There has been a lot of buzz lately about living on a Cruise Ship full time as an alternative to living in a retirement home.
However, I don't think it would be very exciting after about 6 months or so.
Ships, even Cruise Ships, are noisy for at least 2 reasons:
1. Engine Noise.
No matter how new the ship, no matter what new turbine engines the ship may have, the 24 hour engine noise may get to people.
2. Parties, bars and restaurants.
There is always a kind of party atmosphere on a Cruise Ship, people eat and drink too much, nobody tells them when to go to bed, they don't have to get up the next morning, so, parties make noise.
It gets boring staring at the ocean 2 out of 3 days.
Although ship's activities are very many these days, after a while you'll get bored with them.
Cabins in general are very small, so after a while you're going to miss your large living room on the mainland with its 75" TV.
However, if 6 months are too long, there are other alternatives; Cruise maybe a couple of months a year.
If you follow that action things become interesting.
Here are some options:
The Monthly $18,000 route:
Residensea, the world's only floating Condo, a 47,000 ton cruise ship which sails the oceans,
reportedly offers staterooms for rent for as low as $18,000 per month.
This Cruise Ship has designer apartments with original art.
I mean, this is luxury personified.
Great if you can get it.
Around the world in 102 Days.
By small Luxury Cruise Ship
In 2005 a trip around the world lasting 110 days could be had for as low as $15,600 per person.
That is $150 per person per day including food and all facilities. That is $9000 per couple per month.
This same couple would spend a minimum of $4000 a month in an old folks home.
So going on this 3 1/2 month World Cruise would cost them $9000 - $4000 = $5000 per month.
Now let me tell you what this $5000 for 2 people gets them:
The Itinerary:
Southampton ,Tenerife - Canary Islands St Vincent - Cape Verde Islands Fortaleza - Brazil Rio de Janeiro - Brazil Montevideo - Uruguay Buenos Aires - Argentina Puerto Madryn - Argentina Port Stanley - Falkland Islands Cruise around Cape Horn Ushuaia - Argentina Transit Beagle Channel Punta Arenas - Chile Chacabuco - Chile Puerto Montt - Chile Santiago - Chile Cruise by Easter Island Cruise by Pitcairn Island Papeete - Tahiti Bora Bora - Society Islands Pago Pago - American Samoa Lautoka - Fiji Islands Noumea - New Caledonia Brisbane - Australia Sydney - Australia Eden - Australia Philip Island - Australia Melbourne - Australia Hobart -Australia Transit Milford Sound Dunedin - New Zealand Christchurch - New Zealand Transit Marlborough Sound Wellington - New Zealand Auckland - New Zealand Nuku 'Alofa - Tonga Apia - Western Samoa Christmas Island Honolulu - Oahu, Hawaii Kahalui - Maui, Hawaii Los Angeles - USA Acapulco - Mexico Huatulco - Mexico Transit Panama Canal Curacao - Dutch Antilles Margherita Island - Venezuela Barbados Ponta Delgada
The Luxury:
This is on a very luxurious Cruise Ship that has only outside or balcony cabins.
By Freighter
In 2005 a trip around the world lasting 102 days by various freighting companies could be had for $11,750 per person.
That is $117 per person per day including food and all facilities. That is $7000 per couple per month.
This same couple would spend a minimum of $4000 a month in an old folks home.
So going on this 3 1/2 month World Cruise would cost them $7000 - $4000 = $3000 per month.
For this you get a double suite with double occupancy.
Port Times range from 1 to 2 days.
The advantage seems to be that there is lots of space in four double suites.
The double suites all consist of two rooms, a bedroom with twin beds and a living room.
The cabins have showers.
Each cabin also has its own VCR and TV monitor and refrigerator.
On board facilities are a private passenger lounge and the sharing of the officers' table
There is also an indoor swimming pool.
Cruise Hopping
This is cheaper yet.
There are lots of 7 day cruises for about $100 per day per passenger.
So you could conceivably take 7 day cruises continuously in the same area, say, the Caribbean, on the same ship, or on different ships until you get sick and tired of the area.
You can then do the same thing from the West Coast.
Logistics would be more difficult because you may need a place to stay every 7th night.
Discount Cruising
Effective in 2005 there is now a discount European Cruise Line operating in the Caribbean that charges $46 per person per night but you have to get your own food.
Maximum time they allow you to cruise is 2 weeks.
Still, can't get any cheaper than this.