Living on a cruise ship?

[ads321]

Hi there, I'm really interested in the idea of being a guest and living on a cruise ship full time (or at least 6 - 12 months per year) either hopping on and off OR living on a residency ship. Are there many people doing it and are any of them from the UK?

 

Thanks!

[mom says]

Well, you wouldn't be a guest. You would be just another paying passenger, albeit one recognized by most of the crew. Yes there are such people. Google has a couple of pages of articles on the subject. Plus several videos.

[John Bull]

You can be really interested if you're really wealthy. 😏

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominiqueafacan/2017/04/23/apartment-for-sale-on-board-luxury-residential-ship-the-world

I think that's the only residential cruise ship.

 

There was an elderly lady who lived  for years on one of the Cunarders, doubtless someone can come up with more detail.

 

Until about 10 years ago ms Discovery, an elderly cruise ship with about 600 berths used to sail the oceans like a tramp, rarely re-visiting a port in a year - you could book in blocks of about two weeks. 

We had 6-week, 4-week and 2 week stints on her - on our second stint we met folk who'd been on her  ever since our first stint a year earlier !! Passengers were mainly retired professionals - university lecturers, lawyers, civil servants and such. Old ship without all the whistles & bells, but a great crew (all from one village in the Philippines and prices were very reasonable.

Sadly she didn't make enough money, was sold & eventually scrapped.

 

I think the best you'll get is segments of a World Cruise with the likes of Cunard & P and O, or what are known as "Grand Voyages" - similar to ms Discovery's itineraries with the likes of HAL.

Most  cruises are up to 14 days &  repeated throughout a season

 

It's good to dream

(if you can do more than dream and need a Passepartout, I'm available 😏)

 

JB 🙂

 

 

 

 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, ads321 said:

Hi there, I'm really interested in the idea of being a guest and living on a cruise ship full time (or at least 6 - 12 months per year) either hopping on and off OR living on a residency ship. Are there many people doing it and are any of them from the UK?

 

Thanks!

Maybe try  a world cruise to see if you would like being onboard  that long

Some range from 3  to 7 mths

Oceania  ATW seems to have the longer ones  but there could be others 

 

[sleepingcat]

yes, when we first cruised with Fred Olsen out of Southampton, back in 2012 there were passengers who pretty much lived full time on board and that was quite normal. 

 

 but of course during covid that must have stopped and I am unsure what could have happened since. Cruising is only now getting back to anything like it ws before, as most of this year there have been special measures for boarding, with testing and isolation.  These measures are only now slowly being phased out.  I think the advice to take a long cruise and see how you get on would be a good start. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, ads321 said:

Hi there, I'm really interested in the idea of being a guest and living on a cruise ship full time (or at least 6 - 12 months per year) either hopping on and off OR living on a residency ship. Are there many people doing it and are any of them from the UK?

 

Thanks!

Oceania ATW = 6 months

[CruiserBruce]

Holland America had a lady living on board for a number of years...ending in the late 20-teens when she passed away.

[Essiesmom]

The lady on Cunard was Bea Muller.  There was also a lady who lived on Princess for a long time.  I met a couple on Princess who cruised so much that they had name tags that said Mom and Pop.  One member here spent the winters doing consecutive cruises on Celebrity, and the summers at home in Canada.  One thing to consider if you decide to do this, and concentrate on one cruise line, is if that line, or family of cruise lines, offer OBC if you own company stock,  buy those 100 shares of stock.  EM

[LHT28]

RCL  have  a 274  RTW cruise  that would be close to living aboard  most of the yr

 

Many lines pre covid had  people living onboard  for most of the year

 

[sandiego1]

Check out Storylines. We have friends that purchased a unit on that ship. It’s a lot cheaper than ResidenSea.

 

I would try a World Cruise for 4-5 months before committing to a life on the sea to ensure you like it.

[Hlitner]

Agree with the other comments that one should spend some significant time (a World cruise is ideal) on a ship before they make a decision.  We did meet the couple that used to live on the old Royal Princess (over 300 days a year) who told us they loved the lifestyle.  But they would leave the ship for a few weeks (several times a year) to visit their children/grandchildren.    

 

I think an interesting challenge would be negotiating terms/price with a cruise line.  As to The World, we once saw that ship (docked in Key West) and spoke to a few of it's residents.  My impression was that the folks on that vessel were extremely wealthy and routinely would leave the ship to do other kinds of travel or visit family.  The one couple, with whom we had a long chat, told us they probably did not spend more than 8 months a year on The World as they would often spend significant time traveling (on land) and living in favorite places.  These were not folks who boarded a ship and spent 52 weeks a year on the vessel.  But they also told us that their shipboard condo was their main home and they did not rent it out.  When they were off the ship their "home" remained empty.  Some other owners do rent so it is possible to go on the World for a relatively short period of time as a renter.  Not sure who handles the rentals, but it should be easy to find out via the Internet.

 

Hank

[Mary229]

There are some videos on YouTube with Mario, the gentleman who lives on Royal Caribbean lines.  He is very forthcoming with the nitty gritty of how he manages and he claims he is not wealthy.  He started living on a cruise ship quite young, if I recollect correctly - in his late 40s?   Anyway some lines are discouraging very elderly persons from pursuing this dream as they don’t want to provide “assisted living” services.   I did call HAL when I was musing this option and they said there is no discount given.  I recall Mario saying the same and that he relies on his high status perks.  
 

I do agree with the advice given, try it before committing to it.  We decided not to pursue this as we felt that it might become too narrow socially.  We have always lived privately but once  onboard for a long period everyone knows everyone’s business 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Mary229

[Mary229]

Here is the link to part one of Mario’s interviews.  

 

[Mum2Mercury]

General thoughts on this concept: 

 

- Echoing an above poster, it seems logical to do a very long cruise before you commit to this lifestyle; for example, before you give up your house.    

- Royal Caribbean gives OBC to stockholders.  If you were a "resident", you could have about $100/week in OBC.  You'd take them to the cleaners.  

- Likewise, you'd become Diamond pretty quickly, and you'd have 4 drinks per day for free.  If this were an all-the-time lifestyle, you really shouldn't drink more than that.  

- An inside room in off-season would be pretty reasonable, but summer and holidays would be quite the opposite.

- Do you think you'd get tired of seeing the shows over and over?  going to the same islands?  eating the same menus?  

- You could not eat like a typical cruiser.  Not week after week.  

- You'd have to pay tips every week. 

- I assume you'd change ships every so often.  You'd end up with the occasional day-on-shore between cruises.  

- I don't see how you'd handle:  health insurance, doctor's visits, laundry. 

- I'd want to see my family.  I guess you could take a break every so often.   

 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[navybankerteacher]

If you stopped to really think about the idea, you might find it a little less attractive.  Have you no friends or family with whom to maintain contact, have you no interests in your home area which are important to you, would you really want to live in a cruise ship stateroom - with your activity limited to the ship? 

 

 Yes, a cruise is great --and a long cruise on a great itinerary could be wonderful ---- but if you would like to trade your life for one on an endless cruise, all I can say is that I am very sorry for you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

The World is the only residency cruise at present, but there are three others in the planning stages [Storylines, Victoria Cruises, and Njord], at least one of which was being planned as a rental basis [the others all require you to buy your cabin as a condo unit].  Cruise Critic has set up a special forum for Residence Ships.

[ontheweb]

If you wished to remain a citizen in a democracy, where would you register to vote if your permanent residence was a cruise ship?

[Mary229]

30 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

If you wished to remain a citizen in a democracy, where would you register to vote if your permanent residence was a cruise ship?

You don’t lose your citizenship living elsewhere.  

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

You don’t lose your citizenship living elsewhere.  

But you have to have a real address, not a PO Box in order to  vote.  However, that could be out of the US, as in the case of ex-pats, military…EM

Edited November 4, 2022 by Essiesmom

[sparks1093]

On 11/2/2022 at 3:15 PM, mom says said:

Well, you wouldn't be a guest. You would be just another paying passenger, albeit one recognized by most of the crew. Yes there are such people. Google has a couple of pages of articles on the subject. Plus several videos.

In the hospitality industry, which includes cruise ships, paying customers are guests. I am not sure I would like sailing with a line that treated me as "just another paying passenger".

 

As for the concept of living onboard, even though one can roam around the ship at the end of the day they are limited in their personal space to the cabin. Some can do it, some can't. I'm very likely in the "can't" category.

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

But you have to have a real address, not a PO Box in order to  vote.  However, that could be out of the US, as in the case of ex-pats, military…EM

I know quite a few people who have lived outside the US for many years.  Usually they use a relative’s home address but there are other legitimate methods.  You don’t give up your US rights.  Anyway many of the people who live on cruise ships who have given interviews say they keep a small apartment which they use for mail.  Mario, mentioned above, says he has a person who meets him at the ship and takes his laundry and the next time in port they give him his laundry, mail and groceries and medications.  The laundry is done at his home.  I assume he must rent it out to someone with an agreement to do this small service for him.  He never said 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

But you have to have a real address, not a PO Box in order to  vote.  However, that could be out of the US, as in the case of ex-pats, military…EM

For your vote to be counted in a presidential election, you need a residence address in the state whose electoral vote you will influence - aside from the fact that your vote for local and Congressional offices must be counted in that state.

[Mary229]

Here are the actual rules.  you don’t lose your rights 
 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/voting.html

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

You don’t lose your citizenship living elsewhere.  

Y8ies, i realize that, but how do you vote? There was a recent thread about some who were on long, long cruises and absent for election day having problems getting absentee ballots. How would you do that with the additional problem that your permanent address is a cruise ship?

[Mary229]

44 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Y8ies, i realize that, but how do you vote? There was a recent thread about some who were on long, long cruises and absent for election day having problems getting absentee ballots. How would you do that with the additional problem that your permanent address is a cruise ship?

I gave the link above.  Some use relative’s addresses, some maintain a residence.  Federal elections have looser rules about residency , it is only the local elections which present residency issues and each state is different (links given in the link above). Some people choose the state with the simplest rules. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by Mary229