All at sea? Urban legend no more.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

This costs her $450/day = $164,250/yr. You could do that, couldn't you?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poste...p-for-8-years/

[Texas Proud]

I have read a few like this... the first one I read was about a lady who asked how much to be able to (IIRC) be on any ship... they said $100,000 (could be off on this since I read it a long time ago)....


I think she stayed on one ship for a year and then went to another...


Has to be someone else as this was 15 or so years ago when I read it...

[W2R]

What a dream come true, to live on a ship like that. It might be tough when she needs medical or dental procedures done. Oh, I admit it, that was just sour grapes. I think it would be amazing.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

I still remember his words. “Don’t stop cruising,” my husband told me the day before he died of cancer in 1997... What most I miss, of course, is my family... I rarely go ashore nowadays because I’ve probably already been there several times. When most everybody else goes, it‘s so quiet, and I have almost the whole ship to myself. I’ll read, watch a movie, continue my needlepoint work or just take a nap... Cathy Lee, my daughter, died five years ago at age 59. Most of my close friends in Florida are also gone. Now, as a longtime cruiser, though, I get to make new friends all the time.

I don't think I can live like that, even if I have that money. I need room to spread out, to have some "stuff" to keep myself busy, to have family to interact with. I would get tired of making new acquaintance all the time, as the relationships would be shallow and transient.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I don't think I can live like that, even if I have that money. I need room to spread out, to have some "stuff" to keep myself busy, to have family to interact with. I would get tired of making new acquaintance all the time, as the relationships would be shallow and transient.

Good points. Another thing is that as I grow older, I want my bed to be just right for me and not like beds on ships. (sour grapes!)

The older I get, the more I like comfort and the more I like to have everything just the way I want it (more sour grapes!).

Actually I am much happier here in my Dream Home at my age. Living on a ship sounds really nice, and would have been for a younger version of W2R.

[Ronstar]

Sounds terrible to me. I don't like cruises on the big cruise ships. Maybe ok on a catamaran or sailboat.


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[Amethyst]

I tend to get seasick, so her way might not work for me.

OTOH, I find the idea of a changing customer population and a dedicated group of service providers very appealing. As long as you are nice to the service providers, they are nice to you; and because the customers keep changing, you don't have to deal with cliques as is apparently the case with old-folks communities. I like company, but am not a clique person. [understatement of the year]. The article made me think of why Bilbo liked living in Rivendell when he got old. "There are elves...when you want them."

On a different (sadder) note,a lot of readers made comments comparing her set-up favorably to "being in a nursing home," but that's a false comparison. At 88, the lady is physically healthy and mentally sharp. When she inevitably develops physical or mental disabilities, the ship can no longer be her home. Meanwhile, I wish her long(er) life and contentment.

Amethyst

[NW-Bound]

I am sure that the ship staff pampers her and treats her very well. And at $450/day, I think she gets a larger cabin than the average one.

Still, with that money, I personally want a variety of accommodations, not just being stuck on a ship. I would move from place to place around the world, getting pampered everywhere I go.

But everyone is different, and if this living makes this woman happy, who am I to say she's wrong?

[Andre1969]

It sounds like this lady has had a wonderful life, living out her sunset years on a cruise ship. What I hate though, is when living on a cruise ship gets compared to an assisted living facility. My grandmother was in an assisted living facility for a few months in 2014, and it was nowhere NEAR $450 per day! Try ~$3,000 per month. They bathed her, fed her, helped her to the bathroom, made sure she took her meds, etc. If you can't fend for yourself, I seriously doubt the staff on a cruise ship is going to do all that for you.

And, even when Grandmom had to go into a full-blown nursing home, it was still only around $10,000 per month.

[Amethyst]

That comparison is truly ridiculous, isn't it? Reminds me of the silly thing going around on Facebook, about old people living the life of Riley in a chain motel for much less money than "assisted living." Well, that's all fine until they need someone to give them a bath!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andre1969 I What I hate though, is when living on a cruise ship gets compared to an assisted living facility.

[Viking]

Living in a floating hotel sounds more like Dante's First Circle of Hell than a pleasurable retirement. Personally, I don't think I could retain my health and sanity cooped up there for more than a month.

But yay her for "living the dream".

[NW-Bound]

Different strokes for different folks...

On an earlier cruise, we shared the dinner table with a couple who took the same Caribbean cruise every year. Most people would do different things for vacation each year, or at least different cruise itineraries. These people found what they liked, and saw no need to change. Again, they were happy with it and that's all that matters.

There was a story in the local paper about an elderly man who came to a local cafe every day, ordering the same sandwich for lunch for years. Man, I would want some variety...

[Philliefan33]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viking Living in a floating hotel sounds more like Dante's First Circle of Hell than a pleasurable retirement. Personally, I don't think I could retain my health and sanity cooped up there for more than a month. But yay her for "living the dream".

I agree...except I don't think I'd last even a month.

My parents love to cruise. In the past few years they have spent >100 days/ year cruising. A couple of years ago they treated my family of four to a 4-day cruise (my dad wanted it to be a 7-day cruise but luckily the girls' college schedules precluded that). While we appreciated the generosity and enjoyed the vacation, none of us (me, DH, two DDs) care to book another cruise. It just isn't what we like.

I'm pretty sure my dad was hoping that DH and I would like cruising and start to accompany them on some of their trips....but that is not happening!

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viking Living in a floating hotel sounds more like Dante's First Circle of Hell than a pleasurable retirement. Personally, I don't think I could retain my health and sanity cooped up there for more than a month. But yay her for "living the dream".

+1000. That would be absolute hell for me. I see no allure of a cruise. EVER. But...glad she enjoyed it!

[NYEXPAT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I don't think I can live like that, even if I have that money. I need room to spread out, to have some "stuff" to keep myself busy, to have family to interact with. I would get tired of making new acquaintance all the time, as the relationships would be shallow and transient.

Before I met my EX, I thought these relationships were the best. Afterwards, I was sure of it!

[sengsational]

$450/day is pretty steep, but then again I've never found a good deal on a really long cruise (people who take those real long cruises subsidize those on shorter ones?) One might think that they'd have less overhead (baggage handling, ticketing, etc) so could charge less on a long cruise, but it doesn't work out that way. I think it's because those who can afford a long cruise are not as price sensitive as those that go on the 14 or fewer day cruises.

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I am sure that the ship staff pampers her and treats her very well. And at $450/day, I think she gets a larger cabin than the average one.

Had an uncle who lived 40 years in a 3 room suite in a downtown Boston hotel. Cost him a fortune but he got room service whenever he wanted and someone to pick up after him, laundry etc. He became a fixture at the place.

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyBoy5 +1000. That would be absolute hell for me. I see no allure of a cruise. EVER. But...glad she enjoyed it!

I see no allure to a number of lifestyles many of which are popular with folks on this board. But, like you, I realize that what I like doesn't matter a bit to the person doing what they like. So, I agree, I'm glad she's enjoying it! And I'm glad the other folks living other life styles that wouldn't be for me are happy too!

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viking Living in a floating hotel sounds more like Dante's First Circle of Hell than a pleasurable retirement.

Yup...

[Teacher Terry]

WE took a 14 day re-positioning cruise that was very reasonable and found out that many of the people take the same one each year which made no sense to me. I like cruises but like to go different places and I also like to travel other ways too. There were a few people that had sold their homes and just lived on the cruise ships but most did it on 100/day so much cheaper then this woman.