Retirement on a cruise ship

[Baroquevenus]

If you were to retire on a cruise ship, which one would it be and why. Give a thorough explanation, please. Thanks!🚢

[subtchr]

If I had the money? THE WORLD. No explanation needed, it just looks incredible!

[Strophic]

I would not retire on a cruise ship since I think I would miss the internet too much. But if I did it for a little while, I'd probably pick either one of the Oasis class Royal Caribbean ships for the number of activities and restaurants, OR one of the more adult-oriented cruise lines on an Alaskan route.

[Shmoo here]

If I had the money? THE WORLD. No explanation needed, it just looks incredible!

I like the looks of the World, but I would probably be bored. Unlike most "regular" cruise lines, they don't offer activities/entertainment onboard. Since it's really just a floating condo building, you're on your own for doing things.

[Essiesmom]

Recent thread about this:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2490804&highlight=Retire+on+ship

[leaveitallbehind]

"Super Mario" lives on cruise ships and has done so on RCI - his cruise line of choice - for about 20 years logging 350 nights per year on board. As such he is RCI's most frequent and longest traveler. He spends 2 weeks each year off the ship at his FL condo. But he does not stay on just one ship. He will spend several months months on one and then go to another, typically living on three or four different ships each year. If you Google him you will find more information about him and his life on board RCI. He's a very interesting and friendly man who we've had the good fortune of meeting and cruising on the same ship with a couple of times.

[jocap]

Without a doubt, it would be P&O's Ventura... a Grand Class ship with the important indoor pool. She sails from Southampton all year round, on different voyages from 2 nights to 33 nights, to many different destinations, ranging from the Canary Islands to much of the Med, the Caribbean and USA.

I'd do what a couple who live on another P&O ship do- I'd buy an apartment in the town, so turn around day would be for catching up with paper work, e-mails, doctors etc. Sometimes I might even miss a 2 night cruise if I had something longer to deal with, such as a wedding or hospital visit. We go on this ship once a year for a long cruise to the Caribbean and back, and on the last day, many of us wish we could wave everyone goodbye, then sail away again.

[easyboy]

Cruising for me is just vacation once in a while. Sorry but I can not think of myself spending my retirement away from the family for long.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[cb at sea]

A cruise, for me, is a nice "getaway". I have no desire to be at sea forever. There is too much other stuff to see and do.

[davekathy]

Cruising is (and was ) a great way to celebrate retirement and spring and fall vacations but we wouldn't want to live on a cruise ship.

Baroquevenus what about you?

[leaveitallbehind]

I would not retire on a cruise ship since I think I would miss the internet too much. But if I did it for a little while, I'd probably pick either one of the Oasis class Royal Caribbean ships for the number of activities and restaurants, OR one of the more adult-oriented cruise lines on an Alaskan route.

 

While it may be slow (although the speeds are improving somewhat) there is internet on the ships.

[Freespir8]

MSC Yacht Club hands down. Amazing service and food. :)

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[navybankerteacher]

Being retired, we have time to cruise -- but we have a home we enjoy, we have friends and family we enjoy, we live near enough to New York to enjoy visiting, we enjoy traveling, some of it on board ships (which we also enjoy) --- I cannot think of anything sadder than giving all that up to move to a floating retirement home which, when you get right down to it, is really what OP's question is all about.

[Hlitner]

If we could afford it...The World would get our business. No other ship would even be close.

 

Hank

[DirtyDawg]

I'd only consider retirement on a cruise ship if it had a golf course. Not a mini-put - a full 18 holes.

[biker@sea]

If we could afford it...The World would get our business. No other ship would even be close.

 

Hank

I did get to see " The World " up-close and was not impressed at all.

Does not look like a happy ship.

[DirtyDawg]

I did get to see " The World " up-close and was not impressed at all.

Does not look like a happy ship.

 

What? It didn't look like this?

[biker@sea]

What? It didn't look like this?

 

 

:') LoL ! :D

Nope looked ahh Lonely.

 

On the other hand, When we tied up by David Geffens ship " Pelorus "

THAT ship Looks like a Fun ship.

.

Edited May 9, 2017 by biker@sea

[srlafleur]

I used to think I could retire on a cruise ship, happily. My thinking was that my kids could take vacations on board to visit, and obviously, we could take "time off" from the cruise just as easily as leaving any retirement location.

Then the grandkids came along. That, along with the realization that I'd end up getting bored with the same locations over and over, ad nauseum. (We are SO over the Caribbean.) Not to mention that hubby and I would end up weighing a ton a piece. I mean, sure, once the novelty wears off, even on a 7-day, you end up eating less and making wiser choices, but still....

 

Now, taking a good part of a year for a world cruise....THAT, I think I could do. But let's start with our upcoming 18 night, shall we, and see how we like it.

[NMLady]

I would not choose just one ship but would take long cruises on a variety of ships and cruise lines depending on destination but probably choosing mostly Oceania. Attire is somewhat casual with no formal dress and specialty restaurants are included.

[TNcruising02]

I could easily retire on cruise ships. I would not limit myself to one line. I would mix it up with different ships and different ports so that I would continuously have new experiences. I would take a few breaks during the year to visit family, but then have no problem getting right back on a ship. I can think of nothing more exciting than always having new experiences all over the world.

[Sancho_proudfoot]

I like the idea, but would follow Super Mario's example, and change vessels regularly.

[whogo]

I would want a ship or ships that do a wide range of longer itineraries, would not want to be on a ship that does the exact same seven day Caribbean cruise week after week after week. Maybe cobble together a world cruise with a Tahiti cruise with an Australia circumnavigation and a South America circumnavigation. Would love to see an Africa circumnavigation. It would be nice to avoid all flights.

 

I would need to take some time off from cruising to visit the kids and take a land vacation. I like the idea of getting rid of all our stuff, except what we can fit in a cruise ship cabin.

 

It is a moot point, SWMBO has other ideas.

[Hlitner]

Some of you might not be familiar with "The World" which is a ship a couple of us mentioned. This ship was built with a unique design and idea. It is essentially a floating Condo complex. Most cabins are actually condo-like apartments with real kitchens and adequate storage. The residents actually purchase an apartment/cabin for several million dollars and then there are ongoing fees. The ship does have a restaurant and some other amenities, but it is not a place where you will ever have Bingo and Sale announcements. The World is intended as a home for its residents...although many owners are only aboard a few weeks (or months) a year...and some do choose to rent out their cabins to others (you can sometimes book a cabin). The ship constantly cruises around the world so is never in one region for any length of time. Owners come from about 45 different countries.

 

Over our forty+ years of cruising we have met a widow (on a Cunard ship) and a couple (on a Princess ship) that actually did live aboard their ships. In each case these folks spent about 10-11 months a year on their ships. The couple on Princess told us they only left the ship to go visit their Grand Children. They also mentioned to me that they would likely have bought a unit on the World...but they had spent so many years on Princess....they just did not want to leave.

 

Hank

[Warm Breezes]

We are looking at retiring early in the next 4-5 years. While we want cruising to play a large part in our retirement, we do not want to retire on a cruise ship. Our ideal retirement that we are currently planning would involve a smaller home in Florida as a home base with room for kids/Mom to visit, a 35' Class A Motorhome to travel to where ever kids/Mom are and to do land vacations with, and cruising whenever the price, timing, and itinerary work into our newly flexible schedule. We are not loyal to any cruise line so I look forward to trying as many ships as we can when we retire. We like variety and get bored when we sail one line too many times in a row. We also want flexibility in our retirement and I just don't see that happening being locked into one ship for long periods of time. I do want to try some longer cruises but I don't see us cruising more than a max of a couple months as a time.