Retirement can be a complex experience, especially for those who enjoy spending time with family. Cruise retirement can make it more complicated, as it is difficult to be the type of granny who can frequently babysit on a cruise ship, potentially thousands of miles away. For example, if you were planning to spend 20 years in retirement, you could spend 1.54 million to live on a cruise ship, which is significantly more than the average 65 household spends annually.
Living on a mass-market cruise ship can start at about 35,000 per year for room and board, with additional expenses including medical costs, laundry, and alcohol. To save money, consider incorporating regular cruises into your retirement budget. While living on a cruise ship might seem like a dream, there are many practicalities to consider when considering retirement.
Retirees can expect to pay anywhere from 1,500 – 3,000 per month for accommodation, meals, entertainment, and other activities. Many retirement homes have independent living apartments where residents handle bathing, cooking, etc., and they can then purchase a home. If you are willing to accept an indoor room on a mainstream cruise line, you could book passage for a year for much less than you would on a cruise ship.
Before retiring on a cruise ship, go through your belongings on land and aim to downsize. Consider your health conditions and whether you are willing to accept an indoor room on a mainstream cruise line. By considering these factors, you can create a more enjoyable retirement lifestyle.
📹 A retired couple living on a cruise ship is saving thousands of dollars
Angelyn and Richard Burk have spent the past few years of retirement bouncing from cruise ship to cruise ship exploring countries …
📹 88-year-old retires and lives on cruise ship
An estimated 24 million people are expected to take cruises this year. One report showed more than a quarter of them are age 60 …
As an ex Social Worker I saw at first hand the appalling retirement homes that the elderly have to endure in their twilight years. This lady is doing what she wants, paying her own way, and long may she continue. Forget the sour grapes, people, she’s content with her lot, and that’s all that really matters here.
I met her and she is a lovely lady. She is not the official needle point instructor on the ship but she is at needlepoint classes and helps new students and she is always willing to help during the day if you get stuck. She also is a great source of information. The staff really does love her because she is a great ship ambassador. She has no trouble getting to a dr or dentist. They have them on board and at ports. Everything can be worked out. She does not sweat the small stuff.
All the people who wonder why she spends so much money living on a cruise ship, consider this. No mortgage, no property tax no home owners insurance, no groceries to buy, no utilities to pay, no car expenses at all, no entertainment expenses. I’m not a fan of cruise ships myself but hey, each to their own. You go mama Lee. Enjoy the golden years.
I have seen entirely too many scary reports of how some nursing homes have staff that treat them ill. This seems like a much safer option: you have more freedom, people aren’t trying to drug you or physically abuse you, the food is definitely better, and you don’t have to worry about whether or not your relatives come to visit you, because either way, you aren’t alone. You are actually LIVING. All due respect, WORK IT, Mama Lee!!!
I have heard of this, in fact, my great-aunt did this. She was receiving a lot of money every month from SS and her late husband’s pension, I’m sure too much for Medicaid. She had been on cruises and loved them. She had trouble with arthritis and would have needed assisted living since she couldn’t get around very well, grocery shop, cook, clean, that sort of thing. So, instead, she took advantage of senior citizen and frequent cruiser discounts and moved into a cruise ship. She lived in a handicap-accessible room and was quite happy for years. Not sure if she is still doing that or not…
she never has to cook a meal make a bed clean she’s basically a queen and she looks damn good for 88. if you think about it. between mortgage all the bills car insurance gas. she got rid of everything. I think it would be nice to have at least one person with you. but to her credit the one person she would have passed away in 1997. hope she’s cruising at 100
I can understand where this lady is coming from. I’m 77 and only yesterday I suddenly thought, what would it be like to spend the rest of one’s life in a hotel? Meals taken care of, no cleaning to do, no shopping for groceries, comfortable surroundings. Now this lady is probably quite well off and can afford to live her life on a continuous cruise. I would have to do some sums to see how the money would stretch, but I’m 77 already. and a man, therefore with reduced life expectancy, so I really cannot expect many more years on this planet.
I don’t think it would really cost her $175G a year. I’ll bet she cut a deal because it’s one room guaranteed to be occupied. Say she pays 7 or even 8 grand a month. That’s less than $100,000 a year and suppose her and her husband had a $4M in savings, that’s 40 years of cruising. She takes care of herself and probably eats the buffet so the ship doesn’t have to take care of her like a nursing home would. My Mom got send to a home at 79 and had very little money except about $1100 in SS and her condo.
The Crystal Serenity is an awesome ship. I’ve sailed on her, as well as her sister, the Crystal Symphony, on over seven different itineraries in the last ten years. It’s expensive, but worth it, IMO. Only 1000 passengers max, compared to others that pack on 2, 3, 4, and some over 5 thousand more. I’m envious. I wish I could afford to do what this lucky lady does. (Or maybe did, at this point). God bless her.
We took a Panama Canal cruise in 2019 on the Grand Princess, a ship designed to make it through the narrow canal. It was a fabulous cruise. We met two retired women, each of whom was living full time aboard ship. They loved it. Unfortunately, three months after our cruise, Covid hit, and the Grand Princess was one of the notorious ships wherein Covid cases were so bad that passengers died on board and others were not able to get back home as anticipated. It was a disaster for a lot of people. I wondered then, as I often still do, how those two, elderly retiree ladies did during that dreadful time. I hope they both made it through okay. I also wondered where they stayed once they were able to get off the ship.
We encountered a full timer on a Holland America cruise to Alaska. She was from New York and discovered she could have a better life living on the ship. She had her regular staff member who would get off at port and buy her shopping. After every sixth cruise, she got a free one. She’d change up a couple of times a year and switched to a South American cruise. She loved meeting new people all the time and everyone was happy.
They have medical and dental in the ship, they have everything you need, stores, casinos food, bars dancing you name it they got it, all you need it’s $, And if I had money I would do the same, her husband must of been wealthy and he still continues to take care of her. I am happy for her. ❤️👍 I love this story.
I would do this if I could afford it, not just for the convenience, but to avoid the distractions. Creative people like authors, artists, songwriters who have trouble focusing on their inspiration are constantly getting interrupted by everything from meals to auto maintenance to bill paying. Most days you get nothing done unless you are a trust fund baby and can hire a personal asst or live-in person to cook, clean, pay bills, etc. On a cruise ship, doing what you want, when you want, would mean actually being productive and getting something creative done for a change.
2018 – Mama Lee Wachstetter, who turned 90 years old in May, has retired aboard the Crystal Serenity, and has been living on the luxury cruise ship continuously for the past nine years. – Mama and her late husband Mason made their fortune in real estate, and back in 1962 they started cruising together – So what does all of this luxury cost? “I pay Crystal every six months in order to get the biggest discount,” – She’s even written a book about her experience and it’s called I May Be Homeless But You Should See My Yacht
A good independent living community can cost upwards of $9000 or more a month…add in the cost of food, a car if you have one, car insurance, etc..this seems like a good deal. The question is, how do retired people afford it? That generation were savers, and many had old school pensions. Something future generations may not have. I think, however, people can be creative in the way they spend thier retirement regardless how much money ones has, and not confine themselves to the recliner at home. I love kids too but i will be damned if I spend my retirement babysitting my grandkids….she’s my type of lady…does what she wants…when she wants. Love it!
I want to be fit and travelling or being on a cruise ship, too, at 88! Or way before! 😆 I just wish those ships would have possibilities and facilities for small dogs to live on board too. It wouldn’t be difficult. As those ships are enourmous. They should think about that factor! Would attract more customers. 👍😃
Looking it up on google, it says average costs for a year long trip on a cruise is about $77,000 in 2018. About more than $200 a night. And I haven’t counted in frequent cruise memberships, credit card cruise mileages, and senior discounts too. Insurance, taxes, and port fees would be a hassle though. It would have to be $200k for a year long cruise if it was in a very fine luxury high end room
I would love to do this but too many doctors make it impossible. It would be nice if dry docking was something done frequently (not that I want to see ships have mechanical problems). I would combine all doc appointments into say 2 weeks time (or however long). But since it can’t be counted on to happen, I’m afraid it’s a no-go!!
I sailed for 25+ years (working as an unlicensed & then U S Coast Guard licensed Engineer.) Never left the states, but been up & down the east coast, the Caribean & any navigable waterway attached to the Miss’sippy River. Never cost me a dime and provided a good life for the wife & kids. I did get off the boats to visit home on occasion cause I got 3 kids that look like me….
The day will come when Mama Lee will need care. Glad to see she looks spry and able bodied in this documentary, but what happens then? Also this is a perfect business idea for those cruise ship lines that are being bullied out by saturation. Market to retirees for prolonged residency at a discounted rate to fill vacant cabins.
There is a Cruise ship called The Residensea and another called the Utopia where you can buy a two or three bedroom place on the ship and live and travel year round. I think they cost around $2 million to $10 million to buy. If I had the money, didn’t have any dependents and just wanted to travel, this would be a great way to grow old.
I found out,that in order to have an income of 180,000 a year, u must have 3 million, so that money, will bring in dividends, around 210,000.00 a year, in the CONSERVATIVE side. So if she sold her house for a million, was left an insurance,and social security, she can do it. You don’t have to be very wealthy, to be able to do, this kind of life. But, that is why, is important to have a good insurance and some investments.
To the people who say it is cheaper to live on a cruise ship than a nursing home: you are confusing nursing homes with assisted living facilities. Nursing homes are medical facilities for people (elderly or not) who require ongoing, intense medical care. Often these are people who’ve suffered strokes, dementia, etc. No one will get that kind of round-the-clock care on a cruise ship. Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, are like dorms for old people. Residents can mostly care for themselves, but there is a doctor and a few nurses on staff just in case. This lady appears to be enjoying good health.
Good for her! She knows and likes herself and doesn’t give a flying fig what the family thinks. And she stays sharp by interacting with others every single day of her life. IF she wants to. No stress! I think she’s just outrageously wonderful! Where she gets the money to live like this is not my business – yeah, I’m kinda envious. But ya know, the vast majority of real wealth is by inheritance. So I am told. 🧐
As fun as it sounds and probably is I would never trade it for time with my family. Those memories of my grandparents home, playing outside, holidays, talks with my grandma, perusal her cook, pecan picking and eating are priceless. I realize she’s doing what makes her happy but time with my children and future grandchildren, neighbors and friends are treasures to me. That life would be great if I had stayed single all my life, once children came into the world, my whole perspective changed, for the better. It wasn’t about me anymore but us as a whole.
Cut this wonderful happy lady a break she goes down in Cruiseship History she brings joy laughtet to the staff and guest. Get her a executive suite with all the trimmings not too many people can afford to do this and she is away from her family she is providing free advertisement and should have a ship named after her while living Give this woman and seniors the Honor that is due to them do it now for this energetic spry woman hope a book is coming too of her travels and adventures. Bless you lady Im rootimg for you and happy travels
Hey, it’s her money, but I’m reminded of the saying, “a fool and their money are soon parted.” I have a hard time believing the best deal she could get was 175K a year. 3.5k a week? She needs to check the bank account of the person who negotiated this deal because they have to be taking a pretty big “commission” on it.
It looks like this article is several years old. With that said….I say it’s great she is living her life the way she wants to. Reading other comments people were say ing she should be in a nursing home or other facility. My question to them is why? It sounds like she was capable of taking care of herself and smart enough to choose a cruise ship to live on. She is out and about meeting new people. She said she talks to family members daily. The staff know her. I am sure when the time comes and she needs care that decision will be made by her and her family. As long as she can take care of herself and can afford it …. I say let her enjoy life!
As a senior my life is better spent involved in my community. I’m active in the American Legion, Seniors Club, Knights of Columbus and we do community service work. I get to hold my grandchildren and I’m near my family. We make life what we want to make it based upon our values. I wouldn’t spend $100,000 a year on myself. She is a needy person who craves the attention given to her but it makes her happy. I see it as a unproductive self centered life. Sure a cruise is nice now and then but 365 days a year is just not for me.
no way she spent almost 2 million cruising. she sold her house for almost 115k. theres also cruise packages 180 days for like 15 to 20k for premium experiences. 1k for 7 days is a really nice luxury cruise so 52k and w her perks saved up she gets huge discounts. the news is really fudging the numbers.
A lot of people talking about this being better than a nursing home but forget she’s been blessed with good health and doesn’t need one. Some people can barely walk or take care of themselves at this age. It’s not like we’re all going to be sailing around eating and drinking with no regard if we make it to that age.
I remember perusal this before coronavirus and now that there is such a thing as coronavirus, I wonder what this lady is doing now since they probably told her to pack up her belongings and to disembark the cruise ship. I dont know what for sure she is doing right now but that has to be quite awful that she probably has no home anymore, and they probably shut down that cruise ship.
Princess is a GREAT cruise line which we have used for wonderful cruises in our 80 plus years. We were scheduled to go on a Transatlantic cruise which we love on April 11th, but the virus caused us to suspend our cruise until a later date – because of diabetes and age – and even Princess cancelling cruises for 60 days.
My gma & gpa went to Florida 1/2 of the yr, to skip nasty IN winters. They walked, biked, danced, played cards, picked oranges. As a kid, it seemed so whimsical, as I was stuck in the dreary cold. “Mom? Dad? Can’t we visit ’em in Florida just once for Christmas…” So many people in the comments are talking about the inheritance she’s spending. From experience, I never looked at it that way with my grandparents, instead it gave me something to be happy about & warming just to know they were enjoying life. Inspirational and fairytale like (as a kid). Just say’n