What It's Like Living on Cruise Ship Full-Time, From Employee + Photos

life on a cruise ship

A feeling of confinement is tops on the list of reasons people I talked to said they couldn't retire on a cruise ship. Even on a large ship, you can only go where it goes, plus the room you call your own is likely to be far smaller than what you are used to. There's a certain loss of freedom, but that's common with many forms of retirement living. Passengers and crew come and go on ships, so your relationships will be fleeting.

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And even with the monthly fees, it’s one of the best-value options for living on a cruise ship full time. If you choose to own a cabin, prices start from just $99,999, although there is then a monthly fee you need to pay on top of that. Richard Burk and his wife, Angelyn, are living their best life hopping from ship to ship for around $100 a night, depending on the cruise.

Medical Facility

There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz, an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations.

Is Working on a Cruise Ship Hard?

Through the line’s loyalty program, he only pays 150 percent of the cruise fare for a single traveler. Often a solo guest has to pay 200% of the fare to account for the lack of a second passenger. Before any taxes, fees, or other add-ons, he pays around $150 a day to live onboard. An alternative to sailing on a traditional cruise line through your retirement years is to buy or lease a cruise ship cabin on a luxury residence ship. The most well-known of these is The World, but there's been recent buzz about startup company Storylines and its residence ship, MV Narrative, which is set to launch in 2025.

Residential Cruise Ships

Doing so will help you get a feel as to whether living onboard a cruise ship would be a viable option for you. Medical facilities found on most cruise ships feature basic medical equipment used for treating basic medical emergencies in the short term, such as defibrillators, x-ray machines, and all sorts of medicine. A medical team consisting of at least one doctor and two nurses is on call 24/7. However, they typically are not set up to provide chronic medical care. Brainstorm with a financial planner about what you can afford to spend per day, week, or month, and see how those numbers fit with your cruise specialist’s quotes. If you’re looking to retire on a cruise ship, a full retirement income plan that includes taxes should be implemented.

How Much It Costs To Live on A Cruise Ship

Have you ever dreamed of life on a cruise ship, spending your days coasting with the motion of the ocean and watching the sun set on the horizon each evening? They take up residence on cruise ships by booking consecutive cruises for months and years on end. In this article, we’ll outline how much it actually costs to live on a cruise ship. Before I joined a cruise ship for the first time as a Shore excursions staff, I couldn’t imagine how the life onboard cruise ships actually looked like.

The food is bad.

life on a cruise ship

And if you’re a high earner, it could even be more cost-effective to work at sea since the cost of the cruise fare may be less than the tax you save. It costs a similar amount to live on a cruise ship as it does in a house. In the UK, the average cost of living is £2,200 per month, equal to around $2,650, and in the US the average cost is $3,200. You can live on a cruise ship for around $2,500-$3,000 per month.

Hotels With Cruise Shuttles For Every Major Port in America

It is not a light read but if you are interested in what governs cruise ships, this is a big one. This regulates how many hours crew members are allowed to work as well as a huge amount of other aspects of life onboard. I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship.

Gary Shteyngart: Crying Myself to Sleep on the Icon of the Seas - The Atlantic

Gary Shteyngart: Crying Myself to Sleep on the Icon of the Seas.

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Ships such as The World offer private studios, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments on board. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, then this guide is for you. Keep reading and let’s take a look at this unique opportunity, what it’s like, and how to turn it from a dream into reality. I have been cruising since 2004 and have sailed on dozens of cruises all over the world.

Organizing bill payments and planning ahead will assist in keeping financials current and not falling behind on bills. The first step is determining whether living on a cruise ship permanently is within your budget. We also have a human-resources center for discussing needs regarding cabins, payroll, contracts, or crew life. Based on what I've seen, managers and officers typically have cabins with a porthole and full-size bed, plus an additional fold-down bed for guests.

Some crew members work 9 months on and then have 2 to three months off. I never had a day off while working on a cruise ship – but the advantage was I would get months off for vacation. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers.

She was also working on boosting her loyalty status with Royal Caribbean. There are perks available to the highest loyalty levels that would save money when retirement time arrives. Complimentary laundry tops the list of valuable perks at the top levels on the mainstream lines, along with spa treatments and specialty restaurant meals, Wi-Fi discounts and free or discounted cruise nights. Even luxury lines like Silversea and Seabourn offer top loyalty members discounts and free nights.

Upworthy spoke with a couple in their 50s earlier this year who live on cruise ships because it’s cheaper than their mortgage. There is no charge for additional guests staying in your cabin, however family and friends are responsible for paying the local port taxes and fees($33 Per-day). Guest cabins are available, subject to availability and seasonal rates. Financially, living on a cruise ship might present a more predictable budget compared to some high-end retirement homes. In 2026, a company called Storylines is set to launch its first residential cruise ship called MV Narrative.

Most people who live on cruise ships rarely pay for extras like specialty dining and shore excursions. As mentioned before, reaching the highest tiers of cruise line loyalty programs can help with this. Some include a set amount of alcoholic beverages or a specialty dining meal per cruise as loyalty program perks. Here’s an idea of what you might pay for a voyage on a mainstream cruise ship in the Caribbean. As a starting guide, expect to pay around $100 to $150 per person, per night for an interior cabin. At $125 per night, that’s $91,250 per year for a couple, or $250 per night.

He wasn’t saying “pendejo.” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters. If you're in relatively good health and can afford the lifestyle, living full time at sea could be a great lifestyle choice. Travel agents can also help you look for deals and suggest the best ships for your budget, travel preferences and living style. There's also a dedicated front or back deck for the staff to enjoy the sunshine on lounge chairs.

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