Live On A Cruise Ship And Visit 135 Countries And All Seven Continents - $30,000/year

[PeterG]

You can now live on a cruise ship for $30,000 per year

Life at Sea Cruises' new three-year voyage on the MV Gemini is offering the chance to see the world and work remotely -- from just $30,000 per person per year.

www.cnn.com

• Visit 375 ports around the world (208 are overnight stops)
• Includes traditional cruise ship amenities, restaurants and entertainment
• A full-scale business center complete with meeting rooms, 14 offices, a business library and a lounge, access is free
• A round-the-clock hospital with free medical visits
• A matchmaking scheme, where passengers will be allowed to "share" a cabin with someone else, dipping in and out of the itinerary (so two couples could divide travel time between them)
• A sundeck and swimming pool, wellness center, auditorium, gym, salon and "multiple dining options"
• What's included in the trip also includes all meals, alcohol at dinner plus soft drinks, juice, tea and coffee all day, laundry, port fees and housekeeping

 

[Yehudi]

Met a bunch of retirees while on a cruise. They said they just hopped on one cruise ship to another. It was cheaper than rent and groceries, no cooking, no need to mow the lawn.

 

[ballettmaus]

I read this a few weeks ago and I think that if this is your thing, it's a pretty neat idea and it sounds well thought-out.

 

[quartz]

Can I take my cats? I can’t be a year without them.

 

[Cachoo]

Man, I must be the ultimate homebody. I think this sounds lonely. I like my little house, my old friends, my kitty and familiar surroundings. And no COVID so far.

 

[fan]

that's cheap! can i retire at 40??

no...i can't. :-(

 

[Wyliefan]

You could write a great detective series about a Miss Marple-like figure who lives on cruise ships and solves crimes.

 

[Finnice]

If there would be resident cats, I might consider.

 

[Desperado]

On the surface it sounds wonderful but it could also be sad because, unless you take many people with you, the only company you’ll have will be paid and/or temporary.

Also, good luck if your health declines.

I can see a recently separated/widowed person in good health do this, or a newly retired couple.

 

[Cachoo]

Does your cabin include a window?

 

[Amy L]

My aunt and uncle were planning to do something similar, but only 6 months instead of a year. They were set to go June 2020 so...

 

[skategal]

The question is how much weight would you gain the first few months with access to all those buffets (and desserts)

 

[PeterG]

On the surface it sounds wonderful but it could also be sad because, unless you take many people with you, the only company you’ll have will be paid and/or temporary.

Also, good luck if your health declines.

I believe they will allow the 4,100 passengers to talk to one another. But there's no requirement to form friendships with all 4,100 of them.

As for your health, there's a free hospital on ship. Plus, unlike Hotel California, you can leave anytime.

Does your cabin include a window?

For an additional fee, yes!

 

[Garden Kitty]

I've been following a guy on twitter who recently retired from a career as a long time college sports announcer and he and his wife are taking a 112 day "around the world" cruise to celebrate his retirement. It's not intended to be a "place to live' but I've enjoyed following his trip and the pictures from each of their stops.

 

[MacMadame]

Can I take my cats? I can’t be a year without them.

No. And no dogs allowed either. (I checked)

On the surface it sounds wonderful but it could also be sad because, unless you take many people with you, the only company you’ll have will be paid and/or temporary.

Your friends and family can come to visit. If they stay in your cabin, it's free. But there are also other cabins they can stay in and for those they'd have to pay.

Also, it's not really that much more temporary than going to college. It's 3 years instead of 4 but you don't have people cycling in and out like you do at college.

Does your cabin include a window?

Yes and no. Inside cabins have a virtual window. (A tv screen) It's supposed to show you what is outside but I assume it's from some kind of central webcam so it would show the same to everyone.

I looked into this and my issue was that their website doesn't answer but the most basic of questions. I wanted to see a detailed itinerary with how many of the trips were overnight trips, for example. All I could find was to be on the mailing list and to register for a cabin. I'm not registering for a cabin with that little information.

I believe they will allow the 4,100 passengers to talk to one another. But there's no requirement to form friendships with all 4,100 of them.

The ship is a 1,074-passenger ship. That's a reasonable number that you would soon know everyone at least by sight and could probably name a lot of them and have a decent circle of friends. (That's how big my college was.)

 

[manhn]

You would not need to pay for things like car insurance, fire insurance, and the maintenance related to car and home. You would not need to pay for food. And for Canadians, OAS and CPP would theoretically cover 2/3 of that cost. Not sure if your health insurance would be covered due to residency issues. And your own health being on water (I actually think you could lose weight due to access to a gym and after a while, you would get sick of the meals). I’d be concerned of the constant nickel and diming. But I’d totally be up for it.

 

[tony]

I mean, my rent is $30,000 a year and there is nothing included with it besides water. On a cruise ship, I wouldn't have to pay the $80-$100 a month in gym fees, $60-$100 electric, cable, internet, gas, car insurance, renters insurance, groceries, eating out, drinks, etc.

Sounds like a bargain. If I was already a travel nurse and banking on those $$$ opportunities, I'd jump on this. People who work from home and can make their own hours are basically set.

 

[Desperado]

Ok, I did what I should’ve done at the beginning and read the article. (@PeterG ‘s summary was so nice, I thought I could skip it.)
You stay there with the same people around for 3 YEARS!! I feel claustrophobic just thinking about it.

I do appreciate the solo traveler rebate though.

 

[kwanfan1818]

For single people, it's 2x the rate less 15%, or $51K for an inside room or $63K for an outside room.

Taxes and gratuities aren't mentioned.

The business center doesn't mention internet access, which is $$$$$$$$$ on cruise ships, but, hey, the working people who won't have to pay taxes because they're not US citizens and don't have to pay tax on worldwide income because they're not resident anywhere, can pay for the internet out of those savings.

 

[Cachoo]

I find too much water monotonous. But then I knew this wasn’t for me anyway.

 

[Japanfan]

I think it's a cool idea. But could not live without my dog and cat. And life could get a bit monotonous in terms of things to see, unless the ship stopped in a lot of ports.

I better like the idea of living a nomad life in an RV.

 

[MacMadame]

The business center doesn't mention internet access, which is $$$$$$$$$ on cruise ships,

The articles I read said that they will have free internet and it will be high-speed broadband. They are trying to lure the WFH crowd and not just retirees.

Though I have to say that as a WFH person, I worry that I will not be able to see all the sights and still get some work done. With the number of ports over the number of days, it seems like you get around 1-2 days at sea for every day in port. I need to work more than 2-3 days a week!

While they are trying to attract WFH people, I think that this would work better as an early retirement trip where you work PT while traveling the world on your way to full retirement.

I think it's a cool idea. But could not live without my dog and cat. And life could get a bit monotonous in terms of things to see, unless the ship stopped in a lot of ports.

It stops at 375 ports including many overnight stays so you can see more of the area. It hits all the highlights too like all the wonders of the world and even Antarctica! (It goes to all the continents.) If you are someone who has a bunch of bucket list places you want to visit, this cruise could get you there in only three years.

 

[Prancer]

On the surface it sounds wonderful but it could also be sad because, unless you take many people with you, the only company you’ll have will be paid and/or temporary.

I have a friend who used to do a lot of cruises and knew people who lived this way. There were groups of them, so they had a lot of familiar people around them. They would even change ships as a group and go on different cruises.

 

[Vagabond]

When I read the thread title, my first thought was, "$30,000 a year? They would have to pay me more than that!"

 

[Judy]

Does your cabin include a window?

Probably!

 

[Judy]

3 years at 30K … so 90K. 3 years is a very long time. No doubt you’d make great friends. I’ve only done one cruise to Europe. (1200 for 14 days) with balcony, concierge. It was a great deal.
We met some great people and still have them on my FB page. I couldn’t do 3 years.

I did meet some seniors though that stayed on the ship for a lengthy amount of time. Obviously wealthy. Cruise ships aren’t cheap.

 

[Frau Muller]

But I’d miss the figure skating season if the cruise doesn’t have Peacock!!!!!!
No way, Jose!

 

[Yehudi]

I've been following a guy on twitter who recently retired from a career as a long time college sports announcer and he and his wife are taking a 112 day "around the world" cruise to celebrate his retirement. It's not intended to be a "place to live' but I've enjoyed following his trip and the pictures from each of their stops.

My grandparents did a cruise around the world. I think it was 10 months but they were mostly retired by that point and my mom and aunts were adults.

 

[MacMadame]

There are definitely shorter "around the world" cruises.

We'll see how popular this one is. I see some good things about it -- getting to all the major sites in the world as well as Antarctica -- but also some so-so things. Like being in a contract for 3 years. What if after a few months, you realize it's not for you? Also, you are going to be on the inaugural sailing. So any kinks will not necessarily have been worked out yet.

 

[Spikefan]

You stay there with the same people around for 3 YEARS!! I feel claustrophobic just thinking about it.

So much this. I enjoy my neighbors but some days I don’t feel like talking to people. If I see they are out front, I go out back and hang out. On a ship you could never leave your cabin without running into someone!

Of course a regular cruise doesn’t even appeal to me so three years is a big no. Great for those that would enjoy it though. I would send to a retired couple I know that love to cruise but they wouldn’t leave their four cats.