retirement dream

[yellowbird23]

My retirement dream in five years would be to sell everything I own and just keep on cruising on back to back cruises, naturally in the lowest category comfortable for me. Can you imagine? Breakfast in bed? Front porch overlooking the ocean? Eat when you want? Sleep when you want? Dancing every night? Meeting interesting people? Room service? No more cleaning, cooking? It's nice to dream....:)

[piercetc4]

that sounds like a neat plan-

have you done a weekly budget to see how much that would cost doing inside cabins b2b2b2b over the course of a yr? would you stay on same ship or get off here and there to switch ships? very interesting concept....:)

[kryos]

that sounds like a neat plan-

have you done a weekly budget to see how much that would cost doing inside cabins b2b2b2b over the course of a yr? would you stay on same ship or get off here and there to switch ships? very interesting concept....:)

Actually there are older, retired folks who do this now. Depending upon their budget, they book the cheapest cruises ... generally seven-day Caribbean itineraries ... b2b2b2b for months at a time. From what I understand, they get a nice discount by booking multiple cruises, and they book the cabin category that will fit in with their budget. Heck, even the cheapest inside still gives them run of the ship, right?

 

They don't care where the boat is going. Chances are they will never get off anyway. It's the shipboard life they enjoy ... being waited on hand and foot, all food preparation and clean-up taken care of, entertainment when they want it ... companionship always close at hand. It's not a bad lifestyle even if you put yourself on a strict budget. These "live aboards" rarely spend much onboard. I would imagine they smuggle booze into their cabin from the ports so as to economize, and maybe the ship's officers let it slide ... knowing they are onboard for months at a time.

 

Actually, from what I understand, such a lifestyle is actually amazingly affordable ... especially if you can discipline your spending onboard.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[jeana]

If anyone has done the budget analysis please let me know. I'm in! ;)

[Faith77]

I've got at least 10 years to retirement so I figure I'd like to do something like the following in the next few years.

I'd like to do a long cruise (21 to 30 days--maybe a ta or tp) with land trips before and after the cruise. I guess I'll still need to figure out how I'm going to get 30+ days of vacation.

The cruise critic boards have been a great place to read and dream about other cruiser's trips.

Faith

[PSP]

Patty,

 

Funny, I have actually thought of this as well. My sons have been teasing me for years that if I get old and cranky like their Nana they will just keep sending me back on the ship.

 

It could actually be not too costly, especially if you could get a deal for back to back cruises.

 

I too would like to know if anyone has actually done this and on what line and what the daily costs were.

 

Valerie

[kryos]

I too would like to know if anyone has actually done this and on what line and what the daily costs were.

It's kind of hard to figure out the budget unless you were planning to do it in the next year. You would have to find the cheaper itineraries each ship is doing ... and then switch ships to stay with those cheaper itineraries. I doubt you'd be able to stay onboard for the whole year, unless you really had some serious money to play with. The reason for this is that you'd need simple itineraries ... say alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean on a certain ship. But the problem is that the particular ship you are on may reposition to Alaska at some point ... a far more expensive cruise. You'd then have to hope another ship in the fleet was still doing those low-cost Caribbean runs. If not, you very well may have to get off for so many months ... until the lower cost itineraries start up again.

 

I once figured about $500 a week for Caribbean. Don't forget, you still have to pay your port taxes and fees, as well as your gratuities. But I figure $500 a week should cover those items ... with quantity discount for multiple sailings in the lowest level cabin. But, once the ship you are on repositions to do another kind of itinerary, you could be faced with rising costs ... since I doubt the cruise line would charge you the same for the Caribbean as they do for Alaska or Europe. So you may have to jump ship and find another doing your low-cost runs.

 

Of course, this kind of "retirement plan" generally assumes you spend zilch onboard ... or in port. If you do, your costs are gonna mount real quick and you could very well wind up out of money.

 

It's funny you bring this up, because I've thought about it as a retirement option, too ... though I doubt I would ever do it. What I will do, upon retirement if not before, is book the World Cruise ... on an itinerary that appeals to me. But I doubt I'd be the type of person who could live transiently aboard a cruise ship year in and year out. But, others ... such as yourself ... may be able to hack it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kitty9]

A while back, Fortune Magazine did an article on the cost of cruising vs the cost of living in a retirement community, and the costs did compare favorably. You have on board medical services (but, if you don't have private health insurance that covers you out of the country, forget it---Medicare doesn't cover you outside the US), good food, lots of travel companions, people to clean up after you and great scenery. But, I'd go nuts missing the little things like seeing my friends and the nasty TV that's on most ships. I know, it's stupid to think about TV, but there's only so much CNN I can handle.

 

A woman, who recently passed away unfortunately, lived on the QE2 for many years. She became the grande dame of the ship.

 

Even though it can be done, I think I would go stir crazy after a while. I did a 35 day cruise, and believe me, by day 30, I was ready to come home.

[roscoe39]

hi kitty9., do you know who the lady who died ??? hoping it wasnt dear old Mrs Levy.,

[PaulfromPA]

What I will do, upon retirement if not before, is book the World Cruise ... on an itinerary that appeals to me.

 

I definitely like the World Cruise idea, and it is definitely something on my radar screen, although for me it will have to wait until "retirement" whenever that may be. Never mind the money, it will be a long time before my schedule opens up to allow a 4-month vacation! Anyway, I think I would get bored visiting the same Caribbean islands week after week on a string of b2bs, but the idea of globe trotting -- literally -- sounds awesome!

 

- Paul

[kathy32259]

Have any of you seen the Travel Channel's program on the Residensea cruise line? It is pretty new - and the Ship "The World" is the first ever condominium ship. People can actually get a condo and there are many different sizes to choose from. 1 - 2 -3 bedroom. The residents have an association, and the association determines where the ship will sail. It is quite interesting.

 

Hopefully this will catch on and more and more will become available and more affordable. Right now the Residensea costs start at approximately $1.5MM and they have an annual condo assessment that is approx. $50K. No way for me unless I win the lotto - and it would have to be a BIG lotto.

 

I am with you all - I would love to be able to do this when I retire, 7 - 10 years from now (if I am lucky).

 

Check it out when you want to dream big - there is also information on-line.

 

:)

[dsciambi]

Aboard the World

 

That looks amazing. My wife told me we have to win the lottery now. Apartment 1000 is about $8 million. The studios are around $900,000. Now that's a dream retirement...

[PINEVIEW01]

I retired in Janurary. The first thing I did was book three cruise. I did a seven day than visited my sister for a couple days in Tampa. Than did a back to back. In November I'm flying to CA where I have FOUR cruises booked B2B. After I do a TA in September. I'm really liking this retirement thing:)