

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There's a reputed Azamara retiree whose onboard invoice at the end of each trip is zero. Zilch. Multiple trips pet year.

Can't assist with the front end ( booking) but life aboard can be affordable.

find a ship you like & book well in advance so you keep the same cabin

ask the cruise line if any discounts or perks for staying on for several months

enjoy

Yes, you can live on a ship full time (there are a scattered few who do), but I think the only way to make it really financially viable is to not have any type of home on land - that way, you're not paying taxes, utilities, or insurance. When you need to be on land for a while (appointments, dry dock), you stay with friends/family or in a hotel, and that would be the time that you arrange for all your various appointments like doctor, dentist, accountant, etc. The biggest sticking point would be insurance - you'd essentially be medically uninsured, so you have to think about whether that's do-able for you. You don't have to be retired, either: if you could run a "home based" business, you might even be able to continue to work while you live aboard.

I know "Mama Lee" has been a full time resident on Crystal for over a dozen years, but I heard she recently broke her hip and is not currently aboard :(

There is a poster on the Celebrity board who spends the winters moving around among the Celebrity ships in the Caribbean. He books week to week, depending on his son to research the bargains because onboard the ship you can't access the Tuesday specials. He is escaping the Canadian winters. EM

If I planned to spend a significant portion of my time on a cruise ship I would look at world cruises. I can’t imagine living week to week. To seek out deals you would likely have to switch ships and rooms often. Could never really ‘move in’ to the place that is supposed to be your new home. If you give up on deal seeking and are able to book a single room on a single ship for months to a year; you’ll still have to get up every sat or sun to get off and reboard; repeat the same MDR menu week after week; see the same food in the buffet day after day; etc.

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When you stop to think about it, living aboard a cruise ship would be kind of dismal. Once the novelty wore off, you would find yourself essentially isolated from friends and family - living in small space, restricted to the same few eateries, having a tough time with some of the basics: doctors, dentists, banking —- why do you think the overwhelming number of CC posters say about three weeks is the longest itinerary they are comfortable with?

I think if considering 'living' on a cruise ship, one should try a number of lines and their various ships several times, to get a feel of where you want to be. And build up loyalty on that line. Buy stock in the company, as that earns you OBC for every cruise. Loyalty levels may provide free internet minutes, and free laundry services. It may even pay to consider the higher loyalty benefits when choosing the cruise line. EM

Egon lived aboard most of the time for 2 years. He posted regularly over on the Solo Travel forum. He did the multi booking route and it wasn't 'cheap'. If you have a couple of days and a good supply of coffee and treats, the read may be a reality bite.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1226852&highlight=piano

When you stop to think about it, living aboard a cruise ship would be kind of dismal. Once the novelty wore off, you would find yourself essentially isolated from friends and family - living in small space, restricted to the same few eateries, having a tough time with some of the basics: doctors, dentists, banking —- why do you think the overwhelming number of CC posters say about three weeks is the longest itinerary they are comfortable with?

I disagree.....most people (once children are grown) only connect with their family via email and phone these days, except for perhaps seeing them a few weeks a year. And some people are don't have many real friends living near them anymore -- they have acquaintances, of course, but those aren't the same and acquaintances can be developed anywhere (including a cruise ship).

Whether or not you consider it "living in a small space" will depend on your point of view -- it's certainly a small bedroom (but I see lots of those in houses these days), but your living room and sundeck are huge. The eating issue is the real sticking point for me -- I like to cook, and I don't think I'd like eating in a restaurant every meal and never taking part in making the food I eat. Then again, later in life I might prefer that?

Most people aren't blessed with having family and friends living nearby and visiting with them often. And visiting with them occasionally is still a possibility, as it would be if you lived on land. The closer I get to full retirement, the more I think about it.

Egon lived aboard most of the time for 2 years. He posted regularly over on the Solo Travel forum. He did the multi booking route and it wasn't 'cheap'. If you have a couple of days and a good supply of coffee and treats, the read may be a reality bite.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1226852&highlight=piano

I enjoyed following that thread as Egon was posting live. If I remember correctly, he didn't exactly go about it the best way. For example instead of booking longer trips, or working with the cruise line so he could stay in the same room. He had to move every week.

The biggest sticking point would be insurance - you'd essentially be medically uninsured, so you have to think about whether that's do-able for you. :(

Why?

You can find a medical insurance that covers you on the ship and outside your home country.

When you stop to think about it, living aboard a cruise ship would be kind of dismal. Once the novelty wore off, you would find yourself essentially isolated from friends and family - living in small space, restricted to the same few eateries, having a tough time with some of the basics: doctors, dentists, banking —- why do you think the overwhelming number of CC posters say about three weeks is the longest itinerary they are comfortable with?

Hmm, there is a doctor on board. And you will be into the same port every week or so, so can get off for the day and hit an on shore doctor and dentist.

My bank is halfway across the country. I do all my banking online. Even depositing checks.

Most of my friends are online. If I lived on a cruise ship, I would encourage them to take a cruise on the same ship every so often. Most would like that, "Oh DARN, I HAVE to take a cruise to visit my buddy."

Most are only good for 3 weeks because they have a house and jobs.

Why?

 

You can find a medical insurance that covers you on the ship and outside your home country.

Maybe, but at what price? Imagine it would be $$$$ for those of Medicare age, and those are the ones who are able to live on a ship.

I believe a person can buy an annual trip insurance policy that includes medical, primary and secondary coverage. Just renew every year.

Not sure how much it would cost but differs for each person depending on their needs. Just as on land.

Simple. :cool:

Why?

 

You can find a medical insurance that covers you on the ship and outside your home country.

Sure - just about everyone here takes out travel medical insurance. But, you're right that I was not entirely correct - travel insurance (which I was thinking of) really won't cover you for more than about 6 months, but I realized there are some companies that offer global health insurance for ex-pats who live abroad for longer periods. For a 72 year old American woman, it would cost about $50,000 a year with a $1000 deductible. Of course, that drops to about $17,000 a year if you're on 60 years old.

I disagree.....most people (once children are grown) only connect with their family via email and phone these days, except for perhaps seeing them a few weeks a year. And some people are don't have many real friends living near them anymore -- they have acquaintances, of course, but those aren't the same and acquaintances can be developed anywhere (including a cruise ship).

 

 

 

 

 

Whether or not you consider it "living in a small space" will depend on your point of view -- it's certainly a small bedroom (but I see lots of those in houses these days), but your living room and sundeck are huge. The eating issue is the real sticking point for me -- I like to cook, and I don't think I'd like eating in a restaurant every meal and never taking part in making the food I eat. Then again, later in life I might prefer that?

 

 

 

 

 

Most people aren't blessed with having family and friends living nearby and visiting with them often. And visiting with them occasionally is still a possibility, as it would be if you lived on land. The closer I get to full retirement, the more I think about it.

Hmm, there is a doctor on board. And you will be into the same port every week or so, so can get off for the day and hit an on shore doctor and dentist.

 

 

 

My bank is halfway across the country. I do all my banking online. Even depositing checks.

 

 

 

Most of my friends are online. If I lived on a cruise ship, I would encourage them to take a cruise on the same ship every so often. Most would like that, "Oh DARN, I HAVE to take a cruise to visit my buddy."

 

 

 

Most are only good for 3 weeks because they have a house and jobs.

I still think it sounds a lot better as an idea and the novelty would wear off quickly. The doctor onboard is not a primary care physician. Think we can assume the hypothetical person living on a cruise ship is retired which is usually accompanied by age and developing health problems. Many people value a regular doctor they can see for years and who is familiar with their history. The ships doctor or finding a doctor in whichever ports you are in this year is not that.

And yes, many people don’t have family and friends living near them; but they still develop aquaintances. Acquaintances that live near you that you see day to day are a lot different than meeting a completely new group of people every week. I think you’d be a lot more likely to develop friendships with the crew than other passengers.

This lifestyle might work for someone, but I don’t think it would work for most.

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The couple I met had a flat near the dock, and lived on board a ship which did different itineraries through the year-they might be away for 17 nights, then just 2 or 3. One of them had a handicap, and the partner did everything in the home, and rarely went out except for shopping. On board they were free to join in as many or as few activities as they wanted, and there were no worries about shopping and housework.

By returning to their home port every few days, they could deal with doctors, banks, mail etc, and if a longer time was needed they could arrange it over the 2/3 night cruise.

I still think it sounds a lot better as an idea and the novelty would wear off quickly. ......Acquaintances that live near you that you see day to day are a lot different than meeting a completely new group of people every week. I think you’d be a lot more likely to develop friendships with the crew than other passengers.

 

This lifestyle might work for someone, but I don’t think it would work for most.

 

 

 

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Yes, most things sound better as an idea than reality ;)

Is becoming friendly acquaintances with crew so much worse than becoming friendly acquaintances with someone at work or the clerk at the corner store? I don't think so. I agree that the novelty will soon wear off - it's just that I don't think that's much different than a lot of changes we make in our lives.

Yes, most things sound better as an idea than reality ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Is becoming friendly acquaintances with crew so much worse than becoming friendly acquaintances with someone at work or the clerk at the corner store? I don't think so. I agree that the novelty will soon wear off - it's just that I don't think that's much different than a lot of changes we make in our lives.

I wasn’t putting down being friendly with the crew. Just that you become more friendly with strangers the more you see them so it’s more likely to happen with the crew than with the passengers that were rotating through each week.

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Some do.

How will you go be8ng away from family, friends etc tha5 long.

Personally I’d want to mix up ships a bit.

Hi

I doubt the OP is really considering this idea. It has been brought up often enough over the years.

I noticed the it was the OP's first post. There really wasn't much communicated in the post itself. I would even wonder if the OP has cruised before, or often. Mainly, I would suggest that many of us who have cruised often, would have thought of similar ideas and we would be quite clear in our minds about the pros and cons. Obviously, there aren't many who would do this. For most, the benefits just aren't there.

I do think people who mull over this idea think crew will become "like family" and step in to provide personal care like a son or daughter should it be needed, confusing them with home care aides.

I have met individuals doing months at sea, moving from ship to ship. They were well off and had assistants back at home booking for them, making all the arrangements and attending to land side tasks.

For me its one of those ideas that I think sounds awesome at first, but not so much once you actually think about logistics. I would think that if you are on a ship which does the same itinerary week after week for months straight, turn around day especially would quickly get old. As would spending the time to book all the cruises, and trying to get the same cabin.