Would you live on cruise ship??

[euroguy]

I know many people talk about retiring and take one cruise after another and rarely stay on land.  But know ships are being built exclusively for state rooms to be purchased and you travel all over the world and own your own cabin. The sizes and cabin amenities vary and of course the cost for them as well. 

I've looked at and researched this a bit. A decent size cabin and amenities and very well layed out, almost like a small apt. would run about 1.5M for 20 year lease.no you are not obligated to be on it all the time, you can come and go as you please as you own your own space. yes that sounds like a lot but it's pretty much an all inclusive and traveling all over the world and meals sourced from local ports so would be great variety. 

So if you had the money would you buy one and enjoy the sea life for 20 years or would you hope scotch to different cruise lines ??

 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy I'm so down for this! I would absolutely buy one of those in a heartbeat because you can always rent it out if you don't want to use it for part of the year. I have seen these luxury rooms offered for sale and if I had the money, I would have already purchased one! Have you seen this article before? https://www.cruisehive.com/deal-signed-to-construct-first-sustainable-residence-ship/79624 This ship is the most intriguing to me!

[euroguy]

@Cruising Caribbean yes i have seen that before and couple others and i wont be to picky and settle for any 🤣

I really think it would be the most interesting and enjoyable way to cruise the world in style and enjoy life to the fullest.

What you haven't signed the contract yet??? Geeeesh so disappointed 😞 

[euroguy]

@Cruising Caribbean here is another ship thats in process that costs less.... i might have to give this some serious thought.

https://www.insider.com/residential-cruise-startup-condos-at-sea-photos-2023-10

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy If I win the lottery, I'm totally purchasing one of these, but until then I will be just fine with my normal life. It's more of a dream than anything, but some of the cruise condos aren't too expensive considering the whole experience it encompasses. I'm mostly confused about cooking onboard. How do you purchase all of your food items onboard if you feel like cooking? I'm assuming this lifestyle is more of a go-out-to-eat model.

Those condos are actually so affordable! They almost seem too affordable. This must be an ala cart price! 

[euroguy]

@Cruising Caribbean Im thinking on the new one that i provided alibk to is all exterior dining out of the condo, no kitchen area.  Actually I think on the others it's also the same you eat at the different ship restaurants or have room service bring your meals.

Just think never have to do dishes or clean up the mess 🤔 

I'm still thinking the new ship has potential and don't have to be a millionaire 

[RoyalBee]

I'm concerned about how the ship will handle unexpected large financial outlays, such as engine repairs, plumbing issues, etc. What happens to the residents when the ship has to go into dry dock? Who sets the itinerary of these ships? Will there be medical services on board and who will run them? As people age on board, how will issues such as dementia be handled? Are the prices quoted per person or per unit? Who is in charge of security on board if people are allowed to rent out their units without supervision of a central body? I have many, many more questions. 

 

[RoadTravelled]

3 hours ago, RoyalBee said:

I'm concerned about how the ship will handle unexpected large financial outlays, such as engine repairs, plumbing issues, etc. What happens to the residents when the ship has to go into dry dock? Who sets the itinerary of these ships? Will there be medical services on board and who will run them? As people age on board, how will issues such as dementia be handled? Are the prices quoted per person or per unit? Who is in charge of security on board if people are allowed to rent out their units without supervision of a central body? I have many, many more questions. 

 

@RoyalBee These are all excellent questions and many of those that I had when reading these articles.  The monthly fees quoted at this point (before actual deployment of the ship) you know are going to be higher when reality kicks in a couple of years later.  And, they are only going to get higher.  You can bet there will be "special assessments" made if these big capital expenditures that are not contemplated happen.

These seem to have similar features to an HOA or even a time-share arrangement possibly with the sub-leasing component?  So, one big question is if you decide to sell your unit, how will that work?  What would be the market for that and do you own the rights to sell or otherwise get out of the arrangement?

[3Sisters]

@euroguy I would consider living on a ship as a part-time resident, but I can't imagine it full-time.

@RoyalBee I think the HOA or membership prices have to be through the roof. I would imagine the extra fees are worth it considering all of the places you get to go and explore, but you are really paying for the experience. I would be interested to hear how it all works from an on-ship resident. 

@RoadTravelled If the price was right I could be a seasonal resident, but the quarters are quite small. It would be living like a minimalist most of the time. It does sound freeing to not have so much junk and a garage filled with toys.

[RoadTravelled]

A cautionary tale of things possibly to come in this type venture?

[euroguy]

@RoadTravelled I do belive it could be a very good viable option as long as the Financials and logistics aligned. Seems to be a trend building as several ships are online or coming online for residences. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@RoadTravelled That situation is certainly a possible one and if you bought onboard a ship, you would be paying to travel the world but it would be out of your hands as to when and where the ship takes you. What @euroguy shared happens to be marketed at such a low rate that even if you didn't travel anywhere, the cost of living seems very reasonable! 

Before I considered purchasing a residential stateroom, there would be lots of questions I would have like additional costs and fees involved. Those extra fees could very well cost more than the purchase price of the unit. 

[kefthecruiser]

Perhaps I'm in the minority here. Regardless of the financials (though highly important), I have two main concerns that would keep me from 'living at sea'.

First, if you look at extended voyage world cruises today, there are A LOT of sea days. Gotta get old after awhile. (Reminds me of that old ditty "We joined the Navy to see the world, and what did we see? We saw the sea." by Fred Astaire)

Secondly a cruise ship is a self contained, floating island and cannot possibly have all the conveniences, selections and comforts of a land based home. 

I'd rather take separate, shorter cruises to ports I want to visit. We all have different preferences.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@kefthecruiser In theory the idea of living on a ship sounds amazing, but there are many other factors to consider. I like the idea of many sea days, but on a smaller ship, it could get rocky. I do like my land home option, but living at sea part-time sounds exciting! Living in a small space could be annoying after a while. I like my garage and riding my bike every once in a blue moon. Living on a cruise ship would only allow for a small amount of items in such tight quarters. I understand your hesitation. To me, this type of living is better part-time. 

[SpaceCowboy9]

If my health stays good & I had the money - yes, I would live on a cruise ship, but it would be hard to visit the kids

[3Sisters]

@SpaceCowboy9 You have a great point. Visiting family or having them visit would be difficult if you are a moving target. I would love, if I had space in my stateroom, for my loved ones to hop onboard and rotate visiting me onboard. The trouble is really catching a flight to wherever you are on the map and then having those guests be willing to fly in and out of different regions just to visit you. Those flights add up! 

I do have many questions about healthcare, and if my health insurance would work onboard. 

[kefthecruiser]

@3Sisters Excellent point about health insurance. If you are retired and with a Medicare program, Medicare coverage is limited to the USA. I think most commercial insurance, such as through an employer, is similar. So, one can purchase travel insurance. However, if you plan to return to the USA after some time, you need to keep your Medicare insurance in force or pay significant penalties to reenlist.

What kind of medical care is onboard is a whole different issue... probably similar to land based ER would be my guess.

[3Sisters]

@kefthecruiser I would not go on a cruise without the extra travelers' insurance that covered medical emergencies onboard if I was covered by Medicare! My husband and I were just having this conversation yesterday because I wanted to book a 16-night transatlantic itinerary and told him I wouldn't cruise without the travelers' insurance. The RCL extra coverage included up to $25,000 in emergency medical coverage, including if you have to be airlifted for emergency medical care. That's such a huge benefit! The cost was only a few hundred dollars extra. He disagreed, but it's a necessity, especially for a transatlantic cruise. 

[euroguy]

I think you all have good points. We can always look at a glass half fempty or half full. I'm a firm believer you can made whatever the situation good or bad.  Yes it would be an adjustment. You're not always stuck on the ship they pirt often and you get linger stays at each of the ports so you would have a lot of time to be onshore and experiencing the local.  Ships have medical staff and doctors as well. Besides if you can afford to buy a spot on a ship you should be able to afford worldwide medical insurance as well. As for family and time away, from what I've read of course you're allowed to have guests travel with you and also allow guests to utilize your spot if you're not on. Additionally you are allowed to lease/rent out your space if you're not on all the time.

[euroguy]

I'm thinking living on board full time might be challenging but I could be wrong. The longest cruise I've been on was 10 days and loved it as i felt i had ample time to truly enjoy the ship and its offerings in a non rushed way but was also at the same time sorta ready to get back home. Of course I was not in the mind set of it was my new home and didn't treat it as such.

With more ships coming out for living though does bring to the thought of doing it and I suppose also nearing retirement i think about what life will be like as not having to go to work and wanting to enjoy my remaining years experiencing things a bit slower and in a different light.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy You would be such a good candidate for living onboard a ship! You love to cruise and are very adventurous. If the cost was right, you would enjoy a part-time living onboard a ship. I wonder if you could rent for a month and see if the lifestyle made sense. It could be a no-strings-attached way to try it out without having to buy a room and become obligated to all of the fees involved. 

Living on a ship has to be a more efficient way to travel. Your home travels with you across the globe. Another huge perk is the personal chauffeur that sails you everywhere. I'm not a fan of flying, so the idea of not having to fly to explore the globe (and spend on flights) is an exciting perk. 

[euroguy]

@Cruising Caribbean that's a pretty brilliant idea to rent/lease for a month to give it a go and see how it feels.  I think you're spot on and will be looking into it further down the road when I retire and the resident ships are more common. I do think you're right that I probably would fit right in and would enjoy it. I'm with you all the flights to catch ships not only is a pain but also financially costly.  

I do see YouTube and articles about people retiring on standatd cruise ships and to some extent thinknits plausible but that comes with some challenges as one has to be very disciplined not to over spend as cruise ships are geared about making money, then comes the regulation that you can only be on one cruise ship fir 20 days and then you have to exit. So you have to find another cruise line or stay on land for 10 days. Plus would you want to be on the same trip to the same parts for 3 weeks? These are just a couple of issues out of a longer list

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy I'm glad you agree with me! Why not give living on a ship a try for a month or two without any strings attached? If you enjoyed it for three months at a time, you could do that too and not feel all of the pressures of owning. I just had a leak in my shower that leaked into the downstairs living room, so the pressures of ownership have weighed heavy on me these past months as all of the water damage has been treated and is being reconstructed. 

I didn't know about this 20-day regulation! Do all cruise lines have this rule? You would have to spend 10 days off of the ship. That would be annoying. I guess you would have to coordinate with a couple of cruise lines to finagle this lifestyle.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@euroguy I saw a recent news article and thought of you. A three-year life-at-sea itinerary was canceled this month. Initially, the itinerary was set to disembark on November 1, and then it got postponed until November 30. Guests booked on this cruise got an email stating the whole itinerary was canceled on November 17 due to not having a ship. This is so unfathomable to me, and it is so unprofessional! I feel bad for the guests that were already in Istanbul, ready to disembark. The worst part is guests may or may not get a refund. The whole refund system seems very flighty. Things like this would deter me from living at sea. 

[euroguy]

@Kendall James-Vargas yes I saw and read about the mess with 3 year cruise.  I think the start play is to only invest in a ship/program that is already established. The fact that they never had a ship locked down and actually acquired poses a serious problem. From what I've read people will in fact be receiving refunds however it will be in monthly installments.  

I think the situation is really sad and has put many in a bad place as some sold their homes etc and now have no place to go and technically homeless. I do think it for those that sold homes to participate in only a 3 year cruise was not a wise decision as it sounds like many didn't have a exit strategy.