MW Can you retire on a cruise ship? Here's how much it costs to live at sea.

By Charles Passy

It's not just the expenses to consider: Are you prepared to call a 130-square-foot cabin your year-round home?

In recent years, I've discovered the joys of traveling on cruise ships, replete with all the experiences they offer.

I've planted my feet on the sands of a private island in the Bahamas. I've stood atop a glacier in Alaska. I've feasted on freshly caught seafood in Bermuda. And that's to say nothing of the many satisfying days and nights I've spent on the ships themselves, looking out at the water while enjoying a cold beverage (or two).

Now here comes a question I thought I'd never ask: Could I make this a full-time lifestyle in retirement?

It might seem hard to fathom: Cruising is typically focused on three- to nine-day itineraries. Even the more ambitious trips - say, a transatlantic sailing - rarely run much more than two or three weeks.

But there are people - and yes, retirees - who really do live aboard cruise ships. Indeed, there's now something of a cottage industry that caters to them. And here's the real shocker: It might not be that expensive to do this versus a land-based retirement.

Those who are nearing retirement or already retired may be looking for alternatives. Just 2.5% of Americans have $1 million or more in their nest egg, which suggests that many may fall far short of their ability to retire without worry. And given the concerns about the future of Social Security, the rising cost of healthcare and any number of other retirement-related financial factors, the need to keep expenses contained in your later years can become paramount.

Plus, many of us want a little excitement in those later years - hence, the idea of cruising your way through retirement.

I learned of this idea when I read about Sharon Lane, a California woman who decided to retire aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, a ship dedicated to full-time cruise living. Lane, 77, said she crunched the numbers and figured a life at sea would almost be a bargain compared to the land alternative.

So, I talked to Lane myself, speaking over Zoom (ZM) as her ship was meandering along the Alaskan coastline. ("I love being on the ocean," she said at the start of our conversation.) Plus, I talked with cruise and financial experts who are versed in all the expenses related to travel and retirement.

My goal? To see if a cruise-based retirement could work for me and my wife - we're both in our early 60s, and what I'd call solidly middle class - from a financial and lifestyle perspective.

Here's what I learned.

The options and costs

Begin with the fact that a land-based retirement is not so affordable these days in the first place, though a lot depends on where you live. According to GoBankingRates, a comfortable retirement can cost as much as $232,837 a year for a couple (if you retire in Hawaii) and as little as $65,674 (in West Virginia). My wife and I live in New York, where our retirement expenses are projected to run $128,005 a year.

But what's the cost of the ship-based alternative? That's tricky to answer, because there are different ways to go.

Certainly, you can plan a life of back-to-back sailings on traditional cruise ships - but Lane warned me that she looked into that and found it an expensive way to go. I priced out a month's worth of cruises for a balcony cabin (our preference) on the Norwegian Joy $(NCLH)$, since it's a ship we've sailed on before and liked. That ran about $18,000; multiply that by 12, and you're looking at $216,000 for a year.

But that doesn't include the costs for gratuities, internet service or any number of extras that life aboard a ship can involve (to say nothing of all the money you might lose in the casino). Even if you apply some loyalty or other discounts, and even if you find some bargain-price sailings along the way, the figure is still well north of a land-based retirement.

Also, you have the inconvenience or just plain weirdness of starting life anew with each sailing - with different people aboard and the possibility of having to disembark between trips. "The logistics of it are pretty massive," said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of the Cruise Critic website.

Another option: There's an established luxury-minded ship that offers "residences" (as opposed to mere cabins) for those who want to sail the world year-round in style. In fact, it's called the World. But the key word here is "luxury": Residences start at $2.5 million and go as high as $15 million, according to a spokesperson for the ship. And the annual fee is $200,000 at a minimum. So, definitely more pricey than our first option.

That leaves Villa Vie, a fairly new-to-the-market company that is effectively trying to pioneer the idea of attainable year-round cruise living - in other words, a middle-class option.

I priced out a fully furnished balcony cabin on its Odyssey ship - or at least one that's still available (the 515-cabin ship, which launched in 2024, is 80% sold, according to Mikael Petterson, a cruise-industry veteran who founded the company). The cost was $340,000 for a guaranteed minimum 15 years of use.

Let's presume that a good chunk of retirement savings goes to covering that purchase upfront, though paying in installments over three years is certainly possible through the company. As for the annual fee - which covers three meals a day, housekeeping and internet, among other things - that runs $96,000 for a couple.

So, Lane is right: This can be cheaper than a land-based retirement, notwithstanding the cost of the cabin. Also, you could opt for a cheaper Villa Vie cabin; an interior one runs $120,000, with $48,000 in annual fees. Then again, you could also go for a more expensive and luxurious unit - they run as high as $469,000. Should this ship sell out, Petterson said there are more Villa Vie ones planned in the coming years.

Some financial variables to consider

There are three big ones that come to mind - and all of these would apply regardless of what cruise-based retirement option you choose. Add them up and they could considerably inflate your costs.

First, health insurance. You're basically out of luck with Medicare, since it has limited applicability when traveling internationally. That means you may want what's called a global health policy. I priced one out through Insured Nomads, a company that specializes in this kind of insurance, and found a decent plan would run my wife and me at least $30,000 annually.

Read: Worried about medical emergencies on vacation? How to stay covered if you're on Medicare.

There's also the question of whether you'll need to maintain a land-based home. It's a personal choice, but it's something that may be important if you want to reconnect regularly with friends and family members back on terra firma, or just take breaks from cruising - how much ocean can you see in a given year?

If you don't opt for owning a home, you'll probably rely on hotels or short-term rentals for the occasional stay. That's how Richard and Angelyn Burk, a retired couple who formerly lived in Washington state, have worked things out: They're on cruises about 180 days a year, and spend their gap time mainly in hotels. It "entails a lot of planning and budgeting. We are constantly looking for deals," Richard explained to me.

Finally, you're seeing the world, so you'll have to factor in the cost of actually seeing it - meaning the adventures you may want to have when you arrive in port after port. I know from personal experience that excursions are a big - and expensive - part of cruising, as in that trip to an Alaskan glacier: It cost my wife and me about $1,000 combined. Sure, you can get by on the cheap and simply walk around the places you visit. But where's the fun in that?

Beyond the financial: More pros and cons

The obvious pro: You're seeing the world! For many, travel is a retirement priority - myself included, as I think ahead to my next chapter in life - so here's a baked-in way of doing it. And it's a way that frees you permanently from some of the chores of daily living - no more cooking, for example. It's not unlike living in many a retirement community, but this one happens to be on the high seas.

Certainly, that's how Lane viewed the opportunity. As a former high-school language teacher, she always loved visiting different countries and regularly took groups of students on trips abroad. Now she travels without leaving the comforts of home, in a sense, and without having to worry much about those daily tasks. Plus, she enjoys being part of an adventuresome community that feels likewise. "We don't like seeing the same thing every day," she said.

But therein lies a potential issue: the community. In the case of ships like Villa Vie Odyssey and the World, you're traveling with a relatively small group of people, day in and day out. There's potential to make valuable friendships - and the Villa Vie's Petterson told me that two weddings have already taken place among people who met each other on the ship. But I can see how it potentially becomes a little too close for comfort.

There's also the fact a ship-based lifestyle may not be one that easily accommodates seniors as they age. "Retirees will eventually face health or mobility issues that make cruise living less feasible. There's no built-in care model, so this isn't a long-term aging-in-place solution," said Rich Arzaga, a financial adviser who's cruised more than a dozen times.

Let's also not forget that cruise cabins can make for some tight conditions: Lane is living in all of a 130-square-foot space. But it depends how you think about it, she insists. "It's my bedroom," she explained - meaning the rest of the ship is her living room, dining room, and personal fitness center and spa. Lane especially likes to frequent the latter to get her nails done. "I'm a girly girl," she said.

Would I really do it?

MW Can you retire on a cruise ship? Here's how much it costs to live at sea.

By Charles Passy

It's not just the expenses to consider: Are you prepared to call a 130-square-foot cabin your year-round home?

In recent years, I've discovered the joys of traveling on cruise ships, replete with all the experiences they offer.

I've planted my feet on the sands of a private island in the Bahamas. I've stood atop a glacier in Alaska. I've feasted on freshly caught seafood in Bermuda. And that's to say nothing of the many satisfying days and nights I've spent on the ships themselves, looking out at the water while enjoying a cold beverage (or two).

Now here comes a question I thought I'd never ask: Could I make this a full-time lifestyle in retirement?

It might seem hard to fathom: Cruising is typically focused on three- to nine-day itineraries. Even the more ambitious trips - say, a transatlantic sailing - rarely run much more than two or three weeks.

But there are people - and yes, retirees - who really do live aboard cruise ships. Indeed, there's now something of a cottage industry that caters to them. And here's the real shocker: It might not be that expensive to do this versus a land-based retirement.

Those who are nearing retirement or already retired may be looking for alternatives. Just 2.5% of Americans have $1 million or more in their nest egg, which suggests that many may fall far short of their ability to retire without worry. And given the concerns about the future of Social Security, the rising cost of healthcare and any number of other retirement-related financial factors, the need to keep expenses contained in your later years can become paramount.

Plus, many of us want a little excitement in those later years - hence, the idea of cruising your way through retirement.

I learned of this idea when I read about Sharon Lane, a California woman who decided to retire aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey, a ship dedicated to full-time cruise living. Lane, 77, said she crunched the numbers and figured a life at sea would almost be a bargain compared to the land alternative.

So, I talked to Lane myself, speaking over Zoom (ZM) as her ship was meandering along the Alaskan coastline. ("I love being on the ocean," she said at the start of our conversation.) Plus, I talked with cruise and financial experts who are versed in all the expenses related to travel and retirement.

My goal? To see if a cruise-based retirement could work for me and my wife - we're both in our early 60s, and what I'd call solidly middle class - from a financial and lifestyle perspective.

Here's what I learned.

The options and costs

Begin with the fact that a land-based retirement is not so affordable these days in the first place, though a lot depends on where you live. According to GoBankingRates, a comfortable retirement can cost as much as $232,837 a year for a couple (if you retire in Hawaii) and as little as $65,674 (in West Virginia). My wife and I live in New York, where our retirement expenses are projected to run $128,005 a year.

But what's the cost of the ship-based alternative? That's tricky to answer, because there are different ways to go.

Certainly, you can plan a life of back-to-back sailings on traditional cruise ships - but Lane warned me that she looked into that and found it an expensive way to go. I priced out a month's worth of cruises for a balcony cabin (our preference) on the Norwegian Joy (NCLH), since it's a ship we've sailed on before and liked. That ran about $18,000; multiply that by 12, and you're looking at $216,000 for a year.

But that doesn't include the costs for gratuities, internet service or any number of extras that life aboard a ship can involve (to say nothing of all the money you might lose in the casino). Even if you apply some loyalty or other discounts, and even if you find some bargain-price sailings along the way, the figure is still well north of a land-based retirement.

Also, you have the inconvenience or just plain weirdness of starting life anew with each sailing - with different people aboard and the possibility of having to disembark between trips. "The logistics of it are pretty massive," said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of the Cruise Critic website.

Another option: There's an established luxury-minded ship that offers "residences" (as opposed to mere cabins) for those who want to sail the world year-round in style. In fact, it's called the World. But the key word here is "luxury": Residences start at $2.5 million and go as high as $15 million, according to a spokesperson for the ship. And the annual fee is $200,000 at a minimum. So, definitely more pricey than our first option.

That leaves Villa Vie, a fairly new-to-the-market company that is effectively trying to pioneer the idea of attainable year-round cruise living - in other words, a middle-class option.

I priced out a fully furnished balcony cabin on its Odyssey ship - or at least one that's still available (the 515-cabin ship, which launched in 2024, is 80% sold, according to Mikael Petterson, a cruise-industry veteran who founded the company). The cost was $340,000 for a guaranteed minimum 15 years of use.

Let's presume that a good chunk of retirement savings goes to covering that purchase upfront, though paying in installments over three years is certainly possible through the company. As for the annual fee - which covers three meals a day, housekeeping and internet, among other things - that runs $96,000 for a couple.

So, Lane is right: This can be cheaper than a land-based retirement, notwithstanding the cost of the cabin. Also, you could opt for a cheaper Villa Vie cabin; an interior one runs $120,000, with $48,000 in annual fees. Then again, you could also go for a more expensive and luxurious unit - they run as high as $469,000. Should this ship sell out, Petterson said there are more Villa Vie ones planned in the coming years.

Some financial variables to consider

There are three big ones that come to mind - and all of these would apply regardless of what cruise-based retirement option you choose. Add them up and they could considerably inflate your costs.

First, health insurance. You're basically out of luck with Medicare, since it has limited applicability when traveling internationally. That means you may want what's called a global health policy. I priced one out through Insured Nomads, a company that specializes in this kind of insurance, and found a decent plan would run my wife and me at least $30,000 annually.

Read: Worried about medical emergencies on vacation? How to stay covered if you're on Medicare.

There's also the question of whether you'll need to maintain a land-based home. It's a personal choice, but it's something that may be important if you want to reconnect regularly with friends and family members back on terra firma, or just take breaks from cruising - how much ocean can you see in a given year?

If you don't opt for owning a home, you'll probably rely on hotels or short-term rentals for the occasional stay. That's how Richard and Angelyn Burk, a retired couple who formerly lived in Washington state, have worked things out: They're on cruises about 180 days a year, and spend their gap time mainly in hotels. It "entails a lot of planning and budgeting. We are constantly looking for deals," Richard explained to me.

Finally, you're seeing the world, so you'll have to factor in the cost of actually seeing it - meaning the adventures you may want to have when you arrive in port after port. I know from personal experience that excursions are a big - and expensive - part of cruising, as in that trip to an Alaskan glacier: It cost my wife and me about $1,000 combined. Sure, you can get by on the cheap and simply walk around the places you visit. But where's the fun in that?

Beyond the financial: More pros and cons

The obvious pro: You're seeing the world! For many, travel is a retirement priority - myself included, as I think ahead to my next chapter in life - so here's a baked-in way of doing it. And it's a way that frees you permanently from some of the chores of daily living - no more cooking, for example. It's not unlike living in many a retirement community, but this one happens to be on the high seas.

Certainly, that's how Lane viewed the opportunity. As a former high-school language teacher, she always loved visiting different countries and regularly took groups of students on trips abroad. Now she travels without leaving the comforts of home, in a sense, and without having to worry much about those daily tasks. Plus, she enjoys being part of an adventuresome community that feels likewise. "We don't like seeing the same thing every day," she said.

But therein lies a potential issue: the community. In the case of ships like Villa Vie Odyssey and the World, you're traveling with a relatively small group of people, day in and day out. There's potential to make valuable friendships - and the Villa Vie's Petterson told me that two weddings have already taken place among people who met each other on the ship. But I can see how it potentially becomes a little too close for comfort.

There's also the fact a ship-based lifestyle may not be one that easily accommodates seniors as they age. "Retirees will eventually face health or mobility issues that make cruise living less feasible. There's no built-in care model, so this isn't a long-term aging-in-place solution," said Rich Arzaga, a financial adviser who's cruised more than a dozen times.

Let's also not forget that cruise cabins can make for some tight conditions: Lane is living in all of a 130-square-foot space. But it depends how you think about it, she insists. "It's my bedroom," she explained - meaning the rest of the ship is her living room, dining room, and personal fitness center and spa. Lane especially likes to frequent the latter to get her nails done. "I'm a girly girl," she said.

Would I really do it?

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July 15, 2025 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT)

MW Can you retire on a cruise ship? Here's how -2-

I hear the reasons why this makes sense, but I also take what Richard Burk told me to heart: "Living on a cruise ship isn't for everyone," he said matter-of-factly. And that's true even if the numbers do make this financially feasible.

Let's just say I'm weighing the choice. But I'm also confronting another reality: I'm prone to seasickness, which is something to consider even when you're contemplating a week-long sailing, let alone a rest-of-your-life journey.

Then again, there's always Dramamine: A year's supply could run me about $500, I estimate. I may have to factor that into my retirement budget.

-Charles Passy

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