Retireing 365

[firefly333]

I met this guy last year on the Fantasy. He is a sweet character, emphasis being on character! Glad I got to meet him.

 

He is so deaf!!! that even with hearing aides, I had trouble carrying on a conversation with him. My voice is pitched low.

[5waldos]

The down side is health, especially if you go beyond the local trips. Get sick off Thailand, for example, and you are off at the next port, often with no family around. Dying alone like that is awful.

[Kurbanfan]

Assisted living means just that.......you need help....whether it be med. management, dressing, showering, laundry service, doctors appointments etc......

You can't get this on a cruise ship unless you pay for a private nurse and then how will you get to your doctors appointments:confused:

 

It doesn't have to cost $7,000 for a nice facility......we pay way less then that for my father in law.......

[okgirl]

And to think some were complaining the menu would get boring on a Back-2-back.

 

I don't think charters and dry docks would be that much of an issue. The are scheduled (usually) for in advance and would provide the opportunity to "go on vacation".

 

 

Fire is right I do intend to attempt this when I retire next year.

 

I quoted your comment about the menu getting boring because I find comments like this interesting.

 

I grew up eating a very predictable menu. We had fried chicken on Monday's, Pasta on Tues, Roast on Wed......cooked out hamburgers with the neighbors every Saturday night. Now that I'm doing the cooking it's pretty much the same. I eat fish once a week, pasta, chicken.......I have about 7 or 8 dishes that I just repeat over and over.

 

On the ship the choices are far greater than what I prepare at home. I'm sure that I could mix and match the starters and entree choices and come up with several dozen combinations.

[kujobie]

The down side is health, especially if you go beyond the local trips. Get sick off Thailand, for example, and you are off at the next port, often with no family around. Dying alone like that is awful.

 

If I gotta go, doing in Thailand fresh off a cruise ship is not a bad way to do it..

[5waldos]

If I gotta go, doing in Thailand fresh off a cruise ship is not a bad way to do it..

 

It isn't pretty- especially when the family is thousand miles away. Sounds a lot nicer in fantasy than it does in reality.

[firefly333]

Fire is right I do intend to attempt this when I retire next year.

 

I quoted your comment about the menu getting boring because I find comments like this interesting.

 

I grew up eating a very predictable menu. We had fried chicken on Monday's, Pasta on Tues, Roast on Wed......cooked out hamburgers with the neighbors every Saturday night. Now that I'm doing the cooking it's pretty much the same. I eat fish once a week, pasta, chicken.......I have about 7 or 8 dishes that I just repeat over and over.

 

On the ship the choices are far greater than what I prepare at home. I'm sure that I could mix and match the starters and entree choices and come up with several dozen combinations.

 

I cant wait to hear about it if you do it. Please post when you get back and keep us in the loop. Sounds interesting.

[Cruzman]

It isn't pretty- especially when the family is thousand miles away. Sounds a lot nicer in fantasy than it does in reality.

 

If the ship doesn't go to Thailand, I don't think anyone will be dropped off there for any reason. My retirement ship would cruise the Caribbean in winter, 2 repo cruises through the canal each year and Alaska. As an alternative, Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexican Riviera also sounds good. Spirit, here we come!

[MicksMom]

We met a man 3 years ago on The Rhapsody out of Galveston. He cruised 3 out 4 weeks a month. Still had a home in Texas but wife died & he spent his time cruising. He rode around on a scooter. Very friendly man.

 

Sounds like a great retirement if you can afford it!!!

[big_duck]

 

On the ship the choices are far greater than what I prepare at home. I'm sure that I could mix and match the starters and entree choices and come up with several dozen combinations.

 

Which is more or less what I said on the B2B thread. ;)

[lillian marie]

We are semi retired and cruise 5-6 times a yr. I love cruising but I'd miss my friends and family if I retired to cruising. Now if I lived in FL or within a days drive to a port I could see cruising 5 days to a week a few more times a year.

[med2cruise]

Wow, I am going to tell my kids that I'd rather do this than a home. It sounds like a great way to spend some time. I hope that I can do this.

[mcfam5]

There actually are folks who do this... most notably one Ms. Bea Muller of New York City who lived aboard the QE2...

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1087615

 

:)

 

 

I was going to say the same thing. Hubby and I often talk about cruising be our retirement. We shall see!

[ContingentSea]

Wow, I am going to tell my kids that I'd rather do this than a home. It sounds like a great way to spend some time. I hope that I can do this.

 

Makes ultimate sense to me. Cheaper than a retirement home. But I bet it could get old and lonely after a while, unless you just love cruising and develope "sea legs". ;)

Maybe work a deal with a hotel/motel in your cruise port where you can stay on land for a week, re-group, get your meds refilled, see your Doc and visit your kids.

Who knows what is best, but it doesn't sound like a bad plan to me. :p

[Earthworm Jim]

But I bet it could get old and lonely after a while...

 

Well, in theory if the idea became popular enough that there were 20 or 30 other people retiring on the same ship, you might not be too lonely. You could at least have long term friends that way. But I think you are right. The novelty would wear off after a while.