How to Retire on a Cruise Ship


Ever wondered how to retire on a cruise ship?

Many of us dream of seeing the world when we retire and if we have enough of a nest egg to support or retirement plans of traveling to different places abroad then we can do that easily. However, traveling from one place to another can be quite tiresome (trust me on this one! I’ve been to 8 different countries in 2010 alone.).

You’ll end up spending a large amount of your time waiting in airports and living out of your suitcase. You get to travel, but you do not get to travel in comfort.


Cruise ship retirement offers you the opportunity to see the world without having to grab your suit case with you wherever you go. You can live as comfortably as if you are in your own home and thankfully learning how to retire in a cruise ship is not difficult.

If you want to know how to retire on a cruise ship, the answer is within your reach. All you have to do is look up “cruise ship retirement” on the internet, and you will find a number of cruise liners that offer living accommodations suitable for those who are in their retirement years. The hard part is going to be narrowing down a specific ship that you’re going to want to spend some time on. To do this – simply compare the different costs, the amenities they offer, and their destinations that best suit your taste.

What’s a Retirement Cruise Ship Like?

Cruise ship retirement is similar to living in a retirement home. You actually live with a group of people who are also retired except that all of you are living on a ship instead of a complex. A retirement cruise ship has staterooms which are similar to condominiums. You purchase the stateroom that you want to live in.

However, you also have the option of renting it if you are still unsure whether living aboard a cruise ship is for you. The cost is as low as 159,000 USD and the space is all yours. One hidden bonus to living on a cruise ship is that you won’t have to pay property taxes for your living space.

The staterooms usually come with the following:

  • a home entertainment system
  • refrigerator
  • and other basic home furnishings…

What it lacks however is an oven and stove. You don’t need this since you will be dining with the other residents of the cruise ship.


The residents on the cruise ship form an association to which the members have to contribute a monthly amount for the maintenance and operation expenses of the cruise ship. Moreover, it is the residents who get to choose where they want the cruise ship to go. The cost of living in a cruise ship is quite a bit lower than living in a retirement community.

To know how to retire on a cruise ship, you have to look into the amenities being offered and ask yourself whether these are things that would make your retirement relaxing and enjoyable. A retirement cruise ship comes with a dining hall, cocktail lounge, night club, library with internet, spa, gym, shops, casino, pool or hot tub, and a health care facility. It also comes with a tour bus for when you go sight seeing at your destinations when the ship docks.

So if you’re a fan of cruise ships – why not try renting a state room and see how your sea legs are! If you end up not liking it you can always do something else in your retirement, but if you do end up enjoying it then you can take the plunge and get your own personal stateroom.


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