Author Topic: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year  (Read 9348 times)

jim555

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SnackDog

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2017, 03:39:49 PM »
Not a bad option at all considering it includes daily maid service and unlimited food and drink. Not to mention free transportation to exotic locations. If you rent your house out for, say, $40k/ year and get SS it can be significantly cheaper than staying home!

Metric Mouse

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2017, 07:20:40 PM »
I think I'd rather stay home, even if it is more expensive.  Might be fun for a year or so though.

Dicey

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2017, 01:26:23 AM »
This article has made the rounds for years. An interesting idea in the right circumstances.

Slee_stack

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2017, 09:04:10 AM »
For the right person, certainly intriguing.

I don't think I'd personally want to do that for more than a few months, but others love cruises, so maybe good deal for them.

lthenderson

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2017, 09:09:44 AM »
I can't even subject myself to one week trapped in close quarters with a thousand other people on a floating ship must less the rest of my life. Not for me.

Reynold

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2017, 12:37:17 PM »
I have also heard of that as an alternative to assisted living, depending on the assistance you require (meal prep, for example) it can be significantly cheaper than most facilities. 

fidreamer

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2017, 03:51:35 PM »
Not a bad option at all considering it includes daily maid service and unlimited food and drink. Not to mention free transportation to exotic locations. If you rent your house out for, say, $40k/ year and get SS it can be significantly cheaper than staying home!

I really like this idea! 

gerardc

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2017, 07:15:40 PM »
All-inclusive resorts sound more fun, and have more variety in activities. You can rotate destinations though, and probably not do it forever.

Metric Mouse

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2017, 07:46:22 PM »
I have also heard of that as an alternative to assisted living, depending on the assistance you require (meal prep, for example) it can be significantly cheaper than most facilities.
Yeah, a lot easier to ignore mom and dad when they are loaded on a cruise ship circling the Caribbean.  As long as the ship doesn't sink, they are probably fine. And the once every two year visits are much more enjoyable than the nursing home downtown.

olu

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2017, 08:14:05 PM »
I'm assuming the 70K is per person, pretty expensive if you're a couple

MM_MG

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2017, 11:03:09 PM »
I'm not sure what this says about me, but I was expecting a story about "retiring" and working on a cruise ship for $70K a year.

The thought of getting norovirus period, let alone at age 70, is enough for me to steer clear.   

Pizzabrewer

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2017, 11:05:43 PM »
Sounds like a slow torture to me.

steveo

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #13 on: February 27, 2017, 11:17:23 PM »
I'm assuming the 70K is per person, pretty expensive if you're a couple

I was thinking it was cheap as well until you said this. This puts it into perspective. $150k per year ($70k each but $10k for when you aren't on a boat or additional spending money) is a hell of a lot to spend for 2 people.

Doubleh

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #14 on: February 27, 2017, 11:41:13 PM »
I don't think it would be as expensive as that, because 2 people still only occupy the one state room.  Reading the article the guy running the business is quoted as having earned enough loyalty points to cut the normal single occupancy supplement from 200% to 150%.

This implies that 2 people sharing would cost between the same amount as one person and 33% more. So say in the region of $100k pet year for a couple. Still not the most mustachian budget but not bad as an alternative to care

the_fixer

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #15 on: February 28, 2017, 07:40:16 AM »
The cost of a cruise is based on the cabin not per person so a couple would be the same cost as a single person with most cruise lines (we could have put 3 people in our cabin for the same price but sometimes there is a small upcharge). Sometimes they offer a reduced fair for a single occ but it is not half the cost of the cabin.

Using the current price for the cruise we took in December it would come out to $60984 base price for my wife and I to cruise for 365 days
Port Canaveral - St Thomas - Antigua - Barbados - Gernada - St Maarten - San Juan - St Kitts   

I think I would jump overboard after a few month being around that many people not to mention all of the sicknesses that get spread around.

Might be a great option for a small family get one cabin and cruise the Caribbean for a while for the same cost as living on the land?

« Last Edit: February 28, 2017, 08:12:26 AM by the_fixer »

lthenderson

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #16 on: February 28, 2017, 08:14:50 AM »
I have also heard of that as an alternative to assisted living, depending on the assistance you require (meal prep, for example) it can be significantly cheaper than most facilities.

I've never heard this but assuming it is true, I would have questions. 1) What do they do with the dead? Burial at sea (is it even still legal), on board cremation until they reach port? Freezer space? 2) Emergency medical services? An emergency room? Surgical theater? Hospital rooms? Medical staff?

I guess I'm assuming any such boat would spend large amounts of time at sea and perhaps that isn't the case. Perhaps they will spend most of their time in a port somewhere docked.

jim555

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #17 on: February 28, 2017, 08:43:52 AM »
Jump dump 'em overboard, no problems.

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #18 on: February 28, 2017, 10:12:02 AM »
I have also heard of that as an alternative to assisted living, depending on the assistance you require (meal prep, for example) it can be significantly cheaper than most facilities.

I've never heard this but assuming it is true, I would have questions. 1) What do they do with the dead? Burial at sea (is it even still legal), on board cremation until they reach port? Freezer space? 2) Emergency medical services? An emergency room? Surgical theater? Hospital rooms? Medical staff?

I guess I'm assuming any such boat would spend large amounts of time at sea and perhaps that isn't the case. Perhaps they will spend most of their time in a port somewhere docked.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1631

Quote
Bodies can be stored in shipboard morgues as needed. Each oceangoing cruise ship is required to carry body bags and maintain a morgue. Separate from food storage areas, most morgues are small, with room for three to six bodies.

On standard Caribbean sailings, remains are typically kept in the onboard morgue until the ship returns to the United States where a death certificate can be issued by the local medical examiner's office, de la Cruz said.

Great question, BTW.  Some long haul airliners also carry body bags for this.  I remember reading about how Singapore airlines had berthing space and body bags for their 16 hour non-stop between Singapore and Newark.  Obviously this was a large, wide body aircraft, not a Canadair.

lthenderson

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #19 on: February 28, 2017, 02:27:46 PM »
I have also heard of that as an alternative to assisted living, depending on the assistance you require (meal prep, for example) it can be significantly cheaper than most facilities.

I've never heard this but assuming it is true, I would have questions. 1) What do they do with the dead? Burial at sea (is it even still legal), on board cremation until they reach port? Freezer space? 2) Emergency medical services? An emergency room? Surgical theater? Hospital rooms? Medical staff?

I guess I'm assuming any such boat would spend large amounts of time at sea and perhaps that isn't the case. Perhaps they will spend most of their time in a port somewhere docked.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1631

Quote
Bodies can be stored in shipboard morgues as needed. Each oceangoing cruise ship is required to carry body bags and maintain a morgue. Separate from food storage areas, most morgues are small, with room for three to six bodies.

On standard Caribbean sailings, remains are typically kept in the onboard morgue until the ship returns to the United States where a death certificate can be issued by the local medical examiner's office, de la Cruz said.

Great question, BTW.  Some long haul airliners also carry body bags for this.  I remember reading about how Singapore airlines had berthing space and body bags for their 16 hour non-stop between Singapore and Newark.  Obviously this was a large, wide body aircraft, not a Canadair.

Thanks for the link. Great reading! I assume ships specifically for assisted living, i.e. people closer to death than the average joe, would need to have bigger such facilities than your typical vacation cruise line.

691175002

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #20 on: February 28, 2017, 02:57:02 PM »
The quoted $70,000 is likely for a higher end cabin.  If you go interior it can be much cheaper.

Cruises provide a very "sanitized" vacation, even when you visit a port you are visiting a safe tourist area and are likely on a <4 hour guided tour.  They are fun if you plan to relax, but can be very frustrating if you are genuinely hoping to explore.

the_fixer

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #21 on: February 28, 2017, 10:27:56 PM »
The carnival cruise ship we were on in December had a presentation on the boat with and Q&A session and someone asked and they responded that they have a morgue onboard.

LibrarianFuzz

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #22 on: March 01, 2017, 11:58:08 AM »
Um, retiring to a cruise ship is my plan. If I am generating enough from my withdrawal rate to afford it when I am a senior citizen.

I will be single, no children, and without close family. I am scared of becoming old and having a house I can't take care of and losing the ability to drive, too. When you end up with very limited mobility, a lack of social interaction, that's when people start to seem to go downhill, etc. I am scared of my world becoming very small, with no one to help care for me.

I love the idea of the built-in socialization, activities, food, travel, and relationships with staff and other long-term cruisers who can help "watch out" for an old senior citizen lady. Sounds way better than assisted living or a nursing home to me.


Aggie1999

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #23 on: March 01, 2017, 12:20:14 PM »
If I retired to a cruise ship I'd be on that 600 lb Discovery channel show in about a year...

Metric Mouse

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #24 on: March 01, 2017, 02:04:43 PM »
If I retired to a cruise ship I'd be on that 600 lb Discovery channel show in about a year...
What a unique side- gig! Great way to  make a bit of money in retirement.

Gin1984

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Re: Retire to cruise ship - $70k per year
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2017, 02:22:08 PM »
I'm assuming the 70K is per person, pretty expensive if you're a couple
Not always.  Cruise ships are double occupancy so most singles pay an extra 50-100%.  I'd bet you'd need less than $100,000 for a couple.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!