We spent the first 4 months of retirement on back to back cruises in the Caribbean while waiting for our transatlantic. Very hard on the middle-aged body. I got mal de debarkment getting off the second cruise, and had to be rolled off in a wheelchair. Had some joint issues from walking on hard ship floors for 4 months. Ship life has a lot of good points, but we will stick to shorter cruises going forward. A 28-day cruise is about right for us.
Hey Guys, could you please share-upon filing Annual Taxes to the IRS, when your living on International waters for periods of six months or longer, where do you declare primary residency? Do you suggest seeking a CPA in the USA or Internationally? Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Great video , however it's not an apples to apples comparison. The current Royal world cruise includes many perks that were not discussed in the video. Including airfare to and from port , unlimited drink package , laundry service , crew gratuities , and all expenses paid for excursions to the 7 wonders of the world . The fare is not a cruise only fare for 270 days .
Be careful with NCL, they were just in the news, and not in a good way, for skipping Antarctica destination knowing full well that they were going to before sailing and chose not to inform passengers, they just changed the name of the sailing after they left port. Then they would offer the passengers No explanation, it almost caused a mutiny on board. For many this was a once in a lifetime trip that they had saved years for. NOT COOL !
We spent a month on Crown Princess in the South Pacific many years ago, and it was an older iteration of the CP. It was so much fun. It was like being on a private yacht. We crossed the equator three times during that trip. Crossing the equator was great fun made memorable by the all-day celebration.
We enjoy your posts. The idea of waiting till the last minute to book may not turn out to be inexpensive. I did a quick check on cruise guru for repositioning cruises from Australia. Most of those in the next few weeks had all the inside rooms sold out -- expensive rooms still available. Inside rooms become available in early March. Thus you would have to stay over a month in an hotel or airbnb.
I was on the Crown Princess for 11 nights in late June/early July of 2023. I really enjoyed the ship. Very beautiful ship. The food was really good (especially dinner and breakfast in the main dining room). The one exception is the buffet (that was trash). I had an inside cabin, but I found the bed to be comfortable and really enjoyed the cabin. The Explorers Lounge had a really talented singer at night during the cruise and it was a nice place to talk with people. Nice thing for a long cruise is they do have laundry rooms available.
I do not mind repositioning, transatlantic 15 and 16 days, and then take a break and do something on land, and then get on another ship and perhaps back-to-back ships I have done this and I have no problem with it. My husband so far has not want to go beyond the 16 days without a layover somewhere. What you are thinking of doing is great and absolutely doable and I would do it as well. I do have vouchers on NCL so maybe I will start this trip similar to your ideas next year. The Crown Princess does sound very nice as well
What search method do you use to identify and price compare all the cruise options? Also, good point that when comparing AirBnb to hotels, factor in the status building if in a hotel.
I REALLY love your plan!! I am not a super-cruiser like you both, but I do travel each year and being a year away from full time travel with retirement in my early 50s, I envision a life like you are describing. I see cruising playing a portion of the coming years travel plans and then a more significant portion as I enter the slower travel years later in life. Loving your channel and updates. Thanks again for sharing this with us all, Craig
I really liked this video - great that you laid out some different strategies. A suggestion for you, and one that would take a long time but would make for an excellent video, is to set up a few (maybe 5-10) "paper annual cruises" and lay out what cruises you could book in real time starting right now. Then, assuming you don't pull the trigger within a year, you would have some real time experimental data on what it might really take. It would be interesting to know how far out in advance you felt like you could schedule, what ports seemed to work to ensure you had another cruise waiting, how your planned time off ships would work, etc. Just a thought as to how you might go about further exploring this possibility with some real life data since it would be done in real time, just short of actually booking.
Check out freighter cruising . The freighter carries about 20 passengers & you eat with crew. The food is typically good. Typically the trip is 7 to 10 days. This idea is for someone that wants to chill out, read books, ect. Some people cruise to a port to start their vacation and perhaps fly back home . The rooms are spacious . For me it would be a nice way to relax and chill out .
Hello. We love your videos. You get to the point(s) without feeling the need to show us where outlets are located and counting drawers. Question: When on a ship for a couple of weeks or longer, what do you do regarding laundry? Do you use the ships laundry service? Are there facilities that are available directly to the cruiser? Thank you,
LOL. Yeah and that does NOT include a lot of things in life. How about gratuities? Health insurance? Do you own stuff? Then storage? Airfares? Hotels? etc. One needs to be rich to even consider this. Sorry, not for me. Just not realistic.
Better, cheaper, and all Inc option available, but I'm not sure I can post a link to it for advertising reasons? I'm a resident on it. Cheaper than all those, with everything included.
I'll be going on the Crown to Alaska in June...but I've been on four other Princess ships and I've enjoyed them all. I do have to say, if I were planning a world cruise or even living on a ship for most of the year on smaller itineraries, I wouldn't do it if I had to budget by staying in an inside cabin. That would drive me crazy and I know I'd hate it. Unless I could afford a balcony or a mini-suite (my preference), I wouldn't go. Do you really think you could spend so much time in a tiny inside cabin?
Love all your channels :) My husband and I are taking the plunge and starting full time travel in 2025. Definitely want to plug Easter Island though! We spent five days there and wished we could’ve spent longer. I’d do more than a port stop there if you can make it work!
Pretty much every world cruise out there now has had some itinerary change. State of the world today, it's a little unrealistic to think any long term trip you plan right now will actually make it to most of the advertised ports, and that's not even considering weather-caused changes. If getting to all of the ports isn't a priority, then remember to add in any part of the trip that you plan to be on land. Nice to dream :)
My wife and I are roughly the same age as y’all. Normally we sail on Holland America and yeah we are the youngest people usually on the ship. But in August 2022 we went on an Alaska cruise with princess on the Crown princess, it was a, very nice cruise. But a strange ship. they were having engine problems so it could not go its normal speed because of that , one of our ports of calls was changed. The engine problem also caused vibration to be heard and felt throughout the aft of the ship. We are big fans of the thermal suite and on the crown princess, the thermal suite is a windowless room that gives off the vibe of a YMCA. A couple of the Steam rooms were also broken and we were not able to use while we were there. We didn’t care for the food on board and actually I thought the food on a carnival ship in the MDR was better , but a plus side they do have four pools on the ship and the forward pool is surrounded by the spa so most people don’t even know that it’s there or they think you’re they’re not able to use it. The crew were very strange half of them were very warm and welcoming, and extremely proactive in their service , the other half were snarky and indifferent. It’s very strange and a very different experience from what we were used to on Holland America. The Wi-Fi wasn’t very good in the app was absolutely atrocious. I heard numerous other cruisers complain about the app throughout the entire trip based on our experience on the crown princess we decided we would not go on another Princess cruise .
Thanks for this video! Question: won’t there be additional costs vs the basic costs you detailed ie tips, WiFi, etc? We’re a retired slow travel couple and cruising virgins …
You were talking about going to the same ports over and over. All of my cruises until now have been in the Caribbean. There are many times I don't leave the ship. There are some ports I always get off. In most cases, I cruise because of the ship, not the itineraries. I do have a cruise scheduled for Bermuda that I did book for the destination. Likewise, for a 2025 Transatlantic to Rome via the Azores and Spain. I love your channels!
Cruising the world “ad hoc” is exactly what my newly retired husband and I are thinking of doing. Would be VERY interested in videos on how you go about planning this. Great channel and content as always.
I want to do a world cruise but my husband doesn't like cruising and he doesn't want me gone that long. I would not do like Super Mario because I cruise for the destinations. Good video, thank you.
I think you need to reconsider your plan to stay for weeks in some ports that offer multiple cruise departures when you're switching ships/lines. Some of those port cities are very expensive for accommodation - Singapore is a prime example. You could fly or take ground transportation to nearby cities in Malaysia (from Singapore), and literally halve your accommodation costs, and get to experience a new location. You might also find a must-do cruise departing from another city in the region where a regional flight is better than sitting in your arrival port city. So many variables...it's going to be interesting to follow your planning process. I expect it will evolve as you get into this new adventure!
I have really been enjoying all of your content (on all your channels). Your new adventure sounds wonderful. I vote for the option you are entertaining. It's the most flexible, with plenty of options. I'm all about options! All the best!
Very wise fun plan. I was on Star Princess when new,, was same class as Crown out just a year or so later...I like that class of ship...the dressing areas even on an inside in those ships by the bath are very nice layouts sharing a small space....is so nice..beautiful ships...
I wish u guys many blessings on your endeavors but I agree u can find the best deals last minute because there r unsold rooms and the cruise lines want to fill up the ship 🚢 ✅🙏🏽
The longest we've been on a ship is 23 days. We're currently planning a 26 day cruise for 2025. We also typically extend our trip on the front end and/or the back end depending on those locations. FYI - there will be additional costs which aren't quoted in the cruise fare. Gratuities typically cost ~$18/day per person. Wi-Fi and specialty dining is usually extra. Alcohol and excursions also add to the cost. Also, some cruise lines don't include the cost of taxes and port charges in their pricing. For these reasons we wouldn't consider more than 30 days of cruising on a trip.
We spent the first 4 months of retirement on back to back cruises in the Caribbean while waiting for our transatlantic. Very hard on the middle-aged body. I got mal de debarkment getting off the second cruise, and had to be rolled off in a wheelchair. Had some joint issues from walking on hard ship floors for 4 months. Ship life has a lot of good points, but we will stick to shorter cruises going forward. A 28-day cruise is about right for us.
Don't forget the daily gratituities they tack on. That's over $5,000 per person for a full year 😬
Whoa
I think another factor would be excursions and sightseeing which would run up to 10k per person.
Hey Guys, could you please share-upon filing Annual Taxes to the IRS, when your living on International waters for periods of six months or longer, where do you declare primary residency? Do you suggest seeking a CPA in the USA or Internationally? Thank you for sharing your experiences.
How far in advance do you book cruises? Months? Weeks? Days? Hours???
Why not do a video on the cheapest way to spend 6 months cruising 😉
Great video , however it's not an apples to apples comparison. The current Royal world cruise includes many perks that were not discussed in the video. Including airfare to and from port , unlimited drink package , laundry service , crew gratuities , and all expenses paid for excursions to the 7 wonders of the world . The fare is not a cruise only fare for 270 days .
That's exactly what I was coming here to mention. All those additional perks have value and that wasn't mentioned here.
Be careful with NCL, they were just in the news, and not in a good way, for skipping Antarctica destination knowing full well that they were going to before sailing and chose not to inform passengers, they just changed the name of the sailing after they left port. Then they would offer the passengers No explanation, it almost caused a mutiny on board. For many this was a once in a lifetime trip that they had saved years for. NOT COOL !
We spent a month on Crown Princess in the South Pacific many years ago, and it was an older iteration of the CP. It was so much fun. It was like being on a private yacht. We crossed the equator three times during that trip. Crossing the equator was great fun made memorable by the all-day celebration.
I’m not a cruiser, but is their some loyalty benefits when using one or two cruise lines?
Hi~ I'm wondering if you could recommend what travelers do for internet and telephone packages. I don't even know where to start.
We enjoy your posts. The idea of waiting till the last minute to book may not turn out to be inexpensive. I did a quick check on cruise guru for repositioning cruises from Australia. Most of those in the next few weeks had all the inside rooms sold out -- expensive rooms still available. Inside rooms become available in early March. Thus you would have to stay over a month in an hotel or airbnb.
I definitely would like the option to get off and explore an area for a few weeks to a month and then get back on the ship.
I doubt you’re going to save anything staying in an expensive port city just between lodging, food and transportation
Going on different cruises around the world in 45-day segments sounds good, I am really looking forward to seeing your videos.
Your title says How much does it cost to live on a cruise ship. Not how much does it cost to go around the world. Plz change the title
I was on the Crown Princess for 11 nights in late June/early July of 2023. I really enjoyed the ship. Very beautiful ship. The food was really good (especially dinner and breakfast in the main dining room). The one exception is the buffet (that was trash). I had an inside cabin, but I found the bed to be comfortable and really enjoyed the cabin. The Explorers Lounge had a really talented singer at night during the cruise and it was a nice place to talk with people. Nice thing for a long cruise is they do have laundry rooms available.
I do not mind repositioning, transatlantic 15 and 16 days, and then take a break and do something on land, and then get on another ship and perhaps back-to-back ships I have done this and I have no problem with it. My husband so far has not want to go beyond the 16 days without a layover somewhere. What you are thinking of doing is great and absolutely doable and I would do it as well. I do have vouchers on NCL so maybe I will start this trip similar to your ideas next year. The Crown Princess does sound very nice as well
What search method do you use to identify and price compare all the cruise options? Also, good point that when comparing AirBnb to hotels, factor in the status building if in a hotel.
I would go NUTS spending that much time in an inside cabin. Gotta have a balcony.
Definition of a Dungeon..."A room with no windows".
I REALLY love your plan!! I am not a super-cruiser like you both, but I do travel each year and being a year away from full time travel with retirement in my early 50s, I envision a life like you are describing. I see cruising playing a portion of the coming years travel plans and then a more significant portion as I enter the slower travel years later in life. Loving your channel and updates. Thanks again for sharing this with us all, Craig
inside cabin ? no thank you.
Where can I find that 45-day stay you did on back-to-back ships? Would somebody please send the link to me. Thank you in advance
They did a video on it. It explains it. They planned it themselves.
I’m going to try something similar to option C as a solo traveler beginning later this year.
I really liked this video - great that you laid out some different strategies.
A suggestion for you, and one that would take a long time but would make for an excellent video, is to set up a few (maybe 5-10) "paper annual cruises" and lay out what cruises you could book in real time starting right now. Then, assuming you don't pull the trigger within a year, you would have some real time experimental data on what it might really take. It would be interesting to know how far out in advance you felt like you could schedule, what ports seemed to work to ensure you had another cruise waiting, how your planned time off ships would work, etc. Just a thought as to how you might go about further exploring this possibility with some real life data since it would be done in real time, just short of actually booking.
Check out freighter cruising . The freighter carries about 20 passengers & you eat with crew. The food is typically good. Typically the trip is 7 to 10 days. This idea is for someone that wants to chill out, read books, ect. Some people cruise to a port to start their vacation and perhaps fly back home . The rooms are spacious . For me it would be a nice way to relax and chill out .
How do you search for these?
Inside cabin, for a year, $80-$100k+ ?? 😅😅😅 sounds like my ultimate nightmare.
Hello. We love your videos. You get to the point(s) without feeling the need to show us where outlets are located and counting drawers.
Question: When on a ship for a couple of weeks or longer, what do you do regarding laundry? Do you use the ships laundry service? Are there facilities that are available directly to the cruiser?
Thank you,
LOL. Yeah and that does NOT include a lot of things in life. How about gratuities? Health insurance? Do you own stuff? Then storage? Airfares? Hotels? etc.
One needs to be rich to even consider this. Sorry, not for me. Just not realistic.
Better, cheaper, and all Inc option available, but I'm not sure I can post a link to it for advertising reasons?
I'm a resident on it. Cheaper than all those, with everything included.
I'll be going on the Crown to Alaska in June...but I've been on four other Princess ships and I've enjoyed them all. I do have to say, if I were planning a world cruise or even living on a ship for most of the year on smaller itineraries, I wouldn't do it if I had to budget by staying in an inside cabin. That would drive me crazy and I know I'd hate it. Unless I could afford a balcony or a mini-suite (my preference), I wouldn't go. Do you really think you could spend so much time in a tiny inside cabin?
I would love to live on a cruise ship. I am concerned about things like where do you get your prescriptions filled? How about voting?
Which cruise ship is best for Europe like Portugal Greece just for a month
Love all your channels :) My husband and I are taking the plunge and starting full time travel in 2025. Definitely want to plug Easter Island though! We spent five days there and wished we could’ve spent longer. I’d do more than a port stop there if you can make it work!
Would love to do a world cruise someday. Just happy we have 4 booked .heading to platinum status on Carnival in mid 2025!
Pretty much every world cruise out there now has had some itinerary change. State of the world today, it's a little unrealistic to think any long term trip you plan right now will actually make it to most of the advertised ports, and that's not even considering weather-caused changes. If getting to all of the ports isn't a priority, then remember to add in any part of the trip that you plan to be on land. Nice to dream :)
My wife and I are roughly the same age as y’all. Normally we sail on Holland America and yeah we are the youngest people usually on the ship. But in August 2022 we went on an Alaska cruise with princess on the Crown princess, it was a, very nice cruise. But a strange ship. they were having engine problems so it could not go its normal speed because of that , one of our ports of calls was changed. The engine problem also caused vibration to be heard and felt throughout the aft of the ship. We are big fans of the thermal suite and on the crown princess, the thermal suite is a windowless room that gives off the vibe of a YMCA. A couple of the Steam rooms were also broken and we were not able to use while we were there. We didn’t care for the food on board and actually I thought the food on a carnival ship in the MDR was better , but a plus side they do have four pools on the ship and the forward pool is surrounded by the spa so most people don’t even know that it’s there or they think you’re they’re not able to use it. The crew were very strange half of them were very warm and welcoming, and extremely proactive in their service , the other half were snarky and indifferent. It’s very strange and a very different experience from what we were used to on Holland America. The Wi-Fi wasn’t very good in the app was absolutely atrocious. I heard numerous other cruisers complain about the app throughout the entire trip based on our experience on the crown princess we decided we would not go on another Princess cruise .
Thanks for this video! Question: won’t there be additional costs vs the basic costs you detailed ie tips, WiFi, etc? We’re a retired slow travel couple and cruising virgins …
You were talking about going to the same ports over and over. All of my cruises until now have been in the Caribbean. There are many times I don't leave the ship. There are some ports I always get off.
In most cases, I cruise because of the ship, not the itineraries.
I do have a cruise scheduled for Bermuda that I did book for the destination. Likewise, for a 2025 Transatlantic to Rome via the Azores and Spain.
I love your channels!
Cruising the world “ad hoc” is exactly what my newly retired husband and I are thinking of doing. Would be VERY interested in videos on how you go about planning this. Great channel and content as always.
Number 3 but if I won the first or second options in some kind of prize draw I wouldn’t say no 😂 very much looking forward to your journey ❤
Just keep in mind you may need visas, and not every Visa is required electronically
I want to do a world cruise but my husband doesn't like cruising and he doesn't want me gone that long. I would not do like Super Mario because I cruise for the destinations. Good video, thank you.
I think you need to reconsider your plan to stay for weeks in some ports that offer multiple cruise departures when you're switching ships/lines. Some of those port cities are very expensive for accommodation - Singapore is a prime example. You could fly or take ground transportation to nearby cities in Malaysia (from Singapore), and literally halve your accommodation costs, and get to experience a new location. You might also find a must-do cruise departing from another city in the region where a regional flight is better than sitting in your arrival port city. So many variables...it's going to be interesting to follow your planning process. I expect it will evolve as you get into this new adventure!
I have really been enjoying all of your content (on all your channels). Your new adventure sounds wonderful. I vote for the option you are entertaining. It's the most flexible, with plenty of options. I'm all about options! All the best!
Very wise fun plan. I was on Star Princess when new,, was same class as Crown out just a year or so later...I like that class of ship...the dressing areas even on an inside in those ships by the bath are very nice layouts sharing a small space....is so nice..beautiful ships...
I enjoy your content from all channels. I am looking forward to the new adventure content. Enjoy
I wish u guys many blessings on your endeavors but I agree u can find the best deals last minute because there r unsold rooms and the cruise lines want to fill up the ship 🚢 ✅🙏🏽
Or you could join the Navy and they will pay you to be on a boat for a year
That sounds very interesting, I can't wait to see how you plan this out.
I would be happy with just a month or so on Icon!
Appreciate your expertise.
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
The longest we've been on a ship is 23 days. We're currently planning a 26 day cruise for 2025. We also typically extend our trip on the front end and/or the back end depending on those locations. FYI - there will be additional costs which aren't quoted in the cruise fare. Gratuities typically cost ~$18/day per person. Wi-Fi and specialty dining is usually extra. Alcohol and excursions also add to the cost. Also, some cruise lines don't include the cost of taxes and port charges in their pricing. For these reasons we wouldn't consider more than 30 days of cruising on a trip.