Living on a Cruise Ship Full-Time: Is It Really Possible?
Many travelers wonder whether it’s really possible to live on a cruise ship full-time. The idea of waking up in a new destination every few days is incredibly appealing, and long voyages make the lifestyle seem possible. But after years of sailing and exploring cruise life, we’ve discovered that the reality is more complex than most people expect.
Can you live on a cruise ship full time?
Yes — some travelers do live on cruise ships full-time by booking long voyages or sailing back-to-back cruises. For many people, the idea of waking up in a new destination every few days sounds like a dream.
But the reality of cruise ship living involves more factors than most people expect. Costs, internet access, healthcare, mobility around large ships, and time limits in port can all affect whether the lifestyle truly works for someone. For some travelers, aging or physical limitations might make cruise travel seem like the perfect solution — but there are also practical considerations that are important to think through carefully.
That’s one reason many travelers, including us, have found that using cruises as connectors between longer stays on land can offer a more flexible and balanced way to explore the world.
Pros & Cons of Living on a Cruise Ship
Pros
• Travel to many countries easily
• Housing, food, and entertainment bundled together
• Always waking up somewhere new
• A built-in community on board
• A safe environment onboard
• Medical care available
• Never have to cook, clean or do laundry
• Entertainment always available
• Exercise available on ships and ashore
• Mental stimulation from experiencing new things
• Internet can be expensive and unreliable
• Costs vary more than people expect
• Limited space and privacy
• Exploration of destinations very limited by port time
• The constant buzz of activity can be socially tiring
• Food repeats & the inability to cook can be difficult
• Time zone changes can make contact with family hard
• Easy to gain weight and become less healthy
• Onboard medical care, supplies and services are costly
• Entertainment and classes repeat
Cons
Longer voyages reveal a different side of cruising and open up possibilities most travelers never consider.
A Better Approach — Travel Bigger
Use Cruises As Connectors
While some travelers dream of living on a cruise ship full-time, we discovered a different approach that works even better.
Instead of staying on ships continuously, we use cruises as connectors between longer stays on land. A cruise takes us to a new region of the world, and then we slow down and explore that destination more deeply before the next voyage.
Begin to expand your idea of cruising with Episode 1 of our Travel Bigger series, then carry on through the series as we show you how we use cruises as connectors, and even to visit 3 continents using one cruise as a base. After paying for one long flight you might as well add on some amazing land stays—after all, you’re already there!
How Much Does It Cost to Live on a Cruise Ship?
Many travelers imagine that living on a cruise ship might actually be cheaper than living on land. In reality, costs vary widely depending on the cruise line, cabin type, itinerary, and how long you stay onboard. And, of course, where you lived on land affects your comparison.
Some travelers try to live at sea by booking long voyages or sailing back-to-back cruises, while others look for repositioning cruises or extended sailings. Like many others, we’ve found cruising on casino rates to be most economical (usually just port fees and taxes) and have used them to span the globe on very long multiple segment voyages.
While the idea can be appealing, the costs are often higher than people initially expect — especially when you factor in internet access, excursions, flights between cruises, and time spent on land between voyages.
For many travelers, using cruises as connectors between longer stays on land can provide a more flexible and affordable way to balance expenses as they explore the world.
How Do People Get Those “Free” Casino Cruises?
It’s a question we all ask, wondering how so many people cruise the world so cheaply! We set out to find the answer—and save a lot of money—and the answer has saved us tens of thousands of dollars over the last year.
We are almost done with our experiment on several cruise lines and will have a video soon, answering all your questions, including “How much do I have to gamble?”
We’ll explain exactly how casino cruise offers work, how much gambling is required, and whether the “free cruise” offers are actually worth it.
Subscribe to Cruise Through Retirement to see the full video when it releases.