by With all-day service, all-you-can-eat buffets and stress-free accessibility, cruise ships have long been popular with retirees.
But with the rising cost of care homes in the UK, could a permanent cruise be a viable alternative to assisted living on land?
Recently, Marty and Jess Ansen, a retired couple from Australia, made headlines around the world after they revealed that they had been on 51 back-to-back trips.
“It’s much more affordable than a nursing home and we can continue to travel the world,” says Marty.
In fact, a 7-day cruise can cost as little as £500, while residential care homes in the UK cost an average of £1,160 per week – and they won’t be stopping in the Caribbean.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that living on a cruise ship provides a better quality of life and may be more cost-effective for seniors who need help living independently.
“People over the age of 65 who have good cognitive function but need help with daily living are great candidates for care on a cruise ship,” says Dr. Lee Lindquist, a geriatrician who conducted the study. .
“Both cruise ships and assisted living facilities offer a single room apartment with a private bathroom, easy-access shower, and entertainment. Cruise ships often have a higher ratio of employees to passengers than assisted living facilities.”
Seeing the world from a floating retirement home certainly sounds like a later life dream. When Cruise critic, a cruise ship comparison website, posted a poll on Twitter asking, “Would you retire at sea?” 43 percent voted, “Yes, sign me up!” and 33 percent voted, “Maybe, if it’s possible.”
“It’s definitely been on fire lately in terms of people thinking about this as a prospect,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor Cruise critic. “We’ve heard of a lot of people doing it over the years, and we’re hearing more and more [of it]. It is certainly ambitious. Seeing the world from your home where all your meals are taken care of, great service and things like laundry on board is very appealing.”
As a result of this demand, many of the major cruise companies are creating longer and longer cruises with some offering three-year cruises. But if that’s not long enough, you might consider a boarding ship, where cabins can be purchased outright. For one per center, there’s An Domhan – 165 super-luxe apartments that can be renovated to suit the owners’ taste. This vessel is strictly confidential and an apartment on board is by invitation only. A net worth of at least £8 million is said to be mandatory.
For a more affordable option, the Villa Vie Odyssey sailed from Belfast in May carrying not passengers but “residents” who bought cabins costing between £78,730 and £708,590 – plus monthly fees – for the ship’s 15-year life .
Grace and Jerry Grady, a retired couple in their 70s, are renting a cabin on the Villa Vie Odyssey for £34,160 a year, which is cheaper than the average cost of living in the UK (£36,000 a year). They have sold their house and most of their possessions to pay for it.
Life at sea is certainly more luxurious than at home, with unlimited food and soft drinks, alcoholic drinks at dinner, free wi-fi, regular medical check-ups, weekly housekeeping, 24/7 room service and bi-weekly laundry service .
“It’s always been a dream of mine to see the world,” says Jerry. “We have traveled a lot. I’m not worried about anything.”
Kevin Price, 48, a retired naval commander who runs the YouTube channel “30 And A Wake Up” spent a year living on 13 different cruise ships in 2023. “I met a lot of older couples who were spending 10 months on a ship cruise. , and a few months with the family, in exchange for moving into a retirement village,” he says. “I can definitely see the appeal. I would love to wake up every morning in a different place, never having to think about housework and being able to have any meal at any time of the day.”
Price says he used the cost comparison website CruisePlum to find the best deals and that living on a cruise ship cost far less than his living expenses on land. “The longer you stay, the better the benefits because all the major lines have loyalty programs,” he says. “It’s actually a lot cheaper to live on a cruise ship year-round than people think. I was spending about £1,500 a month.”
Although cost is a big factor, social life aboard a floating retirement home is the big draw for many people. Angelyn Burk, 54, an accountant from Seattle, convinced her husband, Richard, 53, to spend his retirement on unlimited trips in 2021. “We have movies, comedy shows and arts and crafts classes,” says Angelyn. “We have a great living room, a gorgeous dining room and a hot tub that never needs maintenance. When you’re living on water you don’t hear ambulances, ambulances, screaming and yelling. It’s just a quieter life.”
But there are a few things to consider if you’re thinking of spending your golden years on the high seas, and you can’t just pile on the pounds at the buffet. It’s one thing to live on a cruise ship when you’re generally fit and healthy (and at most you just need wheelchair access), but if you have advanced needs that require nursing care – for example help with bathing, dressing, memory loss or incontinence – it would not be a suitable option.
Although most large ships have a dentist, doctor and nurses on board (not to mention a morgue in case the worst happens), medical treatment at sea is limited, quite expensive and not included in your cruise price. Treatment on board is often not covered by medical insurance, and passengers may be encouraged to see doctors in port instead. “There’s only so much they can handle on board,” says McDaniel. “It’s important to have evacuation insurance and land-based options for health care in case you need medical care while cruising.”
Older people with pre-existing health conditions may find that insurance for a long-term trip costs more than the trip itself, or is not offered at all. And you’ll need a backup plan if your health prevents you from staying on the ship for any length of time.
Pets are not allowed on board, and of course you will be away from friends and family. But with the free Wi-Fi, you can always FaceTime them, or they could come visit. “All three daughters have already looked at the itinerary and thought about when they can visit us,” says Jerry Grady.
But before you sell out and book that round-the-world cruise, McDaniel recommends taking a shorter Grand Voyage (usually about 30 to 40 days long) to “dip your toes” into the world of sea, and add to longer journeys. “There is a real connection between people who are willing to spend 100 or more nights on a ship and people who might see it as a real amenity to retire on one,” she says.
For Jerry Grady, all the challenges of building a new life at sea are worth it.
“The biggest thing is the willingness to do this,” he says. “It’s an adventure of a lifetime.”
